why do this to your helmet

[Maddog69]

Hi

What are the lines on top of his helmet for? Under the pick in the galary someone said that they put them on there helmet with a glue gun is this correct?

Thanks a bunch

maddog

[ZaakM433]

if i remember correctly there was a big discussion quite a while ago, and nobody really said for certain...

[Shrap]

If it's glue indeed, it might be for better grip, or to prevent that his googles slip when he put it on his helmet ?

All speculation

[Sir Zach of R.]

I've heard:

1. Breaks up sillouhette and reduces shine

2. He's SF, he can do WHATEVER he wants.

[American Patriot]

Another unsubstantiated guess here but.. he could have glued something to his helmet (foliage) and then removed it.

[Simpen]

From what ive heard and from what it looks like. Its definately glue. I did this to one of my helmets as a test and it looks pretty much the same. Breaks up sillouhette really good.

[Maddog69]

thanks lads

[von_Moo142]

It looks like that anti-magnetic mine paste (Zimmerit?) that the Germans plastered on thier tanks in the second world war.

An AT mine stuck to your helmet would be bad, but is unlikely for so many reasons (not least that the helmet is plastic). ;-)

[Rakki]

"Ali, I think I saw a helmet over there in the corner!"

"You idiot, Aba, it's just a honeydew melon!"

[TacoDelRio]

/\
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Funny man.

I've seen that on a bunch of MICH helmets. I betcha it's some manufacturing process dealy.

[coolflame]

2. He's SF, he can do WHATEVER he wants.

rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl rofl

[gilgoul]

Looks pretty clever to me, it breaks the silhouette pretty well while staying "low maintenance"

[Raistlin]

Why not to use some helmet cover then?

Like mitzfenet maybe? :P

[rangerone]

Helmet covers really dont break up the outline of a helmet since they are form fitting. The glue creates a different effect than a cover, much like the use of scrim by paratroopers back in WWII and some 101st units today.

[24601]

They're built-in antennas. :roll:

[Raistlin]

Helmet covers really dont break up the outline of a helmet since they are form fitting.
Which outline are you talking about exactly? This?

[rangerone]

Yes

[Raistlin]

You do realise that it doesn't break that outline anywhere near enough to be effective, right? Or maybe I get the whole concept of breaking an outline of a spherical helmet/head wrong.

[crazyman]

just a wild guess...maybe it's done to kill glare from the sun. granted a helmet isnt exactly shiny, but thats all i can think of. i dont think it breaks up the outline at all...if you wanna do that you take shreds of some camo material and tie them through the helmet cover.

[ZaakM433]

maybe he thought he would drive some people on mil forums crazy

[rangerone]

maybe he thought he would drive some people on mil forums crazy

HAHA. That is the best answer yet.

In regards to Raistlin. Yeah, it really doesnt make sense. Although, on one of my helmets, I did the same glue thing and it worked better than that.

Crazyman, yeah, like I said, the shredded material (burlap) was in practice during WWII with Paratrooper units, and I cant remember exactly which unit of the 101st still does that today, more for heritage than anything though.

[James]

Someone should PM Shrek, Beowulf, or Ibstolidude...

This wasn't done in my unit, though other battalions were fond of putting little pieces of cammie net on their helmets.

[Sir Zach of R.]

It looks like that anti-magnetic mine paste (Zimmerit?) that the Germans plastered on thier tanks in the second world war.

An AT mine stuck to your helmet would be bad, but is unlikely for so many reasons (not least that the helmet is plastic). ;-)

Dude, it's kevlar. NOT plastic.

[von_Moo142]

Dude, it's kevlar. NOT plastic.

"Dude, it's kevlar" Well done ;-)

You will find that kevlar is a polyamide, and even though it's highly cross-linked and crystalline (for a polymer, anyway) it can still be grouped into the loose categorisation that is plastics. In fact it has more properties that we associate with plastics than Bakelite, for example.

It's not so different to nylons in its structure.

[Sir Zach of R.]

Okay smartass. It's plastic, but not the plastic I thought you were talking about. I thought you meant the plastic that protec helmets were made of.

[von_Moo142]

Okay smartass. It's plastic, but not the plastic I thought you were talking about. I thought you meant the plastic that protec helmets were made of.

Nah I'm not smart, but I may well be an ass ;-)

Don't know what plastic that is anyway. Maybe something like ABS?

[kaiser]

Well, this is not "make by the SF" , it is a mass production product, I'm not sure what is the "use" but it is not modified, I saw and introduction but I forgotten where I saw it, but I can say it is "may be" a phototype or a similar product of MICH TS-2001.

[mattnwnc03]

i would strongly doubt its glue for camouflage.id say its somthing to give the helmet strength.

[Deuterium]

The guy drank too much Reutberg at the G.O.E. the night before.

Love ya L.S.

JC

[Raistlin]

Deuterium, you probably know the real reason.

[glamwar]

Same reason that the k-pot has a gritty surface.

To dissipate light.
Which keeps the helmet cooler, and reduces glare.

May also provide traction for accessories that aren't fixed.

But light dissipation is the original intent I believe.

[RFSU]

Well yes it is for camoflage, but I have not seen it done for a while.
Shape: Breaks up shape by breaking up the curve of the helmet with irregular glue lines, tricking the eye into not recognizing the familier shape of a helmet. It wont work under close observation, but for getting onto target in a DA situation it is fine.

Shine, shape, shadow, sound, silhouet, movement, yadda, yadda, yadda...

[Raistlin]

To dissipate light.
Which keeps the helmet cooler, and reduces glare.
Helmet cover made from fabric can do that. Can it not?

And, RFSU, I'm sorry but I had to disagree with you. Look for my picture on the first page - by looking just at the outline you can barely notice it's not perfectly smooth.

[RFSU]

Yeah nice drawing, but I'm not guessing I'm telling.

Belive it or not, there is a difference between the images we see on our computer screen and those we see in real life.

Breaking up the outline of an easily recognizable object does not nessacerily mean changing that objects shape, but rather how that shape is percived.

Now rather tham berate you for your arrogance, I will simply suggest you go and learn some basics about light refraction.

[Raistlin]

I now I can't argue with you about the reasons since I clearly don't know them. What I'm arguing about is the effectiveness. So you're saying that it's not about the shape, right? Why a helmet cover wouldn't suffice in that situation? You can draw almost anything you like on it and change it whenever you want without changing the helmet.

Or is the point in fact that the "grooves" refract light differently as the helmet moves and as the observer moves? In that case it might be true - the play of light and shadow during movement might confuse. But I still think the "grooves" are too subtle to make any effect.

And, please, let's not call each other arrogant and have a civil argument.

[Poontang_Dan]

I now I can't argue with you about the reasons since I clearly don't know them. What I'm arguing about is the effectiveness. So you're saying that it's not about the shape, right? Why a helmet cover wouldn't suffice in that situation? You can draw almost anything you like on it and change it whenever you want without changing the helmet.

Or is the point in fact that the "grooves" refract light differently as the helmet moves and as the observer moves? In that case it might be true - the play of light and shadow during movement might confuse. But I still think the "grooves" are too subtle to make any effect.

And, please, let's not call each other arrogant and have a civil argument.

Youre just gonna have to bust this myth. Let us know of the results and post some pics to go.

[Claymore]

...And guestion for british guys here (well...others can answer too). Why do you put black tape around your helmets? IFF? Because then camoufaged cover doesn't slip?

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[ShadowNeo]

I presume so. I've always found the covers a bitch to fit properly.

[Sir Zach of R.]

I bet that late at night, Shrek and Deuterium laugh at all of us, trying to figure out why they do this. It's probably the simplist answer ever. Ever seen those old GI helmets from WWII with the fish-net cover? I figure it's kinda like that.

[Raistlin]

...And guestion for british guys here (well...others can answer too). Why do you put black tape around your helmets? IFF?
IDF soldiers do that too. I was wondering myself actually.

Javehn? GrimReaper? Gilgoul? S*13?

[Javehn]

...And guestion for british guys here (well...others can answer too). Why do you put black tape around your helmets? IFF?
IDF soldiers do that too. I was wondering myself actually.

Javehn? GrimReaper? Gilgoul? S*13?

No real reason , just because it looks cool . ;)
Well , not in all cases you can wear the Mitsnefet , so in those cases you can't , you shove it there (it is not black tape , it is black rubber thingy) . Or if you want to shove there something to look cool .
Look for a word "Wassah" (Arabic) in dictionary ;)

[FozzieBear]

...And guestion for british guys here (well...others can answer too). Why do you put black tape around your helmets? IFF? Because then camoufaged cover doesn't slip?

</img>
this is a thing unique to paras :) they do it because they like to be different i suppose

[Raistlin]

Interesting, IDF soldiers and British paras have the same fashion sense. I wonder who "copied" from whom :)

[ShadowNeo]

Its not unique to paras, I have seen loads of other units do it. The paras have to do it because they have different desert covers (us choc-chip style).

[HooyahCQB]

It's the latest style as seen in SOF

[NicNZ]

Its not a helmet, its his brain!!

[samcan]

cool

[shrek]

Well, i've never personally seen anybody do this to their helmet! Ever! It would break up the basic "shape" of the side of the helmet and it's rounded shape. I agree that it doesn't do anything for the outline! Actually looks like it might be the remnants of a failed attempt at camouflaging some other way!

The cloth that you see attached to the back of his helmet that extends to the top or crown I have seen before! When you spend a lot of time in shooting houses like at SFAUC and what-not guys will put a piece of cloth like that on to keep their buddies hot brass from going down their neck. I am a foot taller than most so I never had a problem! Looks like what this guy might be doing in the pic! Sorry I couldn't help more!