In The News

Best New Camo Pattern OPTIFADE. While most camo patterns are based on human perception of visibility, OPTIFADE was designed using a combination of current research in animal vision, camouflage sciences and computer technology. The result blends both micro and macro patterns into one design that serves to break up the human form at short and long distances.

To create its Optifade camouflage for high-end hunting-gear maker Sitka, Gore researched how deer and other ungulates see. The result combines a macropattern to break up symmetry with a micropattern that lets the wearer blend into the background.

Few companies—if any—can match the scientific resources that have been used by W.L. Gore & Associates to develop cutting-edge, ultra-high-performance waterproof/breathable apparel. In a somewhat surprising move, Gore has used these same types of resources to develop a unique camouflage based on how ungulates—hooved animals—actually view their surroundings.

W.L. Gore, the maker of GORE-TEX, designed a new line of camouflage based on how deer see. OPTIFADE was created with the help of Jay Neitz, an animal-vision specialist at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Lieutenant Colonel Tim O’Neill (U.S. Army, Retired), a former West Point professor of engineering psychology and inventor of digital camouflage.

The creation of the revolutionary Optifade Concealment involved making an eye chart for deer, learning how deer perceive colors and shapes and having humans using computers calibrated for deer vision. All in all, lots of wow moments for the Newark-based firm.