What is a Hunting Ghillie Suit?
Although almost any ghillie suit can work for hunting, hunters have slightly different needs than a person who is going to play paintball or airsoft in their ghillie suit. Most military tactical ghillie suits or even the commerically available ones made by bushrag or chameleon make great hunting suits. However choosing the type of suit depends more on the hunter than the actual suit.
An active hunter will not want a heavy ghillie suit while trudging through miles of terrain. They are better suited with an ultra light or lightweight ghillie suit made of synthetic materials. In addition, an active hunter may only want minimal coverage such as using a tracker poncho or stalker poncho. Many hunters don’t wear or put on their ghillie suit until they have walked many miles. In this case, they would want a ghillie suit that is lightweight, easy to pack and carry and quick to put on.
A stationary hunter might be one who hides behind blinds all day or in a tree stand, or one who sits under a tree keeping very still. They can use a more dense or heavier ghillie suit or even a large ghillie blanket.
One must also be careful with the threads getting caught in the weapon. You should practice moving around with your rifle or bow while wearing the ghillie suit. See what parts may catch onto the thread. If the thread is too long, just cut it down. You want free movement of your weapons. You also want good access to anything else you may use such as binoculars, ammo, callers, etc… If you are using any type of ghillie camouflage on your rifle, make sure its ejection port is clear if it has one.
If bowhunting, most ghillie suits can be easily converted into a bow hunting ghillie suit. Just grab your bow and draw the bowstring back. Notice where the jute or thread is in the way. Remove the thread but undoing the knots on the ghillie netting or just take a pair of scissors and cut it. Most people will end up with a bare chested ghillie suit and minimal thread on the inner bow holding arm.
Most people overdo their ghillie camo. Remember, it doesn’t have to be very dense, all it has to do is break up your pattern. You want to have depth and holes and empty spots on you and your weapon will convey that affect. If you can’t decide which ghillie suit to get after all this, just get yourself a ghillie kit and make your own! Ghillie suit construction is simple but time consuming. If you make it yourself, you can customize it to your hunting style and local terrain colors.