Paper would work, I used it for slings and it looks ok. Just cut and paint. Or I guess that you could use the tops of yogurt containers, the foil. Cut it and paint that. Never tried it though!

~Chip :-)

Parachutes came in two flavors: white (what a great target) and camoflauged ( a light and dark green mix). Check out a few sites on-line for photos, I don't know might have them but Triggertime is one possibility. Also many reenactor sites have photos of the equipment and the guys dressed in the equipment.
What I can tell you is the harness straps seem to come in both white and olive drab, i suspect like all things WWII there are many varioations on the colors.
OSprey makes several books covering topic.
But I would look on-line, the typw of cute you're looking for is known as a T-5.

thanks alot nate i just found the perfect site here it is for future reference http://www.6th-airborne.org/index.html

Home from work now so I get to my "favorites" now......

Here are a few

http://www.101st506hrs.org/equip.html
http://www.101airborneww2.com/equipment.html
http://www.101st-airborne.net/reengearframeset.htm

Here are some good real shots from 101st Engineer unit. Go forward and back and even in black and white you can see some static lines are in white and some are in OD. Same with parts of the harness...

http://www.6juin1944.com/album/airborne/index.php?id=21

i'm gonna nix the parachute idea. i can't get it to work out right. can anyone give me suggestions on what to put in it instead?

Here's the tip of the day... Take an ordinary lightbulb and a handkerchief. Drape the handkerchief over the lightbulb and secure the loose end with an elastic. Paint the hankie with dilute white glue. When the glue dries, you can remove the hankie. You can then cut the stiff part of the hankie to the desired shape and then paint it. While the hankie is on the bulb, you can add some thread for the harness and rigging. I haven't tried this, but it seems to me, that it should work.

Panzer:
Put in what? Stuff in the dio?
Which figures are you using?

Mike, sounds like a neat trick

I might give it a try this weekend. If things work out... another article!