I have recently gone through a Basic Police Sniper class. I hope to soon go to the advanced class. The class requires a ghillie suit, for rural stalking. I just wanted to get everybody's preferences regarding a ghillie suit. I know there are several different configurations for a ghillie suit (pants and jacket, and a poncho). What are you using, why, and what are the pros and cons of the different kinds?
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Re: ghillie suit preferences
First off you should contact your instructor as they may have a preference and they will make what's best for their class.
With that in mind making your own may be a great option!
First off you should contact your instructor as they may have a preference and they will make what's best for their class.
With that in mind making your own may be a great option!
Re: ghillie suit preferences
The instructors leave it up to us.
I was asking for other peoples opinions from people who have used a ghillie before, since i have not.
The instructors leave it up to us.
I was asking for other peoples opinions from people who have used a ghillie before, since i have not.
Re: ghillie suit preferences
As long as you don't have to crawl a poncho style will be fine and is quickly operational. However, if crawling is somehow involved, leave the ponchostyles and go for a overall type or pants jacket thing. The overall types tend to become quite bulky. Personnally i think for law enforcement sniping just a head and shoulders will do for 9 out of 10 operations, both in urban as in rural country. We use mainly the gucciflage hunter ghillies from either cabelas or some form of hunting store. They are slim, do the job and you can slip in and out with out changing your non pol clothes. We do have full ghillies, but they are very rarely used. But you might run into occasions where they are needed. Most of us carry just a head and shoulders as backup in our daypacks. However, most sniper courses i have seen sofar, still tend to go the military way...so full ghillie stalks, even though they call it law enforcement sniper course. Not always but sometimes this is the case because most of the instructors come out of the military. Just check with the organizeing company, like stated before.
As long as you don't have to crawl a poncho style will be fine and is quickly operational. However, if crawling is somehow involved, leave the ponchostyles and go for a overall type or pants jacket thing. The overall types tend to become quite bulky. Personnally i think for law enforcement sniping just a head and shoulders will do for 9 out of 10 operations, both in urban as in rural country. We use mainly the gucciflage hunter ghillies from either cabelas or some form of hunting store. They are slim, do the job and you can slip in and out with out changing your non pol clothes. We do have full ghillies, but they are very rarely used. But you might run into occasions where they are needed. Most of us carry just a head and shoulders as backup in our daypacks. However, most sniper courses i have seen sofar, still tend to go the military way...so full ghillie stalks, even though they call it law enforcement sniper course. Not always but sometimes this is the case because most of the instructors come out of the military. Just check with the organizeing company, like stated before.
Re: ghillie suit preferences
Less is usually more...
Less is usually more...
Re: ghillie suit preferences
I'd skip the poncho ghillies and agree less is usually more, less stuff to get caught up in bushes and junk and also a lot lighter. If you think you can get away with it I highly recommend a Tactical Concealment Viper or Cobra Hood. The Viper hood will break up the shoulders and head while the Cobra extends a little farther down the back. I had a Cobra hood and it was great, I really wish I would've known about them when I went to Afghanistan.
I'd skip the poncho ghillies and agree less is usually more, less stuff to get caught up in bushes and junk and also a lot lighter. If you think you can get away with it I highly recommend a Tactical Concealment Viper or Cobra Hood. The Viper hood will break up the shoulders and head while the Cobra extends a little farther down the back. I had a Cobra hood and it was great, I really wish I would've known about them when I went to Afghanistan.
Re: ghillie suit preferences
Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr
Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr
Re: ghillie suit preferences
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sirhrmechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr </div></div>
Best Ghillie I ever saw was done by one of Jim Land's guys. He started from a road about 75 yards away (we went into the house to let him get started). When we came out, we searched for him with optics. Never saw him till he popped up right at the edge of the car park. This was in the upper Desert in CA. Took him hours to get from the road to the car park.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sirhrmechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr </div></div>
Best Ghillie I ever saw was done by one of Jim Land's guys. He started from a road about 75 yards away (we went into the house to let him get started). When we came out, we searched for him with optics. Never saw him till he popped up right at the edge of the car park. This was in the upper Desert in CA. Took him hours to get from the road to the car park.
Re: ghillie suit preferences
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sirhrmechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr </div></div>
This is the best way to build them. Most people seem content with building wookie suits and do little to add real vegetation from their environment.I've since stopped using the wookie suit I used in the course and have adapted a desert night parka using this minimalist approach. It rolls up nice and small and doesn't weigh much. A few minutes adding local vegetation and it's good to go.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sirhrmechanic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Best 'suit' I have seen was at a class earlier this year. Marine S/S (now reserves) who is a deputy. His suit had a very, very small amount of burlap, sisal and cord. But it had a lot of "pairs" of ties.
Before the stalk, he tied in little bundles/bunches of local veg. Which was mostly dead leaves, southern pine needles and dry grasses at the time. In 10 minutes, his suit was invisible. Absolutely brilliant.
Mine is well suited for New England forests. But is heavy and bulky. His was minimalist and would adapt to any terrain in minutes. If I ever build another one, it will be set up with lots of tie-ups, not a lot of fiber and burlap.
Cheers and hope this helps. Oh and build your own at least once. IMHO, it's kind of a rite of passage.
Sirhr </div></div>
This is the best way to build them. Most people seem content with building wookie suits and do little to add real vegetation from their environment.I've since stopped using the wookie suit I used in the course and have adapted a desert night parka using this minimalist approach. It rolls up nice and small and doesn't weigh much. A few minutes adding local vegetation and it's good to go.
Re: ghillie suit preferences
Pretty sure i saw a thread on this in the Mil/LE only section.
Pretty sure i saw a thread on this in the Mil/LE only section.
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