Does Camo Clothing Transmit UV Light?

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  • Striper69

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2014
    1,400
    Iowa
    I think that's what I heard on a commercial. Thay say that deer can see UV rays.

    So what good is camo if deer can see UV rays or whatever?
     

    willtill

    The Dude Abides
    MDS Supporter
    May 15, 2007
    24,312
    That can see UV but what they really key in on is movement.


    .
     

    Inigoes

    Head'n for the hills
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 21, 2008
    49,353
    SoMD / West PA
    The body does not transmit UV rays, especially if you are pasty white - you naturally glow in the dark. :D

    UV brighteners are throughout the laundry detergent industry. Every time you wash clothing is just about any laundry detergent , UV brighteners are added to keep the cloth from fading.

    The product UV-Killer does a pretty good job to eliminate reflecting UV. The trick is not to throw your hunting clothes in the wash again with regular laundry detergent.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,156
    Mt Airy
    The body does not transmit UV rays, especially if you are pasty white - you naturally glow in the dark. :D

    UV brighteners are throughout the laundry detergent industry. Every time you wash clothing is just about any laundry detergent , UV brighteners are added to keep the cloth from fading.

    The product UV-Killer does a pretty good job to eliminate reflecting UV. The trick is not to throw your hunting clothes in the wash again with regular laundry detergent.

    This
     

    Abuck

    Ultimate Member
    Years ago I figured out a good way to check camo clothes to see if they have issues with UV glow. I noticed on some of my trail cam pics that some clothes looked all washed out, and mostly one solid shade. I noticed it mostly in my rain gear, but it was eye opening. Put them out and take a few pics of them during dalylight, and dusk, when the camera is in nighttime mode. You can really see how some clothes blend in, and others stand out horribly.

    UV killer is a definite help. And don't use regular detergent, as it has UV brighteners.
     

    Doco Overboard

    Ultimate Member
    The body does not transmit UV rays, especially if you are pasty white - you naturally glow in the dark. :D

    UV brighteners are throughout the laundry detergent industry. Every time you wash clothing is just about any laundry detergent , UV brighteners are added to keep the cloth from fading.

    The product UV-Killer does a pretty good job to eliminate reflecting UV. The trick is not to throw your hunting clothes in the wash again with regular laundry detergent.

    I agree with this to some extent as well as some manufactures using thread or fabric materials designed to interact well with detergents.
    Years ago when Mossy Oak clothing came out they specifically advertised no brighteners or UV dyes in the construction of their garments. BDU's should be manufactured the same way as far as I understand.

    Interestingly enough the youngest lad told me just the other week that he believed an old pair of issue camo clothing allowed him to get in close to some deer while he was just sitting on a stool in a ditch. He said he thought it was the best sort of clothing to wear for the purpose.
     

    K31

    "Part of that Ultra MAGA Crowd"
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 15, 2006
    35,632
    AA county
    I think that's what I heard on a commercial. Thay say that deer can see UV rays.

    So what good is camo if deer can see UV rays or whatever?

    There's another thread on here about deer receiving radio waves from humans (according to a commercial). Probably why they never get shot or hit by cars because a running car is putting out probably X100 the RF energy of a human.
     

    nedsurf

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 8, 2013
    2,204
    I wash my hunting clothes with baking soda. It kills odors and does not have UV brightners.
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,152
    Carroll County
    Years ago I figured out a good way to check camo clothes to see if they have issues with UV glow. I noticed on some of my trail cam pics that some clothes looked all washed out, and mostly one solid shade. I noticed it mostly in my rain gear, but it was eye opening. Put them out and take a few pics of them during dalylight, and dusk, when the camera is in nighttime mode. You can really see how some clothes blend in, and others stand out horribly.

    Nighttime cameras use infrared light (actually, they lack an IR filter that CCDs need to see 'normal' light the way we do) and sometimes/usually have infrared leds to increase visibility.

    IR is not the same as UV... it is the opposite end of the spectrum. What you are checking for is visibility in the IR range, which may be useful, but not the same as checking for UV.

    Editing to add image. In simplistic terms, IR is 'redder than red' and UV is 'more violet than violet'. Both out of human visual range.
     

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    madmantrapper

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 6, 2009
    1,528
    Carroll County
    I think most of this is a bunch of crap. I've been hunting for fifty plus years and don't worry about scent blockers and uv or ir or any other crap. My middle son worries about all this crab. Special bins for boots clothes and everything else, detergents for this and that. In the end his kill ratio is no better then mine when comparing hours in the field to kills.
     

    aklax11

    Active Member
    Jan 8, 2015
    531
    We’re told not to use fabric softener on camo specifically bc of the uv signature it can leave. Haven’t heard anything about the detergent itself (unless it had fabric softener combined in it)
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,062
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Anyone one else work on issues with this? I bought a pair of Flecktarn fatigues for hunting and just started hunting Friday and deer are just picking my out of the stand at 50 yards. No movement and they turn and look right at me. These things must really be glowing to them. I tried last night with a cheap trail camera I have here and everything whited out. But as Bullfrog stated its IR not UV. I have never been spotted like this before, so something is keying the deer to look at me in the stand. The only thing new is my flecktarn clothes and a camelback backpack and I will check both later. The old clothes are getting worn today.

    I ordered a black light off amazon to test all my clothes now. I have never been spotted like this before. These are supposed to be lightly used fatigues so I am assuming they are either made with UV brighteners or washed in them before I got them. I'll post pics later on if the UV light works.

    Anyone every treat UV without the spray on UV killer?
     

    Inigoes

    Head'n for the hills
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 21, 2008
    49,353
    SoMD / West PA
    UV-Killer is the only product that works so far under a black light.

    Plenty others are out there, but YouTube them and you will see that you are throwing your money away.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,062
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    So what is the solution to clothes reflecting UV light because of stuff they added to them? Test them with a light and just throw clothes away? My light is battery powered and you can be damn sure I'll be testing clothes when buying them. This was shocking to me this week.

    Madmantrapper, they recently in the past 15 years or so started adding UV protection to clothes to prevent fading. To prevent it must "reflect" UV. Your old clothes and your dad's and so, didn't have it. It's probably why our old camo worked so good and faded too and still worked.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    Anyone one else work on issues with this? I bought a pair of Flecktarn fatigues for hunting and just started hunting Friday and deer are just picking my out of the stand at 50 yards. No movement and they turn and look right at me. These things must really be glowing to them. I tried last night with a cheap trail camera I have here and everything whited out. But as Bullfrog stated its IR not UV. I have never been spotted like this before, so something is keying the deer to look at me in the stand. The only thing new is my flecktarn clothes and a camelback backpack and I will check both later. The old clothes are getting worn today.

    I ordered a black light off amazon to test all my clothes now. I have never been spotted like this before. These are supposed to be lightly used fatigues so I am assuming they are either made with UV brighteners or washed in them before I got them. I'll post pics later on if the UV light works.

    Anyone every treat UV without the spray on UV killer?

    Are they scenting you and then looking your way? If actual surplus, unless they’ve been cleaned in a UV brightener, they should be low UV. Generally BDU/ACUs American and similar at least Western (and probably some Eastern ones too) generally use low IR and UV signiture dyes as they recognize they need to be cognizant of IR and UV cameras, not just MkI eyeball.
     

    Striper69

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2014
    1,400
    Iowa
    I bought some "Surf" detergent and washed all my stuff in that. Haven't been close to any deer yet but should be this week.
     

    Archeryrob

    Undecided on a great many things
    Mar 7, 2013
    3,062
    Washington Co. - Fairplay
    Are they scenting you and then looking your way? If actual surplus, unless they’ve been cleaned in a UV brightener, they should be low UV. Generally BDU/ACUs American and similar at least Western (and probably some Eastern ones too) generally use low IR and UV signiture dyes as they recognize they need to be cognizant of IR and UV cameras, not just MkI eyeball.

    They are not scenting me, I always hunt the wind. Now, I know it can swirl, but was not at these times. I have deer talking in, upwind and 50 yards from me turn and stare at me even not moving. I wore my waterfowl clothes today and they don't get washed as scent doesn't matter and deer hardly noticed me. Maybe just as a new bump on a tree ladder, but went back to normal in a second.

    I think they Downy is contaminating the washing machine and leaving some behind in the rinse. This is just Assumptions until I get the black light and can check everything, so it all could change
     

    Striper69

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 31, 2014
    1,400
    Iowa
    I've got good news, guys!

    Tonight I was sitting on the edge of a big clearing about a block away from a creek. The area has some really tall grass that the deer use to bed in and a lot of trees. About 20 minutes before the end of shooting light I looked behind me and thought I saw the body of a deer. I was sitting in front of a big tree and turned around in the stool to get a better look. It was a small doe and she didn't have a clue that I was there. I watched her walk away and put my rifle sights right on her when she stopped broadside about 40 yards away. I wanted to wait and see if a big buck came by so let her walk.


    I was wearing the HECS suit and had on a grey sweatshirt that I had washed in the "Surf" detergent. It was low light and the deer would've spooked if the sweatshirt was giving off UV light.

    So I think it's safe to wash your hunting clothes in "Surf" detergent. I bought it at Wal-Mart and it was one of the cheaper brands they had.
     

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