Ghillie Suits

Burlap Ghillie Suit

 

If your airsoft team position is normally that of the sniper, investing in a ghillie suit (camouflage that resembles heavy foliage) could drastically improve your game!  A ghillie suit, typically made of net or cloth with loose strips made to look like leaves, twigs, and branches, will enable you to blend into your surroundings, concealing you from the enemy. 

Used in hunting, military simulations, and airsoft competition, a ghillie suit provides a three-dimensional outline, and moves with the wind, just a surrounding foliage moves.  Many hunters, military snipers, and airsoft competitors make their own ghillie suits by hand, using natural materials present in the environment where the suits will be used.  It can take weeks or even months to make a detailed, high quality guillie suit using this method.

Using rough burlap flaps or jute twine attached to a poncho, ghillie suits can be constructed in different ways.  Rough webbing, made of durable fabrics, such as burlap is attached to the base, and clear fishing line can be used to sew net to the fabric.  Apply jute to the netting by tying groups of 5 to 10 strands of one color with simple knots, skipping some sections and filling them in with other colors later. Then, once you’re actually at the location where the ghillie suit is to be used, it’s further customized by adding twigs, leaves, and other local foliage.  If you’ll be using your suit for many hours, or days, it may be necessary to change live additions, as the grasses or branches may wilt, possibly giving away your concealed position. These natural ghillie suits are nearly impossible to clean, as the attachments are far too fragile in most instances. Furthermore, dirt is actually an essential part of the camouflage, and your suit may work better when not cleaned. 

In certain situations, ghillie suits can also be very impractical, as they can be heavy and extremely hot, with temperatures inside the suit reaching 120°F, even in cooler weather.  Also, since you may be exposed to smoke grenades, white phosphorus, or other ignition sources, you should treat your ghillie suit with a flame retardant.

Prices for commercially manufactured ghillie suits range from individual pieces (beginning at $15-$20) to elaborate full head to toe suits (approximately $200):

  • BUSHRAG Ghillie Suit Kit Woodland-  The BUSHRAG is a ghillie suit kit that comes complete with seven colors of jute/burlap, body and head netting, directions and fire retardant. Designed for an upright stalk. This kit can also be made into a military style ghillie suit for crawling stalks. Woodland pattern shown.
  • Firepower® Polyester Leaf Ghillie Suit - Firepower Ghillie Suit… total concealment for brilliant sneak attacks! In burlap or polyester leaf models! There’s no better weapon in the history of warfare than the element of surprise! The Firepower Ghillie Suit goes beyond camouflage to let you blend in with the your surroundings like a chameleon! Designed after the concealment suits worn by military strike force special ops teams, both models are lightweight, quick drying and durable! One size fits most.
  • Chameleon Synthetic Ghillie Suit - Chameleon Synthetic Ghillie Suit – 1 Piece Woodland Camouflage Synthetic Jacket/Hood Combination. Covers Entire Body With Over 700 Leaves Hand Placed to Provide Maximum Depth and Contrast. Includes Extra Leaves and Burlap In 7 Colors To Better Match Specific Terrain. Cool and Light. Weighs Only 6 lbs.
  • Ghillie Suit – Full Coverage – Head To Toe! - This is a One Piece Camouflage Ghillie Poncho. It is a One-Size-Fits-All. It will fit a person up to 6’6″ tall, and can be trimmed to fit your height. Has sleeves for your arms, and an attached hood. Has a 60″ chest.  This is the most popular Ghillie suit for those who want to wear it as is, or assemble it to BDU’s, or other clothing.  Jute thread hand tied with over 3000 knots to a 5′ x 9′ knotted nylon net. Netting has 1″x1″ squares, and has 500 Lbs. of tensile strength. The Jute thread has 10-12 Lbs of tensile strength per strand. 4-5 strands of Jute thread are attached to every knot. Actual weight for the Full Poncho is 7.5 Lbs.

Or, you can browse the full line of ghillie suits available at Amazon.com!