Ghillie Suit Choices
Once you decide that you need camouflage, it is immediately obvious that the best camouflage is a ghillie suit. In ghillie suits, the choices become a little more confusing. They are made from jute, burlap, old rags, or synthetics. You can find some that are "one size fits all", and others that come in 12 different sizes. Most of them come in four different color patterns, but a few may have six or rarely eight choices of color pattern. The very best (and most expensive) suits are built on a base of BDUs covered with a sewn on mesh. At the other end of the scale there are those built of only the mesh and the ghillie material. There is a wide range of quality in these mesh only suits. Usually, the old adage , "you get what you pay for", works with ghillie suits as much as anything else.
your first decision should be whether to go with jute or synthetic. My personal preference is for the synthetic. I believe the US Armed Forces agrees with that choice. Synthetics are not a fire hazard like the jute, burlap,and others. Synthetics lend themselves to cleaning better, will not rot, are mildew resistant and last a lot longer than others. Some of the synthetic suits can be thrown into the washing machine, but I would check any labels or specifications first.
The color pattern for your ghillie will be dictated by the terrain in which you Will be using it. It is generally accepted that the pattern called "woodland" is the closest to being a universal pattern, but it's not definitely suitable for all locales. Your area may require the "desert, mossy, leafy, timber, white" or some other combination of colors. Only you can decide which is best for you.
My advice as far as the size of your suit is to err on the side of too large. Personally, I would rather my ghillie suit be a bit large. Suits come in kids sizes all the way up to triple X long sizes. If you're not sure, go large. A ghillie suit can always be cinched in smaller, but if it's not big enough, neither you nor the suit can do your jobs effectively. If you have an unusual build, consider pants and a jacket instead of a one piece suit. That way you can get one size for the jacket and another size for the pants. Pants and jackets are more practical in a lot of ways. If you damage either, you won't have to replace the entire suit.
As with any other purchase, buy the best you can afford. If your budget can handle it, the new ultra-light synthetic pants and jacket which are built on a set of BDUs with your option of camo pattern, give you the most bang for your buck. If that's out of your reach, the most popular suit available is the one referred to by some as the "Special ops paintball hunter suit" or by others as the ultra-light paintball suit. While not built on BDUs, it does have an inner liner that makes it really comfortable. Remember that all businesses have to make something from their products.
If you see one that is really cheap, ask yourself "why?"
Another consideration depending on what you are going to be doing is whether to get a ghillie suit to cover the entire body or will a head and shoulders suit do the job? A short poncho or maybe a ghillie jacket may be what you need. Quite often the legs are never exposed when still hunting or in a blind. Sometimes a paintballer will opt for nothing on the legs for the mobility.
One last comment on the new synthetic ultra-light suits. For a small fee you can get pockets in the jacket and/or the pants.
