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Fieldcraft New Ghillie, please critique it

Zaid

Private
Minuteman
Feb 22, 2009
26
0
North California
Just made my new ghillie suit, the suit is based off of a set of BDUs, with fishing net sewn and shoe-goo'd on. The suit is composed of natural jute, stalkgrass/raffia, and some green and brown jute. The front has duck canvas e6000'd onto it, and covers the front of the blouse, and front of the pants. These pictures show the ghillie without any natural veg, and without the headpiece(left it in my car). One thing I know I need to improve on is adding additional jute to the pants. Also, the weird coloring in some of the pics is because of the camera.

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Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

One thing I suggest when making a ghillie is doing it right the first time. Going back and redoing parts is no fun When you do the pants, cover the back of the legs. It will save a bunch of time. How do you like the raffia? I'm thinking of putting some on a suit...
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

I wouldn't call it very light, but it's certainly not dark. Would you suggest spray painting it OD Green?
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

It wouldn't hurt, add some green and brown to it, it'll help break up the outline, or just roll around in the mud. Give it a good mud bath or two as well.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

You mean add green and brown to the canvas? Yeah, I've done two mudbaths so far, from the pics would you say I give it another one?
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

YEah, and take out a lot of the garnsih, you have a little too much, take out 1/3 of it. Veg is the edge.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

add netting to the top of the chest- down to approx. name tape level.

You'd have some serious issue with contrast to background with zero jute and presumably, no veg on the chest when shooting from a seated or kneeling position.

Elastic will work, but nylon might be a bit better of a choice.

Did you make any vents? Underarm? Back?

Doesn't look like you reenforced the crotch- sew in some canvas into the crotch- you'll tear it out if you're doing any sort of real stalking.

Did you remove all of the pockets? I'd put a few pockets back on

Any elbow or knee padding built in?

And as shay said, too much jute-
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

First of all, thanks for taking the time to help me improve this suit. I'll add jute to the front tonight. For vents I have one in the back and one on the hat, but none under the arms because I ran out of material. Can anyone recommend a good place to buy more mesh? For reinforcing the crotch, where exactly should I put the canvas? All the way around or just in the middle? For padding I was thinking about using a mouse pad, but I wasn't quite sure how to attach it to the suit, would sewing it under canvas onto the suit work?
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

There's a lot of ways you can reinforce it- you can put a couple straps through the crotch, or sew up an entire reinforcement. The harder option will be the more durable option. Best thing I can recommend is using over-laping strips sewn horizontally from the bottom of the fly around to just past where the gussets meet the seat. I say strips over-lapping because you'll play hell trying to get one large chunk of canvas to ever lay well over the whole area.

For pad, yes, sew under the canvas. Mouse pad (made of neoprene) should be a good option. Old school foam sleeping pads are a pretty common route to go, but are VERY stiff. It's usually best to run your pads a lot longer than you think you'll need. For knee pads, have the pad start mid-shin and extend up to lower thigh- run the full-frontal width, seam to seam (which is also usually the recommended width of canvas- seam to seam, over-lap, just above the ankle up to belt line). I actually prefer to use newer construction duffle bags (nylon canvas)- it's not as thick as tent canvas, and the backing helps a little to keep ground moisture away while stalking... at least until you have to go through a puddle.

Anyway, stitch and glue everything- glue won't hold on it's own and the sewing does get a little help from the glue.

What wil you be using this ghillie for?
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Id remove some of the just and add veg, paint the canvas OD, and a few shades of brown to break er up. then give it 2 or 3 more mud baths, you want it to look like its part of the natural veg around you while your stalking.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Shay, Raffia's great, just dont go overboard with it and spray some of it or dye it the colors of your area.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Only drawback to using a lot of raffia is that it is by far the noisiest dressing you can use. Jute and burlap are silent by comparison. As mentioned above, natural vegetation is the way to go...raffia, jute, and burlap just fill in the gaps.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

agreed... stalk grass is noisy.
i only use it sparingly.
natural veg is still best.

as for the reinforced crotch:

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took a while to get everything laying right, but it gets the job done.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Ok, update time, I've so far removed some jute and burlap from the back of the blouse, added jute to the shoulders, spray painted the canvas, added 550 cord strands for veg loops, and added thumb loops. Tonight I'll reinforce the crotch, and take out more garnish if you guys think I should, and add jute to the pants. Here are some pics:

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Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Could have gone a bit more sparse on the jute for the upper chest/shoulders, but it'll work!

The more tie in locations for natural veg the better.... I actually like women's elastic hair ties in dark brown... they are usually advertised as being for women of color but they do pretty well on my ghillie. I also use the 550 cord ties incorporated to the suit as well. Place veg ties about every three inches; not to say you need to use every single one of them, but it's easier to have a ton of them and not need them all than need more than you have... or have to search through muddied up jute for the elusive veg tie.

When you veg up, there can literally never be enough veg. If you think you have enough, you need four times more. You also don't want to look like a massive bush; in other words, your veg shouldn't be 20" long, flapping all over the place.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

When you buy the elastic ties do you usually cut them and use them like 550 cord, or do you use them as loops? Thanks for the help man, I hope to get some pics of the suit vegged up tomorrow.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

suit looks 10 times better.

you could probably remove half of the jute currently on the suit and still have full coverage... but you'll be lighter and cooler. if it were mine i'd trim up the length some as well.

you may also consider removing the netting/garnish from the elbows and place pads and canvas/cordura skids there as well.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Yeah I loop them on the netting; assuming you tied your netting every inch or two, location in terms of distance from stitching shouldn't be an issue. However if you spaced your stitching out more, you'll want to loop the bands near stitches so it doesn't have a ton of free movement. And if you did stitch it that far apart... you should really think about adding in more stitching; the netting takes a beating. Back to the elastic bands... hopefully if you got some you were able to find the thicker ones which are of a smaller diameter; thin ones break easily (these will too over time, but it's not a big deal since it's like 15/$1), and large diameter ones will take a lot of the good ol' twist, loop, twist, loop, twist, loop deal like you do with rubber bands.

What brutus said too... To further comment on that... the longer the jute, and the more strands bundled together, the more likely you are to get nasty little jute clumps. For some reason I'm drawing a blank on the typically used word to describe it... but it clumps and twists together... leaving you with a look of a bunch of ratty little twists/balls. Not desirable.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Thanks all, I've taken all your guys' advice and I have shortened the strands of jute, taken out jute, and am going to buy hair ties today. Also, I've reinforced the crotch with canvas, and finished up one of the pant legs. Oh, and I'm going to spray paint the new canvas as well.

Pants:

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Reinforcement:

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Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Cut the jute in half if not more. It shouldn't be more than the length of your hand
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Go over the threads with shoe goo as well.


Well, I'm making myself a new ghillie now... hahaha
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Man! You gotta get a sewing machine!!! Hate to say it but those stitches won't last more than a couple stalks at best.

Not trying to be hard on you man... just want to help
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

I'll cut more of the jute today, and cover the threads. Also, I'm pretty sure the stitching will hold, I mean the canvas has e6000 all over it, and even when I tried to tear off the canvas in order to test its integrity, it held. I don't have access to a sewing machine so I figure it's the best I have for the moment.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Well, if it doesn't... you can always re-sew it!
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

It's always better to do it right the first time.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Ok, update, cut down a bunch on the jute, glued down the canvas securely, and now down a mudbath. Also, I've added in around 60 veg loops. Pics coming soon.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Lookin Good I gotta try to built one of those.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Sorry it's been so long, I was on vacation. So, I've finished the hat, added pads, cut down on jute, and added hand covers. The hand covers have two finger loops made of paracord that keep the jute centered over the hand and covered.

Pics:

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Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Still have a little too much jute, but you getting there.
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

Im making my first .. Its taking a while ...I couldnt find jute or burlap, so ..I went with yarn .. We will see how it turns out .. posting pix when done .. Yours is very nice, I hope mine works..
 
Re: New Ghillie, please critique it

It's great coloring in that it is a little on the lighter side to avoid looking like a dark spot to an observer when you are prone or higher. Good tips to trim it down and keep it shorter and leaner won't hurt. The ghillie is a base for a tight weave with natural vegitation that matches most closely the vegetation that will be behind your final firing position (FFP), with some minor blend with that in front of your FFP.

I don't know what you will be doing with your ghillie. I found that details with hand covers, finger loops, and neat widgets tear off or get wrapped up and complicate your movement if you are going for an actual deployment. If the ghillie is more for entertainment, and a hobby it should work no problem. I also did not have good experience with padding. If you are going to truly deploy gut it out. Padding, and other luxury items will affect your flexibility, and ability to assume the random odd positions you will experience if competing against a trained observer.

Hobby ghillie very cool and fun, and it should be comfortable. Deployment ghillie less is more, you will condition for the abuse. After some experience I wound up strapping my burlap/ cammie net to a pair of woodland BDU's, (kind of like denim compared to rip stop). The only mods I made were cutting off the front pockets of the blouse, and sewing the upper chest pockets to the sleeves. I also cut out a square out of the back of the blouse, under the burlap to vent heat. It is also easier to pack in your ruck when it is smaller and lighter.

Just my .02 hope that helps. it is great looking and I appreciate all of the work!