Helmet Cam/Scrim

[someguyincanada]

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to make a effective cam cover. I am currently trying and it doesnt look too good. Also can anyone post pictures of thier cam covers so i can have some idea.

Thanks...

Jay

 

[soldiers301]

Take some scrap material or leaf and just attach it to your helmet scream. If you want you can also buy some scrap CADPAT material from CPGear. Here is the adress: www.canadianpeacekeeper.com

You cannot buy directly from the website until Dec. 1st, they are currently changing all the website.

 

[NATO Boy]

Get some scrim from your QM... it usually consists of coloured Burlap or Canvas strips in Black, various Greens, Brown, Tan, e.t.c. When you put it on the netting, you just tie the strips with a knot onto it and spread it out. Then you strip it (kinda like scrimming a ghille suit) so it hangs like string, or grass if you will. This is the ideal way of camming a helmet but mainly you want to get rid of the silhouette that is your round helmet. Green and Brown cloth strips work good for this and work better if faded. Nylon scrim strips are good from peacekeeper because they don't retain water and matte, however, their appearance is a lot less natural than the other methods above. It's just a matter of what your RSM, CSM, course staff (if applicable), or you yourself prefer. Try it out.....

 

[Fusaki]

A couple other points to keep in mind:

Like NATO Boy said, you main idea is to break up the outline of your head and shoulders to disguise your silhouette. Use strips of scrim that are different lengths, with the longer stuff at the back of your helmet to give that retro mullet look. Likewise, trim the bangs so that you'll have nothing in front of your eyes. Remember: business in the front, party in the back!!

When choosing colours, remember that in the field its easier to use natural foliage to make your cam darker then it is to make it lighter. Use browns and greens, but go easy on the black. That way, if needed you can always darken it in the field.

As an alternative to burlap, you can aquire a second "individual cam - summer" (the cadpat camo sheet with a string in each corner) and cut it into strips to use as scrim. It lasts longer then burlap, the colours are right, and it has some volume.

 

[Cooper]

I find that cutting up an old t-shirt and scarf makes some good scrim. If you're like me and don't want to be without an extra t-shirt and the usefullness of the scarf, then go yo your local surplus and buy them. I would be shocked if those 2 items together cost more that $5.

 

[KevinB]

Why bother?
IMHO when you have the helmet one youlikely have the MNVG and thus the scrim is more of a PITA than anything else.

Secondly I dont believe in helmet use for anythign but raid etc. and if one if tryign to break up ones silouette the helmet is not the best headguear to be wearing as it restircts visibility and other issues.

But then again I dont make CF policy, and so I just dont scrim my helmet - and explain in painful detail when asked why...

 

[foerestedwarrior]

Well in 32 CBG, the commander ordered everybody to have scrim on at all times.

 

[trajectomologist]

Scrim is in!!!
Cooper's right... use an old t-shirt or scarf. Cadpat material works too...
As long as it has different variants of colour and it breaks up your shape.
Plus, think of what kind of environment your going to be in... green doesn't work for the desert.
Don't forget the principles of cam and concealment, shine, shape, shadow, colour, size etc...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

So I guess we shouldn't worry about destroying the camoflage and IR qualities of the CADPAT helmet cover then. Kinda bit of a waste to develop the technology, then cover it up and make it useless.

 

[dutchie]

I never believed for a moment that some piece of clothe hides the IR signature of my helmet...I'm no Physicist, but it seems kinda impossible to me. Even if it is true, what good is no IR signature from your helmet if the rest of you is lit up like a Christmas tree? Or are we to shroud ourselves in Cadpat, head to toe, with no exposed skin? As well, my helmet is 5 or 6 years old, so I think that by now, the abuse I have given it would destroy any 'special coating' on it.

Cheers

 

[D-n-A]

.

 

[kellywmj]

Go natural, I say! Use the foliage in the area you are operating in, and you cant go wrong. Scrim gets hung up on all sorts of things,and its just plain lazy! Properly applied natural foliage kills any man made srim every time, and besides, cool as it looks, you are always having to take it off for COs parades, etc.

 

[Bartok5]

For those who are fans of scrim, the most effective material that I have seen thus far is strips cut from the standard-issue individual camouflage screen.  Used as scrim, the CADPAT camo screen material is lightweight, durable, does not retain water (and associated weight), it dries quickly, has a decent amount of "loft" to it (to break up the smooth outline of the helmet's profile), it is fade-resistant, and provides the right mix of CADPAT colours. 

I've tried all of the other methods in the past.  Natural scrim is a time-consuming PITA that soon wilts and frequently requires replacement to match your changing surroundings.  When fresh and used in a static location such as the defence however, it is hands-down the most effective.  Strips of T-shirt, CADPAT material, or Burlap/Hessian are OK, but depending on the material they tend to get heavy when wet.  If you do use Burlap, make sure that you use the flame-retardent issued stuff that your CQ/QM can provide.  Untreated Burlap is a significant fire hazard, and you won't blend in particularly well with your head on fire...

Avoid the "shroom head" or "afro" appearance that comes from applying too much scrim.  All you will have done is created a bigger target.  As others have said, the idea is simply to break-up/disrupt the smooth curved surface of your helmet - particularly when viewed in silhouette.  This is based on the precept that there are no straight lines in nature.

Just my $.02.  A creative CQ and/or QM should be able to arrange some extra CADPAT screens for use as scrim, particularly condemned ones that have been previously damaged.  We used the CADPAT AR screens to make helmet scrim in Afghanistan, and it worked like a charm.

My $.02

 

[The_Falcon]

Keep in mind that some higher up may have different ideas about scrim than you.  During pretraing for Athena Roto 3 in meaford were told we all had to have scrim (for those who came from brigades/units were you did not have to have scrim 24/7) and it MUST be "CF" scrim.  I.E. the burlap the QM's usually stock.  We thought they were kidding until our section commanders were given rolls of the stuff.  Back in 2001 the meaford policy was no scrim on helmets while in the base area. So be adaptable.

 

[KevinB]

Hatchet shoudl be interesting when you get the MNVGs...

 

[Jarnhamar]

For those who are fans of scrim, the most effective material that I have seen thus far is strips cut from the standard-issue individual camouflage screen.

This is what i did. Works perfect for me.  On my first attempt at it i cut the stips a little too short and I ended up turning my helmet into a chea-pet.  With longer strips it worked fine.

Only draw back being a private or corporal and doing this is having the odd passerby taking 2 minutes to come over and threaten you with jail time for destroying queens properity.  (This said to me by a sgt who had obviously cut down the brim on his cadpat bush hat).

In the end though I still think it's worth the odd jacking up.

 

[The_Falcon]

I didn't have a problem mounting NVGS to my helmet in Florida with the scrim on. Although I was medically rtu'ed from pretraining just as we had to comply with meafords request, so I didn't bother changing my scrim.  I still have to have scrim, 32 CBG Cmds directive and my unit RSM's as well.

 

[Sapper24]

so your issued the scrim during your SQ course, right? Do you have to use the stuff your qm gives you or say you had an extra cadpat cam screen or some t-shirts, can you use all of that?

 

[D-n-A]

so your issued the scrim during your SQ course, right? Do you have to use the stuff your qm gives you or say you had an extra cadpat cam screen or some t-shirts, can you use all of that?

Depends, reg force BMQ you won't get scrim, but on some reserve ones your get scrim during BMQ(mostly you get it in SQ though).   On course, just stick with what they give you after you can use whatever you want.  You might not get anything from your QM, for scrim you can pretty much use anything, if you want to use a cadpat cam screen than go for it, a lot of people do.  On my helmet I just put on some stripes from a cup up t-shirt and the old thermal shirt aswell as burlap.

 

[Troopasaurus]

On my Reserve BMQ we were given strips of shredded Cadpat clothing and burlap strips for scrim.