Building a ghillie suit

Last time I got Burlap at Wally World it was 1.50 a yard. The BDU Top I made for dad I wanted thick and that took 5 yards. Never Did the BDU pants so I can't help with any further yardage estimation for a complete (top and botom) homemade BDU ghillie suit.

Edit: To Update, Burlap at wally world is 1.67 a yard now, I checked on 3-10-06.

t/c223encore.
 
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I use a ghillie suit a lot. I don't like the poncho type as it requires some dinking around when seated to keep it from bunching upon one side. It also seems like it gets stepped on a lot when getting up.

The unit I use is lightweight cotton strips sewn onto a mesh. It is like a 3/4 length parka with a full length zipper. Lightweoght and comfortable. No burlap or jute for me.....too heavy, smelly, and it absorbs water. iwear mine over a t-shirt in the early season and over insulated bibs and parka in the winter.

It may be inexpensive for materials to build one, but my time is worth something. This suit comes with an attached hood and a face mask and sells for $150. The last one I had got used for 3 years, 100-120 days per year,10-12 stands a day, archery season, goose season, and calling. I sold it for half what I paid for it and bought a new one. The old one still had lots of life.

The guy in the picture is scolding this coyote who thought he was a wee bush and tried to [beeep] his leg on it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

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Here is mine, it is made strictly for military use but I do use it hunting some. I used jute on mine because it is all natural, as for it smelling, I dont know what kind of jute you are useing but mine is great. I used regular 3 strand jute twine at first and split it up and cut it into about 16" pieces and used clutches of four and the way I tie it to the net doubles it. I also used pre made just for ghillies I boutght for 10.00 from quantico tactical, I now have included strips of mosquito netting in it also but the photos are old and dont show it. I used DCU's as the base and sewd a hammoc to it, I then used a shelter half to make the skid plate on the chest and albows and knees and then padded the elbows and knees with iso mat, but thbat is not necessary for hunting. I used a DCU boonie for the hat and a mosquito netting to wrap the rifle. It looks like it could only be used in dry dead grass but in greener areas you would add natural vegitation to it to make it blend better. If it were green it would be to dark for most applications but there is always tan and brown around.

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TBone, THAT is a really nice suit!!!



DonL-

I wish I could take credit for it; yours looks great- Redfrog and DM1975 both have nice suits. Maybe mine will be half that nice.

Good work guys. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I was wondering about getting it too dark so I'll have to be careful.

(Got some burlap at Wally's for $1.67 last night.)

DonL I also like that menacing looking decoy in the second picture!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
DonL, thats a nice suit, is your rifle wrapped with jute or does it have base material so it can be removed and reapplied?
 
DM1975, my rifle is wrapped with burlap the same as the suit. I used contact cement on one spot then wound the burlap from the muzzle to the middle of the scope. If I want to take it off I have only a small dot of cement to rub off. Rifle is camo painted underneth. I shread some of the burlap to add 3D.
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If you look at DM1975's ghilllie that's a perfact example how you have to check your surroundings and make your suit to fit it. You imagine walking by him. You'd never know you did!!!! That is a great looking suit.
TBone, Don't worry, it will look great. Just take your time and make it sturdy and when you're finished drag it around a few times. That will give it class!
We have a lot of areas in my neck of the woods where it is very open. A small bush here and there. Not enough to sit in front of to break up your outline. So you have to adapt. If you do your ghillie right and include everything, the ground, trees, brush, rocks it doesn't matter what your surrounding are. You'll blend in. Even a piece of brush where there isn't any. My hats to all the ghillies on this thread. They are the best and they are fun to use. You won't believe what happens to you sometimes when you are hunting in your ghillie. By the way, have any of you looked up the history of the Ghillie Suit?
The bunny may look ferocious but you should see a coyote when the bunny moves it's ears. It's sitting on top of my old home made remote caller/decoy. It don't make any difference how it looks. If it moves it's dinner!! DonL
 
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The thing I like about my suit is that I can always add natural veg to it to darken it up, too dark of a suit and it becomes hard to lighten. For my rifle I used a piece of mosquito netting and three tie straps, I coverd it with netting and jute. It will slide right on and off. As for dragging the suit, that makes a vig difference, It helps it all come together and work better I think.
 
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The bunny may look ferocious but you should see a coyote when the bunny moves it's ears. It's sitting on top of my old home made remote caller/decoy. It don't make any difference how it looks. If it moves it's dinner!! DonL



I guess that goes to show ol' Wile E. isn't too picky if he's hungry- I think that wabbit's too funny. How do you have the bunny rigged to work with your caller? Can you remotely control the ear movement?
 
TBone, bunny and caller is the way you see it. They work with an r/c control for a model airplane. One servo operates the on/off switch for the caller. The other servo is inside the bunny and makes the ears move back and forth. I've since made another decoy out of an old badger rug I've had for years. Use it with a Foxpro. My hunting buddy operates the FoxPro and I operate the decoy. Decoy is mounted on a long spring and servo (under small patch of fur) rocks decoy back and forth by moving long wire.
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DM1975, you're right about lightening up my ghillie. I think I'll tie in some white burlap strips to break things up a little. The contrast would do it some good!!DonL
 
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DonL-

That new decoy on the spring looks like it would really bring them in! Good idea to add the spring to add movement! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
When we made our ghillie suit in the Army we used burlap jute. I feel this is the most effective material. The great thing about jute is that it is nothing more that burlap torn into the indivdual threads. Those of you that do not want to spend too much money (jute is expensive compared to burlap)simply purchase burlap and unravel it into the thin threads.

The links below show the what a ghillie suit made of jute looks like compared to cutting 2" wide strips of burlap. As I said I think jute is much more effective but it is MUCH more time consuming to construct.

http://www.army-surplus.com/ss_store/ghillie-suits.html

If you plan on using jute plan on it taking you days rather than a day of burlap.
 
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The links below show the what a ghillie suit made of jute looks like compared to cutting 2" wide strips of burlap. As I said I think jute is much more effective but it is MUCH more time consuming to construct.

If you plan on using jute plan on it taking you days rather than a day of burlap.



My suit will be a combination of jute and burlap strips; the burlap will "strip" itself out after some time in the field. I'd like a combination of the textures at least for a little while. I found another site that sells the jute for a buck less but you're right, it's pretty expensive to buy it like that vs stripping it yourself. It's been a good past time to do that while I watch John Wayne movies! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
This place has everything you would ever need to make a suit and at decent prices. The ghili kits they sell are good bargans and in fact is what alot of the guys in my platoon are useing. I would not get it unless you plan on putting skid plates and pads on one tho.

http://www.tacticalconcealment.com/
 
DM1975
that $495 mamba suit at that website,,,is that for the blonde also??? thats still to much,,lol hell im married to a blonde.
DM1975 do you get much stuff from this site? or where is the best place for materials,,,AND is there different sizes of jute? and if so what sizes are needed?
Thanks
Bob
 
I bought two bundles of jute from them to use in my suit and have only used one bundle doubling what was already on mine so 2 or 3 bundles would probably do, but thats not front and back, just back. I already had a suit by the time I found these guys or I would have used the cobra hood.

As for the jute, I cut mine in half out of the bundle and just used that length. I would take 4 pieces and arrange them at different lengths and make my ties on each corner of the net and then went thru and added more as needed. Plus I added mosquito netting to it also (not at the time the photos were taken) and I realy like it.

We were practicing stalking the other day and my walker said he looked up at the spotter and back at me and he lost me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Guess I did good on my suit.

As for the blond, I would pay it, and probably pay for it too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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