my ghillie suit

**harm** · 04-06-2009, 18:17

i'm going on my 1st bow hunting next week [my 1st hunting trip] and i decided to make a ghillie suit.
i started on the "garnish" strips about 2 months back,using whatever fabric i could scavenge.
my mother had some green chiffon [who'da thought chiffon on a ghillie suit?but it's the latest thing] and some beige cotton type fabric and my sister gave me a rust cotton fabric.and i found a few hessian rice bags.
i spent quite a few days cutting all the fabric [over at least 3 weeks] using a pinking shears.i tried to form the strips into a vague diamond shape to look leafy.
my wife sewed a top and pants to form the base,using hessian.then i'll attach the strips.my plan is to stitch 3 or 4 together and attach this to the base.
i have some natural raffia which i'll attach for that grassy look.i thought hemp might have been better,but that has other complications

i made this "ghillie hat" a few years back

i have'nt taken pics of the progress,but i'm done.my wife just has to sew on the quick release buckles.
i was going to cut out slits for vents but my wife said the hessian used for the base is a very loose weave so that really won't be necessary[she has a diploma in clothing design so she should know].

-all the strips attached to the front and back

-i ran out so i had to scrounge more fabric.this was all that i found

-this is what the new strips look like

-pants is done

-i started hand-stitching the strips to the sleeves [don't ever want to do this again]

-top is done

-suit is soaking before dye is added

-dye added to bath

-top and pants drying

once the suit is dry the buckles will be attached and i'll shoot while wearing it to work out the kinks.

**Gidsie** · 04-06-2009, 18:40

Harm...

You really worked very hard on this suite... cfd89

If you are this dedicated making a suite I can only imagine how dedicated you must be practicing with your bow. lv29

Because I dont wanna hurt your feelings, and I am not "as serious as you are in stalk hunter", please let us know what happens out there with you and the "game"... nj

Dont mind me... go for it.. hpy180

**harm** · 07-06-2009, 12:58

thanks Gidsie.i'll do a thread on my trip when i come back.
i took another couple pics -
- my wife attached the buckles
- i look like cousin It's older brother
i'll be shooting later,so i'll try and get pics of that.

**harm** · 07-06-2009, 16:17

can you see?

not the target at the end.
i asked my son to wear the top and sit under the mango tree.

full-draw.easier to sight than it looks

release.got a bit of a scare when the string slapped the strips that are flapping.

without the hood

1 with the hood half-on.strips are still in the way.i then tied them back,so now it's not a problem,but i forgot to get pics of that,or of my shots.

my bow.

**FrankH** · 07-06-2009, 16:23

Really nice suit. Well done.

Now ,if only you had a couple extra in kit form.................... happy0065

**camouflage762** · 07-06-2009, 17:39

Wow! That looks like hard work.
Good Job.

I sewed a Camonet 3x6m using hessian It took a loooong time.
Sew, all I can say is welldone.
Are u going to try neutralise the "scent" on the suit? How will u do this?

Goodluck ,et us know how the hunt goes.

**harm** · 07-06-2009, 19:38

thanks guys.
camouflage762, i've been thinking about scent neutralisation for a long time.i have a theory - game animals do not react to vehicles [well,in my experience anyway].they do not associate danger with the vehicle,or the smell of the vehicle [my opinion,anyway] .i believe this is the reason that it is illegal to hunt from,or near a vehicle.so if the scent of the vehicle,ie,the exhaust fumes,are a not associated with a threat to the life of the game animal,maybe exhaust fumes will work well,to mask the human scent and as a camouflage.i call it eau de unleaded hpy71

**camouflage762** · 07-06-2009, 20:03

Originally Posted by harm

thanks guys.
camouflage762, i've been thinking about scent neutralisation for a long time.i have a theory - game animals do not react to vehicles [well,in my experience anyway].they do not associate danger with the vehicle,or the smell of the vehicle [my opinion,anyway] .i believe this is the reason that it is illegal to hunt from,or near a vehicle.so if the scent of the vehicle,ie,the exhaust fumes,are a not associated with a threat to the life of the game animal,maybe exhaust fumes will work well,to mask the human scent and as a camouflage.i call it eau de unleaded hpy71

Beware for carbonmonoxide poisoning. confused0068

My opinion:
Rather try neutralise any unnatural scent as a opposed to creating/adding any percieved "neutral" scent.
I read that Selous scouts would get stand over a smokey fire, to confuse the scent of dogs whilst on ops.
To take it to the extreme I would rub the suit in the droppings of game in the area that I would be hunting.

Obviously, you would not be able to use the suit for formal occasions thereafter ;D

**Porramedic** · 08-06-2009, 07:15

Congrats on some really hard work there, the results look superb.

That is one scary-ass suit, I would kak myself if I walked into the office and saw this...

Originally Posted by harm

**camouflage762** · 08-06-2009, 08:37

Originally Posted by DrDave

Congrats on some really hard work there, the results look superb.

That is one scary-ass suit, I would kak myself if I walked into the office and saw this...

Originally Posted by harm

hpy194 hpy71