Frequently Asked Questions

About the pattern

1. How do you know how deer and other ungulates see?

   W.L. Gore & Associates partnered with leading animal vision experts to develop the pattern. Researchers have been studying animal vision, including deer vision, for many years and have reached reliable scientific conclusions regarding how ungulates see both spatially and colorimetrically.

2. Can a deer really take a vision test?

   Yes. Deer can take vision tests similar to those humans take. As deer can't verbalize what they see, researchers rely on behaviors to determine what the animal can and can't see. The animal is offered a food reward for correctly “seeing” a specific image and, for instance, traveling down the path marked with that image or touching that image on a computer screen. Researchers have also studied the biology and structure of the animals' eyes to reach their conclusions.

3. Why does the OPTIFADE™ pattern look so different from traditional camouflage patterns?

   Most camouflage on the market today is mimicry camouflage. Mimicry patterns attempt to make the hunter resemble his environment. As you have no doubt noted, there are a variety of mimicry patterns designed to simulate various terrains and environments. GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment represents an entirely new way of deceiving prey. It is a pattern based on the science of animal vision.

   When trying to create a pattern to fool prey, concealment experts can manipulate the smallest elements of a computer-generated digital pattern, which can be as tiny as a few millimeters across, taking into account color and spatial frequency and forming micro and macro patterns that will successfully conceal the wearer.

   In the case of GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment, these factors were specifically optimized to fool the visual system of deer and other ungulates.

4. What do you mean by a micro pattern and a macro pattern? How will that make a difference for a hunter in the field?

   In order to assess danger, an animal in the field essentially “asks” itself two questions—“Where is it?” and “What is it?”

   With GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment, the micro pattern considers the way a deer perceives color, the ratio of positive to negative space and other elements so that the hunter wearing the pattern blends in with his environment. The micro pattern makes it difficult for prey to answer the “where is it?” question.

   A macro pattern—a larger pattern made up of clusters of smaller pixels—breaks up the symmetry of the human form, so that even if the animal locates the threat, it will not be able to identify the form as a hunter/predator. The macro pattern helps make it difficult for the prey to answer the "what is it?" question.

   For a good example of how the combination of macro and micro pattern works, try to find the hunter in these photographs treated with deer vision.

   Predators in the animal kingdom operate on the same macro and micro pattern principles. Stalking predators, like tigers, have a macro-pattern of stripes that break up their symmetry. Ambush predators, like leopards, have a micro-pattern of spots that allow them to blend with their environment as they await prey.

   Humans both stalk and ambush when we hunt. And, unlike animals, we are not limited by our biology in creating concealment: we can use both macro and micro patterns to maximize our success. Interestingly, in nature, mimicry patterns like traditional camouflage are most often employed by prey—not by predators.

5. Is Gore OPTIFADE™ Concealment the same as military concealment patterns?

   Like military camouflage, GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment is a computer-generated digital pattern, consisting of a collection of colored pixels. However, GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment has been optimized to fool ungulate vision, not human vision.

6. What scientists and experts were involved in the development of GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment?

   W.L. Gore & Associates believes in using the best possible scientific resources in our product development process. In addition to our experienced research and development team at W.L. Gore & Associates, the following experts contributed to the development of GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment:

   • Lt. Col. Tim O'Neill, Ph.D. is referenced by many as the “Father of Digital Camouflage.” His understanding of visual biophysics and human visual performance makes him the leading expert in the field of visual concealment. He currently serves as a consultant to the United States Army, Marine Corps, FBI, and Bureau of Land Management.
   • Jay Neitz, Ph.D., is currently a vision scientist at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. He was previously with the Medical College of Wisconsin. In studies funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), Neitz trained animals to participate in vision tests that replicated human tests in order to assess their vision. He used the resulting data on animal vision—including color vision, field of vision and acuity—to judge how effective concealment patterns would be when used in the field. In developing the final pattern, we employed decades of deer vision research from Dr. Neitz' work and similar studies at the University of Georgia.
   • Guy Cramer, the President/CEO of HyperStealth® Biotechnology Corp., provides the technical expertise to digitally produce patterns based on scientific input. Collaborating with Tim O'Neill, the pair has developed more than 1,000 digital camouflage patterns. A number of cell phone companies have also worked with Cramer to conceal cell towers throughout the U.S. and Canada.