Seems like the range of available trousers, shirts, jackets, and other field/combat clothing in OD Green is increasing pretty quick in recent years, from multiple manufacturers. The teams seem to be wearing it more “in the wild” as well, if declassified photos are any indicator. Or, perhaps I am just late to the party, as they say.
Is the past now the future?
I remember OD green being almost black in low light against the light desert. One of my classes had a night shoot portion, and it struck me at how OD green popped off the light desert background in low light.
Other than those specific conditions, I like OD green for general use.
This was Maricopa or Pinal County area, by chance? We lived in the Verde Valley in Yavapai County and in the daytime, Od Green does ok. Just ok. No idea what it looks like at night though, so I must defer to your experience.
Comeback?
It never left.
Actually, “Ranger Green” (like faded field jackets, OG-107 jungle fatigues, and deuce-and-a-half tarps) blends in just about anywhere.
Even in and around deserts, towns and villages always have something growing.
Yep. Ranger green is one of the closest colors to natural gray that it blends in almost better than any other single color to a variety of environments.
DPS range at Ben Avery. Very light desert. OD looks black against it in low light.
OD AND Tiger Stripe hasnt left my closet.
As I say, I am always late to the party. In this case, the OD Green party.
The JRTC OPFOR (509th Parachute Infantry, the “Geronimos”) have worn olive or Ranger Green for years.
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The new, modern Russian “Ratnik” ensemble is also green:
The one thing I would do is check whatever you were considering with infrared camera / NVG. And also for ultraviolet if you hunt.
I’ve been stunned at hell so I’m very effective daylight camo flash solid bright white on infrared.
Likewise, many birds see into ultraviolet. I’ve become convinced that Dove do and a comfortable camo shirt that I would hunt in they were flaring off in ways they didn’t before. This was also one of the shirts that flashed white on infrared.
OD Green and Ranger Green is great if you don’t want to run dedicated camo pattern for your AO. I prefer Mas Grey but barely anyone makes gear and field clothing in them.
Their uniforms look like an ACU-type cut, as opposed the older BDU cut of my time. Any idea who supplies these? Is it a .gov contractor or a COTS supplier? I’ve never seen these before in service, so your photos are a great education for me (and thanks much!)
I hadn’t thought about that aspect at all, but it’s a compelling point and I need to consider it. Thanks for the helpful reply and for sharing the pro experience, both are gratefully appreciated.
How does MAS gray do in the forest/wooded areas, in your experience?
They’re Propper ACUs.
If you’re going to consider IR spectrum, make sure you wash these uniforms with detergent that don’t have any optical brighteners in them.
Is OD making a comeback? Not according to MidwayUSA, who are annoyingly discontinuing everything they make in it and seem to be dumping Coyote in favor of Henry Ford Black for most things. (Personally annoying because Green vs Tan is how my gal and I mark “His & Hers” to match our rifles.)
I’ve got Propper and Tru-Spec ACU-style.
I think my kid was issued Propper when he was at Polk in 2018.
The two best uniforms we fielded were the jungle utes and the Vietnam-era ERDL camo. Woodland right behind. Then things went off the rails.
I read that somewhere a few years ago, I think on Brent0331s channel in the comments. Been using Woolite Dark in cold water, ever since.