M81 Woodland is one of the most common and famous camouflage patterns in the world, with dozens of countries using the pattern or a version thereof. Its use in conflicts the world over by our military and others has cemented its name in history. It's printed on dresses, phone cases, pillows, cups, shoes, drapes, and anything else the average consumer can find on amazon, eBay, or at any other big name retailer. Yet, even with so much of it out there, it still holds its own today as a viable - and bada** - camouflage choice; so long as it's not a cheap copy or a clone of the original pattern.
I can hear the Multicam men and the Ranger Green guys coming for me as I type this, but real M81 woodland is at least on par if not better in some climates and aspects (its NIR compliant) than the two mentioned prior. However, before we start arguing, all camouflage patterns have a place in some regions or situations and context is always important. With that said, I'll try and cover some of the history and facts about the M81 pattern and its effectiveness.
The Background
Similar to the older ERDL pattern, one way M81 distinguishes itself is with its size. In 1975, NARADCOM (US Army Natick Research and Development Command), MERADCOM (US Army Mobility Equipment Research and Development Command), and MASSTER (Modern Army Selected Systems Test Evaluation and Review) started the MASSTER phase two camouflage test. This was essentially the start of a series of camouflage tests and patterns designed to camouflage individual soldiers uniforms and gear.
Phase one of these tests had started in 1973 and was a more broad study on camouflage as an idea rather than an application, but during testing the need for individual camouflage was determined and Phase two was planned. Thus, in June 1975 Phase two was launched at the United States Army Base at Fort Hood, Texas. Unlike previous tests, these trials focused on side by side assessments of camouflage uniforms, gear, and items in the field. These items were assessed based on their camouflage's effectiveness and ability to conceal its outline.
The camouflage tests started with several contenders, including the US Army's 1948 pattern, the solid color 107 uniform, and the six color desert camouflage typically called "chocolate chip", four versions of ERDL called the expansion series (Models A, B, C, and D), the rare and elusive pattern model "E", and some strange versions of tiger stripe camouflage.
During these tests, many items were used to gauge the effectiveness of the different patterns and dyes, but one item helped spark the M81 pattern in particular. Item M listed in the Phase two camouflage trials report is described as a Ballistic vest donning an experimental four color pattern of ERDL expanded by sixty percent. This 60% larger pattern of four color ERDL on item M later would become what we know today as M81 woodland, but not until the military found adequate reasoning to do so.
The refinement Process
Causing the sixty percent increase in size on the ERDL pattern, the US military had noticed early on in the Vietnam War that patterns with smaller more intricate shapes were less effective. In fact, during phase one of the camouflage testing, it was determined that larger more blended patterns appeared to be more effective. This conclusion was made not only with close up observation, but with observers at greater distances noting its effectiveness similarly.
In 1976 a report came out detailing the science behind the coloration, sizing, and distances involved in camouflage development. In this report numerous charts, graphs, and explanations are cited, but long story short the ERDL pattern scaled up by sixty percent was declared more effective than its peers. In 1981 another technical report titled," Development of the U.S. Woodland Battle Dress Uniform," backed up the decision for sixty percent scaled up ERDL.
The scaling of the ERDL pattern to sixty percent was cited as being a pragmatic choice, but the report claimed," very good reasons from visual color science can be mobilized in support of that decision." The visual color science behind the sixty percent choice was outlined in one of the tests by stating that it was optimal in most ranges. The report made note that the four colors don't segregate at close range, at mid range the colors appear to blend into two, and at far ranges the patters appears monotone or as a solid color.
This observation was pivotal, as the scaling up of ERDL was controversial due to large patterns being less effective at close range. This was quickly dispelled with the M81 as the report claimed that the effects of pattern size would be disrupted due to overlaps in the printing and sewing process. This left the brunt of the decision with visual color. The almost tropical and highly saturated greens of the ERDL pattern was soon replaced with more browns for a new war. So as prospect battlefields shifted from southeast Asia to more temperate environments, ERDL soon became RDF ERDL. This saw a more refined and darker colored pattern.
The colors of the RDF ERDL stayed close to the same in the M81 woodland, but due to two main reasons M81 woodland was printed slightly darker. The first reason being the colors worked well with pattern sizing at greater distances, effectively making them appear monotone and the pattern worked effectively. The second reason being more of a foresight in production than anything else, as the report claimed that," large-scale production often results in fabrics somewhat lighter than the colorist's standard ..." In addition stating," ... colored fabrics fade in use, both from sunlight and laundering. Therefore, if the colors on a new garment are somewhat darker than the optimum target colors, they will tend to fade toward rather than away from the real target colors and thereby prolong useful life of the garment."
With color and pattern size out of the way, M81 needed to be brought to the modern world. With careful attention to dyes, fabrics, and printing; M81 adapted to a modern battlefield. Its pattern and infrared treatment of the dyes made it a valuable asset against new IR devices and modern surveillance equipment.
The birth and legacy M81 Woodland
With M81 researched and developed, all it lacked was distribution. In 1981 the BDU, or Battle Dress Uniform, began its slow launch starting with a M81 Woodland field jacket, pair of pants, helmet cover, and patrol cap. Yet as time passed the pattern was slowly recognized on a wide variety of items from coats, pouches, and vests to entire vehicles.
By the end of the 80s the U.S. Military had gone completely M81 insane, making it the standard issue uniform for all branches. The soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who wore M81 saw conflict in Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, Iraq, Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan just to name a few.
Due to its overall effectiveness and legacy, M81 became a world staple for camouflage. It arguably is the most recognized and widely spanning pattern on the planet, with various copies, clones, and styles of the pattern emerging from every corner of culture and nation building. In fact, more than 75% of countries have used a form of M81 woodland for their military at one point from its creation until the present.
Its popularity among war fighters and culture icons alike is cemented in history as famous artists, video games, movies, and fashion pieces keep the pattern alive. Its use is so prolific that it's hard to watch any genre of movie, game, or TV show and not spot a piece of M81 Woodland from time to time.
Yet even with it being such a historic and cultural staple for the United States, its developer, the U.S. Military has all but retired the pattern completely. In 2002 the United States Marine Corp presented the MARPAT pattern, in 2004 the United States Army would unveil its UCP or ACU pattern, in 2008 the United States Navy switched to their NWU pattern, and in 2011 the United States Air Force would follow suit with its ABU pattern. Yet even with no standard issuing in the United States military today, it can still be found on a variety of equipment and gear belonging to the military, federal and state agencies, and law enforcement.
M81 Today
In 2023 M81 is still a relevant camouflage choice depending on the region and climate of the area, and the science can prove it. It may not be as flashy and "tacticool" to use it, but its NIR compliance, anti-fade properties, availability, cheap cost, multi-range effectiveness, and effective coloration make it something to consider.
If you find yourself working with a budget, like I find myself most days, M81 woodland is an amazing choice in pattern. (Keep in mind regional factors, but generally M81 is effective) You can easily find affordable BDUs at a local military surplus store, eBay, Amazon, or even thrift stores. However, keep in mind that a lot of M81 is fake, and is not NIR compliant. To find guinuine M81 woodland, look for 50% Nylon and 50% cotton blends labeled on dark green tags on the inside. This is typically a good indication of the authenticity of the item. (For a more in depth guide to fabrics and dyes click here) M81 Woodland is also prolific in that it is literally on everything, which makes it a lot easier to find in strange sizes, odd specialty items, and gear.
Overall, If you want the most bang for your buck, and to look like a total bada**, M81 is my go to choice of camouflage. There is nothing more awe inspiring than the retro glory of this pattern, and its usefulness holds true even today.
You won't see me in the woods wearing it, but only because you're not supposed to.
(Originally Published on Millennialarms.com by Jon Mark Castleman)
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