MultiCam Lineup
The History of Multicam
Multicam was created in 2002 by the American company Crye Precision in development with the U.S. Army. Multicam was not initially adopted by the U.S. Army. In 2004, the Army chose the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) as the successor to their camouflage patterns. However, Multicam did see limited use among civilian law enforcement groups and special operations units within the Army.
The UCP pattern proved to less effective than initially thought, and the U.S. military decided to re-visit Multicam. The UCP pattern was widely criticizes and suffered from a lack of field testing before implementation.
In 2010 Multicam was officially re-commissioned by the Army amid the War in Afghanistan and was active until the army discontinued its use in 2019.
Multicam is combat proven and was developed to reduce the visual and near-IR signature of the wearer. It works by taking advantage of how the human brain naturally perceives shape, volume, and color.
The Science Behind Camouflage
Most people assume camouflage works by just trying to match the wearer with background, but it isn’t so simple. Mimicking the background is not enough due to the human eye’s ability to detect edges and outlines in the environment.
The Multicam pattern may appear random, but it actually employs a sophisticated set of geometry in the form of visually disruptive, contrasting shapes. These high contrast shapes create false outlines within the border of the person wearing the Multicam pattern, breaking up their outline.
To understand how seemingly random, contrasting shapes act as camouflage, we have to first understand how the brain interprets visual signals from the eye. The brain has to process a lot of visual information at once. This requires that the brain “fills in” a lot of information based on predictions it automatically makes about the environment. The Multicam pattern takes advantage this process by breaking up the wearer’s outline and allowing the brain the assume they are a part of the landscape.
Multicam pattern mimics the colors of the environment like one would expect camouflage to do, but it is the geometry of the pattern that does the real work of disguising the wearer.
In essence, the human brain registers that the contrasting shapes within the Multicam pattern are individual objects in the environment instead of a person. This works well because when someone is scanning their surroundings for enemies, their brain is automatically looking for human outlines.
Ask any hunter and they will tell you that the best way to spot a deer in the woods is by the horizontal line created by their back against vertical trees. If you just look for something that is brown in the forest you will have a tough time finding it.
Types of Multicam
To best provide camouflage in a wide range of environments, Multicam offers several patterns that are specifically adjusted to thrive in common landscapes found around the world.
Original Multicam
Image Source: ufpro.com
The original Multicam pattern came out in 2002 and was designed for the multi-environment use in the War in Afghanistan. It is battle tested and an all-around great performer. It uses seven different colors - cream, dark brown, brown, pale green, olive, tan, and dark green - to achieve effective camouflage in wildly variable environments.
Multicam Arid
Image Source: ufpro.com
Multicam Arid was released in 2013. It was specifically designed to flourish in dry, desert environments that are typically made up of open sand and rock. The us military saw extensive conflicts in desert heavy zones and Multicam Arid is the response to their need for specialized camouflage. Multicam Arid utilizes the colors olive, highland, light tan, urban tan, and light coyote to blend seamlessly into arid environments.
Multicam Tropic
Image Source: ufpro.com
Multicam Tropic was released in 2013 and provides exceptional camouflage in dense jungle foliage and lush vegetation where seasonal changes are less pronounced and the environment remains stable throughout the year. The pattern utilizes the colors olive, bright green, green, dark brown, and dark green to mimic the saturated hues of a tropical environment.
Multicam Black
Image Source: ufpro.com
Multicam Black was released in 2013 and is designed to meet the needs of law enforcement officers in high-risk environments. It offers a tactical advantage and a professional look for top tier law enforcement units. Its color consists of grey, olive, and black for use in urban environments.
Multicam Alpine
Image Source: ufpro.com
Multicam Alpine was released in 2013 and is especially attuned for use in snow-covered environments. It utilizes the limited colors medium grey, light gray, and white to best reflect snowy environments with a distinct lack of foliage or other defining landscape.
Final Thoughts
Multicam has been criticized in the past for losing some of its effectiveness at longer ranges, but it cannot be denied that it is one of the most widely adopted and battle tested camouflage patterns in history. It remains incredibly popular today among civilians, law enforcement, and military units around the world, and for good reason. It’s long history in the field also means that a wide variety of tools and gear are available in the Multicam pattern for seamless integration into the uniform without comprising the effectiveness of the camouflage.