Ghillie suit: Difference between revisions

{{for -multi|the traditional Scottish clothing|Ghillie shirt|the dance|Ghillies (dance)}}

The English word ''Gilleghillie'' is aderived from the [[Scottish Gaelic|Scots Gaelic]] word{{lang|gd|gille}}, formeaning a young man or older boy who works as an outdoor servant., "Ghillie"and is amost misspellingfamiliar in reference to those employed to assist sportsmen with recreational shooting or fishing in the Highlands. The term "''ghillie suit"'' may be a reference to the {{lang|gd|[[Ghillie Dhu|Gille Dubh]] (English: ''black-haired youth'' or ''dark-haired lad'')}}, an [[fairy|earth spirit]] clothed in leaves and moss in [[Scottish mythology]].<ref name=":0">David Amerland (2017), The Sniper Mind: Eliminate Fear, Deal with Uncertainty, and Make Better Decisions, St. Martin's Press, p. 53, {{ISBN|978-1-250-11368-9}}</ref>

The [[Lovat Scouts]], a Scottish Highland regiment formed by [[Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat]] during the [[Second Boer War]], is the first known military unit to use ghillie suits and in 1916 went on to become the British Army's first [[sniper]] unit.<ref name="mpegler">{{cite book |first1=Martin |last1=Pegler |title=Out of Nowhere: A History of the Military Sniper |publisher=Osprey Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-87364-704-5}}</ref><ref name="sniper">{{cite book|title=The Ultimate Sniper: An Advanced Training Manual For Military And Police Snipers|title-link=The Ultimate Sniper|last=Plaster|first=John|publisher=[[Paladin Press]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-87364-704-5|page=5|author-link=John Plaster}}</ref> The Lovat Scouts were initially recruited from [[Scottish Highlands|Scottish Highland]] estate workers, especially [[Professionalprofessional hunter|professional stalkers and gamekeepers]].<ref>Pegler (2004), S. 129</ref>

Similar sniper outfits in the [[Australian Army]] are nicknamed "''yowie suit"'', named for their resemblance to the [[yowie]], a mythical hominid similar to the [[yeti]] and [[bigfoot]] which is said to live in the [[Outback|Australian wilderness]].<ref name="Advertiser">{{cite news |date=17 June 1989 |first=Bruce |last=Hogben |title=Aussie ingenuity keeps our soldiers safely out of sight|newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] |location=Adelaide, Australia}}</ref>

Although highly effective, conventional ghillie suits (made in fabric or 3D leafsuits) are impractical for many situations where camouflage is useful. They tend to be very heavy and hot. Even in moderate climates, the temperature inside the ghillie suit can reach over {{cvt|50|°C}}. The burlap is also flammable, unless treated with fire retardant, so the wearer may be at increased risk from ignition sources such as [[smoke grenade]]s or [[White phosphorus munitions|white phosphorus]]. Moreover, conventional ghillie suits and 3D leafsuits are made using fabric, so they retain water, and this dramatically increases weight. Conventional ghillie suits are not designed to camouflage in the IR spectrum, so they are highly detectable using night vision devices. Fabric strips, especially of coarse material like burlap, readily snag on thorns, twigs, and barbbarbed wire.

ThereGhillie aresuits also increasedhave risks associated with wearing a ghillie suitdisadvantages in cold environments, as ghilliethey suitscan absorbget watersoaked, andrisking trap it against the body,hypothermia.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wabo |first1=Corporal |title=How to Make a Ghillie Suit from Scratch Like a Marine Sniper (with Camouflage Tips) |url=https://www.marineapproved.com/how-to-make-a-ghillie-suit/ |website=Marine Approved|date=15 April 2021 }}</ref> in some cases resulting in hypothermia.

Civilians have, on rare occasions, purchased ghillie suits to commit violent crimes (other than unlawful hunting). Police arrested an Australian man after they found that he had assaulted womengirls while wearing such a suit.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/nsw/a/36853767/central-coast-father-to-face-court-over-schoolgirls-assault/ |title=Central Coast father to face court over schoolgirl's assault |publisherwork=Au.news.yahoo.com[[Yahoo! Australia|Yahoo! News Australia]] |date=2017-08-27 |access-date=2018-01-31}}</ref>

[[Category:MilitaryCamouflage camouflagesystems]]