Your own Home Made Ghillie Suit!!!!!

[CoyoteBryceBowyer]

I had an Email that a few members were wondering how to make a Ghillie Suit for stalking and Ground Concealment.

1. Go to an Army Surplus store and get a pair of used Fatigue Pants and Jacket with a hood. Used is a lot cheaper.

2. Get about 4 yards of fishing Net, any kind of Nylon netting will work.

3. Decide if you want to use Burlap or Jute Twine.(I use Jute twine)I buy about 10 small rolls of it for one suit.
- Go to the Fabric Softener Isle at Wally World and find some Fabric Dye. I get a couple packs of each:Black,Green, Dark Brown, Olive Drab. Also don't for get the medium brown that the twine is already.

4. Get either some Shoe Goo, Hot Glue, or a strong guaged sewing needle and some Waxed Dental Floss, Either way, this will hold the netting onto your fatigues.


once you have all the materials there at your house, Cut the twine into lengths between 18"-28", then have a few 3 gallon buckets in which to mix your dye. 1 for black, 1 for green and so on. Also, try to match your dyed twine to your surroundings, In Mississippi, we have more black and brown and grey in the winter and that is what I use more than green, very little green on my suit for fall and winter, where as in spring for turkey season, it is more green than anything else.

While your twine is in the die, lie your fatigues out on the floor, front down. Lie the netting on top of it and cut it to fit around the arms and waist, and same for the pants, cut it up the middle for leg movement.
whatever method you decided to use for attaching the net to the cloth, do that and glue or sew at the corner main points first then scatter it at the knots, doesn't have to be every knot, by then your twine should be ready to be hung out to dry, once it is dried, tie the twin to your netting and there ya go....I will post some links to clear up everything I just said because I know some of you are wondering what in the world I'm talking about.....lol

[CoyoteBryceBowyer]

http://www.ghilliesuits.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=1

[**DONOTDELETE**]

What a hassel. That thing looks like it weighs a ton and would be tough to shoot with it on.

[X2]

I wore one for a number of years while I was in the military.  They are great for camoflage, but are hot and heavy.  (especially when they get wet).  I wont ever wear one again.

[Voodoofire1]

There is an easier way, and just as effective.

[madness522]

Originally posted by Voodoofire1:
There is an easier way, and just as effective.

Do tell!

[dannyvp]

I've been wanting one myself. tried one on at sportsman warehouse, it wasnt to bad.

[Slasher]

I made mine the same way..  yes its hot!! I wear just the boonie cap and an oversized Top (big enough to wear a down jacket under during the cold days)...

The trick is to use it when it cool, and don't put it on till you get to your spot.. spray down again with scent killer, slide it on... and be very still...

It's amazing to to have deer between 3 and ten yards on the ground!!!

[Toecutter]

Thanks Coyote, I was thinking when I logged on that I would search for a thread on ghillie suit building... thanks to you I didn't have to look too far.

Appreciate the help, Take care

[30coupe]

I have a question. How do you keep all those strings from catching your bowstring when you shoot?

[CoyoteBryceBowyer]

On my left arm, I use a full forearm guard to keep the strings back.....but in the winter, when it's cold, that is perfect for stalking and still concealment....

[Naphtali]

CoyoteBryceBowyer:

Many thanks for responding to my E-mail query.

Is not the ghillie suit's purpose to break the human image/profile rather than to conceal it -- that is, if the human shape/face/hands no longer resemble what they are, hasn't the ghillie suit done its job?

If what I wrote is accurate, it might be possible to address the concerns of the responders who don't care for the ghillie suits they have used that were too heavy. We might be able to break the shape reasonably effectively with much less material.

I'm thinking in terms of a small bush in front of you in the winter. No leaves or flowers, just random lines ruining the person's outline. The person behind the bush is invisible so long as he doesn't move quickly or herky-jerky manner.

[Slasher]

I left the inside part of the arms on mine bare. You can trim down or move whatever is in your way once you finnish

[Voodoofire1]

Naphtali, those were exactly my thoughts 15 years ago when I built mine, and what I meant by my post... less material, more comfort, same results when hunting animals(not humans), this is my ghillie at full draw, It's set-up for late season when there's a lot of brown around, but, early season I just add a few more green strips.. weighs maybe 2 pounds if that much, and it works, shot 36 deer in it so far... and I can have this off in case of emergency(fire) in 2 seconds, been timed.
 

Bryce, You have shown a great product, and if I was hunting humans I would want nothing less,believe me... but it's way overkill for hunting animals, simple is better in the woods.

[keith brimmer]

SHOW US VOODOO

[woodchucker]

When I was in the Marine Sniper school in Quantico Va. (WAY back when) They taught us to make our Ghillie suits the same way as Bryce explained (fishnet sewn to a set of utilities,with burlap strips tied to the fishnet)

However.....Our Chief Instructor encouraged us to "improvise" and "use our heads" because "a MIND is a dangerous thing" anyway.....

I figured,being as I had to sew the fishnet onto the utilities anyway.....Why not do away with the fishnet,and sew the burlap strips right to the utilities. (You can also use bundles of twine like Bryce said,instead of burlap strips)

SO.....I took an old utility blouse and A BUNCH of burlap strips about 12" long and went to work. I folded the strips in half and sewed them (at the folds) to the blouse with thin brown twine,in rows around the blouse,starting at the bottom and moving each row up about 2" above the last,untill the entire blouse was covered.Throw it in the washing machine to get it good and "tangled" and you could hide from The Devil himself LOL.

In thinking.....You could make it either as "thick" or "thin" as you want. You could even sew a few bundles of twine "here and there" and make kind of a "leafy suit"

I would like to say Thank You!!!!! to CoyoteBryceBowyer  

[nel]

Could you make a poncho out of the netting and just tie everything on the net, then just put your poncho on?

[woodchucker]

Many,Many,ways to "do it"!!!!! (I LIKE the poncho idea!!!!! a "breathable" Ghillie suit)

I think the Ghillie suit is a "concept".....Take a Man,and dress him up to look like a bush.

Thank you ALL for your ideas!!!!!  

[CoyoteBryceBowyer]

As did I woodchucker, and I'm heading BACK to quantico here in a few years for the FBI academy.

As Woodchucker mentioned, Use your head, and be creative, we used burlap strips as before mentioned, and also once in training exercises, we would attatch vegitation:such as ferns,Grass strands, anything goes really when it comes to a tree tux.

If you really want a good look, go to wally world,hobby lobby, Michaels, anywhere that has Ivy and Fern Garlands, put them on the back of the suit,

[redfish]

I use a bug suit as a base. It is much lighter and cooler. I use it year round to go on top of whatever I wear under it.
I used a net style rig last year, but this year I am planning on cutting long strips of burlap and cutting cross ways and fraying the sides some, and then sew them to the bug suit.
Haven't done it yet though. I hunt in the open and need lighter colored nap.