Collection: M81 Urban

The M81 Urban Camouflage Pattern is a commercial recoloration of the original M81 Woodland pattern. While it has never been officially adopted, it gained recognition for its use by the US Marine Corps during an urban operation training event. This pattern was part of a set of experimental urban camouflage BDUs evaluated in May 1994 at the MOUT training site at Fort Benning. The study assessed the effectiveness of various camouflage patterns, including two 2-color experimental disruptive urban camouflage uniforms, a 3-color experimental disruptive urban camouflage uniform, a monotone grey urban camouflage uniform, an experimental monotone black Nomex™ flight suit, a standard three-color desert camouflage uniform, and a standard woodland camouflage uniform. Notably, the woodland and 3-color urban camouflage uniforms did not perform well in urban night conditions. The M81 Urban pattern, characterized by high contrast between white and black, may not be the most effective for urban environments due to its high contrast and pattern size, which was optimized for long-distance engagements (approximately 300 meters) rather than the shorter distances typical in urban settings.