Before you start making a Ghillie suit you have to decide how it will be used so that you can decide on what style of suit to make.

The most common cadet options are:

1. Crawling style - jacket & hat
2. Crawling style - full suit
3. Stalking style - full suit

For cadet activities, you are normally best off going with one of the crawling type suits due mainly to the nature of the type of exercises cadets normally take part in.

Below we show you both crawling and stalking type suits so that you can see the differences.
Note: The stalking suit LOOKS more impressive but is not normally as practical!


Crawling style - jacket & hat

This tends to be the most common style of Ghillie suit for cadet exercises. It can be rolled up small for taking to and from the exercise and as the majority of cadet exercises involving the cadets up crawling around on their stomachs, a full stalking suit would just keep getting caught in things. To Make: Take one old combat jacket - oversized so it can be worn OVER your normal DPMs (and maybe webbing) Add one old floppy DPM hat. Cover the hat completley in Ghillie material. Cover the BACK of the jacket in Ghillie material Cover the BACK of the arms of the jacket in Ghillie material Add padding to the front - if required. Add padding to the elbows - if required

This is a Crawling style suit, made using the "Sewn on hessian" method where Sandbags were cut into strips and sewn onto an old OG Shirt with garden twine and a wool needle. The hat was a polish army hat and was covered in strips of scrim netting covered in cam cream as well as hessian. The S/NCO wearing this suit is facing away from the camera

Crawling style - full suit
Made to the same principals as above, but you use either add a set of over-trousers or more popularlly, use a set of coveralls.

This way the complete back of you is covered and enables you to venture out into fairly open terrain more easily.

To Make:

• Take one old set of oversized coveralls so they can be worn OVER your normal kit
  
• Add one old floppy DPM hat.
  
• Cover the hat completley in Ghillie material.
  
• Cover the BACK of the coveralls in Ghillie material
  
• Cover the BACK of the arms of the coveralls in Ghillie material
  
• Add padding to the front of the chest - if required.
  
• Add padding to the elbows - if required
  
• Cover the BACK of the legs of the coveralls in Ghillie material
  
• Add padding to the front of the legs - if required.
  
• Add padding to the knees - if required
  

Stalking style - full suit

The Stalking style Ghillie is not suited for those exercises where you will not be laying down or crawling much. They are ideal for forest based exercises where it is preferential to remain more upright, or in situations where you will need to be constantly "on the move". As a cadet this style of suit is probablly a bit "over the top" and not really suitable for normal exercises. As a staff member these suits can be ideal for use by those members of staff who are not employed as safety supervisors and want to watch their cadets in action or have a role to play in the exercise. To Make: Take one old set of oversized coveralls or Take a piece of large netting Add one old floppy DPM hat. Cover the hat completley in Ghillie material. Cover ALL of the coveralls/netting in Ghillie material

This is a Stalking style suit, made using the "Tied-on Jute" method where the Jute threads were tied directly onto a net that had been shaped to cover the wearer completely, including a built in hood. The S/NCO wearing this suit is actually facing the camera and has a good view of it!