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How the Ghillie Suit Helps in Combat
While the ghillie suit is often used in paintball and in wild game hunting,
the invention of camouflage has been associated with war and survival for
countless centuries. It’s true
that camouflage as we know it started to appear in the 18th century
and didn’t really catch on until the 19th century in
India
. However, camouflage had already
been observed in the animal kingdom for many years.
Camouflage helps to de-emphasize a soldier’s uniform and to hide colors and
distinct shapes. The ghillie suit is
a highly advanced piece of camouflage clothing.
It is sold in various designs, including jackets, shoulder and head
covers, ponchos and full suits. What
this type of suit does is break down the outline of the sniper.
In military operations ghillies suits are modified by soldiers who create
costumes according to the surrounding conditions.
However, wearing simulated twigs, vines and moss has its own advantages and
special features. For instance, in a
factory-made ghillie suit the belly of the outfit is usually reinforced with
heavy canvas to help shield the sniper’s torso.
(Normal military operation may demand that he stay there for hours or
even days) Some military ghillie
suits are also designed to be lightweight for improved vulnerability.
Ghillie suits work because they obscure the sniper’s outline, letting him
stay “invisible” and thus getting a much closer shot of the target.
In addition to ghillie suits military personnel also rely on ghillie
rifle covers. This is because the
straight and rigid lights of a rifle can reveal a sniper’s whereabouts.
By putting a rifle in a specially made sleeve, the sniper can minimize
the appearance of this hard object. The
key is completely blending in to the environment.
Soldiers are trained to keep an eye on anything strange looking or out of the
ordinary. Of course, the human form
is one of the most easily spotted shapes among any species.
This makes the ghillie suit irreplaceable in combat.
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