DPM Woodland... not just for Limeys anymore

[Diz]

I have always had an interest in Brit kit, especially the SAS windproof smock. By the time you could find one, we were off and running with desert camo, then digitals, and other assorted patterns of the month. As I have recently come back around to Old School Woodland, I am also giving DPM woodland another look. And by golly jock, that shit is pretty good stuff. In fact, I like it better than US woodland at this point. Why? Well, for one, the pattern is much more random than ours. You don't see repeating shapes in the pattern as readily. So visually, as in to the nekid eye, it is actually superior. So OK, that's a pretty big deal all by itself. But wait, there's more. When viewed under night vision (my -14) the pattern is just plain fantastic. Most material that is treated for NIR only shows contrast on the black segments. DPM stays dark on the black AND brown segments, giving an awesome contrast with the remaining colors, which fade to light green. (And BTW, US woodland ain't half bad under NV either. The black segments give excellent contrast with the other colors.) The fact is, DPM woodland gives one of the best contrasting patterns under NV, bar none. Even the digitals aren't as good, IMHO. Other current patterns, such as Multi-cam (and MTP), ATACS, etc. don't hold a candle to this stuff.

So how can this be? How can the US government shit-can a perfectly good woodland pattern for ACU (one of the WORST patterns ever fielded), (and now Multi-Scam)

And, how can Her Majesty's government shit-can the best woodland pattern ON THE PLANET, for MTP???

But I digress.

If you get a chance, take a look at some of this stuff. Like US woodland, DPM is inexpensive and available. With ebay and paypal you can get whatever you want directly from the UK. Something that was hard to pull off in the past.

[Hawkeye]

Yeah, gotta admit. I've got a new found interest/love for woodland DPM.

[Patriotic Sheepdog]

Interesting take on the NV test. I'll have to get me something in DPM and take a look.

[Diz]

Believe it or not, the DPM woodland resembles the DPM desert under NIR. The contrast is that good. One thing that gets lost in all this is the fact that untreated material turns into a solid, light green blob, regardless of colors/pattern. Even treated materials do this, except for their black segments. The fact that you have a pattern with double the amount of contrast under NIR, readily available and less expensive than any current pattern is amazing. Why is this important? Well, without any contrast, your fancy pet pattern loses any value it may have had under NIR. You might as well be wearing a solid color because that's exactly what it looks like. The treated material looks like you took a can of black krylon and sprayed a disruptive pattern on it. (Funny, isn't that what the MACV-SOG studs did to their OD cammies?)

Here's another consideration. Synthetics, including cordura, polyester, and nylon have more shine or glint under NIR. That is why current synthetics are solution dyed for a flatter finish. Cotton mimics the reflectivity of foliage the best. Shiny raingear not so much. Consider this when selecting outer layers.

[Horse]

I LOVE soldier 95 DPM - and it is very effective

[Diz]

True dat.

[eddiewouldclearhot]

Has anyone taken a look at Old School Tiger Stripe under NVGs?

I've gotta agree with Diz and Hawkeye, the more I re-think the ****** kool-aide, the more i discover the old school equipment and procedures tend to work the best.

[Hawkeye]

Jan 11, 2014 17:45:28 GMT -5 eddiewouldclearhot said:

Has anyone taken a look at Old School Tiger Stripe under NVGs?

I've been thinking about doing just that....

[Hawkeye]

Old school Tiger stripe does not look bad at all under my -14.

[Hawkeye]

DPM Windproof smock with OSW pants.




A couple of quick pictures in the bush. I didn't have my head or face properly concealed here, so take that into account. Also, its wintertime and about 50% of the usual foliage is not present.

[Hawkeye]

The really cool thing is, Woodland DPM works pretty well in conjunction with OSW.

[Dave R]

Where did you pick up a pair of woodland DPM?

[Hawkeye]

Plenty of UK sellers on eBay have it, both new and used.

[Paul]

Jan 29, 2014 8:32:45 GMT -5 Hawkeye said:

Plenty of UK sellers on eBay have it, both new and used.

I have been looking at buying a DPM windproof smock, but was turned off by the shipping charges from the UK. I take it your transaction on ebay was fine?
Also, how loose are the smocks? I would like to wear it as an outer camo layer over other layers. Should I just buy my actual chest size or go up a size? Thank you for your input

[Hawkeye]

I've done a couple of buys now from UK vendors, as has Diz and a few others. All have went smoothly. Shipping from the UK is always a booger, but there's just no way around it. As for size, they are cut fairly generously, so I'd say just order your correct size.