A Ghillie suit is a head-to-toe outfit made so that its wearer blends as completely as possible into its environment. They can be made specifically for bushy terrain, forested areas, and even urban environments. An artist from Germany recently made a Ghillie suit resembling a pile of paper to wear at an Ikea store in Stockholm. Ghillie suits are used by snipers, soldiers in battle, hunters, and paintball game enthusiasts.
Because the camouflage with a Ghillie suit is three-dimensional, it is much more effective than simple camo gear. When made properly, the bits of the Ghillie suit will blow in a breeze exactly as surrounding vegetation is, making the disguise that much better.
The name Ghillie comes from the Gaelic word for servant. The outfits were first used on deer hunting and fly fishing expeditions in the highlands of Scotland. Developed by gamekeepers as a sort of portable hunting blind, the Ghillie suit was also employed by a Scottish Highland regiment during the second Boer War. It was the first instance of the British Army using sniper suits.
While people used to have to build Ghillie suits from scratch, using a whole-body coverall and adding twigs and leaves to it, kits are now available to make Ghillie suits. While it is easier and faster to make a Ghillie suit from a kit, its biggest advantage of a made-from-scratch suit is that it incorporates fire retardant and is therefore much safer.
Think about it: a made-from-scratch Ghillie suit covered with dry leaves and twigs is a major fire hazard. It doesn’t take much to set them alight. Kit-made suits are much safer. But even the companies that make the kits say that you shouldn’t smoke while wearing a Ghillie suit, even if it has been treated with flame retardant.
Kit-made Ghillie suits come in a variety of designs, and are waterproof, bug-proof, mildew resistant, and washable. Washing real sticks and leaves doesn’t turn out so well. Also, the suits made from kits are based on a body covering of nylon mesh. This allows the user to wear a simple t-shirt underneath, avoiding the stifling heat that tends to build up with conventional Ghillie suits.
While you may argue that a made-from-scratch Ghillie suit is more environmentally friendly because the sticks and leaves will decompose, a made-from-scratch Ghillie suit cannot tolerate much wear, and can’t be cleaned and reused. The ones you make from a kit are washable and reusable, making them environmentally friendly in a different way.
When it comes to the most efficient, effective, and safe way to create a Ghillie suit, the Ghillie suit kits win out over those that are made from real twigs and leaves. They’re cooler, reusable, and most of all safer than those made from the bounty of nature.