Ghillie blanket or ghillie suit, particularly relevant in 2023, is probably one of the best types of camouflage that people invented. However, ghillie blankets may cost an arm and a leg, and it can be extremely painful if you want to have these blankets for each member of your family, for example, if you are a family of hunters and you need to hide from animals.
And if you do not want to spend a fortune on camouflage, in this article, we will tell you how you can make your own instant affordable ghillie suit. Also, we will give the list of suits with affordable regular prices.
Also, check out our survival preparation guide to be sure you are absolutely prepared for any survival or homestead situation. Knowledge is your best survival gear, so to say!
Ghillie blankets 101
For those people who do not know what a ghillie blanket is and what its benefits are, we would first discuss these suits in detail before jumping in the instruction on the making of a hand-made blanket at home.
So, ghillie blankets are ultra-light suits whose task is to make you disappear in the natural environment and that are useful not only during a hunting season but also in actual survival. For example, you and your family might get chased by someone, and such camouflage would definitely help, yes this situation is unlikely to happen, yet it is always better to be prepared.
A decent ghillie blanket must be relatively large, so it can allow you to be bland in nature. Also, it must be based on a decent camouflage burlap, on which you can build the whole concept of your camo, which has to be adjusted to your local vegetation and terrain, for example, if you are living around cornfields, you need to use colors that resemble them. There are many burlaps on the market, but we would recommend this one.
Also, a decent burlap can already hide you, so if you do not have time to make a whole suit, you can use burlap to hide. But we have to say that your base must have some strips. To make your job easier there are already fabric-made ghillie suit kits.
Moreover, sometimes you need to cover not only people or in case of hunting animals but also from some high-tech devices.
You might need to hide from:
- FLIR cameras
- Thermal rifle scopes
- Drones
To avoid these devices you can use this object.
Making of a Ghillie Blanket
Now, when you know all the basic information about ghillie blankets, we can discuss step by step how you can make your own ghillie suit at home.
The materials
The process of making a hand-made ghillie blanket starts from choosing materials. You have to be diligent at this stage because wrong materials might wear off fast or might even collapse at the wrong moment.
It is better to start this process by choosing your camouflage. If you do not like camo from the stores you can make your own, just by painting some piece of your clothing, but it has to be something reliable and long-lasting, for example, a BDU’s or flight suit. Also, remember that color must match your surroundings.
Prepare the camouflage
When you decide which camo you want to use, you might start working on it. And we would suggest you do it by attaching some protection on the area of your knees and elbows because you will perform a lot of crawlings and without protection, you might injure those parts of your body.
Attach the netting
Now we can go further and start attaching netting. The whole suite must be covered by it, apply a very reliable synthetic thread to sew the knots of your netting. A fishing line would be a good choice for this task because it is durable and is easy to find for every person.
Jute
When the netting is ready you can start with the next step which is the simple attaching of jute which consists of fiber that makes the main part of your camo. There are two main options, you can either buy the jute at a store, or you can create your own from burlap.
The second option could be even better because you would be able to suit your camo to your terrain, for example, if you are living in the desert you can add more brown colors, or if you are living in the forested area you can add local vegetation and leafy green color. Also, in the case of forested terrain woodland green and woodland brown would be a good choice.
Secure the suit
At this stage, your ghillie suit is virtually ready, now you need just to attach the clumps to the netting of your suit. When it is done you can just check your suit, you must verify whether everything is attached reliably and would be durable in use and whether there are some blank spots. If you find a blank spot, cover it with additional netting that you need to fill into those spots.
Using a ghillie blanket
Now, when you know how to make your own ghillie blanket or suit we can discuss the most effective use of those instruments.
Probably the easiest and the most effective way of using a ghillie blanket is just to cover yourself with it and to simply lay on the ground, it would allow you to blend into every terrain, from desert to forest.
Another effective option is to make your own hideout. To create it you have to connect the ends of the blanket to some structures. Such an option is perfect if you need to cover not only yourself but also another person or an object, for example, a gun.
Factory-made products
Now, as long as you know everything about making your own blankets we can tell you about the most interesting blankets on the market for those who do not have time or desire to make their own blanket or suit.
Beavertail concealment blanket
The first product that we would like to introduce is a concealment blanket from the Beavertail. It has a 3D effect and has vegetation straps of woodland green and woodland brown colors that provide additional cover. The blanket is lightweight and made of synthetic materials.
Blanket woodland camouflage from Red Rock
The actual blanket size of this product is about 48 inches which makes it pretty comfortable, also it has a relatively light weight. The netting is made from a material called nylon which makes the blanket more reliable.
Also, as long as synthetic thread hangs the blanket appears to be longer.
Beavertail field blanket
This is a bit smaller blanket that works perfect for one person. Also, it has a very interesting pattern.
MOPHOTO suit
This is a very interesting suit because it not only hides you but also it protects you from fire. Moreover, it has a retardant water repellant that protects from bad weather. Lastly, it is made with UV brighteners.
The only disadvantage of this suite is the fact that its regular price is quite high.
LOOGU netting
This is a perfect netting for creating your own blanket or a duck blind. It is made from the best materials and can be done in 10 different colors.
Southland Camo Netting
This is probably the most lightweight netting that you can find on the market. It is especially good for hunting, with it you can create either simple coverage or a whole hunting blind. This netting is also water-resistant.
So, now you know how you can cover yourself in nature, we hope that our article was useful and will help you in your survival and hobbies.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Why are they called ghillie suits?
The actual reason why those suits are called ghillies is pretty plain and simple. This name is derived from the Gaelic word which means a boy. It refers to Scottish boys that helped adults in hunting and fishing.
How to Make A Ghillie Blanket?
It is actually pretty easy to make such a blanket, to do it you need only a handful of materials and a few minutes of free time. If you want to find complete instructions on the making of your own blanket, you can find a full page dedicated to it above.
How to pick the best emergency blanket?
The answer to this question depends on your needs. Because for some purposes you need an ultralight version of the blanket, while in other cases you would need a duck blind or ground blind blanket.
Can I buy a ghillie tarp online?
Yes, it is very easy to buy ghillie tarps online, probably it is the best way. Online you can find all different types of tarps, also you can make your own selection results if you need to blend into some specific terrain or if you need a really lightweight blanket.