Calypso,
That's the main point isn't it? It seems as if there are several camo companies out there with good ideas, but they don't have the financial support or marketing skills necessary to expand their product line beyond a regional level, nor the ability to contract with companies like Columbia or Browning. Skyline is another prime example. Natgear was the first company I heard to actualy back their product up with science, even though there might have been a few other companies utilizing open, vertical patterns. For that matter, Mossy Oak Original, Realtree Original, and Trebark all started off with vertical patterns, albeit dark and tight. I was on the phone with the product development manager and the national sales director of Mossy Oak today discussing their New Shadowgrass, and I was voicing my disappointment, at least in the pictures I've seen. They are sending me a pair of pants and shirt to try out, largely as a gesture because they sponsored me twice in the World Duck Calling Championship. But they have made it clear that their largest target audience is deer hunters, and they believe that deer hunters want stick and leaf camo patterns. As I've said before, a simple field test of viewing the various camo patterns at various distances, among various backgrounds is the only way to tell for sure which patterns excel in these conditions. Is there a perfect camo? I don't think so, but Shadowgrass is the closest thing I've seen so far. As a disclaimer, I have not had the opportunity to test in desert conditions or the Pacific Northwest, other than that I have most of the bases covered. So until a company like Natgear, Predator, or ASAT is able to break through, most of us will either have a limited selection in these patterns, or we'll have to go with a pattern that was primarily developed for deer hunters, with predator hunters second in mind. Camo, in my opinion, is kind of like a confidence bait for a tournament bass fisherman. I guess we'll keep looking for that perfect pattern...
Blake