Ghillie suit

From Airsoft Community Wiki

A Ghillie suit is a form of camoflauge usually used by snipers. Highly effective when used properly, It allows the user to remain undetected, not even looking like a human in camoflauge. Whilst still called Ghillie suits, the term can apply to upper body cam, i.e. ghillied smocks, or head and shoulder veils, or to full body suits, of one or two piece design.

Ghillie suits are so effective because they are a 3 dimensional form of camoflauge. DPM and other such printed cammo, whilst trying to emulate natural shapes and shadows, is still fundamentally 2D, as it has no real depth to it. This is where the Ghillie differs. Made of many different materials, all loosely hanging, the three dimensions are acheived, and real shadows and depth are created. This is much more natural, as shadows are a lot darker than any fabric artificially printed. "...the shadow is about 2 orders of magnitude darker than the darkest printed black fabric." (Taken from Randy Cox)

Another aspect of the ghillie is that it removes the shape of a person, and where used, the Rifle also. A human figure is picked up with great ease by the human eye, it related what it sees to what it knows (I'm sure you've all seen trees or branches that you were convinced were a person, at least for some time). Due to the nature of a Ghillie, the material hangs from the figure, and breaks it up. the shillouette meets in places it wouldn't normally, and is of a different, more irregular shape. This all aids in further confusing the eye and brain of the observer.

Further to these points, the Ghillies makeup also allows the colours involved in manufacturing it to combine naturally, and for it to move more naturally with the wind and suchlike. In order for a ghillie to reach its full potential however, it must be combined with natural cammo, that is, foliage from the immediate surroundings must be worked into the suit somehow, in the ratio of 60:40 natural cam to artificial cam.

Types of Ghillie

There are many different types of Ghillie, based on the methods and materials used in construction, the base garments, and colours used. The most common are listed below;

Full Body As the name suggests, these suits cover the entire body, from head to toe. these can be made from a full set of BDU's, or can be made (as mine is) from a flight suit or similar coverall. A hood or hat is ghillied also, to cover and break up the head and face. These are very hot to wear, and movement is often difficult due to the suit snagging.

The Poncho Sort of a middle ground between the full body and the upper body, the poncho is seen in a mixed light. Providing an excellent base when you consider the fact that the poncho breaks the human outline up itself, they are also often noisier, and can prove problematic when crawling on hands and knees, often ending up underneath the user. Packing and carrying these also proves difficult, as they are also very bulky, like the full body suits.

Upper Body These are often just a smock or jacket, again with a hood or hat. The benefits of these are that they are easier to don and doff, and to carry. Not having the trousers ghillied means that movement through foliage and scrub is easier also. The downside is that they don't provide quite as much cammo as a full body, as a really observant person could pick up the trousers in some situations. That said, for airsoft, these are certainly a fine option (they are also deemed suitable by most military forces for the job)

Head Veil Providing the least camoflauge of all the types of Ghillie, these are suitable for users who are only likely to expose their heads. The flip side of this lessened camoflauge is that they are very cool to wear, removing the element of overheating produced by extended wear of many other types, and they are very swiftly donned and packed.

US Style Whilst this isn't a term used to describe a Ghillie, it is a term used to describe the make up of one. A US Style Ghillie is made from strands of burlap, jute, or other similar material, providing a stringy look.

UK Style Again, not a term for a Ghillie suit, but rather its makeup, the UK ghillie suits are often made from strips of burlap, sandbags, hessian, etc etc. This creates a bulkier suit, with the arguement (so I'm led to believe) that the broader strips of material emulate the leaves seen in the natural world.

The Ghillie suit is an extremely usefull tool, especially when used correctly. Whilst they can take a long time to make, it is traditional that the user makes their own suits. This tradition is well founded in that it means the user has much greater knowledge of how the suit goes together, which is necessary for repairs.

Pros and Cons

Pros -Allows you to remain unseen before, during, and after a shot. -Gives you the edge moving into and out of position. -Allows you to get closer to the targets, thus surer of shots, with lower risk of compromise. -Can be adapted to suit a range of conditions.

Cons -Time consuming to make. -Needs a lot of care and repairs. -Snags a lot. -Very hot to wear. (make sure you take on a lot of water when wearing one, especially in summer months.)

Link to ASCUK Forum Ghillie thread Here