Ghillie Suits

Burlap Ghillie Airsoft Sniper Suit

Burlap Ghillie Airsoft Sniper Suit

    

    

If you’re normally the sniper in your group at organized airsoft competitions, you’ll definitely want to invest in a ghillie suit, which is a camouflage suit designed to resemble heavy foliage.  Typically a net or cloth garment, with loose strips of cloth or twine made to look like leaves and twigs, a ghillie suit helps the airsoft sniper to blend into their surroundings, hiding them from enemies. 

Used in military simulations, a ghillie suit gives the sniper a three-dimensional outline, and will even move in the wind, just as surrounding foliage does.  Most military snipers construct their own unique suits by hand, using natural materials present in the environment.  Making a detailed, high quality ghillie suit from scratch can take weeks or even months.

Ghillie suits can be constructed in several different ways, using rough burlap flaps or jute twine attached to a poncho. On the base, rough webbing made of durable, stainable fabric, such as burlap, is attached. Clear fishing line is often used to sew each knot of net to the fabric (often with a drop of glue for strength). Jute is applied to the netting by tying groups of 5 to 10 strands of a color to the netting with simple knots, skipping sections to be filled in with other colors. Once on location, the ghillie suit is customized with twigs, leaves, and other elements of the local foliage as much as possible, although these local additions must be changed every few hours, due to wilting of green grasses or branches.

Ghillie suits are virtually impossible to clean and actually work best if not cleaned. Although the underlying garments are tough and washable, the attachments are too fragile. Dirt is an essential part of the suit’s camouflage. Ghillie suits are now being made with synthetic thread, which is much lighter than the natural jute or burlap. It is also somewhat washable, but washing the ghillie suit can often cause it to lose its abilities to blend in with the environment.

Ghillie suits can be somewhat impractical in certain situations, as they tend to be very heavy and hot. Even in cooler climates, the temperature inside your ghillie suit can reach 120°F.  Burlap should be treated with a flame retardant as the wearer may be exposed to ignition sources such as smoke grenades and white phosphorus during military simulations.

Prices for commercially manufactured ghillie suits range from individual pieces (beginning at $15-$20) to elaborate full head to toe suits (approximately $200):