| Camouflage might make a person blend in with their | | | | groups, skipping sections of burlap so that other |
| background to some extent, but a ghillie suit goes one | | | | colored strands can alternate irregularly. |
| large step further. Ghillie suits are covered with frayed, | | | | After this time-consuming construction project, the |
| scruffy matter that blends into outdoor settings to a | | | | ghillie is sometimes dragged behind a vehicle, pulled |
| remarkable degree. Therefore, it is no surprise that | | | | through mud, or even covered with manure to smell |
| ghillie suits are popular in certain paintball games. There | | | | more natural. Additionally, small twigs, leaves, and other |
| are ghillie ponchos, shirts, slacks, and full body | | | | foliage common to the specific location are attached. |
| coverings. There are even ghillie accessories for the | | | | These fresh additions, however, sometimes have to |
| paintball gun itself! | | | | be replaced every few hours due to wilting. Ghillie suits |
| A ghillie garment is made of net or other cloth that is | | | | are not cleaned, partly because it would be impossible |
| covered in loose strips of cloth or twine colored to | | | | without destroying it, and partly because dirt only adds |
| blend into particular environments. A ghillie suit for the | | | | to the camouflage effect. A mass produced ghillie suit |
| woods would be mostly dull shades of brown to blend | | | | made for paintball games will cost anywhere from |
| in with dead foliage and underbrush. The reason ghillie | | | | around $60 to $150. For paintball, some participants |
| suits work so well to hide their wearer is that it breaks | | | | only use ghillie-like covering for their head, which is |
| up the wearer's outline in three dimensions, rather than | | | | handy for peeking over tops of hills and brush. Some |
| two dimensions like typical camouflage gear. The | | | | players use a ghillie poncho to cover the top half of |
| coverings of ghillie suits are made of materials that will | | | | their body while still allowing the legs freedom of |
| move in the wind exactly the same as surrounding | | | | movement. |
| foliage and vines will. The overall look of a person | | | | Chances are that any mass produced ghillie suit will |
| wearing a ghillie suit is similar to that of the Swamp | | | | have to be altered for the wearer. Fortunately, this |
| Thing of comic book fame. | | | | doesn't have to be done neatly, as you do with dress |
| The term ghillie suit derives from the Gaelic word for | | | | slacks. In fact, with a ghillie suit, the more unclean the |
| "servant," which is "ghilllie." These coverings were first | | | | alterations are the better. Most suits will fit players up |
| used in deer hunting or fly fishing jaunts in the highlands | | | | to six and a half feet tall. Synthetic suits are far more |
| of Scotland. The realism of a ghillie suit extends | | | | lightweight than those made of natural fibers. This is |
| beyond just the visual realm. On the base garment, | | | | important if you are a paintball enthusiast who needs |
| webbing made of a tough fabric like burlap is attached | | | | to move quickly, because getting away quickly after |
| and bits of jute are applied irregularly with fine gauge | | | | firing of a paintball round is critical to staying in the |
| fishing line, which is nearly invisible. The jute is applied in | | | | game. |