Stealth pics wanted.

**gargoyle** · 05-03-2010, 21:26

Originally Posted by Trooper

Paint doesn't adhere to silnylon. I've tried. Sharpies work, if you wanted to add "branches" to a solid-color tarp.

Paint pens do write and stick good to sil. Paint pens have a thinner or mineral spirit solvent which has held up to a years worth of use on one of my tarps. Paint pens can be purchased in lots of different colors.

Just going to take an hour or two to scribble all over your tarp.

Or leave the paint pens out by the three year olds..."don't write on that"....

should be camo'd up in about five minutes.

**Trooper** · 05-03-2010, 21:32

Originally Posted by gargoyle

Paint pens do write and stick good to sil. Paint pens have a thinner or mineral spirit solvent which has held up to a years worth of use on one of my tarps. Paint pens can be purchased in lots of different colors.

Just going to take an hour or two to scribble all over your tarp.

Or leave the paint pens out by the three year olds..."don't write on that"....

should be camo'd up in about five minutes.

I only tried spray paint in various flavors. I didn't have the patience to use pens. But, to just add some branches I might give it a shot.

**gargoyle** · 05-03-2010, 21:36

And thier fun to snifffffffff!!

just kidding everwon, dat stuf uel rak yure brian cels...

**ikemouser** · 05-03-2010, 22:12

Originally Posted by BR360

Stealth is about eliminating "tell-tales." Your efforts to be stealthy should focus on going for the cluster of elements easily remembered by M.A.N. B.L.I.S.S:

Movement (the human eye always is attracted to unusual movement);
Angle of View (are you in an area that ii easy to see, or constricted sight-lines?);
Noise (from cooking and packing/unpacking; wood-gathering, talking, etc.);
Blend-in with background (don't have to be a perfect match, but close enough to not shout "Here I am!");
Location, (because some areas will be prone to greater examination than others);
Irregular Shape and Silhouette (because the human quickly notices things that are out of order, like straight horizontal lines in a wilderness setting);
Shine (or reflection, such as bright metal, or sheen on nylon);
Shadow/Contrast, (which also has shape/background/blending factors).

And then there is Smell from cooking.

Aside from obvious colors that do not come close to matching the surroundings, for me the tell-tales are Location, Shape, and Noise.

Netting, to which season and site appropriate foliage can be attached, and stretched so that it does not have a regular shape, is the single best form of stealth cover.

I agree cooking is a no-no if your stealthing, as is fire building. Feces must also be properly disposed of. Duc tape on shoes covers tracks. Camo foliage stuff on tarp. Noise proof your pack with vaseline, parts that rattle/make noise, remove the part and coat in vaseline. Hang your pack in a dark room, shine flashlight, take care of all surfaces that reflect light. Of course i have never done any of this, but if i was seriously stealthing, i would do it for the sheer coolness of it. No electronics, may be trackable.

**MedicineMan** · 05-03-2010, 23:01

sometimes I've had to go a 1/2 mile off trail to feel stealth, sometimes 50 feet, all depends.

**BillyBob58** · 05-03-2010, 23:20

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

sometimes I've had to go a 1/2 mile off trail to feel stealth, sometimes 50 feet, all depends.

And is it winter or summer? All those leaves (leafs?) make a big difference.

**tasthree** · 05-03-2010, 23:23

Trooper. I knew paint wouldn't stick to silnylon after coating but thats great news to me about the Sharpies. I've got a black one that has like a 1/2 wide tip. Looks like I'm gonna have to start looking for a large brown and black one. I'm getting closer on whats going on my materials list.

**MedicineMan** · 05-03-2010, 23:36

and we learned from another thread to stealth uphill......

**tasthree** · 05-03-2010, 23:39

Or leave the paint pens out by the three year olds..."don't write on that"....

should be camo'd up in about five minutes.

Thats funny there now. Sounds like a voice of experience. Been there done that. Mine would have went to go find other colors. When I was building our house my daughter put her name everywhere. I left a couple to remind me of the times. Mines old enough to where I'd prob have to beg or pay her to help me do something like that on a tarp now. Buuuut. One of them is going to be hers. Soooo here ya go sweety. I'll be back in a hour to check on ya.