The History of Jungle Frogskin
Under the cover of darkness on 6 August 1942, the 1st Raider Battalion landed on Tulagi in the British Solomon Islands during the opening phase of the Guadalcanal Campaign. The Marines of the 1st Raiders wore the M1942 Frog Skin uniforms, featuring a five-color Jungle side and a three-color beach pattern. The Marine Raiders and their M1942 Frog Skin uniforms were unique and extremely effective in their appearance. Eventually, Marines across the Pacific theater would be issued or acquire the pattern, ranging from complete uniforms to just helmet covers.
Designed by Norvell Gillespie, a horticulturist and garden editor of Better Homes and Gardens, walked outside and used nature as his inspiration in the creation of the pattern. The pattern was nicknamed “frogskin” for its spotty pattern, which resembled the amphibian’s skin.
More importantly, Gillespie intentionally designed the camouflage to have two faces, one that was green for spring and summer, while the other was brown for fall and early winter. This, in many ways, set the precedent for the US Military to develop uniform pairings such as M81/ DCU and Woodland and Desert MARPAT. The Pattern would continue to be used by the Marine Corps until the end of the US involvement in the Korean conflict. After that, the Frog skin pattern would continue to be used by three-letter agencies for various “activities” throughout the Cold War.
Aside from the patterns of prestigious Military heritage, it has been used for decades within the hunting and sporting community. Its use was widespread in popular hunting garments through the 80s and 90s, when it gave way to modern and more realistic patterns.
Bringing the M1942 Frog Skin pattern back isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about honoring a legacy of battlefield innovation and timeless utility. This pattern has proven itself from the Pacific islands of WWII to the forests and fields of modern-day use.
That’s why we’ve launched our original ESD sling in Jungle Frogskin and collaborated with Onward Research for our padded version of the ESD sling. The padded sling is unfortunately no longer available on Onward Research’s website; however, you can purchase the original ESD sling on our website, along with some apparel in the same Jungle Frogskin Pattern! If you’d like to see the padded version of our sling in frogskin again, shoot us an email or message us on social media
