Alternative USCM camo/bdu find?

bigbisont · Jun 7, 2012

So while searching for a colonial marine fatigue/bdu set and scrounging for the common "replacement/alternative" options (like the Polish desert camo and Safariflage), I stumbled across a pattern called "Retro Camo" made by rothco (aka "Ultra Force retro" camo). I did a thread search and found no mention of it, so thought Id point it out.

The bad - No shirt/coat. Just pants seem to exist. Shirts not an option for some reason...not sure what ill do about that.
- No 'mainstream' website (amazone, ebay, etc) had stock in anything except extra small. Had to go to random sites and hope they are legit.
- Bit thin in the pattern. But not like I expected a perfect copy.

The good - Dirt cheap! Like shipped for $37 style cheap.

- are these colors not spot on? Or am I just tired? I think it looks pretty damn close.

The "prospect"
Rothco: Product Close Up

the real deal (for reference)
The Harry Harris Aliens Collection & Archive: BDU

SSgt Burton · Jun 7, 2012

Re: Alternative USCM find?

bigbisont said:
- Bit thin in the pattern. But not like I expected a perfect copy.

Unfortunately USCM camouflage is unique because of the orientation of the pattern. The pattern in the alternate pants has a horizontal orientation (which is pretty standard), however USCM camo has a vertically orientated pattern.

- are these colors not spot on? Or am I just tired? I think it looks pretty damn close.

It's okay. But USCM camo has no black or green in it.

As a less expensive alternative, it's not bad. Occasionally you will find a set of camo cargo pants at Walmart that has desert colours "close" to USCM camo.

Kevin

bigbisont · Jun 8, 2012

Re: Alternative USCM find?

SSgt Burton said:
As a less expensive alternative, it's not bad. Occasionally you will find a set of camo cargo pants at Walmart that has desert colours "close" to USCM camo.

Kevin

Interesting. Any chance these are the Walmart ones you saw?
Walmart.com: Wrangler - Men's Cargo Pants: Men

Well I scooped up the Rothco "retro" already as they easily jump to the top of the pile for my own currently available options. As I've only recently taken this search seriously, Im curious to hear more input from the 'veterans' of USCM costuming on the overall best alternatives.

Where would you (or anyone who has a high interest level) rate the "alternatives"?

Say we are talking about:

-#1 Seed = MAA "3PAT". That's the gold standard right? (Out of production, $200-$300 secondary market?)

- the lowly #10 seed = Standard issue 80s/90s era army woodland BDUs. ($10-30 used)

So the #2-#9 candidates (in no particular order)

-The Rothco "Retro" Camo (posted here, ~$30, pants only)
-Polish Desert Camo (UK wesbites, ~$60-80 per top/bottom)
-"MultiCam" $(30-60 per top/bottom)
-"Safariflage" (also no longer produced, ~$100 secondary market?)
- Wrangler "camo" sold at walmart (seen above, <$20, pants only)
-90s "Urban" camo, Bleached.
- British Desert camo (not really close at all, but I ran out of ideas and didnt have 10 suggestions yet)
- Something I dont know about? More suggestions?

Rank em!

bigbisont · Jun 14, 2012

Re: Alternative USCM find?

UPDATE / FYI,

whether anyone thought this was a good match or not...is now irrelevent. I just got word my order was cancelled due to this product having been discontinued.

Add it to the list of 'no longer available' camo patterns out there...

Fly4v · Jun 14, 2012

Have you tried BDU.com for multicam BDUs?
Real multicam should have dark brown, not black.

bigbisont · Jun 14, 2012

Fly4v said:
Have you tried BDU.com for multicam BDUs?
Real multicam should have dark brown, not black.

I havent 'seriously' shopped yet, but Multicam was looking like my next best bet. Truthfully i like the polish desert camo pattern, but that is a touch pricey and harder to get. Multicam is probably in my not too distant future.

Thanks for the heads up on the color difference though. I had noticed some differences between brands, but had written it off as a lighting issue. Ill be sure to watch for the legit brown.

Riceball · Jun 14, 2012

bigbisont said:
I havent 'seriously' shopped yet, but Multicam was looking like my next best bet. Truthfully i like the polish desert camo pattern, but that is a touch pricey and harder to get. Multicam is probably in my not too distant future.

I'm a big fan of the Polish desert camo myself, the first thing I thought when I saw it was that it looked a lot like the Aliens USCM camo. It is a real shame that it's so hard to come by out here.

Thanks for the heads up on the color difference though. I had noticed some differences between brands, but had written it off as a lighting issue. Ill be sure to watch for the legit brown.

I suspect that it might be a difference between it coming from someone with a license as opposed to a knockoff. Multicam, like a lot of the new camo patterns coming out, is a privately developed camo pattern from Crye and you have to get a license from them if you want to make and sell any product using Multicam. I imagine that some companies simply bypass the whole licensing thing and simply change the color way of the pattern and create a Multicam look alike and hope Crye doesn't think it's close enough for them to be sued.

Fly4v · Jun 14, 2012

Not just the legal points listed above but true black really doesn't occur in nature. That is one of the reasons it was dropped with the new multicam pattern.
Yes, black does appear in the current "woodland" USMC camo but the Corps has the sense to have two uniforms and stayed away from the ACU digital.
The only place you can hide in that is in-front of moldy concrete.

Sorry, not alien related but I wish you the best on your search and really want to see this built.

bigbisont · Jul 20, 2012

Just some closure to this thread.

ALL POINTS MOOT!

Everyone who cared probably knows by now, but 2 members of the Aliens Legacy took it upon themselves to begin new production of screen accurate BDUs. Aaron Horrocks and Spat both make excellent stuff. I got some cheapo multi-cam to fill the void, but the real deal is coming some time in the not too distant future...

spatcave · Jul 20, 2012

YEAH!!!

Oh yeah. That's me!

Fly4v · Jul 21, 2012

bigbisont said:
Just some closure to this thread.

ALL POINTS MOOT!
I got some cheapo multi-cam to fill the void, but the real deal is coming some time in the not too distant future...

The Emperor is not pleased. He demands photos.

Good find. Glad someone started making the pattern again.

spatcave · Jul 21, 2012

Here are pics of the prototypes:

Some of the colors look wacky due to crappy cell phone cameras, but here's a good shot of the material it was all cut from:

All made to order in Cotton Twill.

Available in my store:

SpatCave Store

Hope that helps!

Fly4v · Jul 25, 2012

Very nice. Thanks for the photos and I visited your site. :thumbsup

Alternative USCM camo/bdu find?

bigbisont

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