MULTICAM Camoflauge

[Jacko]

Got the goods!

I pre-ordered this set of Multicam from SKD about... Oh, 4 months ago? I'm not even sure anymore. I figured that $165 for a set (That was Large Long, natch) with a >2 month wait was better than $200 for a set of Large Crye BDU's that I'd have to wait 9 months for, assuming I could even get it.

However, it was not to be. In late August I got an email saying that they did not get Large Long sets from the factory and hoped to have them by the end of September. SKD did give me a $25 discount because they missed their deadline, which I thought was very cool of them. Name another military goods retailer that will not only own up to not having stuff in stock but will actually compensate you for the delay. Thumbs up to SKD for that.

But, September came and went so I shot them an email asking about an update. They immediately replied that they were hoping for the end of October. Lo and behold, I got the stuff on Nov 2.

I'm fortunate to have a set of Crye Field BDU's in my possession that are eagerly awaiting Snips' hairy man-ass. He preordered them waaaay back in March. Comparing the two is like comparing good homegrown apples to hyper-enginered super apples. Here's why:

Both the SKD BDU's (Which I'll just call SKD) and the Crye BDUS (Which I will refer to simply as Crye from here on out) are made of a lightweight 50/50 twill/nyco fabric that is light and breathable. Crye has, however, reinforced problem areas like knees and crotch with the much heavier 1000D Cordura fabric. SKD did not do this. Closeups of the Crye can be seen at www.MilitaryMorons.com so I'll spare you the spam, but needless to say they've engineered the crapout of their clothing. Additional pockets, d-rings and tabs festoon these things for all sorts of additonal gear and storage of small items.

Both pants include pockets for kneepads. Crye has their own proprietary foam and hard covered pads that cost about $30, if memory serves. These pockets allow a user to slide the kneepads in from the bottom and then close the pocket with the velcro strips that line the entrance. SKD has similar pockets, but they won't accept the Crye kneepads. Here's the SKD with kneepads already in:



So, what fits in there? Wonderful Alta kneepads! You know, the $10 ones from DBT.



The SKD shirt is nice, though it's pockets and sleeves are just a regular BDU coat from, say, Proper. They still use buttons for the cuffs and pocket flaps. There's velcro in place for nametapes above each breast pocket. They've kindly added two pockets on the sleeves in a RAID configuration, complete with velcro on the flaps for flags, patches, etc. The collar is done mandarin style like the Crye, which not only feel nice but will keep your sling and the sun off your neck. This is also held in place by velcro.




The Crye shirt seems has reinforced elbows with pockets for pads, something the SKD does not offer. It also features a metric ton more velcro on the sleeve pockets, as well as a square on the back for an IR reflective marker.


All in all, I'm pretty satisfied with the SKD, or at least as satisfied as I can be without actually having worn the stuff in the field yet. It seems to be fairly breathable which will pay off next summer and was a pretty good deal at around $75 for each piece. The Crye is a marvel of modern science, but good luck getting your hands on some for the time being.

[Munin]

So because Jacko has a real-steel wood stock for his M14, he had a plastic stock left over. We started talking about possibilities for what to do with is when Jacko said, "Dude, it would be awesome to have it painted MultiCam." I thought about it for a bit, then decided that a) it could be done, and b) I have all the equipment. So I tried it. And this is the result:

All I have to say is "Stock? What stock? I don't see any stock."

The effect was accomplished using a combination of airbrushing (to get the subtle color fades from darker to lighter and back on the greens and browns) and brush work (on the splotches and dots. Overall, I'm happy with the way it turned out. I'm just bummed that I have to part with it. Look for more MultiCam painted madness in the future, though.

[Jacko]

Whee hee hee! Thanks Munin! I'll let you hold it sometime. ;D

[Hadoken]

S E X Y !

[frostee]

Awesome! ;D

[Rogue1]

Way cool guys! I was also checking on the availability of the Multicam BDU's on Crye's website and believe it or not, they are making both Combat and Field tops and bottoms as well as some cool t-shirts and hats. There are also knee pads and elbow pads. I placed an order and it appears they will be shipping this week from New York. As usual,they are big $$$ but they were on my list every since I saw how effective they were at the last ACO event you guys from Geist attended. Zorak was freakin invisible in the bush under most conditions!! More geardo goodness!!! www.cryeprecision.com/

[Knife]

That does look very nice. How long did it take you Munin?

[Munin]

Total it took me about five hours of actual work, but that was spread across several weeks.

[Rogue1]

Got the package from Crye Precision today! Very nice looking shirt and top. Material is like a tough nyco-cotton twill that will be ok in all weather. After reading up on some posts on Lightfighter's forum, I was kind of expecting some unfinished sewing on the inside pockets and seams that a lot of guys were complaining about but it seems they got it together on QC and mine are all nicely done. The shirt does not have cargo pockets on the tail like most BDU's so it can be worn tucked in or out. I also got a baseball style cap with velcro to attach any patch you like but I popped for the the "Dirkastan" patch they sell! They also have a neat T-shirt (Major League Infidel) available so I dropped the coin for that too! I got the knee pads too but not sure if I'll use them or not because it's been pointed out that the internal pads will cause you to wear out the knees of the pants prematurely and since these buggers cost an arm and a leg, I'll try to make them last by wearing my old pads.

[Jumprefusal]

I'm not going to get into it heavy, but just back up what Jacko said. I recieved a set from a friend of mine at Paraclete, and by the looks of it they are the same as the SKD type. For you military types, the material is about the same as a set of winter BDUs. Not rip-stop, which is surprising. And they just have that look of "Wash me and I'll fade. BAD" Also they didn't sew a backside onto the collar, so you can't secure the flap if you want to wear your collar normal. I was also expecting a zipper, not buttons. For the 200 dollar price tag these things are going for, that much cash should include the small things that make the custom uniforms worth getting.

[Mr. Homstar]

Nice job on the gun Munin. When i looked at that picture i didnt see it it looked lie there was a line down the middle like it comparing to other camo. Then i read you post and i was like "Holy Shit! I didn't see that there"

[Enkidu]

The other day, geardo teammate Hadoken pointed out a great deal on Multicam. Over at AirsoftForce.com they offer a complete set of Multicam BDUs for $85, including Speedpost shipping from Hong Kong. Those of you in the loop about Multicam prices know this is a hell of a deal. The fact that they don't mention the manufacturer means you can assume it's a Chinese knockoff replica. So the question remains, are these worth the frankly ridiculously low price? I set out to answer this question, and in the process dress myself in some pure camouflage sexiness.

I placed the order for a set of Large-Regulars late in the evening last Friday. That would have made it late afternoon in HK, so I wasn't too surprised to get an email from "Derek" at AirsoftForce (the US front for S-3 Toys Co.) that very day informing me that it would ship out Tuesday. Seems that although they normally ship out next business day, that would have been May 1st, Labor Day or May Day in China. Consult your history books as to why the local Speedpost office would be closed on that day.

I was just hoping the package would arrive in time for the next GK practice, one week hence. It did arrive in time for the practice - delivered the morning of the fifth. That makes it only four business days for delivery from Hong Kong - par for the course with Speedpost. I'd like to mention that the after-sales support at AirsoftForce was plentiful and excellent. I plan to buy from them in the future.

So how does it look? In short, it's a great deal for the price. I compared them to the [more expensive] MC BDUs worn by other GK dudes, and it's clearly made of a different kind of cloth. The cloth seems a bit plasticky-looking, maybe a bit too shiny. A days worth of running around in the dirt has dulled the finish well, though. They're not as well engineered as the Crye or SKD BDUs, that much was clear immediately. They do have some of those neat features, though. They have the kneepad pouch things, Velcro where there should be Velcro, pouches that close with buttons, double-thick crotch and elbow, cuff drawstrings, waistband adjustment dealies, slant shoulder pockets that actually hold magazines, and so on.

The pattern's just about right on, if a bit light in color due to the cloth's newness and shininess. Some of the color gradients are noticeably stippled, but you can't tell from more than a foot away. Some of the finishing is a bit shoddy - some poor stitching and stray threads all over the place.

Time for pics!


Here's a shot of the stippling on the color gradients. On the Crye and SKD variants of the Multicam pattern, these gradients are much smoother and cause an oddly uncomfortable blurring effect when viewed.


The stippling is less noticeable on the green gradients, and from a little further away.


While the finish on the outside is excellent, the inside shows the sweatshop-in-China roots of this uniform. Loose threads and lax tailoring abound.


The question remains, however, whether these BDUs are worth the price paid. After a day spent skirmishing in them, I would have to say yes. There simply don't exist any alternatives anywhere close to this price range. This set has many excellent features to be had on the more expensive Multicam sets available elsewhere. While I doubt these BDUs are appropriate for everyday wear in a combat situation, I deem them excellent for Airsoft use; use 'em a few times a month and they'll last you for quite a while.

[Jacko]

Enki, you should post some of the pics from practice that actually show the MC camo in use, so long as they don't reaveal *TOP SECRET* or anything.

[Enkidu]

Sure, Jacko, that sounds like a great idea.

In these first two, notice how when the Multicam pattern is disrupted, like with tan gear, black straps, or black weapons, it is much easier to pick the target out of the background.



Multicam works well when transitioning from bright, sunlit areas to shady, wooded areas, as these next two photographs demonstrate.




A comparison between woodland and Multicam. Which did you notice first? Which do you think stands out more?

A still shot doesn't capture the ability of Multicam to hide a man on the move, but when compared to other patterns, I'd say it fares well indeed.

[Matt (Achilles)]

Wow dude, nice find.
I'm getting a set of multicam for sure.

That reatailer is extreamly cheap too.