Camouflaging
Good camouflage gear breaks up the shapes the eye looks for: the oval of a face, the outline of a shoulder, the straight edge of a rifle or a vehicle. This section gathers everything Rothco makes for that job into three groups, plus the popular Rothco 3 Color Camo Face Paint Compact.
- Face paints – 3, 4, 5 and 7 color compacts, a woodland and grey bark compact, a digital camo compact, a creme and the NATO two-color camo paint stick.
- Ghillie suits – the Lightweight All Purpose Ghillie Suit with jacket, pants and carrying case, a kids version, and a ghillie jacket with a netting shell you can dress with local vegetation.
- Netting – reversible Ultra-lite and Military Type camo nets, a large digital woodland net, a sniper veil, a lightweight rifle wrap and a genuine G.I. olive drab mosquito net.
Hunters use this gear for blinds and stalking, airsoft and paintball players for woodland games and sniper roles, photographers for wildlife hides, and service members for field training. Most of it is light enough to stuff in a pack pocket or the bottom of a ruck.
A note for service members: camouflage gear isn't covered by uniform wear regulations the way boots or headgear are. Your unit's field SOP and training guidance decide what you use. Our guide below covers how the Army has long applied face paint and how to choose the right gear for your terrain.
How to Choose Camouflage Gear
Camouflage works in layers. Paint covers skin, a ghillie suit or veil breaks up your body's outline, and netting hides positions, blinds and vehicles. Most people need at least two of the three. A deer hunter in a ground blind might only need netting and a stick of paint, while an airsoft sniper usually wants paint, a suit and a rifle wrap.
Start with Your Terrain
Match colors to where you'll actually be. Woodland greens and browns fit forests and fields in summer; tans and sand colors suit dry grass and desert; grey bark tones work in leafless winter timber. Look at the ground and trees in your area in the season you'll be out, then choose paint, suits and nets that share those colors. When unsure, go a shade lighter and duller than you think; dark blobs stand out against most backgrounds more than people expect.
Face Paint for Exposed Skin
Skin reflects light, and a pale face stands out even in heavy cover. Camo face paint comes in compacts with several colors and a mirror, in creme form for blending, and in two-color sticks that fit a pocket. Compacts suit people who change terrain; sticks are best for quick touch-ups.
Ghillie Suits for Concealing Your Outline
Ghillie suits cover you in loose, layered material so you don't read as a person at a distance. A full suit is best for stalking and long stays in one spot; a ghillie jacket gives you head and torso coverage with less heat.
Netting for Positions and Blinds
Camo netting drapes over a frame, vehicle, boat or ground blind. Reversible nets let one purchase cover two seasons, while a sniper veil and rifle wrap break up the shapes of your head and weapon.
Using Camouflage Gear the Military Way
Army guidance on face paint has long followed a simple rule: paint the shiny areas of the face (forehead, cheekbones, nose, ears and chin) with a darker color, and the shadow areas (around the eyes, under the nose and under the chin) with a lighter one, using two colors in an irregular pattern. Soldiers also cover the back of the neck, the arms and the hands, and work in pairs so they can check each other. The standard color pairings have been green and loam for green vegetation, sand and light green where vegetation is sparse, and loam and white for snow.
The same thinking carries over to suits and nets. Avoid straight lines, add local vegetation where you can, and stay out of the skyline. Movement gives you away faster than color, so the best camouflage gear still depends on staying still.
Camouflage Gear and Regulations
None of these products is a uniform item, and none is sold as military issue except where the name says G.I. or genuine G.I. Wear and use in training follow your unit's SOP. Hunters should check their state's blaze orange rules before wearing a ghillie suit during firearm seasons, and campers should keep ghillie material and nets away from open flame.