How to make a Ghillie Suit?

Making a Ghillie suit can be useful in a variety of situations where camouflage is needed to go unnoticed in a natural environment. Here are a few reasons why you might want to make a Ghillie suit:

• Hunting: If you love hunting, a Ghillie suit can help you camouflage yourself in your environment and get close to animals without scaring them away. It can also protect you from the elements while you hunt.
• Wildlife photography If you like to photograph wildlife, a Ghillie suit can help you camouflage yourself in your environment and get closer to the animals to take pictures closer to them.
  

• Nature observation: If you like to observe nature, a Ghillie suit can help you blend in with the environment and observe animals without disturbing them.
• Survival and bushcraft activities If you're involved in survival or bushcraft activities, a Ghillie suit can help you hide and protect yourself in the natural environment.
• Military and security activities: In certain military and security situations, a Ghillie suit can be used for camouflage and protection in the environment.

As you can see above, tailor-made camouflage gear can be useful in many, many situations.

Here are the 5 essential steps to creating a quality camouflage suit. If you want to skip these steps and get a ready-made one, check out our Ghillie suit collection - it's heavy stuff!

1) Choosing the camouflage base

The first step in creating a Ghillie suit is to choose a base for your camouflage. This base should be a neutral-colored garment, preferably in a shade of green or brown, that matches the natural environment you'll be in. Hunting suits, base ghillie suits or tactical vests are often used as a base for Ghillie outfits, as they offer a good starting point in terms of form, function and color.

Choosing a base that suits your body and allows you to move around easily is very important. You need to be able to move comfortably without being hindered by your own camouflage. Bear in mind that you'll be adding several layers of material to your base, so make sure it's adjustable and that you can easily modify it to suit your needs.

Once you've chosen your base, it's time to prepare the materials to create the camouflage effect.

2) Prepare materials

The second step in creating a Ghillie suit is to prepare the materials you'll use to create the camouflage effect. There are a variety of materials you can use to create an effective camouflage outfit, such as strands of thread, feathers, leaves, twigs, burlap, camouflage netting and much more.

Your choice of materials will depend on the environment you'll be in. For example: if you're in a forest environment, you can use twigs, leaves and branches to create the illusion of a bush ortree. If you're in a desert environment, you can use strands of thread and pieces of fabric to create the effect of sand and rocks. And of course, the same goes for snow.

It's essential to prepare the materials by cutting and sorting them according to size and color. Materials should be cut into small pieces to create a natural texture and avoid making areas too uniform. You need to sort materials by color to create a gradient and shadow effect, similar to the natural shades of the environment.

Once you've gathered all the necessary materials and prepared them properly, you can move on to the next step: attaching the materials to your base.

3) Fixing materials 

The third step in creating a Ghillie suit is to attach the materials to your base. There are several methods for attaching materials, but the most common are the use of needle and thread, fabric glue or tape.

The most common way to attach materials is touse needles and thread to create random patterns on your base. You can also use different colored threads to create more realistic shading and shadow effects.

Using fabric glue is a totally different way of attaching materials. You can apply the glue directly to your base and stick the materials to it. This method may be faster than using needles and thread, but it can be messier and require more drying time.

Tape is a less common but easier method of securing materials. You can use double-sided tape to stick materials directly to your base. However, this method can make your Ghillie suit heavier and less flexible.

When attaching materials, it's essential to create random patterns andmimic the natural patterns of the environment you'll be in. Materials should be placed to create areas of light and shadow to add depth and texture to your Ghillie. Also, avoid creating overly uniform shapes that might resemble a human form rather than a natural object.

Once you've secured all the materials to your base, you can move on to the next step: adding extra elements to make your Ghillie suit more functional and practical.

4)Add functionality

The fourth step in creating a Ghillie suit is to add extra features to make your Ghillie suit more functional, practical and even comfortable. You can add pockets to store items, zippers for easy donning and doffing, straps to adjust size and fit, and accessories to add even more camouflage effect.

If you choose to add pockets, place them strategically so that they are accessible and don't compromise the camouflage effect of your outfit. Pockets should be discreet and not add excessive volume to your Ghillie.

Zippers can be useful to make putting on and taking off your Ghillie suit easier. You can add zippers to pockets or accessories to make them more practical.

Straps can be added to adjust size and fit. Straps should be discreet so as not to compromise the camouflage of your outfit.

There are accessories you can add to enhance the camouflage effect of your Ghillie suit. For example, you can add extra branches to create a denser, more natural cover. You can also add camouflage elements such as artificial leaves or extra strands of wire to enhance the shading effect.

Once you've added all the extra details to your base, it's time totry it on, and thenadjust it until it's comfortable and functional. It's essential to test your Ghillie suit in the environment you'll be in, to make sure it's effective and allows you to blend in.

5) Test performance in an environment

The fifth step in testing your Ghillie suit is to put it into practice in a real environment. To do this, you can train in different environments, such as forests, fields, swamps or urban areas, to assess theeffectiveness of your outfit and make adjustments if necessary.

During your training, you can ask a friend to photograph or film you to evaluate the camouflage effect of your Ghillie suit at different distances. You can also ask your friend to move around you to see if you can camouflage yourself and remain invisible on the move.

You can also evaluate the effectiveness of your Ghillie suit by hiding in different types of cover, such as bushes, trees or rocks, to see how well your outfit blends into the environment.

You can evaluate the effect of your Ghillie suit by simulating hunting or surveillance situations to see if you are able to move around undetected andobserve animals or people without being spotted. (Be careful not to invade your neighbor's privacy, it could look very weird).

Based on the results of your tests, you can make adjustments to your Ghillie suit to improve its effectiveness and comfort. Bear in mind that creating an effective camouflage suit can take time and practice, so don't hesitate to make changes until you're happy with the end result. And don't forget to wash your Ghillie suit from time to time, it's important.

You can share your result by tagging us on Instagram, we'll be delighted to contemplate your work!

Read our article on best military camouflage techniques !