Dyeing ACU, anyone ever try it?

MadPlumbarian · **on:** July 13, 2014, 07:20:21 PM

Well just like the subject says, has anyone tried it? I'm looking into getting a new pack and I can really only get it in black, and I've kinda been thinking about turning over all my other ACU gear to black, anyone ever done so? Any suggestions? And is it worth doing it, I gotta take off all my paracord zipper pulls(not knots) and a few stitched on patches! JR

lowtech · **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2014, 09:31:56 PM

If you have any kind of camop pattern, chances are high it is still visible (more or les as a shadow) after dyeing.
Zippers, threading and piping often don´t take dye as well as teh rest or don´t take it at all.

I would not do it.

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:12:16 AM

Quote from: lowtech on July 13, 2014, 09:31:56 PM

If you have any kind of camop pattern, chances are high it is still visible (more or les as a shadow) after dyeing.
Zippers, threading and piping often don´t take dye as well as teh rest or don´t take it at all.

I would not do it.

Thanks for the input, so here's another question, what color do I get to match the ACU? Black, tan, or olive drab? JR

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2014, 03:52:22 AM

Here's a couple pics of what I'm dealing with, all the add on's besides the bladder are black so idk? JR

ironraven · **Reply #4 on:** July 14, 2014, 05:28:21 AM

People have done it. I recall that you want to use salt, boiling water, and follow the directions exactly. There are threads over a EDC forums and Zombie Squad that I know of. The pattern is still there, but you do change the color scheme.

And black dyed over ACU looks pretty sharp.

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #5 on:** July 14, 2014, 08:06:12 AM

Ok, I found the same thing but rather in black in ACU,, so now the question would be, forget dyeing anything, just go with black, and everything that gets attached be black, or go with ACU and be like the bigger bag I showed, main bag ACU and everything attach black?? Idk, I'm kinda leaning to all black being for a mini everyday carry, but that kinda screws up the flow, this sucks, help me out guys.. JR

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #6 on:** July 14, 2014, 07:04:04 PM

Here which one do you guys think looks better? JR

enki_ck · **Reply #7 on:** July 14, 2014, 09:01:51 PM

Well you know my answer.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2014, 10:07:29 PM

Does this answer the question?

Black tends to obscure features on a bag. So no matter how 'tactical' the bag may actually be, it could be a camera bag for all anyone can tell at any ranger greater than 20 feet.

Lay a black bag on the ground in the forest and it doesn't stand out. Lay a ACU bag down in a coffee shop and you look stupid.

Ten years from now, all the tacticool doods will move on to 'new version of camo' that you're pack will look "so 2010's". 200 years from now, a black bag will still just look like a black bag.

Black.

Go with black.

Seriously.

Black.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2014, 10:11:08 PM

One caveat to my 'always black' rule.

If you're poor and can get good cheap gear at a military surplus place, then ANY version of camo is acceptable.

RT1969 · **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2014, 10:21:18 PM

I would go with the black as well. Just looks better, imho!

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2014, 11:30:10 PM

Ok, so three for black on this page and two for camo on another.. JR

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2014, 12:05:21 AM

What's the other page?

Lichtbote · **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2014, 12:14:57 AM

It was in another thread here.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2014, 12:17:00 AM

That's all well and good. Which one?

Lichtbote · **Reply #15 on:** July 15, 2014, 12:33:26 AM

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37974.3775.html

Just scroll down.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #16 on:** July 15, 2014, 01:07:41 AM

Cool. Thank you.

And, by the way, if you click on the header of a message, such as the 'RE: Extremely Random thoughts." in Madplumbarian's post, it will actually take you to that exact message. So, you can use that to point people to it, when you get the URL. Like this...

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,37974.msg916016.html#msg916016

EDIT: Also... still black.

Lichtbote · **Reply #17 on:** July 15, 2014, 01:38:43 AM

Thanks for the tip with the URL, Lynn.

ironraven · **Reply #18 on:** July 15, 2014, 01:58:18 AM

Black.

On the blacktop, solid colors blend better, and everyones black is pretty much, well, black, unlike greens and tans. So long as you don't hanging knives and grenades and really sketchy morale patches off it, black molle and black patches on a black pack doesn't scream "tactical" to most people, it just sorta says "black"

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #19 on:** July 15, 2014, 04:15:37 AM

Thanks for everyone's suggestions, I decided to go with the black one, it says it should be here by Friday, but we all know how promising that is! JR

lowtech · **Reply #20 on:** July 15, 2014, 03:15:53 PM

Black was the right decision!

you may unwrap it listening to:
Paint it black (Stones)
BLack Sabbath (same)
Black No.1 (Danzig)
or the Black Album by Metallica.
fixing the black add-ons can be done to "Back in black"

I´ll go to my little, padded corner now and be quiet...

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #21 on:** July 15, 2014, 03:23:18 PM

Or you could also listen to 'Black Magic Woman' by Santana,
'Blackened' by Metallica,
'Black and Yellow' by Wiz Kalifa,
'Black Velvet' by Alannah Myles,

Or
'Black Night' by Deep Purple.

All I'm saying is you have options.

MadPlumbarian · **Reply #22 on:** July 15, 2014, 06:44:06 PM

you two,, lol! I'm going to have to do some modification to it, guess I'll listen to all those songs while doing so

JR

Hello Lurker! Remove this ad and much more by logging in.

Dyeing ACU, anyone ever try it?

Donations

Community Links