The ghillie suit, originally conceived for hunting and currently also used in military operations (exploration or assassination), is probably the best camouflage cover in the world; not only allows you to blend in with the surrounding environment, but, with the addition of natural elements, such as branches and leaves, it masks the profile of the wearer. To make a ghillie suit, follow the instructions below.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Put the Material Together
Step 1. Choose the suit to modify
Although it is easier to make a ghillie suit starting from a real camouflage, such a garment can be obtained from a normal suit dyed with spray paint, to which you can possibly add pieces of fabric corresponding in color to the surrounding environment..
- To better hide, you can also purchase a professional camouflage. Usually, these uniforms have the appearance of a standard camouflage, with the addition of a brim.
- Economic uniforms - solid color ones - can also confuse the profile of the wearer; although, with the addition of a little shrubs or twigs, they guarantee a better camouflage effect.
- The basic ghillie suit consists of a mesh poncho to which fringes are attached. It's really great to start with, as it blurs the wearer's profile and gives you the ability to stick a lot of things on it (like leaves, twigs, etc.).
- Military uniforms are equally good.
- You can also fit a mechanic suit or something similar.
- Always choose a base color that is well suited to the environment in which you intend to hide. In a desert of scrubland, a man wearing a forest green uniform is as recognizable as a person in civilian clothes.
Step 2. Apply the net to the suit
Sew the fabric of the jumpsuit and the knots of the net together using transparent thread (a fishing line, for example). Dental floss, despite being white, works equally well and also does not wear out. Apply a little glue to reinforce everything (the ideal is the one for shoes).
Another method of applying the mesh is to glue it directly to the uniform. Choose a mesh that is approximately the same size as the suit and apply a drop of shoe glue to its edges every five centimeters. Let it dry. With a pair of scissors, cut off the excess mesh, being careful not to tear the fabric of the suit. Once the operation is complete, the net should not rise from the suit by more than five centimeters (at any point)
Step 3. Get some jute
Jute is the vegetable fiber that makes up for the most part the exterior of the ghillie suit. You can buy jute rope from the store or purchase a burlap sack from which to make jute strands. Here's how to do it:
- Cut out a 0.5x1.5m rectangle from the bag. Cut along the seams of the bag, so you can undo it more easily. Sit down, block the sides of the bag with your heels and begin to detach the strands arranged horizontally from you.
- Continue until the portion of the sack is as high as the length of the jute shreds you just removed, then take a pair of scissors and cut the fibers vertically to add them to the ones you have already set aside.
- Try to get strands that are 18-35 cm long.
Step 4. If it is not colored, dye the jute (optional)
If you have obtained the strands from a cheap bag, you may have to dye it using a color suitable for the environment where you intend to blend in. Look around and spot the various shades of green, brown and gray that surround you. Get the matching colors and use them to dye the strands. To apply the color, follow the directions for use of the product.
- Once the strands are dyed, pass them under cold water until it runs clean. Put the filaments to dry outdoors in the sun.
- Don't worry if the color looks darker to you than the paint. When it is still damp, the tint tends to appear darker. As it dries, the color becomes lighter. Let the jute dry completely before evaluating its coloring.
- If the color seems too dark to you, you can soak the fabric in water and bleach. Start with a bleach-to-water ratio of 1:10.
Method 2 of 2: Complete the Uniform
Step 1. Attach the jute pieces to the net by making a simple knot
Take a dozen jute strands, put them together and then tie them to the net making a figure of eight. Choose three or four colors that are predominant in the wild environment where you are going to wear your ghillie suit.
- Try to mix the various colors to avoid too defined color spots. Make multiple piles of strands of the same color and place them randomly on the uniform.
- Remember that the longer the strands are, the less credible the effect obtained will be.
Step 2. After doing the bulk of the work, shake the uniform to make sure there are no uncovered areas
Areas without adequate coverage greatly reduce the camouflage effect. Grab your ghillie and give it a good shake. If necessary, add a little jute to the uncovered areas.
Step 3. Consume your ghillie suit (optional)
If you did a good job of dyeing and applying jute, this step may not be necessary (although it certainly doesn't hurt). He wears out the ghillie suit by dragging it to the ground behind a vehicle, soaking it in mud, or smudging it with manure. This will eliminate the human odor, which is very useful if you intend to use the uniform to go hunting.
Step 4. Make a ghillie headdress (optional)
There are essentially two ways to do this. The simplest way is to cut a net into an oval shape and wrap it around the head like a veil (although, in this way, the headgear will tend to fall off with some ease). The second method consists in gluing the net to a helmet (exactly as it is done with the uniform).
- Once you have decided on the shape of the headpiece, attach the jute strands as you did before. Also use organic material, such as shrubs, grass, or twigs.
- Make sure that the amount of jute on the helmet is proportional to that on the uniform. Pull the hat to the uniform and see the effect it makes. If the coverage on the headdress isn't thick enough, add more jute; if it is too much, take it off a little.
Step 5. For best results, add elements of the surrounding environment to the ghillie
Do this every time you wear it, and take 15 to 20 minutes to do this. If you are in a wooded area, for example, add twigs and leaves on the upper part of the body and decorate the lower part with twigs and grass.
- Fill the back more than the front; moving stealthily with a ghillie suit, you are very often in the position of having to crawl, and objects that cover the stomach or chest can be damaged or make noise on such occasions.
- Attach larger items to the head and neck. The human head is the most easily recognizable part of the body and it is the shoulders and neck that make it stand out. When you are lurking, to avoid being discovered, your profile must be unrecognizable.
Step 6. Pay attention to changes in the surrounding environment
If before moving from point A to point B you do not notice significant changes around you, then you can make the move. If not, incorporate elements of the new environment into the ghillie before entering it.
Advice
- Test your ghillie by giving a friend a pair of binoculars and asking him to locate you in a wooded area.
- Stay away from trees or other objects that could give the observer some reference points to locate you. It is unnatural to see a clump of scrub next to a tree, and your aim must be to blend in with what is behind you and not in front of you. If you think that the best way to disguise yourself is to hide behind something, you will inevitably be discovered. Try moving directly towards the target instead of going around it; for the lens it is much more difficult to notice you if you move towards him. Possibly, it remains in the shadows. Do not put any grass roots facing upwards; this creates a highly unnatural effect. Before shooting, stay hidden and aim well.
- With jute, he also disguises his rifle and boots. It would be a real shame to betray one's presence only for a pair of well-polished boots that pop out from under the disguise.
- Sackcloth is a good material to use, but it can tear, leaving certain parts of the body exposed. For this reason, it is better to use jute strands.
- The main function of the ghillie suit is to confuse the wearer's profile, as the human figure is easily recognizable in a wild environment.
- Lighting is an element to be taken into great consideration. Be aware that the shadows change angle throughout the day. Keep an eye on the time of day, since the shadow can greatly affect the camouflage, darkening it.
- To dye the sack, use spray paint and, more generally, use earth tones to make your ghillie suit.
- After a couple of days, change the plant elements you have attached, as plants inevitably tend to discolor when they dry out.
- Don't leave footprints.
- Before placing the net on the front of the uniform, glue some rough cloth on the trunk, elbows and knees. This will protect the parts of the body most exposed to rubbing when you are forced to crawl on the ground.
Warnings
- When wearing a ghillie suit, don't never sudden movements; this would not only make you discover, but, in a hunting situation, you could also be mistaken for a prey by another hunter.
- Wearing a ghillie suit doesn't mean being invisible. Often, the positioning is as important as the camouflage effect.
- The human eye (but the same is true for most mammals) is very sensitive to movement. To be stealthy (even wearing a ghillie suit) you need to move slowly and calculate every single movement.
- Be aware of the lighting conditions and any reflections that could betray your position.
- Ghillie suits tend to be heavy and keep very warm. The temperature inside can reach 50 ° in moderate climatic conditions.
- If you intend to use a ghillie suit to hunt, find out about the laws in force and consider if there are other hunters in the area. This could save you from a hefty fine or, even worse, a bullet fired at.
- The material of which the ghillie suit is made (jute, canvas, etc.) is quite flammable. To avoid any risks, apply a fire retardant liquid to the uniform (if you can't find it on the market, contact the fire brigade to get a similar product and get advice on how to use it). Taking these precautions becomes even more important in a war zone, where the presence of smoke, white phosphorus and fire is highly probable.
- Avoid using poisonous plants to disguise yourself as they can cause allergic reactions.
