Most military studies admit that camo is mostly/only worn for soldiers' moral.
I continue to use in the hunting fields what I learned in the military ones: FOMBEC
- Forme (form) - break down conspicuous shapes, do not stand in the open or on a ridge
- Ombre (shadows) - stay in the shade / shadows
- Mouvement (movement) - avoid rapid movements
- Bruit (noise) - avoid unnatural noises (engine, doors slamming, human voice)
- Eclat (flash) - insure your equipment / sweaty face does not reflect light
- Couleur - match the local natural predominant color
To which, indeed, as pointed out by
Red Leg, when hunting I add one critical component:
- Odeur (smell) - stay downwind, avoid scented soap, deodorant if planning to get real close
If you will be hunting the Kalahari desert, faded brown is best. Anywhere else in the bush, faded dark green (OD) is much better. Avoid the fashionable Stewart Granger light beige khaki that looks almost white in full sunlight and is conspicuous at great distance.
I would rather hunt with someone wearing a pink overall but following the above, than be with a camo-clad nimrod, down to socks, underwear, facemask and gloves, who moves back & forth briskly upwind in the sun in the open, talks loud, moves his arms like windmills to point things, flashes a stainless barrel, glasses facing the sun, etc. Oh yes, it happens
I typically wear 1 green (OD) pant + 1 brown shirt or 1 brown pant + 1 green (OD) shirt, and I travel in a dark beige pant + medium green shirt that can be used for hunting if needed. The cold layer is typically OD green fleece.
I like, and wear, short sleeves and shorts, but unless you are very tanned (not my case!), white arms and legs are more visible... Just need to move extra slow from shade to shade...
The big no-no in Africa is to wear military camo. Not so long ago it was even illegal to do so in some countries, and to this day it will set you apart in any crowd, not to mention an airport.
