Decades ago most hunters took to the field in clothing that was
not specially designed to provide a camouflaged effect. Hunters
may have worn browns or greens to blend better with their surroundings,
but the idea of trying to truly disappear into the surroundings
was not a high priority when selecting clothing for a hunt. A few
hunters tried the military-style camo that was available but found
it little more effective under many conditions than wearing regular
colors.
In recent years, the adoption of camouflage clothing for big-game hunting has
spread to the point that camo clothing is nearly all you find in the sporting
goods stores. From the early patterns that tried to blend with surroundings
by including twigs and leaves on muted brown and green backgrounds we progressed
to the recent High Definition (HD) camo patterns that try to present an even
more realistic, nearly 3-D effect by using more shadows. A few companies have
been offering camo patterns for use against snow-covered backgrounds.
Most of the early patterns were heavy on greens, then browns, then later -
greys. And finally patterns evolved that were specific to particular types of
hunting - like Mossy Oak Shadow Grass and Realtree Advantage Wetlands for the
waterfowlers. The number of different patterns and the number of companies making
camo has grown beyond what anyone would have predicted 20 years ago.
In the last 2 years there have been three new trends.
The first is for camo patterns that are suitable for use where green leaves
and or brown twigs are not suitable. Though camo other than green, brown, or
grey has been offered before, most of those patterns were intended for special
uses like the Mossy Oak Shadow Grass pattern mentioned earlier. The new Brush
pattern from Mossy Oak and the new Advantage Max-1 HD Open Terrain pattern from
Realtree are representative of these new patterns. These patterns are intended
for use on the open range - a market previously largely neglected by camo designers.
A recent antelope hunt in eastern Wyoming pointed out the need for these patterns.
Many of the hunters in camp were from out-of-state and the camo clothing they
had brought along was anything from a mediocre to a downright lousy match for
the terrain. Those patterns worked at home - and those patterns were what the
stores back home carried. The guides wore jackets with patterns more closely
resembling the new Brush and Max-1 Open Terrain patterns and those blended well.
"Natural Gear is science. Its pattern is a non-manipulated, soft-edged
photographic image of natural elements. It has the colors of nature, without
all the technical "artistic" details (sticks and leaves) that clutter
other camouflage patterns. ... If you want to disappear naturally, with a pattern
that's open, soft, shadow-free, versatile, and totally devoid of sticks-and-leaves,
wear NaturalGear!" - from the Natural Gear web site The second new trend
is for camo that is not HD and not intended to make it look like you are a walking
tree. These patterns are designed so that your clothing does not catch the eye,
blending in subtly, but without trying to look like there are twigs and leaves
attached to you. Representative of these new patterns are those on clothing
from NaturalGear. Though NaturalGear has been around for 10 years, only now
are we seeing their idea, of natural tones being more important than high-definition
rendition of leaves and twigs, catch on.
A side benefit, at least in the eyes of some, is that these more natural patterns
make you look a little less odd when wearing your camo other than in the field.
Standing at the gas pump or in line at the Quickie-Mart in head-to-toe high-definition
camo can draw stares if you are not in a rural area where such attire is common.
Third is the change in military camouflage patterns. Some hunters
have always utilized military-style camo because such clothing was
readily available and when gotten from military surplus stores,
it was inexpensive. Now, the military patterns are changing inspired
by a design concept explored by the Canadian army. The new Marpat
patterns are digital in nature - deliberately looking a bit pixilated.
These patterns are designed to fool more than just the human (or
animal) eye, but to also be effective when facing infra-red and
passive image intensification devices. Those specifications may
not apply to hunters, but the new style camo is catching on and
being seen more often in stores.
Finally, while still too small an influence to be considered a trend, there
is a small but growing rebound effect against the takeover of hunting clothing
design by patterns like those offered by Mossy Oak and Realtree. These folks
are turning retro, going back to wearing browns and greens like the hunters
of yesteryear.
So, where does that leave today's hunters? Will the leaves and twigs patterns
fade in favor of the more natural concept? Will the digital patterns catch on
as fashion just because they start appearing on the evening news?
I must confess I have always favored the more faded patterns. Whether brown
or grey, those have seemed to work well for me. I cannot readily see the difference
between the new HD patterns and the previous versions. I do like the addition
of the patterns for open terrain and plan to add some of that clothing before
my next trip out West.
I think the strongest trend is the one represented by NaturalGear's line. I
think patterns that blend in nature without trying to be nature are appealing
and effective. Though right now when I walk through the clothing section of
a sporting goods store the natural patterns are a minority, they are the ones
that catch my eye and make me stop to feel the clothing. I think these natural-style
patterns are very nice on the fleece and wool garments that are also regaining
favor. That appeal ultimately results in sales and a growth in market share.
I think the Marpat patterns will be a fashion statement by those wishing to
look trendy but will not interest hunters looking to invest serious cash in
quality hunting clothing.
