Tips for a would be ghillie builder

[Balding Kansan]

After building a ghillie, I figured I'd share some tips for those who may want to tackle this operation.

#1. Unless you like to sew, tiny little zip ties work well for fastening your netting to your base clothing. I used 200 of them. A sharp awl works well for poking little holes to feed the zip tie through. Be prepared to stab your finger a few times....

#2. Cut all your strips of burlap, jute, whatever you're going to use twice as long as the length you want it, then tie it on the netting at the halfway point so that the end result is for each ONE piece of material you tie on, you get TWO pieces hanging. Twice the production! Make sense?

#3. Take the time to build a solid stand to hang your base clothing from. A coat hanger, the floor, the work bench, etc. doesn't work that well.

#4. If you've got all your materials cut, sorted, and bundled before you start tying it on, you're already miles ahead of the game.

#5. Burlap stinks something awful, plan on burying it for a week or two. Don't let the dog dig it up and destroy it.

#6. I liked the burlap to be stripped or combed out, leaving a bunch of strands. Instead of trying to take all the "horizontal" strands out at once, pull the "vertical" strands away from the "horizontal" then they basically just fall out. That one probably doesn't make sense, even in my head when I typed it.

#7. Start tying on material from BOTTOM to TOP for obvious reasons.

#8. If you've got some extra coin laying around and don't have about 20-40 hours to spend, just go buy one/order one.

#9. If your cutting strips of burlap from a sheet of burlap, take the extra time to follow the way the sheet is woven. Those sheets of burlap are not woven perfectly square/straight. So if you just start cutting strips without paying attention, you may actually be cutting across the strands that are supposed to make up your ghillie suit. When you start "stripping" or "combing" out your strips, you won't be left with very much, except a bunch of wasted time.

I think that's about it. I'm sure that i've missed some though. Just some things I wish I would have known before I started. Post your own tips if you got any others. Good luck!

[Ringneck]

#8 sounded good to me so that is what I went with    :D

[Balding Kansan]

Looking back on things #8 looks pretty good Shawn!

[carbonflyr]

regarding #8
20-40hrs.????? sewing the netting onto just the jacket took me 55hrs.!!!!
another 32 for the pants.

[D]

Yeah I've got a point.  Don't wash it in a washing machine.  I made one when I was younger and got done with it and it was great.  Threw it in the wasing machine and got the cloths out and then handfuls of burlap. lolol  Couldn't help but laugh.

[eagleone]

I'm starting round 3- I was less than
pleased with the first 2. Where was this
thread last week!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kamm1004]

pics?

[Balding Kansan]

Originally posted by carbonflyr:
regarding #8
20-40hrs.????? sewing the netting onto just the jacket took me 55hrs.!!!!
another 32 for the pants.

It probably would have taken me that long too, if my brother hadn't come up with the zip tie idea.

Sorry no pics yet, it's currently underground.

[cuboodle]

Store bought or homemade I have to agree with burying it in the garden it seems foolish but I hose it down and bury mine then squirt water over the ground a week after you pull it out let it hang dry then beat it out like a carpet and shake it out. Adds to the effect. The first thing army sniper instructors do after ghillie builds is have the soldiers run through a mud crawling course.

I only recommend this for suit or longcoat mad primarily of jute or burlap. Not the leafy suits

[Pete McMiller]

Yep, #8 is a great path to take.  It's exactly what I would have made if I would have known what to do in the first place - and if you get a Marc Anthony you won't have to bury it.  MAs don't stink.

[S. Brant Osborn]

Real good points  thanks
If I may add:   My pop makes leafy suit and ghillie combos and they are Primarily put together with hot glue guns.  I know you're thinking that the pieces will pull off and some do,  but he can put one together in just an hour or so. Our favorites are a hat and kind of a cape for hunting out of home made blinds.
Brant