Whether you're active-duty military in a combat environment, law enforcement on a stakeout, or a hunter attempting to avoid alerting prey, camouflage is an important consideration. Both humans and animals are extremely attuned to slight changes in color and texture, and these factors can vary greatly from one environment to the next. That's why it's great to have lots of camo patterns to choose from. We're glad to see A-TACS has expanded its line of camo offerings with the re-release of the original A-TACS AU.

The A-TACS AU (Arid Urban) pattern originally hit the market back in 2009 but was eventually discontinued and replaced by its successor, A-TACS AU-X (Arid Urban Xtreme). In the image below, you can see the original AU side-by-side with AU-X; the latter “Xtreme” pattern appears to have a wider range of variance between light and dark elements.

Owner and pattern designer Phil Duke explained that this AU re-release was a byproduct of a growing number of requests from end users who wanted gear in the original pattern. From our perspective, we suspect A-TACS AU performs well in environments with softer light and more muted color tones, while AU-X seems better suited for terrain with darker and more defined shadows. There certainly seems to be room in the market for both options.

For those who live in less dry environments, the company tells us it's also planning to bring back the original A-TACS FG (Foliage Green) pattern, so keep an eye out for that official announcement in the future. For more information about the return of A-TACS AU, check out this press release or go to A-TACS.com/our-patterns.


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