Post by Ceorlmann on May 19, 2012 23:42:42 GMT -7
Since no one started a thread on this yet...
I don't know whether one is looking to evade 4-legged or 2-legged predators. I will say that all things considered, the 2-leggers are the ones to worry about more. In that case, here are a few things I try to do and practice...
1) Blend in. This doesn't always mean dress up in your cammies and putting on your "war paint." Blending into a crowd in a city setting is a marvelous way to make it hard for whoever's looking for you to track you easily, and that's if they even find you once you've disappeared into the crowd (i.e., wearing similar clothes to those around you, mimicking their body language, etc.). In the woodland setting: woodland cammies are the way to go, as well as dull-colored or dark clothing (although I'll suggest saving the dark clothes for nightfall). Apply your "war paint" to any and all skin that isn't covered by your clothes. If there's no war paint, use mud. The Native Americans used mud to great effect as a camouflage tool. If it worked for them then it'll work for you. Another thing, and this applies in just about any setting, whether it's wilderness, rural, suburban, or urban: darkness and shadows are your friend, especially at nighttime. Use them!
2) Leave as light a footprint as possible. I mean this both literally and as a figure of speech. Whenever I go through the local park, I try to not step anywhere muddy or where the dirt will retain my footprint. However, such spots are sometimes unavoidable, so if bad weather is coming really soon or it's already downpouring, the rain will help get rid of your footprint, or at least make it harder to define as your footprint. In the figurative sense: something the Special Forces did during the Vietnam War was fire at the VC using AKs and the AK round. This, for a brief time, made the VC wonder if they made contact with their own side, and any leftover casings found would not immediately make them point fingers at our own troops. If somehow you have rock-solid intel that says the foe uses x-caliber, and you own that caliber both in gun and ammo, then that's the weapon to take whenever you're in the foe's territory.
3) Know which way the wind's blowing. If you're facing the baddie's territory and the wind's blowing directly against you and moving to your 180 (your back/tail/rear/whatever else you call it), then your odor won't be picked up easily, if at all. If the wind isn't constant in your area, then you'll need other ways to eliminate odor (washing yourself daily is a pretty obvious method).
4) Keep awareness of any forms of light. This includes the sun, streetlights, car lights, flashlights, searchlights, etc. Even a lit cigarette can give away someone's position (including your own). On your person: nothing shiny or bright should be exposed, especially jewelry. If it can reflect light, stash it. I hate to say it, but this also includes glasses. I'd only wear glasses if they had an anti-reflective coating on them, and the frames were of a dark, dull color. Flashlights should not be able to turn on without you pressing the button yourself. A Surefire flashlight can, and will shine through most clothing.
5) Use bad weather to your advantage. Most people naturally want to hunker down when the rain is pouring, especially when it's coming down hard. That's exactly the time to get going and move away from nearby foes (or move toward them if your intention is to engage them). The rain will eventually eliminate your footprints, it provides a noise cover (this is a marvelous thing if you're walking over fallen leaves!), etc., but don't hang around immediately after the rain has stopped as that's when the various odors, especially unnatural ones, become strong-smelling thanks to the humidity. Also, while heavy rain means you can't see all that well, remember that that also means the foe can't see you either unless the foe has thermal imaging devices (such as InfraRed) that weren't ruined by the rain. Use fog for the same purpose.
6) Noise discipline. The less rattling, crunching, and other noises, the better. If you can hear yourself, then you're too loud. If you're with someone else and that person can hear you, then you're WAAAY too loud! Any canteens or water bottles you have should be full whenever possible. This isn't just to ensure you have a max supply of water (always a good thing), but also to eliminate the splashing noises when you're moving. If you're someone who likes wearing necklaces or chains, then either take them off and put them somewhere safe or tape them to yourself. Ditto with dog tags. I won't go specific for every item you may carry, so I'll just say: listen to how much noise you make then next time you take a walk in a quiet area.
7) Check your surroundings using your senses. Look around a good 360 degrees every x-amount of paces (should not exceed 10-15 paces per look). Sniff the air constantly. Open your mouth slightly to taste the air in case your nose missed something (or you have a sinus infection and can't use your nose in the first place). Stop, drop, and listen at random. Relax so you can feel things (wind, temperature of objects, vibrations, etc.). You want to get the drop on the foe, not the other way around.
There's plenty more to add, but I'll let others add on to it as they see fit. I'm too tired to keep typing so I'm calling it a night.
I don't know whether one is looking to evade 4-legged or 2-legged predators. I will say that all things considered, the 2-leggers are the ones to worry about more. In that case, here are a few things I try to do and practice...
1) Blend in. This doesn't always mean dress up in your cammies and putting on your "war paint." Blending into a crowd in a city setting is a marvelous way to make it hard for whoever's looking for you to track you easily, and that's if they even find you once you've disappeared into the crowd (i.e., wearing similar clothes to those around you, mimicking their body language, etc.). In the woodland setting: woodland cammies are the way to go, as well as dull-colored or dark clothing (although I'll suggest saving the dark clothes for nightfall). Apply your "war paint" to any and all skin that isn't covered by your clothes. If there's no war paint, use mud. The Native Americans used mud to great effect as a camouflage tool. If it worked for them then it'll work for you. Another thing, and this applies in just about any setting, whether it's wilderness, rural, suburban, or urban: darkness and shadows are your friend, especially at nighttime. Use them!
2) Leave as light a footprint as possible. I mean this both literally and as a figure of speech. Whenever I go through the local park, I try to not step anywhere muddy or where the dirt will retain my footprint. However, such spots are sometimes unavoidable, so if bad weather is coming really soon or it's already downpouring, the rain will help get rid of your footprint, or at least make it harder to define as your footprint. In the figurative sense: something the Special Forces did during the Vietnam War was fire at the VC using AKs and the AK round. This, for a brief time, made the VC wonder if they made contact with their own side, and any leftover casings found would not immediately make them point fingers at our own troops. If somehow you have rock-solid intel that says the foe uses x-caliber, and you own that caliber both in gun and ammo, then that's the weapon to take whenever you're in the foe's territory.
3) Know which way the wind's blowing. If you're facing the baddie's territory and the wind's blowing directly against you and moving to your 180 (your back/tail/rear/whatever else you call it), then your odor won't be picked up easily, if at all. If the wind isn't constant in your area, then you'll need other ways to eliminate odor (washing yourself daily is a pretty obvious method).
4) Keep awareness of any forms of light. This includes the sun, streetlights, car lights, flashlights, searchlights, etc. Even a lit cigarette can give away someone's position (including your own). On your person: nothing shiny or bright should be exposed, especially jewelry. If it can reflect light, stash it. I hate to say it, but this also includes glasses. I'd only wear glasses if they had an anti-reflective coating on them, and the frames were of a dark, dull color. Flashlights should not be able to turn on without you pressing the button yourself. A Surefire flashlight can, and will shine through most clothing.
5) Use bad weather to your advantage. Most people naturally want to hunker down when the rain is pouring, especially when it's coming down hard. That's exactly the time to get going and move away from nearby foes (or move toward them if your intention is to engage them). The rain will eventually eliminate your footprints, it provides a noise cover (this is a marvelous thing if you're walking over fallen leaves!), etc., but don't hang around immediately after the rain has stopped as that's when the various odors, especially unnatural ones, become strong-smelling thanks to the humidity. Also, while heavy rain means you can't see all that well, remember that that also means the foe can't see you either unless the foe has thermal imaging devices (such as InfraRed) that weren't ruined by the rain. Use fog for the same purpose.
6) Noise discipline. The less rattling, crunching, and other noises, the better. If you can hear yourself, then you're too loud. If you're with someone else and that person can hear you, then you're WAAAY too loud! Any canteens or water bottles you have should be full whenever possible. This isn't just to ensure you have a max supply of water (always a good thing), but also to eliminate the splashing noises when you're moving. If you're someone who likes wearing necklaces or chains, then either take them off and put them somewhere safe or tape them to yourself. Ditto with dog tags. I won't go specific for every item you may carry, so I'll just say: listen to how much noise you make then next time you take a walk in a quiet area.
7) Check your surroundings using your senses. Look around a good 360 degrees every x-amount of paces (should not exceed 10-15 paces per look). Sniff the air constantly. Open your mouth slightly to taste the air in case your nose missed something (or you have a sinus infection and can't use your nose in the first place). Stop, drop, and listen at random. Relax so you can feel things (wind, temperature of objects, vibrations, etc.). You want to get the drop on the foe, not the other way around.
There's plenty more to add, but I'll let others add on to it as they see fit. I'm too tired to keep typing so I'm calling it a night.