PHOTO FILE: PHANTOMLEAF WASP II Z3a in field test

A little man stands in the forest. And actually, it doesn't want to be seen. That's why camouflage suits are worn, to hide, to disappear. PHANTOMLEAF develops camouflage patterns. We were on tour with the new WASP II Z3a pattern and wanted to see how it performs in the wild.

Here is the overall view of the new uniform by Leo Köhler. It consists of the command field blouse on top and the operational combat trousers below, both in PHANTOMLEAF. HERE is our review of the new camouflage equipment. 

Close-up of WASP II Z3a: It's quite green and has many spots and color gradations into dark brown. The PHANTOMLEAF logo is also visible in the image. The company produces camouflage patterns, all of which have been reserved for authorities until now.

WASP II Z3a is being made available to the civilian market for the first time by PHANTOMLEAF. Therefore, the logo is marked with "CIV" here. The manufacturer says about its work: "We consistently use medical, psychiatric, and neuropsychological expertise to optimize the complex interaction of measurable data and data processing. This enables us to achieve improved signature management." The patented algorithms would configure the camouflage schemes to be used on a wide variety of objects: from personal clothing and equipment to vehicles - on land, in water, and in the air.

So, we disappear ... Even the cover photos hinted that the pattern blends well with its environment - here with Central European deciduous and mixed forests. Plus a wall with moss and light broken by tree leaves. The phantom stands calmly in the corner.

Here we simply put on the camouflage suit and want to see what the pattern can do in the first field test. There is no equipment on the man, no weapon, no additional camouflage material. So to speak, WASP II Z3a in its purest form, completely natural. Here too, the pattern fits excellently into its environment, although the person is clearly visible.

If the betraying human figure is no longer recognizable because we position ourselves differently, PHANTOMLEAF WASP II Z3a really stands out. In this case, the test object is gone.

The viewer can see the wild structuring of the camouflage pattern very nicely and how it absorbs color impressions from the background to break the contour. Moisture on the stone, green moss, leaf colors, everything is reflected.

From further away, this also makes an excellent impression. But now we are in the shady corner of the overflow basin. No spots of light fall on the wall, making the view more diffuse. The background is much darker than the camouflage suit itself, yet it blends wonderfully.

The new camouflage pattern also captures the mood of the surroundings: trees, leaves, light.

As you move away from the test object, it disappears among the trees.

Here too, the camouflage suit blends into the landscape. The only giveaway is the round head under the balaclava.

Where a shield of leaves lies in front, detecting PHANTOMLEAF becomes very difficult. Here, it is most likely the light through the leaf canopy that highlights the test figure. If he were to take a position more in the shade, he would not be visible at four meters.

Without leaves between the trees. Even here, PHANTOMLEAF WASP II Z3a blends well with the forest's color.

PHANTOMLEAF WASP II Z3a on the ground seems like a light spot in the dark green from a distance. But the dark color also binds it to the ground.

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