Wall-to-wall
nature
Camouflage carpet lets you take a walk through the
woods while you're still indoors
By RALPH LOOS
OUTDOORS EDITOR
The idea began as most ideas begin: Somebody came looking
for something that didn't actually exist.
Back in the spring, Jack Robertson, he of local turkey
hunting lore, wanted to install camouflage carpet in his
cabin.
It's the one aspect of life outdoorsmen had yet considered
to dress up in camo - the floor.
"You can find leather sofas in camo and chain saws
in camo and all sorts of clothes in camo," says John
Staff. "But no one has ever thought to put their
carpet in camo."
Perhaps they had thought about it - surely Robertson wasn't
the first - but just never followed through on the idea.
Enter Robertson.
"He came to me looking for it," says Staff,
who runs Staff Carpet, 2527 N. Fifth St. in Springfield.
"I told him there wasn't such a thing."
And that's how the idea began.
Soon the proverbial wheels were put into motion and, a
little over six months later, carpet in Advantage and
Realtree patterns are available. Staff Carpet is the sole
distributor for the product.
"They tell me camouflage is a billion-and-a-half-dollar
business," says Staff. "I don't know if that's
true, but this is just another item to add to the list
of things you can get in camo."
Staff, Robertson, Steve Zaubi and Kevin Howard have gone
into partnership in a business called Camo Boys Carpet.
"We hooked up with Milliken (textile firm), who has
the textile deal with Advantage and
Realtree. They make the fabric for shirts and hats and
all that. We talked them into putting it on carpet,"
Staff says.
You don't have to be an outdoorsman to find the patterns
attractive, but there is a certain marketing strategy
used with camo carpet.
"Basically, we're targeting people who have cabins
and hunting rooms and really residential homes that want
an outdoorsy room," Staff says. "We already
have had a lot of interest. We put some in at Jack's business
(Robertson Lawn Care) and we're putting some in at Two
Bears Archery. I've had people who are building homes
call and want information on the camo carpet."
The four varieties of camouflage carpet are in stock at
Staff Carpet. Staff expects to add a Mossy Oak pattern
in February or March.
For those wanting to see the carpet in person, an open
house is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Staff
Carpet store, located just west of the Illinois State
Fairgrounds.
Following are descriptions of the four camouflage
patterns available on carpet:
The Advantage Wetlands pattern simply looks like waterfowl
habitat. The most distinctive features of the pattern
are its highly realistic reeds and cattails. In addition,
the pattern is "broken" by large areas of marsh-tone
yellow and earthy brown, which helps to lighten the tone
of the pattern dramatically.
The Advantage Classic pattern has been a favorite of
hunters since 1994. It combines realistic leaves, three-dimensional
limbs and open spaces and has been an effective camo for
deer, turkey, western big game, small game and upland
hunting.
Realtree Hardwoods is an incredibly three-dimensional
pattern of 13 natural colors, lifelike shadows and photo-realistic
limbs and leaves. Realtree Hardwoods also has extreme
contrast from light to dark.
Advantage Timber (not pictured) offers lifelike color
reproduction, good definition and contrast and improved
three-dimensional effects. The pattern also offers more
leaf colors than any other camo.
Ralph Loos is outdoors editor at The State
Journal-Register.
He can be reached at 788-1528 or ralph.loos@sj-r.com.
©
Copyright 2001, The State Journal-Register |
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