Gain the Edge with the Best 3D Leafy Camo for Hunting
Most wild game are blind to color, including whitetail, turkey, and elk. Their vision is tuned for spotting outlines of threats, this includes regular camoufalge and blaze orange. The 3D effect of leafy camo adds depth, making it even more difficult to be spotted. The rest of this article reviews what to look for in a 3D camo suit, and gives our top recommendations
Before You Buy: 3D Camo Considerations
3D camo is not terribly expensive, but as with all gear, mileage may vary depending on the quality of the suit. Consider these points below to ensure you buy the best 3D leafy camo for your style of hunting.
- Sold as a Set or Separately – Some camouflage suits are sold separately as jackets and pants. Obviously, this can significantly increase the total cost required for concealment gear. Some bow hunters are happy enough with just a 3D camo jacket, as some pants tend to grab and pull on underbrush. A jacket only also makes sense when hunting from a tree stand, as your upper body is doing most of the movement.
- Zipped Legs – If you buy a set with pants, make sure the legs have knee high zippers. It makes pulling them over you boots and outerwear so much easier. Elastic ankles and arms are also nice to keep the insects from getting in.
- Breathable Materials – Looks for suits made with at least a 4-oz polyester mesh base. The mesh is lightweight and breathable so you can wear it over your normal outerwear layers depending on the season. The 3D foliage is sewn into the mesh base giving it the lifelike look
- Bonus Features – Look for extra features like cargo pockets, hoods, boonies, and zippered jacket pockets. Some high-end 3D camo has built in insect repellent, which is a major bonus if you’ve ever dealt with mosquitos, ticks, and chiggers while in the bush. Other innovations include silent fabric technologies and color change fabrics that adapt to the outside temperatures.
- Safety Concerns – While a 3D camo suit can elevate your concealment to wildlife, it also becomes harder to be seen by other hunters. This can present a clear safety concern, especially during archery season. Most states do not have a Blaze Orange requirement for bow season. While there are blaze orange camo patterns, they do not have the 3D break up effect. One company below has a patented 3D Blaze Orange suit that solves this problem.
3D Leafy Camo Comparison
| Camo Suit: | Set $ Range: | Sold as Set: |
|---|---|---|
| See3D Blaze Orange 3D Leafy Camo | $$$ | Yes |
| North Mountain Guide Series 3D | $$$ | Yes |
| Cabela’s Ghil-Leaf System | $$$$$ | No |
| Cabela’s Leafy-wear Pro II | $$$$ | Yes |
| TrueTimber Leafy Suit | $$$ | Yes |
| Arcturus 3D Leafy Ghillie Suit | $$$ | Yes |
| Cabela’s Instinct Max Concealment | $$$$$ | No |
| Cabela’s TCS Hybrid System | $$$$ | No |
| KamoLeaf 3D Leafy Ghillie Suit | $$ | Yes |
Best 3D Leafy Camo Suits
Now that we know what to look for in a camo suit, and what the prices ranges are, it will be useful to review some top recommended 3D camo in more depth. See what camo patterns are available, and which features we like best.
1. See3D Blaze Orange Leafy Camo
- Patterns: Blaze Orange (True Timber base)
- What we Like: Innovative 3D Blaze Orange pattern. Lifelike leaf cut.
- What we Don’t: Does not (yet) meet all states blaze orange requirements.
See3D is the first company to produce a leafy camo suit in a blaze orange pattern. The company founders, a father and son duo in Vermont, saw a gap in the market when they went looking for safer 3D camo clothing. Not finding anything, they took the initiative and invented their own. The result is the See3D Blaze Orange 3D camo suit.
The suit is a lightweight jacket and pants set that can be worn over your hunting clothes. The main layer is a NoSeeUm mesh, with polyester leaves. The base color is blaze orange, with the proven TrueTimber MC2 Blaze Orange pattern. The cut of the leaves is very nice, with a pointier cut to the leaf edges that is very realistic.
If you take your safety seriously, the concept behind See3D makes a lot of sense. Not only do you gain the benefit of depth and outline break up to conceal yourself from wildlife, but you now will be seen by other hunters. Combining the latest in leafy camo and the safety of blaze orange is a win-win scenario.
2. North Mountain Guide Series 3D Camo
- Patterns: Fall Brown, Spring Green
- What we Like: Nice seasonal patterns, soft silent materials.
- What we Don’t: More visible mesh than we’d like, but it’s at least camo mesh.
The North Mountain Gear 3D camo set is made of breathable fleece as a soft shell. It’s best used in the cooler weather of fall and spring, so keep that in mind if you are in warm weather regions. The jacket has two very large hand pockets with zippers and elastic closures. The pants also have two big pockets with zippers, and knee-high zippers for easy on off in the tree stand. While over-sized to begin with, the pants run big, and the jackets are true to size. While there is not as much leaf coverage as we’d like to see, the shell being camo patterned makes up for it.
3. Cabela’s Ghil-Leaf System
- Patterns: Zonz Woodlands
- What we Like: Great fall pattern, made with typical Cabela’s quality.
- What we Don’t: Only one pattern, jacket and pants sold apart.
Cabela’s patented Ghil-leaf camo technology has made this realistic 3D camo set into a best seller. The leaf cover is cut to an exact outline of real maple leaves. The cool part is how they built it with a microfleece liner on all leaves for improved silent movement. The time proven Zonz Woodlands pattern, and the suit materials only get softer with washings.
The jacket has four pockets, including two large cargos on the outside, and two for hand warming. The hood has a draw cord, and can even roll up into the collar so it can’t catch on branches or brush. The pants are equally useful, thanks to two large cargo side pockets and zippered hand pockets. You must buy the jacket and pants separately, and the set is pricey, but is the best camo hunting suit for the money in our book.
4. Cabela’s Leafy-wear Pro II Camo Suit
- Patterns: Zonz Woodlands, Realtree XTRA
- What we Like: Silent Leaf materials, doesn’t snag on brush easily.
- What we Don’t: Two sizes to choose from.
For a less costly alternative to the Ghil-leaf camo, look no further than the Leafy-wear Pro II. Long a top seller at Cabela’s, the Leafy-wear Pro II has gone through continuous improvements. Made from 4.5 ounce mesh, the suit shell is now suitable for even the warmest fall hunts. The jacket has a full sized, draw string hood and even has a camo facemask that stuffs into one of the two cargo pockets. What sets this suit apart from others is the silent leaf materials. The camo use longer leaf shaped strips of fabric to give it depth, rather than individual leaf cutouts. With use the leaves really achieve a worn in 3D effect appearance.
5. TrueTimber Leafy Suit
- Patterns: TrueTimber Kanati
- What we Like: Great price for a jacket and pant set.
- What we Don’t: Durability is an unknown.
The TrueTimber Leafy Suit might be the best cheap camo suit for hunting this year. The price is very attractive for a jacket, pants, and boonie set. This camo suit has a similar look to the Leafy-wear Pro II but with a shade darker drowns and greens. The included face mask and the MR III insect repellent built into the fabric are the two features that might make this suit a great buy.