Cheap Camo

[Peanut]

I’ve posted similar before but I can’t remember where. I think it was the old forum. If here please excuse.

The alternate transportation thread got me thinking about having the various forms camouflaged before it’s needed. Professional painting can be expensive. This is very cheap camo that I’ve used several years now.

I used flat spray paint of various colors, tan, dark green, brown, black, dark gray, whatever I catch on sale. To make the patterns I used the fronds from local ferns, christmas ferns to be exact.

The paint adheres well to plastic but does require touch up occasionally if you move your gear often. I used sandpaper to rough up some of the very smooth buckets with gamma seal lids.

Just from the shade of trees in my yard you can see how easily the fern patterns blend.

I choose buckets for some types of gear storage because of adaptability. They fit in my game cart, truck bed etc. A small pole over my shoulder or between two people and the buckets are easy to carry that way without extensive modifications. Also, a round object is easier to strap on a horse than a square one. With the gamma-seal lids they can be converted to flotation devices. I’ve tested them.

 

[Sentry18]

Looks awesome. I like it!

 

[lonewolf]

I think i'd just paint it black.

 

[Sentry18]

I have seen this done with AR15's but never thought about other items. I have that same Rubbermaid tote you have. I might just have to camo it up!

 

[phideaux]

Love it, have tried it, I have used oak leaves, maple leaves and others.

Works good.
There is a redneck on my road that did his truck using leaves as patterns.....it's redneck. He also has lettered in his back window " BUBBA ".

Jim

 

[Curmudgeon]

I have seen this done with AR15's but never thought about other items. I have that same Rubbermaid tote you have. I might just have to camo it up!

View attachment 25286

I have a rifle that I have considered doing that to, just haven't worked up the nerve.

 

[phideaux]

I have a rifle that I have considered doing that to, just haven't worked up the nerve.

I just had to try a couple guns also.

I started with a good primer for plastic , after good cleaning with non acetone polish remover..
After painting with Fusion paint, I topped it off , days later, with a good clear coat. Then days later with auto spray detailer.

Has held up great for years.

Jim

 

[Sentry18]

I have a rifle that I have considered doing that to, just haven't worked up the nerve.

That makes two of us!

 

[Peanut]

Love it, have tried it, I have used oak leaves, maple leaves and others.

Works good.
There is a redneck on my road that did his truck using leaves as patterns.....it's redneck. He also has lettered in his back window " BUBBA ".

Jim

I tried leaves of various sorts, some vines. Somehow they never looked right to my eyes. I mean, leaves of various colors would work fine on a bicycle, cart, vehicle… something large that might be hidden in a stand a saplings or thick brush.

If I stash gear it’s going to be on the ground, I need something that looked like it belonged there. Leaves on the ground all look the same shade of tan/brown.

In these parts ferns grow in the strangest places and vary greatly in appearance. In the US as a whole, ferns grow in all terrains, deserts, mountains, swamps and prairies. They are always there… on the left or right… corner of your eye.

Ferns are shadow and shade, not big enough to hide anything. They are something you look past, not at. They make my personal favorite camo patterns. I use Lady ferns and climbing ferns also.

We’ve all been to the sporting goods stores, there is are really bad camo patterns out there. Companies that couldn’t hide vacuum cleaner at a Kirby convention, pitiful.

I find some of the burlap rolls are far less intrusive, with a little help they work quite well rain or shine. That’s the real test for me… how does it look in the rain.

Cheap paint on plastic I can handle… a quality wooden gun stock is beyond my capabilities. If push comes to shove, I’ll “fern” them and hope for the best.

 

[The Lazy L]

"Rattle can" camo. I am tempted too to try it on my current build.

 

[Peanut]

Got new camo paints this weekend. The dog igloo house is just an experiment… not taking it anywhere.

I wanted to see if painting a round object was different than a flat object. It is! I just couldn’t seem to get the effects I wanted with the camo paint on the dog house. Preserve that bit of info for the future.

It would look better with a couple more coats and at least one more species of fern. But then again it sits on the porch against a brick wall...
A camo brick pattern?

 

[Caribou]

Hope the dog can find it.

 

[backlash]

A friend of mine painted his duck hunting boat with camo spray paint. He said it was bad paint because it came out all the same color. I explained to him he needed to buy different colors and paint it in the pattern he liked. He did look a little embarrassed but in his defense, it did say camo paint on the can.