Camouflage clothing and gear are hot products for both hunters and gun owners in general. That means you can’t go wrong offering a selection of quality options to customers. Of course, you might be wondering which camo to choose, because there are quite a few patterns on the market. We’ve broken it down for you to help you sort out the camo confusion by region, season, and cool factor.

How do camo patterns work? Your team will have an easier time guiding customers to the correct pattern if they understand how it works. The real purpose of a camouflage pattern is to distort and break up a person’s outline. That’s a bit different than the idea that camo helps hunters “blend in,” and that’s because it isn’t really about blending. Hunters don’t need to become one with the tree, they just need to not be blatantly obvious against it. This is also why the specific shapes within the pattern aren’t as important as some might believe (meaning if someone wants to have fun with it, they can).

How do customers choose camo? Camouflage clothing selection typically depends on the time of the year and the location where it’s being worn. A hunter coming in for camo might be hunting locally, but there’s a chance they’re not, and it’s a good idea to ask. There’s a vast difference between the terrain in Nevada and that of North Texas, and that affects camo’s effectiveness. Find out where the customer is planning to hunt, when, and what game they’re after. This helps narrow things down to the best possible pattern.

Is camo pattern gear worth it? Yes, you can benefit from keeping an assortment of camouflage gear in your store. This is especially wise if you cater to a significant number of hunters, because they’re most likely to be interested in higher levels of concealment. Items such as rangefinders, binoculars, shooting sticks, and electronic predator calls are examples of products that benefit from a camo finish.

 

Mossy Oak Fall Foliage

The latest pattern from camo designer Mossy Oak is Fall Foliage. At first glance, the colors immediately remind you of acorns, and it turns out that’s what Mossy Oak was going for. Fall Foliage is the fall companion to the classic Full Foliage, the latter of which is made in brighter shades and meant for spring turkey. This camo pattern features colors ranging from the burnished bronze of acorns to the paler tans of weathered bark. It’s a fantastic pattern for fall hunts and the ideal camo for deer season.

Regions where Mossy Oak Fall Foliage is best include those with more muted colors found in the fields and woods. These are the areas where evergreens do not thrive and you find acorns and pecans littering the ground. Fall Foliage is meant for the kind of fall that’s a bit more barren and drier — the classic Hallmark fall filled with falling leaves and mugs of steaming coffee. Deer hunters benefit greatly from this pattern, but so will customers chasing bears and hogs.

Thanks to the widespread distribution of Mossy Oak’s patterns, you can stock your store with Fall Foliage in everything from tee shirts to jackets to gloves. Brands that use Mossy Oak include Nomad Outdoor, Irish Setter, Magellan, Drake, and Scentlok.

Visit www.mossyoak.com to learn more.

 

Realtree APX

When Realtree designed APX, it was clear they understood the outline-distorting assignment. Realtree APX is designed with carefully layered colors reminiscent of peeling bark, dark moss, and other features found in nature. Images are photorealistic for the greatest degree of accuracy and the blend of colors helps distort depth perception. Realtree markets it as “where abstract meets reality,” and that rings true.

Perhaps the greatest thing about Realtree APX is its versatility. This isn’t a camo pattern that can be shoehorned into only one season: it’s surprisingly color adaptive. Its muted shades and streaks of green appear to fit fall best, but it works well year-round. As with any pattern, it should be matched to the environment, but its design is a good fit for most regions.

Realtree patterns can be stocked through companies like Alps Outdoorz, Banded, Scentlok, Spartan Cameras and countless more. Customers who want more versatile camo patterns will like APX for all seasons, so consider stocking it in both cool- and warm-weather styles.

Visit www.realtree.com to learn more.

 

Kryptek Wraith

Snowfall must be considered when choosing camo patterns. In regions with consistent snow, Kryptek Wraith is a great choice to keep customers hidden during winter hunts. Yes, Kryptek is perhaps best known for its original camo in shades of tan, but the camo company does far more. Wraith utilizes the original jagged outlines that make Kryptek recognizable, but it does it in shades of white and gray. Jackets, hats, and gaiters are specific items winter hunters are likely to gravitate toward.

Aside from deer hunters, Kryptek Wraith is a pattern appreciated by coyote hunters. Calling coyotes is challenging enough without failing to obscure the hunter’s outline. Thanks to their keen eyesight, coyotes will see hunters before hunters see them. Kryptek Wraith is the prime choice for customers whose hunting focus is predators, because icy cold weather is great for calling, and Wraith keeps hunters hidden in the snow.

If you want to stock Kryptek, check out products made by Nomad Outdoor, Justin Boots, GunSkins, Mechanix and more.

Visit www.kryptek.com to learn more.

 

Drake Old School

Sometimes it’s the older designs that make it through generations of hunters, and that’s the case with Drake Old School. Although Drake’s roots are in waterfowl, the company’s Old School pattern is great for wooded hunting in general (meaning deer hunters like it, too). This is a pattern that specifically appeals to customers who want a look harkening back to days of hunting past — or those who know the oldies really are goodies.

Drake Old School features darker splashes of shades of brown on a tan background. This vintage ink-blot style works well when the leaves turn and hunters are scouting or chasing big bucks. Waterfowlers do tend to gravitate toward it as well, due to its effectiveness in woodlands. There’s also no denying Old School’s traditional look holds a certain appeal.

Stock Drake Old School by checking out brands like Gator Waders.

Visit www.drakewaterfowl.com to learn more.

 

Realtree AP Blaze

Although Realtree AP Blaze isn’t the type of camo that blends into the trees, it is the kind that gives customers some flexibility when it comes to wearing blaze orange. Thanks to the fact that deer have dichromatic vision, orange appears in shades of gray and tan. This means that other hunters can easily spot someone in orange, but deer don’t notice the stark contrast.

AP Blaze is one of Realtree’s heritage patterns, and there’s a good reason it’s stood the test of time. All states have regulations pertaining to blaze orange and how much of it a hunter must wear. Some areas list the amount in inches, while others are specific to parts of the body (as in, a hat or vest). Still others don’t require it on private property. Regardless of the state’s rules on the topic, wearing blaze orange keeps hunters safer. The fact that AP Blaze also incorporates some light brown foliage is just a bonus.

Customers can choose to wear AP Blaze as minimally as the state requires or they can dress in it head-to-toe for fun and safety reasons. Check your local laws, and not all states count orange camo as true blaze orange. Clothing brands that use Realtree camo patterns include Scentlok, Kings Camo, Blocker Outdoors, and Banded.

Visit www.realtree.com to learn more.

 

Mossy Oak Obsession

In states that stay green, such as Washington, Oregon and California, it’s smart to lean toward camo patterns that complement that coloration. Mossy Oak Obsession is a brighter green pattern that was designed for spring turkey hunters, but it works well in any location with significant quantities of green foliage.

The brighter green foliage of Obsession is backed by the varied tans of tree bark. This gives it an edge of versatility so it can be used during spring and in areas with evergreens. The feature that makes it so ideal for spring is the fact that it’s designed to deceive the sharp eyes of turkeys, and hunters can use every edge possible when they’re chasing gobblers. It’s also a well-known pattern that many customers will recognize, which is always a bonus.

Consider stocking clothing in Obsession in both long and short sleeves to accommodate the variations in spring weather (and to give as much concealment from turkeys as possible). Numerous clothing and gear brands are licensed to use Mossy Oak patterns, including Muddy Outdoors, Scentlok, Nomad Outdoor, and Hoyt.

Visit www.mossyoak.com to learn more.