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Hi Jim,
After reading Grampa R.’s post about making a ghillie suit I thought he, as well as other readers might be interested in knowing there is a company that makes custom ghillie suits. They are made with materials that reduces the thermal signature to almost nil. The burlap is dyed with a fire retardant and water repellent. Multiple colors of the burlap are layered to make it match your area of operation. The burlap is dyed in such a manner that it will appear to change color to blend with naturally surrounding foliage and/or regional terrain. This is the company that designed the roll-up ghillie and invented the thumb loops to keep sleeves in place. All suits come with thumb loops unless otherwise specified. These suits work so well they are regulated by the Department of State! They have custom made over 10,000 suits. They come with a 30 unconditional guarantee and a 2 year warranty against defects in workmanship. If one wants the best ghillie money can buy you won’t go wrong. They also make ghillie covers for rifles. Custom Concealment, Inc.See: http://www.ghillie.com/index.htm.
Regards, – F1

Here’s my views on some of your more recent e-mail. Grandpa R. brought up some interesting things. First of all on the Ghillie suit, I don’t recommend a poncho for the stereotypical work a Ghillie suit is used for. A Ghillie suit is a task and terrain specific uniform that’s employed by specially trained folks. If you already have the training and field craft to use a ghillie suit correctly and effectively, then you already know the answer to the question. That answer isn’t the poncho, it’s the same one or two piece suit that every sniper from every nation uses. There’s a reason they ALL use the same thing, and that’s because it’s the only thing that will does the job at that level of expertise. Jim’s recommendation on the poncho is dead on for the survivalists who aren’t graduates of a service branch’s sniper qualification course. The poncho is a multi-use item, and that’s always a plus. A great example of one is the German Zeltban. The Zelt can be used as a poncho, breaking up the outline of the human figure, as a “shelter quarter” to make a four-man tent, as a tarp to make an individual shelter, as a poncho for rain, etc. as an outer garment including various ways to configure it for walking, riding on horses/bicycles, etc. Many European countries used them right up until recently. Most are canvas, so they are quiet, though they are heavy. many are designed with summer foliage camouflage on one side, and winter on the other, though I’ve seen some that are just green and you can dye them whatever you want for your area. If I was going to use one in the desert, I’d make a copy of the Zelt in canvas with one side day desert and the other side night desert, and update the buttons, etc. If I was in the north, then woodland on one side, and a winter/fall on the other would be a better choice. You get the idea. A liner made from a GI poncho liner would also create a sleeping bag, and a field jacket. It’s a phenomenal piece of kit. I can provide specs to anyone, just e-mail Jim and he’ll let me know if it’s something worth pursuing in the future for an installment on the Blog.
On gas masks and NBC, you have to remember not to equate Army NBC training and procedures with your’s as a survivalist. You don’t have the
logistics tail to make fighting and operating in contaminated environments a viable option. The best you can do is provide a limited amount of NBC protection that will allow you to egress a contaminated area. Changing filters when “in the soup” is not high on my list of things to do. High on that list is getting out of that area. Don’t think “Army”, think “survivalist”. It’s two different things. In a practical sense, you simply don’t need a “dirty environment change” capability. You need a capability to protect yourself long enough to get to a clean environment. The mask filters will give you plenty of time to do that. Military operations in an NBC environment and survival operations in an NBC environment are two very different things. Equipment, individual tasks, et cetera are the same or similar, but they are conducted differently. That doesn’t mean you’re doomed if a gas bomb hits. You’re never doomed if you prepare. But your actions as a survivalist will be different than your actions as a soldier on the battlefield would be.
On the subject of NVG/NODs. Older generation devices will exhibit what’s called “bloom” effect. So a tritium night-sight would present a big softball sized glow on the end of your weapon. The later gen units greatly reduce the bloom effect, so what the effect is will greatly depend on the generation of the systems in use. Electrical tape will pretty much cure any noise and light problems at night.- “Doug Carlton”

Jim,
“Grampa R.” wrote in, asking about changing filters in a contaminated environment. I agree with you on the constant exhale method. I’ve also seen military NBC folks cover the opening after removing the filter while changing it to a new one. This seemed a little complicated to me, even with the other filter prepped for install. Also, this method would necessitate deconing your gloves or whatever you would use to cover the hole before covering the hole (or you would risk inhaling contaminant that might be on your gloves.) I like the method you described much better. It is always good to seek overhead protection before changing canisters if you are still receiving agent.
The M17 series of masks should be considered “Tier 2” masks in my opinion, due to the problems changing the filters in a contaminated environment.
Regarding masks and filters: Your mask has a series of valves that control intake and outlet. Hence, you should be alright to keep a filter installed in your mask as long as you keep the opening to the filter covered with something like duct tape. Roll one end of the duct tape well past the opening and make a small “handle” by putting it back on itself. Then when you don the mask all you need do is to pull the duct tape off the opening of the filter and your good to go. The inlet valve on the mask (which only works one way) and the tape covering the opening of the filter are keeping dust, pollen, etc. from getting into the filter. The older issue C2 filters came in a metal can that took approximately 1 minute to open. These are great for storage, but would take some time to open without practice. The new issue C2A1 come in a quick open plastic can type container. Very durable, I’ve stood on them to no effect. Micronell M95 filters are another good choice if you can’t find C2A1s.
I encourage readers to learn symptoms of the various chemical agents as well as treatment. Hope this helps. – R.H.

Jim:
I find I must disagree with you about Ghillies. In my opinion a poncho is a not a good idea for a Ghillie. My advice instead is to use a long “lab-coat” style jacket [as the starting point for constructing a Ghillie]. I bought mine for $10 at a surplus work-clothes store. Get a large one which will fit over your LBE without your pack. Dye it brown (or some other more tactical color) and cut the front of the coat in a U-shape from just above the belt-line and from the outer edge of the thigh (so the material on the sides just brushes the ground when you are on your belly), it should look like a set of “Tails” on a bizarre tuxedo. Get rid of the button closures too, replace them with velcro closures to get in and out of the suit fast. Then use camo-netting or fishnet to cover the coat completely across the back, arms (with an inch or two of excess) and a veil that goes over the head and down about half-way to the waist (so it can be used to cover your weapon.) Secure the net on the suit either by sewing it directly or by sewing on buttons and making button-holes in the netting (sewing directly is MUCH easier.) The burlap, rope, cloth pieces, etc. are then tied to the netting, completely across the back and the back and top of the veil with a small amount on the front of the veil itself. Add a pair of trousers with the back of the legs similarly covered and either sew strips to a pair of boots or make a pair of spats covered in strips. I also recommend covering the knees and elbow areas with heavy material to reduce wear and pad the joints when crawling.

One other note, [lining a ghillie suit with] mylar is a bad idea, a Ghillie suit is hot enough, adding mylar will have you broiling in your own juices in five minutes if you cover yourself in it and that’s the only way to disguise your heat signature enough to matter. If you are worried about FLIR or other thermal detection, find an olive drab space-blanket or, even better, a “combat casualty blanket” which is a heavy padded version of a space-blanket, and convert it into a cover for you position.- Warhawke