Ultimate How To - Ghillie Suit

I watched former Army Ranger and Green Beret Joshua Enyart explain how to build a proper ghillie suit.  One in which you do not become a Ghillie Wookie.  Joshua's 34-minute video is on YouTube and can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWWGsvmY0Nw
 
What Joshua calls the Ghillie Wookie
Too much jute / burlap & no local vegetation has been incorporated - FAIL


I think if you have the time, you should watch this video.  This guy is hilarious, easy to relate to, and obviously very experienced in making ghillie suits that just plain work!  Joshua explains what has worked for him and why, but leaves it open that you (dear viewer) may have other needs and should adapt as necessary.  This is not THE method, just one method that works.  Joshua reminds me a lot of instructor Kevin Reeve.  Just an all-around likeable guy.
 
The key take-away from this video as compared to other military "the making of" ghillie suits is that Joshua allows the clothing underneath to be seen.  I still have a picture in my head of an 'instructor' spraying orange paint onto ghillie suits that were 'not up to the standard' because they didn't have enough cover....and thus, you become a Wookie in the woods!
 
And I took notes.  Here is what I learned from Joshua's video:
  • Eliminate the Visual Indicators that you are a human
    • Shine - remove all you can
    • Shape - make yourself irregular
    • Shadow - create some where there was none, or remove some if it already exists
    • Silhouette - decrease
    • Surface - add texture
    • Color & Contrast - mix with what's already there in nature
    • Movement - this is 80% or more of what will get you caught!
  • Your goal is to decrease your signature, not make yourself a large bush
  • There should be no flat surfaces
  • You need to break-up the human head and shoulder line
  • Utilize a boonie cap and buy fatigues that are too large in case you need insulation later under your suit
  • Put netting around your hat, back, and pants
    • Then can add burlap or jute, with jute being the best
  • You can cut out the back of your shirt or jacket and sew in a net for ventilation
  • Reinforce the front of your suit as the majority of the time you are crawling
    • Add knee pads and elbow pads
  • Cover all your threads with Shoe Goo to keep them from pulling apart
    • Then paint the Shoe Goo as it is Shiny
  • Use canvas to 'patch' in pockets for knee pads
  • Remove all pockets from front of pants and shirt / jacket
    • You don't want to be crawling around or laying on items in these pockets anyway
    • Relocate pockets to inside of arms for easy access
  • Never wear a belt as it will snag and the buckle sucks to lay on
    • Instead, wear suspenders (genius!)
  • A ghillie suit is basically a large tender bundle.  Spray it down with a Class A fire retardant
  • Once you have the right amount of jute (less is more), then add rubber bands to your netting
    • This is so you can grab elements from the area you are in to add to your suit easily
    • Keep a ball of extra rubber bands in one of your pockets
  • Create a long veil / face shield and roll it up while stalking - take it down once in position
    • Rolling it up into your hat will keep the veil from getting snagged as you move
    • Veil needs to be long enough to break up your gun and your face / shoulders
      • We're talking at least two feet long if not more 
  • Add elastic thumb loops to your sleeves to keep them from riding up and exposing your arms
  • Add stirrups to pants to ensure they stay down, especially during retreat / exfil
  • Don't forget to camo yourself (face, hands, arms) so that any exposed skin cannot be detected
  • When done, your ghillie suit will look "new."  That's because it is.  Stomp it into a mud puddle and then drag it behind a 4-wheeler for miles.  Fray the shit out of that thing.  And never ever wash it.


Now, all this makes sense for the human target, but that last bit about not washing may work against you for hunting animals.  You may need to consider frontal camo and scent control.  I'm thinking a butt pad would be nice as well...





Comments

  1. Dave PorrillAugust 30, 2019 at 12:50 PM

    That is an extremely detailed explanation of how to make yourself look like something that just crawled out from under a rock ... or that was rejected from the cast of "Quest for Fire" ... ?

    ReplyDelete

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