Another Ghillie Thread

[David Sapp]

Howdy All-
I have a Cabelas gift card and after much thought have (maybe) decided to buy their lightweight Ghillie.

 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0014424932517a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=ghillie&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=6&_ D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=8&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

For those of you that have used this Ghillie, any feedback on your experiences?

It looks light and I should be able to wear pretty thin clothes underneath to keep down the sweat factor, esp since this one is purported to be bugproof.

Thanks

[David Sapp]

On another thought - Swampthing Green or Sasquatch Brown?

[jimmerc]

I made one this past winter out of an old leafy suit,using jute! Used it hunting turkeys this spring and had turkeys 5 yards from me but couldn't draw on the tom i was after,You still have to deal with that movement thing, but I was pleased with how close you can get to game with it on, had a couple deer walk past me also at about 10 yards,never knew i was there! they have their place when you match up colors to your area and still try to blend in the shadows and with other vegation!! Can't wait to try it this fall on deer and bears!!

[String Cutter]

I have an El Wal-Mart cheapo bug suit.. Took some cloth leaves from a Halloween reef and wala. I've had turkey and deer walk right by me while I've been setting in the open...Cost less then $8...

[wingnut]

WE have one just like your looking at.  I like the jacket and hate the pants.  They are hard to keep up and catch on everything.

I have a kit I picked up to build a knee length poncho style that I need to get going on.

Mike

[Doc Nock]

Ghilliesuit.com has synthetic string that is light and rot proof.

I bought several hanks of diff. colors and sewed bundles onto a cheap leafy suit that was pitiful.

Mike is right. Wore it turkey hunting. Camo aspect is tops...but every twig, briar burr, leaf caused the leg strands to tangle into a horrific mess! Took a long, long time to "comb" out the rats in the legs!  

[frassettor]

Rancho Safari....    
 

[Richard in OK]

I have a Cabela's - I think it's the lightweight - bought in a straw color because of the tall grass we hunt in around here. It's heavier than you might think, and I've had to trim the bow arm and then pull the top of an old sock over it to keep it out of my bowstring. Haven't used it as much as I would like, but so far I like it.  richard

[David Sapp]

Thanks guys! Frassetor those look great, kind of like a Yeti/ZZ Top Hybrid. Are the strings synthetic?

I was hoping to avoid some of the sweat/heat issues with the Cabela's ultralight, likely would only buy the jacket and not the pants. Many of the other ghillies, esp the Rancho Safari look heavy and the cotton would seem to be like a mop in its ability to sop up water if it rains.

So I'd like ...
1. Lightweight
2. Breathable
3. Synthetic/Non-absorbing material
4. Relatively small enough to pack while elk hunting

I'll look on the ghilliesuits site and see if anything is there that might be appealing.

Thanks for everyone's input. If there are more that might meet up with some of the above criteria, I'd really like to know about them. I have a gift card that covers most of the Cabela's ghillie, but could certainly be persuaded.

David

[Bill Turner]

Go with one piece long coat. Two piece to much of a hassle.

[Doc Nock]

What Bill said...     Sent you a PM David

[David Sapp]

Thanks again for all the advice fellas, and Doc Nock I really appreciate the email, it cleared up a quite a few of my thoughts.

So it seems that most folks are recommending a longer ghillie rather than a jacket style? I'm thinking that one of these would be pretty stellar for a elk wallow ambush.

[David Sapp]

This one looks kind of interesting - a 2 1/2 pound poncho style.

 http://www.ghilliesuits.com/paintballghillieponcho-1.aspx

Has anyone owned or shot with one of these?

[Doc Nock]

I saw them demo'd at the H-burg Sport show...well made and after working with the synthetic string on my own, I can say the stats on it are accurate on the string part.

What I found that Mike shared is that the pants/jacket style, the pants can be a pain in the woods.  

Like any rag Rancho or string poncho...for bowhunting, you WILL have to mess with it...trim here and there... etc.

[wingnut]

The gilliesuit.com is the kit a got.  Very good price and man do you get a bunch of thread.

Now I jsut have to take time and get it done.

Mike

[Legolas]

I used a suit for a few seasons and was still made by smart old does. I have left a good deal of the suit in the woods getting pulled off on brush, barbwire,tree steps...It can be a pain moving in it as in turkey hunting where you run and "gun" with quick set ups on gobbler sounds.
I have used more conventional camo and had a flock of blue birds land on my arrow, thigh and branches 10 inches from my face and stay for 2-3 minutes.

I am not convinced that that it is worth the hassle.