A ghillie suit can be the perfect camouflage for one person.
But what if you have multiple people, like children?
What if you need to be able to make your family melt into your surroundings fast, leaving no trace?
Knowing that this is a must-have in your survival pack. Will you buy or DIY a ghillie blanket?
Benefits of a Ghillie Blanket!
Being the prepper dad that I am, I am always trying to come up with new innovative ideas to give me an edge in protecting my family.
One of my big fears is being pursued with small children in tow and needing to disappear fast.
One day one of my Amazon recommendations was a Ghillie Suit. Then it hit me!
What if I make a Ghillie Blanket?
A ghillie blanket should be large enough to drape over us and allow us to melt into tall grass or forest vegetation.
I started looking into Ghillie Blankets, and realized there weren’t too many out there. A couple of the commercial ghillie blankets looked decent, but I think I can make two for the price of one of the pre-made ones.
Now that I had a concept in mind, it should be trivial to make it. A good base to start with would be some burlap. Camoflauge burlap would give you a nice camouflage base to start with, further adding to your stealth.
Even a Mossy Oak brand of camouflage burlap is available.
The Camo Burlap already does a pretty good job of camouflaging items, but to really make it effective you’ll want to add some Ghillie strips to it. A ghillie suit kit or two should provide plenty of ghillie strips and strings to fasten to the burlap blanket.
Once all the strips and strings are all tied on to the burlap, take it out and roll it around in some dirt, mud, leaves and get some foliage tangled into it.
If you remember the movie “Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves” and the forest ambush scene (1:09:28), where the Merry-Men abduct Friar Tuck, then you’ve already seen the Ghillie Blanket concept in action.
Hi-Tech Avoidance
This setup, if done right, should allow you to hide from the naked eye, but what about technical surveillance, like thermal imaging (drones, FLIR cameras, and thermal imaging rifle scopes)?
To try and negate the heat signature, one could fasten an Olive Green All Weather (Heavy Duty) Space Blanket, shiny side down, to the Ghillie blanket.
If you plan of fleeing or bugging out solo, then a ghillie suit might be the perfect camouflage for you, but if you have children or a small group you might want to fashion a few ghillie blankets!
How to Make A Ghillie Blanket
The key to making your ghillie blanket effective is to make sure that it’s done properly.
Step 1. Choose the right materials.
The easiest material you can start with is a camouflage outfit. If you don’t own one yet, you can turn your normal clothes into a camo suit by using a spray paint that will blend perfectly with the environment.
You can get a military flight suit or a battle dress uniform as they work really well for the purpose, too. Another option is to repurpose an old but durable mechanic’s suit.
Remember that the base color of your suit should match the terrain you’ll be hiding in.
Step 2. Before you start attaching the netting to the suit, consider sewing some pockets and pads for your elbows and knees. This is particularly important if you will be doing lots of crawling.
Step 3. Once you have your suit prepared, the next step is to get enough netting that will cover it entirely.
Choose a transparent thread to sew knots to the mesh netting. You can use a fishing line or a string of dental floss. They work well since they don’t fray easily. You can also use glue.
Step 4. After the netting, the next thing you need to do is decide what jute to use. This is the vegetable fiber that will make the bulk of your ghillie suit.
You have the option to buy jut twine from your local supply store. If that’s not possible, then just get a burlap sack and create your own jute.
Step 5. Secure clumps of jute to your netting using simple knots. Try to be random with the colors to avoid concentrating a specific color at a particular spot.
Step 6. Finally, fluff up your suit and check for any bald spots. Make sure that there’s enough coverage to make your suit effective.
How to Use A Ghillie Blanket
You can use a ghillie blanket to adapt to different types of situation:
- One of the most common and the easiest way to use it is to just throw it over you while you’re flat on the ground.
2. Another option is to attach its ends to different structures and create a hideout. Using a ghillie blanket as a tent is an excellent option if you have pieces of equipment you’d like to conceal with you. It could be a chair, tripod, or a gun. You can sit inside it without losing cover.
The Best Ghillie Blankets to Buy
Now, if you don’t have the right materials or you simply don’t have the patience to do a DIY ghillie blanket, you have the option to purchase a ready-made one.
Below are the best products you can get on the market today:
1. Red Rock Outdoor Gear- Ghillie Blanket Woodland Camouflage
This ghillie blanket has nylon webbing tie straps that make it durable and reliable outdoors. It has reinforced edges that keep it stable and secure when used as a cover.
The blanket has a three-dimensional design which makes it effective as a camouflage.
You have the option to buy it in either desert or woodland pattern, depending on the environment you’re planning on using it in. This ghillie blanket measures 5’x12′.
2. Beavertail Blanket 3D Concealment Blanket
This ghillie blanket from Beavertail conceals well in different field situations. It has a 3D camo design which is so much better than the regular camo patterns you can find in most ghillie and concealment blankets.
The materials used to create this ghillie includes low-profile polyester and burlap. And to provide additional cover, it comes with sewn-in vegetation straps. You can use it with or without a blind.
3. Beavertail Chisel Plowed Field Beaver Blanket
Measuring 7’x4.5′, this particular ghillie blanket provides enough coverage for a single person. With a leafy pattern, it’s designed to mimic vegetation in fields with or without a blind.
4. LOOGU Camo Netting
This ghillie blanket is one of the most durable blankets you can buy today. Its fabric is made with 150D polyester oxford that’s resistant to tears and rips.
You can use it for decoration, hunting or concealment without worrying about it wearing down easily and quickly.
It’s also an excellent choice when you’re creating a duck blind or you’re having paintball games in your yard. The blanket is available in more than 10 different colors. Although it comes in a fixed width of 4.9 feet, you can have the length customized according to your needs and purpose.
5. Ghillie Suits Ghillie Blanket
This ghillie blanket is designed to resist fire, water, and mildew. It has no UV brighteners which make it an excellent pick for those who are allergic to such components.
Another interesting thing about it is its netting. It actually allows you to add local vegetation to make sure that it will blend more into the surroundings.
6. Southland Archery Supply Outdoor Camping Woodland Camo Netting
This camo netting is both lightweight and durable.
It makes the perfect ghillie blanket whether you’re doing your own hunting blind or you’re simply creating additional coverage to capture your prey.
The material used to create it is water-resistant so it should be able to keep you safe even when it’s raining.
And to keep you secure, there’s edge binding and mesh net reinforcement throughout the net as well.You can get this in two different sizes- 4.5′ x 5.5′ or 6.5′ x 10′.
Now that you know that ghillie blanket is the best way to ‘disappear’ in natural terrain, it’s time to put it into practice.
So prep up and teach your kids how to “hide” and blend in the forest.
We never exactly know when and why we will use it next…
This is an excellent post and a stupendous idea. My 7-year-old grandson was given his own Ghillie suit. He startles me now and then by wearing it without warning me. It works perfect in our forest. The dogs are wary around the suit and the cats hiss. That’s just the fun and funny part. The good part is that one’s young ones would be more safe in a survival situation. Kudos John B.
Another great idea. Thanks.
You might consider doing both sides of the blanket so you can better match the area — one greener and one browner, for instance. Then perhaps seal it up in a vacuum seal bag to reduce bulk.
This is a great idea. Thank you! – johnb
Do you have any pictures during the construction and of the final product. An excellent idea!