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Camoflage an outback
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Author:  brigguy [ Sun Nov 10, 2013 4:55 am ]
Post subject:  Camoflage an outback

I want to use my outback for duck hunting and have been looking for ways to camo it.

Any ideas or products ?

Author:  fusioneng [ Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

Brigguy:
If you bought a bright yellow or Ferrari red boat your in trouble.
However if it's olive drab you might have a chance.
Of course ink sublimation with a hot iron works best but can be expensive and time consuming.
A poor mans way would be to use black Krylon paint for plastics ( available at Walmart).
Surface prep is important otherwise it won't stick.
If you go to Home Depot and get rubber cement thinner ( I think the brand is Best or something like that). The important ingredient is heptane ( this stuff is like raw gasoline so be careful).
What you do is mask off your paint area then lay paper towels over the area to be painted. Drench the paper towels with heptane, keep it wet and soaked for about ten to 15 minutes ( longer is always better. Pull the paper towels and spray the paint on as it is drying (wipe up any puddles before painting) you want it to be wetish when you paint so don't do too large an area at a time.
If you do the whole deck with a thin clear coat first, it's easier to let it dry a day or so then spray on your chamo colors free hand ( no additional surface prep is necessary since the paint sticks to itself pretty good. After your artwork is done a few coats of satin clear coat over the whole works might help.
Try it out on the inside of the hull first and make sure it works to your liking.
DISCLAIMER: I have never done this on a whole boat and don't want to be held responsible for you muffing up your whole boat but I did use this method for my boat numbers and it worked quite well for me. It's just a matter of knowing the chemistry of the plastics.
Make sure you use the Krylon plastic spray paint ( it already has some heptane in it( heptane is the active ingredient that makes it stick to most plastics)
When done if you have any heptane left over, if you mix it with plastic filings making it into a paste, it makes a great plastic adhesive or repair filler.
Good lucked
Bob

Author:  Dr.SteelheadCatcher [ Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

To avoid painting your Outback, another option would be to buy a nylon camo tarp and the Hobie camo dodger#71720.
You could attach the tarp to the Outback with bungee cords.....might need to add additional grommets to the tarp.

Or buy the Hobie universal kayak cover #72051 that fits the Outback.......then do your own "art work camoing" of the cover with spray paint.
I would think the Hobie camo dodger would still be a good investment as it is elevated/curved to allow pedaling your Outback.

Author:  fusioneng [ Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

That's a way better idea than mine. It would be like a gilly suit for your boat. A big camo tarp tied to the bow and stern with a couple slits for your head and arms, I would think you would be able to pedal under the tarp (like a stealth boat (even if its ferrarri red)).
Actually if you want something permanent, you could get some patches of camo cloth and glue them to the hull. That Heptane I described earlier is also used as a super glue activator on plastics. If you cut your cloth patch to size, then pre-soak the area you plan to glue it to with heptane ( the plastic hull, 'not' the cloth), then just super glue the fabric down to the hull around the edges (thru the fabric). Be careful to not glue your hand to the boat (or the cloth) it won't come off.
I like the tarp idea with bungy's the best. If it's really warm where you are you could use camo netting instead.

I also think the Hobie camo dodger would be a good starting point


Hope this helps. I don't hunt or fish at all, but understand the chemicals and what your trying to do, just tryin to help.
Bob

Author:  Grampa Spey [ Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

A cheap and probably enviro friendly way would be to put mud from the river or lake on your yak and cut some flora and attach it when you get to your hunting site with black or green bungee cords.

The link below will take you to a how to with thin camo netting:

http://www.carolinawildphoto.com/kayakcamo.htm

Author:  Grampa Spey [ Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback buy a Hobie Camo Dodger

I think that the Dodgers are listed on page 13


http://cdn.hobiecat.com/digital_assets/ ... 130906.pdf

Shooting from a yak without AMAs could be a risky act. You could get the Green AMAs from a Hobie dealer, use camo paint or mud on the cross bars and rig up some vertical flora, to break up the profile.

Last but not least camo yourself. Your head, face and hands without camo are like the crew on a carrier waving off planes.

Author:  LarryJ [ Sat Dec 21, 2013 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

brigguy wrote:
I want to use my outback for duck hunting and have been looking for ways to camo it.

Any ideas or products ?


I wanted to use my olive green Outback for duck hunting as well. Bought the camo spray dodger. What a joke. It was the most cumbersome thing to use. I also wouldn't have felt safe in that boat in winter. I sold it and bought an AI for sailing and, hopefully soon, fishing. Buy a real duck boat.

Author:  Roadrunner [ Sat Dec 21, 2013 9:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

LarryJ wrote:
I wanted to use my olive green Outback for duck hunting as well. Bought the camo spray dodger. What a joke. It was the most cumbersome thing to use. I also wouldn't have felt safe in that boat in winter.
I have one and think it's a pretty good winter accessory as well as "stealth" enhancer, so I don't see what the "joke" is. Granted, it can appear to be confining at first for some. It also takes a careful layout to get the best fit on some models since it's a generic fit. I haven't tried hunting with it, but hiding the leg motion is huge IMO if you want to get close to birds. If they're not distracted by mating or some other activity, they seem to be very sensitive to any unnatural movements nearby. Here are some pics of it with my not-so-camouflaged Adventure
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8260&p=40656

The great thing about the Mirage Drive kayaks is their ability to support a wide range of water activities. Sure, if you have the resources and space, you can buy a fishing boat, sail boat, duck boat etc. etc. that specialize in their respective tasks; to get this all with one boat is what makes Hobies unique. The Dodger fits well with that philosophy. Mine seems to be durable, versatile (you can even sail with it) and useful. It's a great accessory for cooler weather, photography and probably hunting as well. It would be nice to hear from someone who has actually hunting experience with it. 8)

Author:  bassadude [ Mon Dec 23, 2013 3:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

Why not try a wrap. Marine grad for boats. Will look like paint and you can pick out your kind of camo and you can remove it.



Image

Author:  Harold ray [ Tue Dec 24, 2013 5:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Camoflage an outback

Quote:
Why not try a wrap. Marine grad for boats.


How well does the wrap last on a kayak that gets banged around? I'm guessing any wrapped boat, like any other boat, gets bounced off things frequently. I hadn't really thought about how well the wrap stood up for this purpose. For my truck, they said 4 to 5 years.

Has anyone does this?

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