Cam cream

And can you imagine the fall out of such an allergy incident in oarticular if there was an anaphalactic shock reaction. This memeber of staff must be disciplined for their actions, if only for their stupidity. They, by their actions, could have put a cadet at seriosu risk to life.

1 Like

Especially considering OP notified staff of the condition.

I do not understand how there are still staff with so little understanding and regard for welfare - CP or medical.

2 Likes

I remember as a cadet some people were allergic like you to cam cream.
When we did weekend last away with the TA they got given some charcoal sticks to sand down and use instead, It came in a small box with the sander on the top. maybe it’s worth looking into and seeing if you can get it from an army surplus place if you want.

We used to have corks and lighters on unit for a similar purpose. You light the cork, (it doesn’t burn particularly well) and blow it out. (Crucially, you then wait for it to cool down) then use the ash like a cam cream stick.

2 Likes

I have used that method as well. Much easier to apply and much easier to wash off. Great for short spells on a parade night.

1 Like

Moving to a tangent. And certainly NOT to dismiss the above.

About 3 years ago on autumn camp I was tasked with running an evening FT ex. I planned Simple stuff, cam up, patrol and find the ‘enemy’. Report back.
Only problem was, out of 35 cadets on camp, apparently they all were allergic to cam cream. Basically the cadets lined up to receive their kit for the evening (great ACLO!) from station stores. First one declined the cam cream as “they didnt want to have to clean it off later” when the store man said something along the lines of that’s pathetic the cadet then pulled the “I’m allergic to it” line.
Every cadet bar 1 FS. said the same, thinking they were saving work later.

It was equally interesting, funny and pathetic to watch. But nowt you can do once the Allergy card has been played.
Neither the camp com, nor I were going to phone all the parents to ask!

Anyway we went out to the field, the FS had a great time the others moped all evening as the realisation of just how stupid they had been sunk in.

After this little incident I ensure the allergy section on 3822A is really well covered and briefed to all new cadets and parents. Not only to protect them from anything they are allergic to. But also from missing out due stupidity!

The thought of those 35 cadets all looking at 1x cammed up FS still cracks me up.

3 Likes

Yeah, but on the plus side you didn’t need to try to get cam cream off the walls, the sinks, the bedding…

3 Likes

Youre not wrong!
In fairness that’s why I buy multiple packs of cheap hypoallergenic face wipes and hand them out after each ex.
Costs the Sqn a fiver each time, but prevents the post appocolyptic mess!

I always found that the best way to get it off was simply copious amounts of soap, hot water and effort. I imagine it’s the latter which fails most often.

Our cream in unit stores is all ‘CamTech’. It’s pricier than the issue stuff, but it doesn’t go rock hard after two days, applies more smoothly and comes off easier.

Toothpaste and water works fairly well, but it burns like heck.

make up wipes, all the boys come round asking the girls for them after exercise to the point where us girls bring extra on camp :joy:

Here here!

My partner is a beauty therapist by training and I can honestly say Makeup wipes have been beneficial on many occasion!

I find Asda own brand babywipes work amazingly well

1 Like

Corks, beat me to it. In the 60’s that’s all we had. :wink:

The really funny thing about all this is that wether a cadet is wearing cammo cream or not makes absolutely no difference whatsoever to the success of the exercise.
I dare any one of you to tell me that you spotted an ‘un-cammoed’ face during the course of a exercise…!!!

Easily?

Do you think it’s some sort of con? Like the Emperor’s new clothes? You know the regulars don’t right, because, it works?

Well, actually I have. On several exercises

That’s not to say everything else was perfect - I can think of one occasion where whispering in a bush caught my attention, but the shine of a couple of faces gave me their exact positions.

You’re right in a way - the cadets still enjoyed the exercise, but it lost them some points…

A bright, white disc in the night? Yeah, I have.

It is possible to conceal even something as bright as a high vis in a bush (in daylight, viewed from a distance), but it will arouse suspicion to experienced eyes.

Cam cream is a skill in itself and a lot of Cadets enjoy it, so while not using doesn’t necessarily detract from a cadet’s enjoyment of an exercise, it can certainly add to their experience and make concealment easier.

I have stood upright in the middle of a field, in the deep of night, dressed in a plain white painters coverall with hood up (dont’ ask) and had people walk right past me unaware I was there.

1 Like

I’m not sure I want to ask…

Speaking to levels of attentiveness, I’ve embedded myself into groups of cadets on exercise before and they haven’t noticed. I joined a patrol and even passed messages from the back to the front, same night I joined another group’s little planning huddle and stole their map when they all moved off and I strolled in a different direction.