Actually, I think it’s a little better right now than in some previous decades. In the 1970s it seemed like every piece of equipment was either blaze orange or bright red; I think it was in imitation of serious high-altitude climbers. In the 1980s the gear went through a period of lime greens, teal, pinks and purples in combination- just fashion, I guess. Walking around an REI or EMS these days, I see more stuff that’s not bad… sage and gray are common… but I’m not sure the buyer is any more conscious of the issue, and some manufacturers refuse to cooperate.<br><br>It’s a pity that the media demonization of “survivalists” in the ‘80s had the side-effect of creating such a social stigma about camouflage. After all, it’s inherently useful, and since it's the state of the art in “subdued”, gear can only get subdued so far without approaching it. There’s no practical reason why outdoorspeople, regardless of their personal politics, shouldn’t be able to use camouflage without suffering the PC wrath of Mrs. Grundy and her ilk. Perhaps the broad support for the current war will eventually remove the negative associations from “military” enough to allow us the social freedom to use it again- it’s too early to tell.<br><br>I have a large internal-frame in sage green that doesn’t raise many eyebrows, but I have a rain cover for it that’s (old-style hunter) camouflage on one side and blaze orange on the other, reversible. It’s a nice compromise in color usage. I’ve also seen tarps that are bright on one side and subdued on the other. This helps solve the problem of subdued tarps/tents being dark and gloomy inside… but these days, I get the impression than any piece of gear where the coating can successfully be a different color than the fabric is heavier than it needs to be for backpacking.<br><br>I have a couple of the “survival bandanas” that have been mentioned here, with various info printed on blaze orange cotton blend. They’re not bad- but they’re not 100 percent cotton, and they’re only about 21 inches square, so I doubt their usefulness for signaling. I prefer my black silk 36 inch squares for general use.<br><br>My general rule of thumb is that if an item is small enough to be easily shoved in a pocket, it’s usually better in a bright color to prevent loss- larger items I prefer subdued. FWIW, I’ve always considered small items like flashlights in camouflage ridiculously counter-productive… you drop it, it’s pretty much gone…<br><br>Truth is, I haven’t really got much use for any large bright items in the woods. No kids to keep track of, I haven’t been above timberline in a long time, and I’ve never, thankfully, been the object of a rescue attempt, and don’t intend to be. Besides, I’m under the impression that it typically takes much more than a yard or two of bright color to be spotted from the air, and that reflections and fires are much more effective. My last few real backpacking trips were solo, so nobody really needs to see me, and I'd generally just as soon they didn’t. So far, I’ve avoided more problems by not being seen than I could have ever solved by being seen.<br>