Camouflage Clothing - More than fashion
Camouflage clothing is important not only to hunters, but also to wildlife managers, wildlife photographers and, of course, our military men and women.
Camouflage clothing comes in two styles: aggressive and passive. Aggressive camouflage is a blobby design of random colors. With this style one can blend into the overall background. These are called woodland, tiger, and stripe as well as some others. Passive camouflage clothing makes the wearer look like the terrain. For example, Realtree looks like a tree. Really, bark and all. But if you aren’t in a tree area you will stand out like a red shirt. Other patterns with titles such as mossy oak, wetlands or sage are created to be used in specific backgrounds. There is even white camouflage that masks hunters in the snow
Different camouflage clothing is worn in the fall than what is worn in the summer. What you would wear in New York won’t work in California. Therefore, many people choose the aggressive camo clothes as it can be worn just about any time and anywhere. Sports stores generally carry camo that suits the scenery in their area.
Depending on what you are hunting and where, camouflage clothing isn’t completely necessary. Camo is necessary in bow hunting where there is a need to get at close as you can. Rifle hunters may just want to wear camouflage clothing because it is made well and meets the needs of the outdoors. After all, rifle hunters need to cover that camouflage clothing with bright orange. Much of the high-performance, breathable, waterproof clothing comes in camouflage design. It is tough, durable, lightweight and comfortable. The clothing often has extra-large pockets that can act as storage bins. It’s easy to crawl or lay in the mud with good camo: something you may not want to do repeatedly in jeans. It holds up to briars and brush.
Also, there is camouflage clothing especially made for waiting in the cold. Rusky is one series. It is possible to stay outside even when the temperatures drop below zero. Camo clothes made with a soft outer fabric of micro suede is soundless, a very important quality.
Fisherman, too, wear. Is this merely a fashion statement? Maybe. Or maybe a lot of fishermen are hunters. Actually, camo may help if you are stalking steelhead in a low, clear stream and you need to blend in with the bushes on the bank. You will not be a silhouette and scare the fish.
While camouflage clothing may be fashionable, in some countries, such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Madagascar, the wearing of military style clothing can be misunderstood by authorities and result in detention.