Camouflage Net

Camouflage net, judged by the ground it sits over

A camouflage net breaks up the outline of whatever sits underneath it, and the pattern only works when it answers the ground around it. This range covers woodland and jungle greens, forest browns, desert sand, white for snow, heavy duty netting for set-ups that stay out all season, and versions with a water-shedding backing. Sizes run from small panels up to sheets big enough to drape a vehicle, and the same netting ends up on shooting hides, garden screening and paintball sites. Where the aim is shade rather than concealment, a shade sail does that job with a solid panel instead.

What is camouflage netting actually doing?

Three things at once. It breaks the straight lines and hard edges that the eye finds first, it scatters shadow so a shape reads as clutter rather than as an object, and it kills the reflection coming off glass, metal and wet plastic. Anything left uncovered underneath, a bright bag or a shining bonnet, undoes the work of the whole sheet.

Which colourway matches which setting?

Greens hold up under leaf cover through spring and summer. Brown and forest tones fit hedgerow, heath and bare woodland from autumn onward. Sand suits dry grass, stone and gravel. White belongs on snow and loses its value the moment the ground goes patchy. Season decides more than habitat does, since the same wood is green in June and brown in November.

Is a camouflage net a waterproof cover?

Open netting is not: rain goes straight through it, and that is exactly what keeps it light and quiet in wind. Some versions carry a backing that sheds water, though a net is still not a substitute for a sheet. For a dry roof, stretch a waterproof tarpaulin underneath and drape the netting over the top, which keeps the shelter dry while removing the shine and the straight ridge line. The same layering works over the hammock and kitchen pitches made with camping tarps.

What should you check before ordering?

• Size against the object: allow considerably more net than the footprint, because the sheet has to reach the ground at the sides rather than stop at the edges.
• Backing type: an open mesh backing stays light and quiet, while a coated backing adds shade and rain protection at the cost of weight and flap in wind.
• Edge finish: reinforced edging with loops or eyelets is where all the tension goes, and a raw edge is the first part to tear.
• Fire behaviour: netting near a stove or a fire pit is a hazard whatever the material, so site the cooking spot well clear of the sheet.

How do you rig one and pack it away?

Tension it from several points rather than two, so the surface undulates instead of forming a flat sail: a taut plane looks like a made object, a loose one reads as vegetation. Line and toggles from the para cord range do the tying, and a pole under the middle stops water pooling where the backing is solid. Dry the netting fully before it goes away, shake the twigs out of the strips, and fold it rather than stuffing it, since knotted leaf cuts tear when pulled apart.