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A common question for snipers using ghillie suits is "How do I care for my ghillie?" This is a fairly easy task, as they require little maintenance. Here are some tips and tricks:
To wash a ghillie:
It's no secret that snipers are some of the dirtiest players on the field. No I'm not talking about their personal hygiene or language preference. I'm talking about their tendency to pick some of the nastiest, dirtiest terrain they can find, and trek right on through it. It's one of the greater advantages of being a sniper. It gives snipers an upperhand because typical players don't want to go through the mess, your ghillie/camo will blend more advantageously in the deep foliage/mud/etc., and usually these are the greatest places to take shots from due to the dense, brush-filled protection they offer, as well as no-one really wants to follow you into them. However, once the day of fighting is over and it's time to clean the equipment, what do you do with your ghillie suit? Throw it in the washer? Hose it down? Leave it be?
Washing a ghillie can actually be a breeze if you're willing to accept a less-than-sparkly clean. A ghillie isn't meant to be perfectly clean. You must learn to accept this. It will be filled with briers, sticks, dead leaves, dried mud, etc. This is only going to help you out! However, if you're getting sick of the smell and looks of your ghillie, here are the best things you can do for it.
1. Hang it up and beat it! Take a plastic bat or broom handle and start hitting it with some force, but DO NOT take full swings at it. Hit it just hard enough to knock the dried mud and other foliage out of it.
2. Hose it down! Just hosing it down will break loose most of the extra vegetation and mud out of the ghillie. Run your hand through it as you hose it down to pull off any extras you don't want in there.
3. Let it air dry outside. It's best to do it (wash and dry) outside to allow the dirt to continue to fall out, to allow it to dry faster which is better for the material, to prevent any loose thread that falls out from causing a mess, and to properly drain any dye that may run out of the ghillie, preventing it from ruining any indoor floors (your wife/roommate/mother will thank you).
3. It's best that you never try sticking your ghillie in your washer/dryer. Using the hose and allowing it to air dry is much better for it. If you want the smell gone though, and the two previous steps aren't good enough for you, then try THIS when you're hosing it down. It'll help clean it up a little better and will eliminate the odors.
Remember though, your ghillie's going to get dirty. It will from time to time need a simple cleaning, but leaving the leaves/mud/branches/etc. in it doesn't harm your ghillie and will provide you extra cover next time you take it out!
To fireproof a ghillie:
Please don't take this lightly. Last thing we need is a human torch running around in the woods screaming for help! Fireproofing is cheap, easy, and well worth it. The materials that make up almost every ghillie suit consists of either burlap or jute, both highly flammable materials. Flame retardant won't necessarily keep you from catching flame, but it greatly slows down the spread of fire, long enough for you to perform a little strip dance in the middle of the field (trust me, it's worth the embarrassment). Flame retardant can be picked up for about $15 shipped for one application (lasts a long time, unless ghillie is washed). You may be able to find a good deal online for the dry flame retardant, but I recommend visiting Ebay.com for this one. Type in the search box something like "flame retardant ghillie" or a similar phrase and search! You'll be able to find something just like in the online stores, but much cheaper and usually the option to combine shipping to save on shipping costs (very good idea).
To apply most dry flame retardants all you'll need to do is mix the entire contents (1lb.) into a spray bottle partially filled with water to dilute it. Then spray the contents over the entire area of the ghillie, lifting up the material to make sure to spray underneath as well. It's really as simple as that.
To waterproof a ghillie:
Why would you want to waterproof your ghillie? This is actually a good question, and many people will find that they have no use of doing so. It's really based on the preference of the sniper. Some people waterproof, others don't.
Advantages to waterproofing:
- Easy to do, spray on using bottles.
- Reduces overall weight of ghillie, as water does not stick on suit as easily.
- Reduces chances of mold growing on your ghillie, as they can be the prime environment for the growth of mold.
Disadvantages of waterproofing:
- Something more to buy for your ghillie (About $15 per application).
- Doesn't last all that long when tested by water often.
Waterproofing your ghillie suit is by no means required, but there's no harm if you have the time and money to actually spraying it down every so often. It can make a game a lot more enjoyable in the case of contact with water, and can even lengthen the lifespan of your ghillie.
To relayer a ghillie:
Often times after regular use of your ghillie, you may find that strands of jute/burlap/etc. continue to fall off. This is bound to happen, and cannot be prevented. You can try by tying your material to the netting real tight, but occasionally you'll still find your ghillie "thinning out." Lucky for snipers/spotters using their ghillie's regularly, the material is typically fairly cheap. To find where your suit is thinning out, either have someone wear your suit for you so you can inspect it all around, or just simply lay it down somewhere and go through all the material looking for bare spots. When you find one, depending on what material your suit uses and how it's attached, it's usually as simple as tying several of the threads of your material into the netting wherever it's getting thin. Remember, when adding material avoid adding it in patterns, instead, using random placements of the various colors. The more random, the better.
To wash a ghillie:
It's no secret that snipers are some of the dirtiest players on the field. No I'm not talking about their personal hygiene or language preference. I'm talking about their tendency to pick some of the nastiest, dirtiest terrain they can find, and trek right on through it. It's one of the greater advantages of being a sniper. It gives snipers an upperhand because typical players don't want to go through the mess, your ghillie/camo will blend more advantageously in the deep foliage/mud/etc., and usually these are the greatest places to take shots from due to the dense, brush-filled protection they offer, as well as no-one really wants to follow you into them. However, once the day of fighting is over and it's time to clean the equipment, what do you do with your ghillie suit? Throw it in the washer? Hose it down? Leave it be?
Washing a ghillie can actually be a breeze if you're willing to accept a less-than-sparkly clean. A ghillie isn't meant to be perfectly clean. You must learn to accept this. It will be filled with briers, sticks, dead leaves, dried mud, etc. This is only going to help you out! However, if you're getting sick of the smell and looks of your ghillie, here are the best things you can do for it.
1. Hang it up and beat it! Take a plastic bat or broom handle and start hitting it with some force, but DO NOT take full swings at it. Hit it just hard enough to knock the dried mud and other foliage out of it.
2. Hose it down! Just hosing it down will break loose most of the extra vegetation and mud out of the ghillie. Run your hand through it as you hose it down to pull off any extras you don't want in there.
3. Let it air dry outside. It's best to do it (wash and dry) outside to allow the dirt to continue to fall out, to allow it to dry faster which is better for the material, to prevent any loose thread that falls out from causing a mess, and to properly drain any dye that may run out of the ghillie, preventing it from ruining any indoor floors (your wife/roommate/mother will thank you).
3. It's best that you never try sticking your ghillie in your washer/dryer. Using the hose and allowing it to air dry is much better for it. If you want the smell gone though, and the two previous steps aren't good enough for you, then try THIS when you're hosing it down. It'll help clean it up a little better and will eliminate the odors.
Remember though, your ghillie's going to get dirty. It will from time to time need a simple cleaning, but leaving the leaves/mud/branches/etc. in it doesn't harm your ghillie and will provide you extra cover next time you take it out!
To fireproof a ghillie:
Please don't take this lightly. Last thing we need is a human torch running around in the woods screaming for help! Fireproofing is cheap, easy, and well worth it. The materials that make up almost every ghillie suit consists of either burlap or jute, both highly flammable materials. Flame retardant won't necessarily keep you from catching flame, but it greatly slows down the spread of fire, long enough for you to perform a little strip dance in the middle of the field (trust me, it's worth the embarrassment). Flame retardant can be picked up for about $15 shipped for one application (lasts a long time, unless ghillie is washed). You may be able to find a good deal online for the dry flame retardant, but I recommend visiting Ebay.com for this one. Type in the search box something like "flame retardant ghillie" or a similar phrase and search! You'll be able to find something just like in the online stores, but much cheaper and usually the option to combine shipping to save on shipping costs (very good idea).
To apply most dry flame retardants all you'll need to do is mix the entire contents (1lb.) into a spray bottle partially filled with water to dilute it. Then spray the contents over the entire area of the ghillie, lifting up the material to make sure to spray underneath as well. It's really as simple as that.
To waterproof a ghillie:
Why would you want to waterproof your ghillie? This is actually a good question, and many people will find that they have no use of doing so. It's really based on the preference of the sniper. Some people waterproof, others don't.
Advantages to waterproofing:
- Easy to do, spray on using bottles.
- Reduces overall weight of ghillie, as water does not stick on suit as easily.
- Reduces chances of mold growing on your ghillie, as they can be the prime environment for the growth of mold.
Disadvantages of waterproofing:
- Something more to buy for your ghillie (About $15 per application).
- Doesn't last all that long when tested by water often.
Waterproofing your ghillie suit is by no means required, but there's no harm if you have the time and money to actually spraying it down every so often. It can make a game a lot more enjoyable in the case of contact with water, and can even lengthen the lifespan of your ghillie.
To relayer a ghillie:
Often times after regular use of your ghillie, you may find that strands of jute/burlap/etc. continue to fall off. This is bound to happen, and cannot be prevented. You can try by tying your material to the netting real tight, but occasionally you'll still find your ghillie "thinning out." Lucky for snipers/spotters using their ghillie's regularly, the material is typically fairly cheap. To find where your suit is thinning out, either have someone wear your suit for you so you can inspect it all around, or just simply lay it down somewhere and go through all the material looking for bare spots. When you find one, depending on what material your suit uses and how it's attached, it's usually as simple as tying several of the threads of your material into the netting wherever it's getting thin. Remember, when adding material avoid adding it in patterns, instead, using random placements of the various colors. The more random, the better.
Common Mis-spellings of the term "ghillie:"
ghillie suite, ghilli suit, gilli suit, gili suit, ghily suit, guile suit, guille suit, gillee suit, gilly suit, ghilly suit, gillie suit, gily suit, gille suit,
ghille suit, ghilli suit, ghili suit.
ghillie suite, ghilli suit, gilli suit, gili suit, ghily suit, guile suit, guille suit, gillee suit, gilly suit, ghilly suit, gillie suit, gily suit, gille suit,
ghille suit, ghilli suit, ghili suit.
