Friday, January 20, 2012

Ghillie Suit

A ghillie suit is a head-to-toe camouflage outfit used to disguise hunters, snipers, wildlife photographers, and paintball enthusiasts.


Also called a "wookie suit," "camo tent," or "yowie suit," typically they're a netlike base covered with scraps of frayed rope, mossy tendrils or leaves. They're far more effective than traditional patterned camouflage because they break up the outline of the form.

They're often used in forest or grassland environments, but they've also become popular for an amusement called "urban camouflage." 


(Direct link to video) A German artist recently hung out in an IKEA store in Stockholm wearing a ghillie suit made to blend in with a big display of colored paper.
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Wikipedia on Ghillie Suit

11 comments:

Michael Chesley Johnson, Artist / Writer said...

It's too bad the IKEA camouflage artist is moving nearly the entire time. When the odd person walks by, usually he's aware of the artist. Sorta defeats the idea of camouflage.

Daniel Schallau said...

And I've never seen such an empty IKEA.

James Gurney said...

Yes, I guess the idea of the IKEA guy is to get noticed, just as much as it is NOT to get noticed. Better to get really noticed, which is why I prefer Viking gear.

Vicki said...

The real problem with this particular encounter is that he had nothing to do there. What he needs is to shoot rubber bands at passers-by, and then be still. Or throw paper airplanes, or toss coins. Just being there in his paper costume was not so interesting, for the observer or for the artist, I am assuming. Next time...

youngstudios said...

worst sniper EVER!

MHelwig said...

One of the factors involved in effective camouflage is the ability to stay still. My guess is his design of a Ghillie suit has a tendency to chafe. The perfect gag would have been for him to stay perfectly still (perhaps in an adjoining bin) and when a customer got really close to make a sudden movement.

Gregory Lee said...

Looks like the Heap, as I remember it from my youth. Can we put images in comments? I don't know how. Here is a pointer to an image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5d/Heap.JPG/240px-Heap.JPG
It "arose from the muck during the early years of World War II": "Resembling a huge humanoid haystack whose most visible facial feature was a dangling root-like snout, the mute monstrosity first battled the lupine-cowled Blackhawk-style Allied ace Skywolf before turning against its fellow Germans who were now fanatical followers of the evil Nazi cause."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heap_%28comics%29

Unknown said...

he was later charged for shoplifting, but was fined for rustling after being reamed out by the judge, he had 250gsm of paper on him, since being caught he has decided to turn over a new leaf. His new art venture has now folded, and he is to be seen in his parcel ghillie suit in the post office, he explained he is trying to push the envelope!

Ashley said...

and this is what happens to artists who are exposed to paint fumes a bit too often....

Wedding Suits For Men said...

That is the worst Sniper that I saw.

Anonymous said...

Dude, that is not IKEA. At least not in Stockholm. Its most likely City Gross.