P
ersonal camouflage and
concealment is taught to
every soldier during basic
training. It’s a skill many
believe is easy to master
but it takes time and practice to
conceal yourself without being seen,
and to know when you have achieved
the right level of camouflage.
It may look good to have your face
painted with every colour under the
sun, in the Hollywood style we’re all
familiar with, but the principle behind
personal camouflage is to break up
the basic human shape and form –
not to look good. So the idea is to use
camouflage paint to break up the lines
of the face, paying particular attention
to the eye sockets, chin, cheekbones
and forehead, as well as the back of
the neck and behind the ears.
A lot of people also overlook their
hands. You might wear gloves and
therefore don’t bother putting paint
on the back of your hands, but what
happens when you take them off?
Locally available vegetation should
also be used to break up the shape
of the body – but remember to
change your camouflage whenever
your surroundings change, or the
vegetation starts to dry and die off,
which usually happens within about
four hours.
Some of the main factors why
things are seen:
■ SHAPE Some things can be
instantly recognised by their shape
■ SURFACE If an object has a
different surface to its surroundings
it stands out (contrasting colour etc)
■ SHADOW In sunlight an object
casts a shadow, which reveals its
presence and can give you away
■ SILHOUETTE Any object
silhouetted against a contrasting
background is clearly visible, so plan
your route carefully
■ SPACING Natural objects like trees
are very rarely regularly spaced.
Regularly-spaced objects are manmade objects, so remember to
watch your spacings
■ MOVEMENT The eye is attracted
to movement (especially sudden
movement), so remember to move
slowly and deliberately
056
Xmas 2011
PERSONAL
It might look easy but don’t be fooled – cam
and con is a difficult skill to master. Danny P
gives us some advice on how to get it right
HERE ARE SOME OF THE BASICS OF PERSONAL CAM AND CON:
TOO LITTLE
Too little paint and
vegetation has been used,
and too much of the skin
is still exposed and will
shine once light hits it.
TOO MUCH
Too much use of camouflage
paint and vegetation makes
the wearer look like a walking
bush. Rather than concealing
the wearer, over-using paint
has the opposite effect and
creates as much shine as not
having any in the first place.