A-TACS Army Camouflage Improvement Effort Results

Bad news from the guys at DCS this morning, in regards to the U.S. Army's decision for their Army Camouflage Improvement Effort submission. Here's the word from A-TACS' Facebook page:

Dec 14th, 2011– In advance of the US Army Camouflage Improvement effort down select due to take place on December 15th, we wish to inform our loyal supporters and partners that we will not be a part of the final down select. As the process moves forward we wish all of the finalists the best.

Camouflage in Video Games: Battlefield 3's Pattern Options

A recent video leaked on to Youtube (presumably from one of those that received the game before they were supposed), and gives some insight into patterns used in Battlefield 3. Some are quite... interesting.

MARPAT (desert) and... SURPAT?!?!

There's little doubt in my mind that that's SURPAT. Which I find odd, as I'm one of the few people on the internet that's written about it. Perhaps someone at DICE 3 is a camophile?

Black

Before choosing Black, perhaps you should read this.

Christmas Giveaway - Milsig MSG RRV Complete Vest Package

That's right boys and girls, we're pulling out the big guns!

Up for grabs today is a complete Milsig MSG RRV system in ACU/UCP!

That includes:

• Fully adjustable dual configuration suspension system (H or X)
• 1x Center Utility Pouch w/ MULTICAM velcro ID patch area
• 2x Double Dual MSG Magazine Pouches (Holds 8x MILSIG Mags or 8x AK Mags)
• 1x Utility Pouch
• 1x Insulated Water Bottle Pouch

How to win:

1. Become a fan of Milsig's Facebook page.
2. Comment on this post (in the form below) saying, "Milsig rocks!"
3. Profit (that was easy eh?)

Contest rules:

1. The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator (random.org), and contacted via the email address they used to comment (so use a valid email address that you check often).
2. Contest is over at 12 noon EST on Friday December 31st 2010.
3. Winner will be announced shortly thereafter
4. The winner will receive one Milsig MSG RRV Vest Complete (ACU)
5. One entry per applicant please.
6. Keep the comments only to entries please, anything else will be deleted.
7. Contest only open to those living in Canada and the continental United States. 

To get the jump on future giveaways , Like us on Facebook and subscribe via email (on the bar to your right).

Winner: Aubrey Bawley

No Money November: Camo Scrubs

Pants and tops can be amongst the most expensive pieces of gear worn by paintball players, but there is a ridiculously cheap alternative out there.

Camouflaged scrubs, available through Nurse Joe, are available for $15 a pair of pants and $15 a top. So for $30 you can have a complete set of camouflage, including such patterns as Multicam, ABU and MARPAT (to name a few) made of Rip Stop fabric. Nurse Joe ships to the United States and Canada for reasonable rates, and entertains offers of custom work, so if you're thinking of outfitting your team with some cheap camo drop him a line and ask him about team logos etc.

Special thanks to JP for pointing this gem out!

Camouflage Comparison by Dustys Depot + Camouflage Tidbits

First off, my apologies and thanks go out to Jonathan for point this stuff out to me, I didn't get a chance to post it earlier this week due to illness craziness, but here goes!

If you're looking for camouflage comparisons (and from site statistics, I do see a lot of people searching that) but are coming up short, check out Dusty's Depot's comprehensive series of comparisons. The authour offers some insights into different camouflage technologies, and also has a few posts talking about the different producers of BDUs available and their advantages/shortcomings.

WTFPB

If you're looking for custom manufacturers of nylon rigs/gear for real firearms and operations there are plenty of options on the market.

Some examples include:

• S.O.E. Gear
• HSG Inc.
• Zulu Nylon Gear

All three are superb nylon manufacturers, and maintain close ties to their end users. But where are the dedicated milsim paintball nylon gear manufacturers? Sure we have people that make nylon vests and gear on a smaller scale for paintballers, but the vast majority of them are targeted towards woodsballers, and there's a sad lack of patterns used by those that do.

ITS Camouflage Comparison Part 2

The guys at ITS tactical have done the leg work, now they need all of you to help pick out the best camouflage pattern out there. In part 2 of their Camouflage Comparison Series, you'll see the following patterns looked at:

• Crye MultiCam
• Bulldog Tactical Mirage Camo
• Digital Concealment Systems A-TACS
• Hyde Definition PenCott GreenZone
• Desert MARPAT (Desert Digital)
• Woodland MARPAT
• SAF Digital (Singapore)
• UCP (ACU)
• 3-Color Desert Camo (DCU)
• Chocolate Chip Desert Camo
• Desert Tiger Stripe
• Japanese Flecktarn

UCP at a Glance - Camouflage Week

UCP (Universal Camouflage Pattern)

User: United States

Ideal location: Apparently nowhere

Patrick at an undisclosed location.

Milsig Solid Gear First Release

Very quick post today... Following Paintball Extravaganza, Milsig has finally released the first product in their Milsig Solid Gear line. Their new Rhodesian Reconnaissance Vest (RRV) comes in Ranger Green, UCP and Multicam, and has a host of cool features. 

If you're looking for durability, these are probably a good bet, as the vests are triple stitched with Kevlar thread. 

A-TACS Interview

Picture above is an Emerson knife in A-TACS.

A-TACS, the new and potentially revolutionary camo pattern revealed in the latter part of 2009, has now been formally launched at Shot Show 2010. I have recently been in contact with Steve Hanks and Philip Duke of Digital Concealment Systems (DCS), and Philip was kind enough to answer a few of my questions:

What prompted the creation of A-TACS?

To be honest, we saw what was on the market, and felt like there was something we could add. We like to push the technological envelope. We've been innovators in the world of hunting concealment for the past 15 years so in many respects, it is a logical extension of what we have already done. After much study, we realized that the methodology behind many of the "digitized" or pixelated patterns was wrong. Ask any sniper or tactician, they will probably tell you that ninety degree angles and squares do not effectively replicate the environment. Additionally, small patterns tend to close-up at a distance and create a blobbing effect. A dark or uniform silhouette makes an easy target! These are a few of the conclusions that led us to where we are today.

Who is the team behind the creation of A-TACS, and what is their experience?

The team behind the development of A-TACS is small. Steve Hanks, my partner with 20 plus years of background in fabrics, Richard Howard, my other partner with 20 years of experience on the hardgoods side of the fence and myself, Philip Duke. I have been involved in developing concealment systems for the past 18 years.

A number of environment-specific variations have been mentioned, what environments can we expect to see covered, and when are they expected to be released?

A-TACS is a universal concept. We are currently testing and building pattern variants based on other types of terrain. While the character of each pattern will be different, they will still utilize the same "pattern within a pattern" concept. We will make announcements on new variations in the coming months.

What was the response to A-TACS at Shot Show 2010, and who were some of the interested parties?

Demand at the SHOT Show was overwelming to say the least. We had interest from all facets of the tactical, military and law enforcement communities. Interest is worldwide at this point, which is something we never expected. We are finalizing deals with a number of manufacturing partners but cannot say who they are until the time is right. Expect new announcements in the coming months on our website.

A-TACS appears to be off to a great start, and their strong customer service is an asset to them. Keep your eye on Grey Ops for more A-TACS articles in the near future.

The End of ACU?

Ugly sofas and sodium vapour lamps aside, operators overseas have lodged innumerable complaints about the effectiveness of UCP. While it is still in use in both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Photosimulation Camouflage Detection Test conducted by the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center has shown that it is hardly the optimal camo for the job. 

To sum up the findings of the test, I'll quote one of the conclusive statements,

"2. If Army leadership desires, for any number of reasons, to maintain a single, multi-environment camouflage pattern for combat missions, then one must first consider all possible environments that a soldier can encounter during a mission set.  For instance, in present day theaters, soldiers can manuever from desert mountainous terrain to oasis to urban terrain during a single mission. 

MultiCam® provides a readily available alternative with good overall performance across all three environments.

a. It provides a significant reduction in target detectability in all three environments as compared to the UCP. MultiCam® performed better in the woodland environment than the Desert MARPAT and Desert Brush patterns, while those two patterns performed better in the desert environment than MultiCam®. 

b. Specific woodland environment missions may still need to be supplemented with a woodland pattern."

As a result of this test and other factors, one U.S. battalion will be wearing a new pattern dubbed UCP Delta this fall, while another will be wearing Multicam.

Multicam pictured above.

UCP Delta pictured above (if it looks like UCP but with brown added, that's because that is exactly what it is).