MultiCam Black: An Overview
QILO x MCBG Puffer Jacket in Multicam Black
MultiCam black is a variant of the MultiCam camouflage pattern. The Multicam family can be used in a wide variety of military and civilian environments.
How MultiCam Was Made
In 2000 Caleb Crye was a 24 year-old masters student at Cooper Union on the verge of creating something that would forever alter the world’s military forces. During a competition to design the soldier of the future, Crye and his future business partner Gregg Thompson produced a helmet with the design pattern that would make waves.
“I am a big fan of free and our military supports that,” Caleb said in the interview with Cooper Union. Crye’s penchant for design and the armed forces ultimately led to the founding Crye Precision and creating the Multicam Black pattern.
What is Multicam Black
Multicam Black is a variant of a large family pattern on tactical and military gear. Others include arid, tropic and alpine, corresponding with desert, tropical, and winter environments respectively.
Multicam Black, however, sticks out like a sore thumb. The design created by Crye Precision is meant not to blend in, but to impose, and project authority.
Multicam vs. Multicam Black
Our Convertible Pouch in MultiCam Original, Black, and Tropic (clockwise)
The standard pattern known simply as MultiCam is a widely recognized pattern associated with US ground troops made up of various green and brown shades. MultiCam Black is specifically a mix of black and grey tones.
MutliCam Black uses the following color scheme:
Gray 206; CMYK: 72 60 67 63; HEX: #2B312C
Olive 205; CMYK: 66 57 73 60; HEX #34362A
Black 207; CMYK: 75 68 67 90; #000000
The official copy from Crye Precision regarding the Multicam pattern is as follows:
HOW IT WORKS
MultiCam® patterns take advantage of the way the human eye and brain perceive shape, volume, and color. Since only a very small portion of the human eye perceives color, the brain does a lot of “filling-in” for the eye. The unique high resolution design of MultiCam® takes advantage of this principle and helps the observer to “see” the pattern as part of the background. The MultiCam® family of patterns rely more on a blending effect than a traditional contrast effect to disguise the wearer. This effect allows them to perform well in a wide range of environmental conditions. It also helps maintain the patterns’ effectiveness even at close ranges where low resolution patterns often stand out against the natural (non-pixelated) environment.
HOW MULTICAM® WAS DEVELOPED
We spent a lot of time studying how camouflage works in nature, taking into account where it is hardest to hide. We also studied which terrain elements were most common across the widest range of environments. We documented how light affects environmental features and tracked the seasonal and elevational changes in different regions. We then factored all that together into digital composites of our observations and began testing them. We spent extensive time discussing our approach with users, factoring in their observations and concerns. Digital images where then created, encompassing everything we had learned. After printing each pattern, we field tested, tuned, and re-tested them until we achieved exactly what we were looking for
The official description of Multicam Black is as follows:
The MultiCam® Black pattern was developed to meet the unique requirements of law enforcement officers operating in high-risk environments. It projects a distinctly authoritative presence appropriate for domestic operations. MultiCam® Black is designed to complement an officer’s existing equipment and present a sharp, professional image for top-tier law enforcement units.
Where Is MultiCam Black Used
MultiCam Black is most widely recognized as SWAT team gear, in addition to many other armed forces and civilians across the world. In a fashion setting, the black primary tones of the pattern are easy to match and provide great apparel options for all sorts of settings ranging from very casual to semi formal.
You can wear a multicam black jacket on your way to a pick up basketball game, and out to an upscale dinner venue all the same. The pattern is versatile, and comes in just about any type of clothing or gear imaginable.
MultiCam Black is found in a variety of items:
Hoodies
Cerakote gun coating
Holster
Sling
Wrap
Flags
Patches
Knives
Rifles
Handguns
Our Pablo Sneaker in MultiCam Black
Use of MultiCam in Firearms
Cerakote - a type of ceramic coating which is used to coat metals, plastics, polymer, and wood, is ability in a range of MultiCam patterns. Just about any gun can be outfitted with a MultiCam pattern.
MultiCam in the US Military
MultiCam is used by US Special Operations forces, and some private military contractors. In 2010, US forces in Afghanistan switched to a MultiCam pattern when the existing Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) was found to be inadequate for the environment. The Army eventually switched to a pattern that resembles MultiCam and renamed it Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). Until the roll out from UCP to OCP was complete, soliders were permitted to wear MultiCam. That program was phased out in 2018 when the Army officially began the transition to full OCP use.
A few local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies use MultiCam, including:
Drug Enforcement Administration's Foreign-deployed Advisory and Support Teams (FAST)
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Special Reaction Team
The Spokane, WAshington Police Department
The Oregon State Police SWAT Team
MulitCam Around the World
Other countries that utilize the pattern in some form are:
UK
Australia
Georgia
Hungary
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Looking to Add MultiCam to Your Wardrobe?
We frequently drop new products in one or more of the MultiCam variants. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.
QILO x GBRS Group - EDC Short in MultiCam Black