How To Make A Ghillie Suit in 10 Steps

Ghillie suits, otherwise known as yowie suits, are the finest means of disguise in an outdoor environment. If you’re interested in making your own ghillie suit, the first thing to remember is that it takes some time and effort to get it right. A homemade ghillie suit requires an eye for detail as well as a lot of patience. If you feel you don’t have the time or the inclination, you can always opt to buy a ghillie suit kit and customize that instead.

How do ghillie suits work?

Ghillie suits mimic surrounding vegetation, matching the color and texture of the environment. Also, ghillie suits fool the eye by breaking up the human figure into an unrecognizable form. Conventional BDUs and other camouflage print clothes also do this, but to a lesser degree. As they are 2-dimensional and do not provide much visual depth, they work best from a distance. In contrast, the 3-dimensional ghillie suit is just as effective up close. It’s possible for your targets to literally walk past you while you’re hidden just a few feet away.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Begin with the end in mind. Consider the terrain you will be using the suit in and design your suit to mimic that terrain. Will you be needing green leafy foliage? Will it be primarily grass? Moss? Brush? Pick out the main colors and textures you’ll be using for the suit.

2. Having selected a design, gather your materials. You will be making a fitted suit composed of jacket and pants. You will need:

a. Shoo Goo or Goop, available in your local supermarket. You can take this with your on the field in case you’ll need to do some repair work.

b. BDU or olive drab flight suit. Failing that, a mechanic’s suit with a solid color.

c. Padding (even a used mousepad will work).d. Strips of burlap or jute cut at varying lengths, about 2-4 feet long. e. Dyes corresponding to the colors from your environment.f. Netting (ex. volleyball netting). If brightly colored, paint it green, black,

or brown.g. A pair of scissors.h. Glue gun (optional).i. Needles and transparent thread, like fishing lines or dental floss (optional).

* Alternatively, you can buy a ghillie suit kit to get all your materials in one go.

3. Color the strips of burlap or jute with the dye, varying as needed to match your planned environment.

4. Turn the BDU/flight suit inside out and sew the padding on the elbows, knees and forearms. This is to aid you when crawling with your suit. When you are done, pull the suit back into its regular form.

5. Spread the BDU/flight suit on the ground and lay the netting over it. Cut the netting in the general shape of the suit. Be sure to give ample space for the netting. The idea is to have the netting disrupt the suit’s human shape, and at the same time allowing you to move freely while wearing it.

6. Glue the netting onto the suit. You may also choose to sew the netting on, or a combination of both. You can use part of the netting as a hood. If you like, later on you can make a ghillie hat or face veil.

7. Tie the strips all over the netting, taking care to spread the colors so that it looks random and not grouped together.

8. Dirty your suit by dragging it on the ground or tying behind a car. If you’re going to use it to hunt, eliminate any human scent by smearing mud or even manure.

9. Start attaching foliage of your choice onto the suit. Take special care to place wider items on the neck and shoulders. This is to eliminate visual clues of a “head,” which make the human shape instantly recognizable.

10. Lastly, test your ghillie suit. Go into the terrain of your choice and have a friend attempt to spot you using binoculars or the unaided eye. Judge if your suit can make you invisible.

Remember that your ghillie suit will require upkeep. Keep your glue handy for instant repairs or to incorporate new stuff from your environment. While you will not need to wash the suit, the foliage will eventually wilt, so you will need to replenish it every few days.

Lastly, here are some safety considerations:a. Beware of using plants that will cause an allergic reaction on your skin.

Scratching causes unnecessary movement that your targets can spot.b. Burlap is flammable. Apply fire-retardant on your outfit to minimize this risk. c. Make sure you receive adequate ventilation in your suit. The longer you stay in it,

the hotter it gets, and the harder it is to keep going.