Experienced hunters know how important it is to blend with their surroundings and hide from their prey’s sight. In fact, there are many cases when camouflage makes all the difference between being able to catch your prey and scaring it away. With that said, if you want every advantage you can get on your next hunting trip with your mates, perhaps its time to consider looking into ghillie suits. But you can’t just dive into buying a ghillie suit head in without understanding the terms associated with them. For that reason, here’s a short guide to help you out.
Firstly, the hunting ghillie suits you look at should provide you with more than just a flat cloth type of camouflage. After all, the entire point of hunting ghillie suits is to add more depth to the conventional camouflage gear. In other words, detail is incredibly important. The physical construction of the outer layers should look as natural as possible in order for you to blend into the prey’s environment as much as possible.
Then, consider the weight of the suit. Look for a suit that isn’t bulky, heavy and hot, but instead, one that’s cool and comfortable to wear. It should also have a decent foundation that will not let insects in and will allow for proper air circulation. Furthermore, look for a suit that’s durable by ensuring it has at least double-stitching and is made of rot-resistant materials. Additionally, it should be water-resistant because it will be much heavier if it gets wet. Typically, the weight of the suit will be listed on the product’s spec sheet.
Alternatively, you can create your own ghillie suit, if you don’t mind putting the time and effort into it. Making a suit from scratch is relatively easy, as long as you know how to tie simple knots, recognise plant shapes and mix different colours. If you hunt in one area only, it makes sense to do some fieldwork research by taking some photos that will help you choose the right colours for your suit. Even if you want to have your suit custom-made, it still makes sense to show your tailor the pictures and give him/her more specific information about the environment you usually hunt in.
There’s no doubt that making your own ghillie suit is more time-consuming and at the end, it may end up costing you more. It’s up to you to decide whether the time and effort put are worth the money you may or may not save. Nowadays, you can find decent ghillie suits at affordable prices online, as long as you know what you want and where to look for it.