I've got to hand it to the folks at W.L. Gore & Co.; they sure can create buzz about their products.

Their latest, a digital camouflage pattern called Optifade, isn't due to hit store shelves until next year. Already, though, the company's public relations efforts have hunters waiting with bated breath.

I learned about Optifade in a Gore news release that arrived earlier this week in my e-mail queue. The release piqued my interest. It promised a camouflage system that takes advantage of the way deer, elk, moose, antelope and other hoofed game animals view the world.

Gore-Tex rain gear had kept me dry in rainy southeast Alaska and Gore Windstopper fleece had kept me warm during winter bicycle rides, so I figured their new camo product was worth a look.

Getting that look turned out to be tougher than imagined.

When manufacturers send out news releases about new gear or gadgets, they almost always include photos of those products. I searched the Gore release for images or hypertext links that might lead me to them via the Internet. No dice.

So I punched up Google on my computer and entered the search string "Gore Optifade." Bingo! I found an entire Web site dedicated to the product.

But did the Web site contain photos of the new camo pattern? No. Did it feature photos of parkas and pants and undershirts sporting the pattern? Negative.

Their latest, a digital camouflage pattern called Optifade, isn't due to hit store shelves until next year. Already, though, the company's public relations efforts have hunters waiting with bated breath.

I learned about Optifade in a Gore news release that arrived earlier this week in my e-mail queue. The release piqued my interest. It promised a camouflage system that takes advantage of the way deer, elk, moose, antelope and other hoofed game animals view the world.

Gore-Tex rain gear had kept me dry in rainy southeast Alaska and Gore Windstopper fleece had kept me warm during winter bicycle rides, so I figured their new camo product was worth a look.

Getting that look turned out to be tougher than imagined.

When manufacturers send out news releases about new gear or gadgets, they almost always include photos of those products. I searched the Gore release for images or hypertext links that might lead me to them via the Internet. No dice.

So I punched up Google on my computer and entered the search string "Gore Optifade." Bingo! I found an entire Web site dedicated to the product.

But did the Web site contain photos of the new camo pattern? No. Did it feature photos of parkas and pants and undershirts sporting the pattern? Negative.

It did, however, contain three slickly produced videos bundled into a package called "The Science of Nothing."

The concept behind Gore's new camo pattern is to make hunters appear to be nothing at all. According to the company's spokespeople, previous camouflage patterns were intended to make hunters look like tree trunks or marsh grass or desert sand. If Optifade lives up to its promise, it should allow hunters to fade from their prey's view in any terrain or cover.

If you decide to visit the Web site, www.optifade.com, don't expect to see an example of the camouflage until the very end of the video's third and final segment. And even then, you won't get a good look at it. Carefully choreographed camera motions prevent much detail from showing.

Over a background of computer-generated images, the host explains how the company uses digital technology to place two patterns of rectangular pixels on each item of clothing. The first pattern, called the "macro" pattern, breaks up the wearer's outline. The second, a "micro" pattern, introduces a series of pixel-like squares that capitalize on hoofed animals' limited color vision and - poof - cause the wearer to literally disappear into the background.

The video, I must admit, is compelling. But then, it was intended to be. It was produced specifically to create a buzz about a product that won't be on the shelves for another six months.

Would I have preferred to see detailed, close-up photos of actual hunting garments? You bet. But if Gore's product is as good as company spokespeople say it is I can understand why they want to keep it under wraps. Rivals can't produce knockoffs if they don't know exactly what Optifade looks like.

Gore certainly got my attention, though. Come January, I'll attend the Archery Manufacturer's Organization show in Indianapolis. The Gore booth will be one of my first stops.