Q:Do you have a ghillie suit? If yes, did you buy it or make it? what does it cover?
A:Yes, I do own a ghillie. I painstakingly made mine by hand and nearly threw it into the fireplace halfway through. It uses 1" fish net as mesh, on chocolate chip desert camo BDU's.
My suit has jute on the tops of the arms and my back. My front has no netting or jute, a characteristic 'stalker' suit.(this makes crawling through anything MUCH easier.)
Q:From 1 to 10, how often do you wear the suit? (10 = every game, 0 = never)
A:Sadly, I have to say 2/10 here. I added FAR TOO MUCH jute, and dread wearing the thing or the thought of untying all that jute. It's bulky, leaves jute fibers everywhere, and is generally unpleasant. A serious rework is in order sometime this summer.
Q:From 1 to 10, how much of your ability to hide from opponents comes from your suit? (1 = hardly any, I mostly use cover; 10 = without my ghillie suit I might as well be painted blaze orange and decorated with Christmas lights)
A: This one gets a 7. My suit isn't the pinnacle of sniper garb, but when wearing it most people have a hard time spotting me. Prone or low crouch work best for concealment with my suit.
Add anything you want... amount of experience might be good, as well as the type of terrain you play in.
I play on private property, in pine forests with occasional grassy fields. I've been experimenting with colors to find a shade that matches the brown/orange of dead pine needles as well as the plain jute color of dead grass. No luck yet
I've been sniping a while, I guess. :shrug:
To brush on your main post, Army ghillie suits have canvas on the "high traffic" parts of the suit to aid in comfort as well as durability. Standard BDU's wear down pretty fast when you scratch around like a 1-legged lizard having a seizure. Store-bought ghillie's are pretty much just as you described them: COSTUMES. Few are worthy of the name, and nearly all fall apart very quickly.
Ghillie suits are seen more as a 'flair' than actual camouflage to most people, hence why many Youtubers only use them for "sniper" gameplay. For those that do recognize their practical uses, they also know the long list of cons to using them, including
- Inability to blend with buildings, rocks, etc.
- Inability to blend with standard troops.
- Can restrict movement, usually make you sweaty.
- Constant attention to maintaining effective garnish.
- Difficulty in accessing select gear.
- Storing when not needed in-game requires ample backpack space, etc.
- Most games are far too fast-paced to warrant their use. (Novritch is of the same mindset, and your main example I assume)
Don't get me wrong, I love my ghillie! I view them as an essential piece of kit for every sniper, and making your own is like a badge of honor. It's just that mine is too bulky.
My recommendation for you is to use as little jute/burlap as possible. Whether you make a full suit or just a ghillie hood,
LESS IS MORE
It might look like not enough, but ignore your gut feeling. Break in what you have, then see if you need more AFTER that.
...I ignored that tidbit of advice and really regret it now. Untying jute is like torture for your fingers.
