| Preparation: |
| 1st - Decide on your base garment. I used to make one piece styles, usually with a flight suit & hood. Then I tried a one piece with a separate head piece (2 piece). Recently I have only used 3 piece suits (no pinstripes). I HIGHLY recommend using a 3 piece system. Each situation is unique when you would be needing a ghillie. Sometimes you may use the whole suit, others just the top and headpiece, but usually just the headpiece. Trust me, you don't want to wear the whole thing unless you absolutely need to! Also what climate will you be using this in? Desert? Woodland? Use the appropriate base then! I use a bigger size BDU - this is because I usually wear the ghillie over my BDU's, unless it is really hot. Then I adjust accordingly. I use a boonie for the head piece. Get a whole bunch of netting (figure 1.5x3' for the head piece, 2x3' for your torso, and 2.5x4' for the back of your legs). I also use the little green gollosh bands to attach a REMOVEABLE garnish on the front (for stand up stalks). So I use a 2x2.5' piece of netting there. The cheapest netting I have found is those worthless green hammocks everyone buys for their rucks. I have use the 1" square fishing net (my favorite), 2" square military camo netting - works okay, but not the best. Buy upholstery needles, shoe goo, fishing line (not too thin), a butt load of USGI sand bags (burlap not nylon - 40 bags), tan spray paint, Light green spray paint, dark green spray paint, canvas or cordura, matches, pliers, USGI 550 cord and some hemp twine. Or replace just about everything with one 'bushrag kit' from www.snipersparadise.com. You don't have to get everything at once. It is BETTER to take your time & do a little bit here & there. If you rush any part of your ghillie - it will show! You also need to decide how you will modify your base garment. Are you going to have a camelbak sewn onto the back? (personally I have a water source that I wear like a backpack under the Ghillie - more versitile that way), how about a holster, extra pockets, garnish 'booties', knife?, use your imagination! Ghillies are hot. My last ghillie I cut out the back of the garmet so that it breathed very nicely. I know other snipers who sew a mesh in that area so that the natural vegitation doesn't irritate them, isn't that cute!? Some of us are so sensitive. :) Some people like to turn the BDU or flight suit inside out & sew the garnish on the outside, that way they still have the pockets. My point is - why? Do you really want to put stuff in pockets you are going to be crawling on? I just cut off the pockets of the BDU's. I have a Seamstress sew the two top pockets on the upper arms (these pockets are nice there!) Just lose the two lower pockets. While it is at the seamstress I have her sew the cordura. pack cloth, or canvas on the entire front of the BDU & on the lower section of the arms (elbows down). My latest thing is this Camo pack cloth, very tough and much quieter than the cordura. Have the same material sewn on the knee area of the pants. You can also have CLOSED cell foam placed on the knee and elbow areas, I remove all the buttons (on the front of the BDU shirt) & have her put on a very heavy velcro for being able to get out of the suit. (I have tried out a side entrance, which was okay, but not needed) Have the same material sewn on the knee area of the pants. While you are waiting impatiently for your base garment to get back, I want you to start cutting those bags up. About 2" wide, with the length varying from 12" to 18". Some people like to shred the bags, this takes forever, but you use the entire bag & will make the ghillie look better. However this will add about 10-30 hours onto your ghillie! You do this by carefull cutting around the bag (taking out the sewn parts) then start pulling 2-3 strands at a time. Then your base garmet is back! At this point I take the base & sew 550 cord around the outside of the garmet (follow the seams on the BDU's). I use fairly heavy fishing line, sewing it about every 2-3 inches, then sealing the knot with a touch of a match. Then lay the netting over the back of the garmet, leave about 3-4 inches overhanging around the edges (don't worry about the arms, just cover the shoulders totally). Then ziptie that puppy down! (Very useful, you can wash the base without ruining your washer, you could change the garnish for different terrain, etc.) you can thank me for that later as well! :o) Do the same thing for the pants. Now put those two things away. (listen to me, fight the urge to start tieing crap on) |
 |
 |
| HOME |