CADPAT individual camouflage screens....

[pappy]

how well does these screens work for you Canadians?  anyone ever test with any NVD's or eyeball mk1 ?  They certinly look worlds ahead of the mesh USGI "screens"  Those things are serious crap, they don't offer any camouflage in my opinion.

 

[NATO Boy]

I've only observed them with naked eyes when camming up a hooch or putting up OHP-style Cover for a lean-to. If used in conjunction with surrounding foliage (ie grass, leaves, e.t.c.) it's pretty good for eliminating giving away your position if you have a hooch or groundsheet rig near a trench or shellscrape. But then again, I'm just a Pte. Trnd.; this requires a senior member's observation....

 

[m_a_c]

I have used mine a number of times and I find it works great.  Like Nato Boy said it works best when used in surrounding foliage. 

 

[Matt_Fisher]

I managed to acquire one of these things and it works great in covering the spoils from digging a fighting position.

Looking at it through NVGs, it looks like a patch of scrub vegetation covered ground.  Haven't looked at one with thermals yet. 

 

[Spanky]

Seen one through a NODLAR when they first came out.  It worked fairly well. 

 

[pappy]

Matt,
I'd be interested in your findings on the NVG and thermals, wonder if a digital cam would work though those...
SAAB / Barracuda sent me some samples of thier Swedish style Indivdual screen, same as CADPAT one just in the M95 Pattern, they also sent me a panel of thier Thermal ULCANS (correct spelling?) vehical cam screem too, much different then the individual stuff, but then different purpose.

I did a rather un-scientific study at nighttime with me and the swedish cam net and the neighbors three pit bulls, as far as I could tell they never saw me till I started to move and then they freaked out....  I'm not totaly stupid, 3 pit bulls....  the 3-foot chain link fence was between us.  There where used to me, having been "neighbors" for years, but without the screen I couldn't go anywhere within thier sight in my back yard with them barking like mad.  kneeling (with the dogs inside, my neighboor then let them out a few minutes later without him knowing I was outside) next to a tree and the screen over me from head to ground less then 3 feet from the fence they walked right up to the fence like I wasn't there, they never looked at me, they did of course looked at my own dog wondering wtf I was doing.  One dog looked at me for a few seconds but from the look on his face I didn't think he "saw" me, without the screen they would not get within 4 feet of thier side of the fence with out barking or at least keeping thier distance.  I stayed under the screen for 5 minutes or so without moving, then moved a little, one pitbull took off running the oppisate direction as fast as she could.  The 2nd backed off 15-20 feet with a blank stare on his face.  The 3rd backed off 5-10 feet and then just looked at me with a stupid look on his face, no barking from any of them.  My wolf/shepard mix thought the whole thing quite entertaining.  Once I stood up with the screen on the pits back off even more, removing the screen they stopped looked at me then each other and then started to bark like mad as I laughed...

I then hung the screen up in a large bush in my yard with as many of the edges as stright as possible (stright edges are easy for the human eye to pick up), backed off and after 4-6 feet lost any of the edges even though I knew where to look, moonless night.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

For a while, until I started using my shemagh, I used it for a scarf. Washed it a half dozen times to soften it up first. Worked well in that capacity and was always right there ready if I needed it quick. Still use it like that sometimes.

 

[Recce41]

SAAB/Barracuda, is totally different. I did the trial for the Coyote (veh)Thermal Cam kit. The SB one is a thermal (heat) transfer type. The liner is a heat absorbing material. It holds the heat then, disepates it over time. I was offered a job with Barracuda, there only about 6 of us that have used it. And they are/were looking for users to sell the stuff. Overall it works great, but of course, we didn't buy it.

 

[bossi]

... I did a rather un-scientific study at nighttime with me and the swedish cam net and the neighbors three pit bulls, ...

Thanks for my morning chuckle - you remind me of all the hockey fans up here who don't have the NHL to watch this winter ... and are looking for things to take up their time ... ha!

 

[Matt_Fisher]

MARCORSYSCOM looked at getting the SAAB-Barracuda vehicle signature reduction/camouflage kits as part of the LAV Service-Life Extension Program/SLEP, but cancelled that portion of the program as the kits were going to cost around $35K US each.

Interestingly enough, a Canadian company; GMA Cover Corp www.gmacover.com was competing against SAAB-Barracuda in the vehicle signature reduction/camouflage kit portion of the SLEP.

 

[Recce41]

We were getting them for about 10K complete with mast and remote kits. It would come as a 3 veh kit. They are all the same , exept for the left rear panel. This will allow for access for the SLS hookup. It worked great.

 

[Bartok5]

I can state from personal experience (and an informal sub-unit trial) that the Barracuda Winter screen we are currently issued with provides extremely efficient thermal protection.   We used it in Ghost River (Rocky Mountains) during a January IRF(L) validation exercise, and the winter screen was highly effective.  

String one up, put a couple of guys behind it, and their thermal signatures quite literally disappear.   The screen is so good that it is almost counter-productive.   Everything gives of a thermal signature, even the trees and scrub during -30C weather.   The SAAB/Barracuda screen tends to be a give-away because it represents a regularly-shaped thermal "dead zone" wiith zero heat signature.  

Aside from the above, the Winter screen is highly effective.   One simply needs to employ it with a modicum of common sense.

 

[pappy]

yeah camouflage has come a long way, I remember the old nets with burlap.... those sucked bigtime.

I though the LCS stuff pretty cool when it first came out...  They did a lot better job...

 

[pappy]

personal stuff from the SAAB site...

Two people in the first pic, one with and one without

 

[pappy]

granted screens are nice, but cover it still perfered... as well as breaking up your shape.

 

[Grunt]

Howdie guys,

How do I go about getting one of these screens, I checked with my Units CQ tonight and they didnt have any of these.

Thanks

 

[KevinB]

They are only issued to Reg CBt arms and Inf  Reserves from what I have been told...
So if you are not a R031 trade my guess is you are out of luck (judging by your "tonight"comment I guessed reserves)

 

[chrisf]

Pretty much everyone in my unit has one, the temperate pattern anyway.

 

[Grunt]

KevinB, Im an Infantry Reservist with the LSSR

I seen a couple guys with them on ex's, maybe I should check clothing stores?

thanks

 

[KevinB]

For us it is a CQ item
You should then get a TW and Arctic.  The Desert is current only for operations.