That got me thinking about ghillie suits.
He said, A real ghillie is made, not bought.
Intrigued, I probed for more information.
Since then, I have made my own ghillie suit and have learned some lessons in doing so.
Now, Id like to share those with you.
Typically, the ones online are mossy dark colors making the wearer look like a moss monster.
All of that is total BS, it turns out.
Those things are more like a costume for paintball players or airsoft shooters.
A real ghillie doesnt have nylon fake leaves or strings.
According to Grant, a real ghillie has a base of jute.
Jute is an earthy natural material that has a coarse feeling.
It clings together and, in all honesty, can be quite hard to work with.
But those are the very traits that make it fantastic for this job.
A ghillie also doesnt cover the front of your body.
So, no stringy fibers hanging on your chest or the front of your legs.
A proper ghillie would be two pieces.
The second piece is a cape that covers your back as you lie down.
I opted to only make the first part that covers my head and shoulders.
Best Colors for Ghillie Suit
This will be different for everyone.
LaVelles advice to me was to go light in color, no matter what.
I thought I took his advice when I ordered jute in a color mixture called dead grass.
Now I know that I made a mistake.
In reality, I should have done a solid khaki color of the jute, and heres why.
Light colors pull in natural earthy tones easier.
you might take a light color, like tan, and make it dark by getting it muddy.
But you cant take a dark color like black and make it lighter.
DIY Build
Building the ghillie is pretty easy, with the right purchases.
The base I chose had the sleeves and hood, with an outer net sewn to it.
Shorter strands are better than having longer strands.
Shorter lengths of jute help blend your appearance without having large un-natural looking pieces hanging off.
Now, here is a lesson I learned the hard way.
I tied jute on every single piece of netting that I could.
Well, I succeeded, and then I realized I made a mistake.
My suit was heavy and huge!
It was literally massive and puffy because of all the jute.
My most fatal error was that I didnt leave any room for vegetation.
It was time to give it a haircut.
To help sell the effect, LaVelle said you must condition the suit.
To do this you better get the ghillie soaking wet and crawl on the ground.
When I filmed this video, the average temperature was 20 degrees.
One day, I plan to do it, though.
This process removes what shine there is to the jute, giving it a more matte look.
Then, stuff them into the net of your ghillie.
Be careful to not put too much or too little.
Just the right amount will go a long way to making you appear invisible.
This is the final step and how you properly use a ghillie.
Final Thoughts About the Home-Made Ghillie
I had fun putting together my ghillie.
Will I use it?
I plan for hunting seasons where I can.
Last, but not least, remember that a ghillie is never truly done.
Its constantly changing relative to your surroundings.
This is a constant work in progress!
