Frankly, right now I am confused with all the different types of camo patterns being released left and right. For the meantime, the king of patterns is Multicam, or for us in the airsoft community is affectionately or infamously called "Guccicam" since getting genuine Crye Precision Multicam products are almost as hard and expensive like high fashion. Whilst Multicam initially got its most avid users from the airsoft community, eventually many military organizations around the world adopted the pattern for their armed forces,  even it's called differently such as the British MTP (Multi-Terrain Pattern).

In the market right now are several patterns vying to be the next and greatest camouflage but they go against the attempt to have a "Universal Camo" which the Multicam and or the much maligned UCP (Universal Camo Pattern or what we have mistakenly called as ACU) have tried to answer. The recently released patterns go back to the understanding that different climates and terrains require different methods of concealment colors rather than have a one-size-fits-all answer.

A-TACS and PenCott Patterns have different hues for their patterns which also aims to address their markets' concerns of different operating environments and also to reach a larger audience for their camo offerings. Another camo pattern, which is getting some traction right now and also adopted by Haley Strategic Partners is the Kryptek Pattern which its makers say is the most effective right now.

I have initially mistaken Kryptek, especially the Highlander pattern, to be an improved version of the Real Tree hunting camo. In a way, I was not far off the mark, as Kryptek is developed by retired US soldiers and hunters for special operations soldiers. If you look closely, the Kryptek looks organic and reptilian and of course we understand that reptiles are some of the best creatures who can blend with the environment.

There are 6 types in the Kryptek family: Highlander, Mandrake, Nomad, Yeti, Raid/Urban, and Typhon which looking at their hues and shades denote their operating environments. This means also that for the Special Forces, who are trained to operate in most environments, will have such different sets for different missions, unless trained to highly specialized in one environment. With their 3D look, they look like living creatures on their own, which also means they play with our eyes.

If you're not convinced with how I try to simplify how the Kryptek patterns work, then here's the longer version from Kryptek:

Kryptek™ camo patterns provide a tactical advantage to the Operator by reducing visual acquisition through the combination of proven camouflage concepts, scientific principles and field testing. The Kryptek™ designs incorporate proven principles of visual deception based on mimicry of foliage, animal, marine and geographic visual qualities. These principles have been combined with evolutionary concepts and fused with state of the art technology to offer the utmost in effective concealment in differing environments. Kryptek™ utilizes a multi-directional design to effectively conceal in a multitude of terrains that have either a lateral or vertical flow. The bi-level layering of the patterns incorporate background transitional shading and sharp random geometrical foregrounds to create a three dimensional effect that ensures the utmost in concealment at both close and long ranges. These components combined with colorations selected and matched based on input from testing and observations from Operators in the field make Kryptek™ Camo the ultimate in passive battlefield deception.

Optimus Prime mentioned to me that he has discussed the Kryptek being available for airsofters with some vendors. What he learned is that "Wild Things" will be releasing their own designs with the patterns and will be available at retailers that airsoft players are familiar with. We expect even more vendors to be developing a full range of gear and clothing to fully equip their customers with the patterns from head to toe in the following months.

The airsoft market is just becoming aware of this pattern and its slow adoption is brought about the lack of ACM makers who will again try to copy such pattern for the airsoft market. We don't know if the pattern can be easily replicated  but it's hard to underestimate the capabilities of those who create replicas. It's now just a matter of availability of gear and clothing that can meet the budget of the airsofter.

Will I try the pattern? I don't know since like Optimus Prime, I've fallen back to the basic (read: plain) colours when putting my gear together as our issues with camo patterns are the how to put all matching gear together, which also puts a strain on our personal budgets. At least it's easier to mix and match plain colours than camo patterns which are just hard to put different types in just a single loadout.