General Stealth Talk

[Psychlonic]

Why? Because why not?
I feel up for it.

Night ops.
Black ops.
Red ops.
Blue ops.

There's plenty of sketch on definitions here, but one full agreement the community had settled on is that there's no "gray man" in traditional night ops. As you know however, it is often impractical and sometimes even impossible to completely go unnoticed during an operation so the solution is to instead rely on avoiding suspicion.

Gray man as not only an operating method but a lifestyle is strangely under-discussed here, but let us be perfectly clear: gray man =/= the night op way. Yes, going totally unnoticed can be hugely frustrating. Your heart will race so hard sometimes that it seems like your entire body seems to undulate with the beat. Sometimes you think you've been had and it's all over.

There have been times even I have decided to modify my attire to appear more casual so I can just take a path of least resistance back to a safe place. Maybe it's tired, maybe the sun is starting to light up the sky and I'm out of time.

In a way, I've always considered that a foul. The idea is to increase my skill as to avoid that as often as I can. That's how you [more] safely train in night ops - you give yourself that lifeline but you learn to depend on it less and less. That is the true essence of night ops - it's how you accomplish your objectives.

For those confused: well it's a night op, right? If it happens at night, it counts? Sure, but that's not what "night ops" means in the context of this website. Our code is always to remain 100% unseen.

It's a challenge! It's not supposed to be easy, that's why it's so useful. Anyone can dress gray man and go jogging into a construction site for extension cables - it happens in almost every city at some point. The value of night ops is longevity. The more often you step out into the night, the higher and higher the chance of something going wrong. It's not about the one mission. It's about continuing to be able to operate.

Will that always be the best approach if you're just set on accomplishing a particular goal? Of course not. However, it's what we're here to practice. Struggle. Fail. Learn. It's more possible than you think and once you get into it properly. You'll find yourself looking back and realizing that had you been gray man in some scenarios, you would have been arrested. Sometimes you're suspicious no matter what and there is no gray man. That's why you want there to be nobody.

This is going to be a random thing, I wouldn't set any expectations.

More later.

[Psychlonic]

Now that we've got the obligatory, regularly scheduled preaching on not lowering the bar out of the way, I actually wanted to talk about what I was bashing in the last post: gray man. Gray man not only as a method of conducting operations but also concepts like EDC.

Excepting environments that none of us appear to operate in, night time only takes up so much of a day, right? Yet, it seems like the typical user here likes to take a small part of this world into their every day. They make it a part of their identity and way of life.

With that being said it's fair to assume we all think about this subject individually so why not open the general discussion on the topic? It can be anything from how you automatically glance with your eyes as you enter buildings to scope out security to your favorite EDC knife.

As for me, I kind of appreciate being left alone when I'm in the woods. I'm there to enjoy nature, explore, try new ideas, etc. Therefore I like to do my best to essentially be inconspicuous while being as hard to actually see as possible.

My personal best success here seems to be with a multitude of appropriate solids. Of course any given solid that matches a dominant part of your terrain will work optically, but when it comes to not drawing unwanted attention when there's no choice in the matter, the more variety the better it seems like. I've seen it written by others that a uniform appearance just isn't normal in every day life and I agree based off what I've seen.

This actually opens up reasonably good camouflage options that you can wear right in front of people and they'll never think anything of it. There are patterns for days that can function as camo and many with good terrain-matching profiles. Current fashion also allows for functional trousers with stretch and pockets nobody will bat an eye at.

For solids, a good "safe" approach would be a pair of athletic cut darker blue jeans (they stretch, max mobility), dark olive long sleeve and maybe a brown tee or vest over the top. Just a visual example you can hopefully imagine to get an idea of what I mean by "multitude of solids". From here, more break ups are just a bonus. Maybe the t-shirt has black writing on it. Socially speaking, words are free camo. Nobody cares and it can help break your profile.

I personally see the apex of this concept as being able to blend in and thrive in any social environment, hide at will away from people, and to be a mask and pair of gloves away from being night ops capable. Any given moment.

More later.
More now:

Thought: I think one hugely underrated aspect of going gray man is not only social capability, but adjusting those social skills to suit an outward persona. When I consider it, there's a very delicate nuance that one needs to learn to pull it off.

For example, if you've been here for a bit you've probably noticed my workout thread at some point. And you might wonder how the fuck someone who has my build can possibly slip through the cracks socially when everyone is going to notice. I know some of you here are skyscrapers too which draws attention.

In my opinion and experience, it's not always about not drawing any attention. People are curious by nature, even the sheep, and will ask questions. Literally all you have to do is check off their mental list in a satisfactory manner and they won't give you a second thought.

Let's say you're at... I don't know, let's say a celebratory lunch gathering. You're there for recon. You're dressed nice enough, you're carrying some decent EDC and you're not printing at all. All squared away. As far as looks go you did great - you're the gray man. Now, someone comes up and strikes up a conversation.

Handling this badly can make you the first suspect if anything happens there in the near future and people find out it happened. Don't be the weird person. People remember the weird ones. Why? Because people generally tend to remember how you make them feel above all else. When you make someone feel uneasy, they will remember you. If you're super awkward and people are cracking jokes behind your back, they'll remember you.

So, first off you need good general social skills.

Back to the example of me, then, my approach is just to break the tension and be friendly with them. To be honest, I just prefer to be that way with people anyhow so it comes naturally. I wouldn't be considering anything harmful to anyone these days, but who knows maybe I'm there trying to find out something about someone who's in the wrong. The important thing with my own style I'm forced to utilize is that I come across as confident and that I have enough going on so why would I bother with something as petty as whatever may come later. Does that make sense? I don't look like I even have time for petty shit. (but believe me, I do! )

Finally, I know our userbase tends to delve into fantasy more than the next. This has to be a real craft that you center around yourself. Your realistic appearance and social strengths. Not modeled after fictional inspiration you draw inspiration from. These inspirations are ok, but remember that most of the time they're not normal. When it's not normal, it stands out and goes against the gray man concept.

More later.

[Psychlonic]

Example time.

Basic dark flannel long sleeve. Two pockets for smaller gear, even if you just shift your gear around when you go into "op mode". Flannel material tends to be dead silent at the cost of picking up every ounce of cheat grass in the area. Something to keep in mind when you get back out into the open. You can wear this shirt whenever the fuck you feel like and nobody is going to care.

The stitching here doesn't make this the best example, but you get the idea. Darker, subdued blue carpenters. I like carpenters because they're not as overt as straight up cargo pants (which have immense value we'll get into eventually), but that simple addition of the extra pocket(s) makes a great spot for slim gear. Lockpick set, flashlight, whatever. While jeans may seem weird to operate in, remember it's 2023. It's easy enough to find these now that have elastic fibers so they're stretch as you move. This lets you operate with full mobility, a must-have.

Not enough gear on you for a mission? Wrist braces are innocent enough and everybody knows what it is and why you're presumably wearing it (assuming they even notice since you'll probably be wearing it under a long sleeve). What you might not know if you've never so much as handled one is that these have multiple, removable supports in them. These supports can be replaced with a multitude of equipment, I've even been able to fashion an under-the-door tool inside of one.

More later.

[Xanatos]

I'm a huge fan of Varusteleka's Särmä line of gear for exactly this reason - particularly their marino wool hoodie and tactical jeans. Comfortable, flexible, practical, offer a number of carrying options and they look just like regular civilian clothing. The hoodie particularly comes in a multitude of colours and when combined with a neck gaiter/tube scarf, you can pull the hood tight around your head for a full face covering that's not gonna fall off during movement. The sleeves also have thumb holes for you to cover the palms & back of the hand, although fingers are still exposed. The extra pockets on the jeans allow for a number of discreet carrying options and the crotch patch makes them super flexible.

Särmä products are definitely leaning more into the 'Tactical Ted' side of things (especially given the price tag), but I've always been an advocate of using cheap "civilian" gear for operators. Especially for those who still live with their parents, housemates or SO, having a bunch of tactical gear lying around the house (or in the laundry) just might raise some suspicions without an adequate cover story (Airsoft, for example). Luckily there's plenty of civilian clothes on the market that are just as good as the 1337 operator shit. Plenty of cargo pants & longsleeve tops that come in a variety of colours & patterns that are just as inconspicuous walking the street as they are hiding in shadows.

[Psychlonic]

Actually I really dig their offerings. Someone could ramble about functionality and if it's necessary but these are also pretty stylish. Plus, there IS dress code sometimes where you gotta look like you give more of a shit than to just buy the cheapest cloth that'll cover your body if you want to fit in so there's that.

[Psychlonic]

"Less is more", as the saying goes. When selecting gear for the operation, the name of the game is achieving an ideal "bulk & weight to capability" ratio. How small can you condense your total loadout while not compromising what you're able to do?

This mindset applies not only to strict night op considerations, but everyday gray man activity as well. Of course, in every day you should prioritize just living your life first and foremost but if you can start to add capabilities into it at no functionality cost (i.e. carrying a bulky item you'd rather not) then you may as well. Therefore, we'll start with the concept of EDC and build up into night ops from there.

The reality of EDC is that you cannot just pick gear you think is a good idea and start carrying it all at once as some kind of mastered "system". If it's inconvenient to carry, generally you won't carry it. It begins with your current EDC - simple items. If you can reduce the weight and bulk of these existing items, you're less likely to mind carry more.

Consider lighter wallet material. With chains coming back, how about alternatives such as braided cord or leather? If you're a wristwatch type, maybe a lighter watch that can match your style. How heavy and bulky is your keyring set up? Maybe consider a modular set up so you can leave keys you definitely won't need behind if that's an issue.

Edit: On watches actually, probably my biggest gripe with any of them when I'm doing anything of a physical nature is their profile. I heavily favor a wristwatch with a low profile, the larger G-Shock size and similar ones tend to snag. It's not constant, but when it does happen it's extremely frustrating.

Of course, most will have a phone. Generally the only savings you'll get here might be the protective case with a smartphone, but there's also the option of a flip phone. Smartphones are the king of capability and can be rendered plenty safe enough for EDC with some work, but flip phones are much smaller, lighter, and often safer though not with all models/carriers. What you choose will mostly depend on your lifestyle, with most choosing the convenience and social integration of the smartphone. Flip phones here deserve mention because they are more capable than the models of the pre-smartphone era and allow a few unique gray man tricks. For instance, they're comfortable to carry in your front pocket allowing you to state whenever necessary that you don't have a phone on you, and you'll lack the backpocket tell-tale print everybody expects today with a phone.

From here, we build and increase capability. Swap the mundane for the functional whenever possible.

More later.

[Xanatos]

Another good thing about flip-phones is the keypad is entirely covered, so you're not gonna accidentally pocket-dial someone. They're also incredibly cheap and rather undesirable by most people, so you're less likely to get mugged over it compared to the latest iPhone model.

[//\]

Something I've been looking at recently is this:
https://goodereader.com/blog/product/hi ... smartphone
Its an e-ink android phone, so it can run all your software, and has an color camera.
with an e-ink screen it wont disrupt your vision during ops and it can be set to fully off.

[Psychlonic]

Both worthy considerations. There are some serious killer apps and hardware functionality in favor of smartphones for a lot of things, I have to admit. Perhaps if someone was hardcore about integrating this as an everyday way of life concept it might be worth simply having both for different occasions. Of course, the flips are also cheap enough that you may as well have at least one as a complete burner on the ready if that's the case.

Continuing to build upon our existing EDC, most modern attire allows you the use of a belt. As you can imagine, just the belt selection itself offers a ton of opportunities for you to increase what you can do in your day to day.

Defensively, belts can be used to good effect in a multitude of ways. It's worth considering, however, if you'll be carrying something else for that role. If so, you might consider optimizing your choice instead to be a belt that can more easily conceal other items. It's also worth noting that a belt is your best opportunity to have a discrete high gain antenna on your body. Thinking about it, just fucking "belts" is a big topic unto itself.

Just remember, it's your EDC. You don't have to go full Batman utility belt and don't overthink it. Just look at the belts you have now and consider what you might be able to do to add a little to your day. If it's a cumbersome burden, you won't wear it all the time anymore. It's not about having gear for special occasions, though of course adding said gear starts falling more into gray man - maybe you're doing recon or whatever. For now, I just want to discuss the EDC side of it.

If you're looking for clever ideas, consider some of the woven belt varieties out there. Many of these are suitable for hiding lockpicks and a couple of wrenches. These will likely warp to the curvature of your waistline over time, but this won't effect performance. Find a way to lock them into place so they can't simply be pushed out, I've found twist ties to work fine.

You can also wear a lightweight but strong material that doubles around your body and has a heavy buckle of good striking geometry, effectively giving you a meteor hammer-type weapon. Oh yes, buckles. That's a whole new world of gear selection just with that.

First, a consideration for the belt intended to be deployed for self defense. If the primary purpose of your belt is self defense, for goodness sake don't wear pants that actually need a belt then. Wear pants that stay exactly where you want them to without needing a belt. Second, make sure that belt comes off as quickly as possible. The belt itself should be smooth and be able to be deployed quickly. As for how many, if any, loops to run it through? Opinions vary, but I think just using one loop on each hip is a good compromise between fast deployment and keeping it on you if the buckle is accidentally released. Make sure the loops allow the belt to slide right past, if it doesn't maybe consider modification to the loop.

Buckle up for buckles.
& BUCKLES

More later.

[Psychlonic]

Where to even begin with belt buckles. Of course, your belt and your buckle are a joined system and the number one thing is that it's wearable for every day use.

Big decorative buckles should be avoided unless you're maybe in an environment where lots of people wear them. If so, your buckle should match in style. Big buckles like this draw attention - the anti-thesis of gray man theory.

If you're looking at the buckle as a potential flail head, it's easy to find a buckle with similar weight and better striking geometry that's also more discrete. The weight should be sufficient but not so heavy that it makes wearing the belt unpleasant. Once you cross that line, it's a matter of time before you just stop wearing the belt.

For everyone else that doesn't plan on removing their belt and potentially swinging it at somebody or tangling them up, there are so many options.

Personally I'm a huge fan of ratcheting belts. You lose a bit of functionality in that the buckle itself can't really be used for much else nor is there much storage room in said buckles, but again it comes down to the belt I'll actually wear. These belts are always comfortable and super easy to adjust quickly if I'm exerting effort, sweating, etc. Those tiniest of changes that happen throughout the day that require a quick tweak.

Other varieties offer interesting options however. Just your regular loop and pin type buckle can turn your belt into a short climbing apparatus, for example. You know the type:

Edit - This picture actually brings up another point. These belts that snap around the buckle? Absolute NO GO if you plan to use the belt as a weapon. Same goes for using it for climbing or carrying anything. Hopefully the reason is obvious but just in case, it's because those snaps can come undone at a really bad time.

Some belt buckles serve as a container, but be careful not to fall into the trap of getting one that's too big or heavy. It's also worth asking if there's anything you can carry inside of there that wouldn't be better kept elsewhere. Maybe it's the solution for some and there is a plethora of goodies you can keep inside that you won't need rapid access to.

Other novelties I've seen include buckles that function as a push knife sheath.

Elaborate one-offs abound that go completely ridiculous. Firearm belt buckles and such. Almost all of them are novelties, not worth your time or money.

Again keeping in mind that your belt and buckle obviously go together, consider every possible use of essentially wearing a socially acceptable cargo strap on your waist. Leather is fine - I like leather - but a strong woven nylon belt tends to be lighter, thinner, and can be just as stylish with the right thread patterns.

This topic so far has been mundane in its contents, but I feel it's essential to establish the basic ground work before branching off into what exactly we'll be putting into those pockets, how we mod the belts, etc. Think of this so far not as much "everyday carry" but rather "everyday load-bearing equipment". We detail further from here.

More later.

[V-S]

Those belts with hidden compartments are perfect place to conceal picklocks, as long as it's placed at your rear where it's more flat. It's most useful purpose is probably to hold valuables such as cash or keys so they are not lost or robbed from you.

[Xanatos]

I carry a compact pick set as part of my work EDC. Smaller & sturdier than a traditional pick set in a leather pouch, for instance. About the size & weight of a lighter.

[Psychlonic]

Funny enough, I've never used a folding pick set like that. Always been able to make loose picks work fine maybe, but how do you like it? Lose a little feeling from the handle but not enough to make a huge difference type of thing?

Those belts with hidden compartments are perfect place to conceal picklocks, as long as it's placed at your rear where it's more flat. It's most useful purpose is probably to hold valuables such as cash or keys so they are not lost or robbed from you.

I'm a little conflicted on how I feel about this. Picks in the buckle, fair. Having the buckle on your back, hmm...
I feel like there might be another way. Putting belts on like this on the regular seems like a habit that would be quickly dropped but even if you were disciplined would it accomplish anything? There's a limit to gray man so I won't hold the suspicion factor against it if you were shaken down for any reason, but what you're really left with is a small pouch on your back.

Why not just use a super low profile pouch? There are probably commercial options that do it, but what comes to my mind is using one of those duffel bag shoulder "pads" that are just thicker sleeved nylon for the duffel strap to run through. Some quick sewing to mod it into a pouch about to keep contents inside would work great for this and many other things.

Literally just thought of that idea on the fly, maybe someone can one-up it? Eventually shit like that is kind of where I want this to go: customizable, functional "gray man kit" that you can add or subtract to the EDC. The less sewing required the better, since I think that would encourage adoption of good concepts.

[V-S]

With the belt I mean like with pockets that go along the whole inside of the belt like this pic:

I actually first heard about the belt hidden pockets from the youtube channel "Jason Hanson". Ex-CIA, has heaps on interesting grey man stuff.

[Psychlonic]

Oh hell yeah, that's pretty slick I like it.

[Xanatos]

Funny enough, I've never used a folding pick set like that. Always been able to make loose picks work fine maybe, but how do you like it? Lose a little feeling from the handle but not enough to make a huge difference type of thing?

Then handle is remarkably thin & sturdy so you don't lose much sensitivity. The picks themselves feel a little flimsy, but there's multiple models on the market so pick whichever suits you.

[Psychlonic]

I've seen a lot of really cool builds for them, might either buy or do one up just for laughs.

Short on time today, but something of a consideration: Lemmy might serve as a viable "host" for the community, at least as a backup. I think it would be foolish to abandon here simply because it's stood the test of time - dwindling activity or not. It can also function as a sort of chat room which I think is an enormous step up from Discord. Discord is about as secure as Facebook with content at the very least being scraped and analyzed for advertising purposes, which is then flagged if any undesirable content comes up. This at the very least limits the conversations that can be safely had.

It's 2023 and I can hardly imagine it's perfect, but it's a big step up.

[Psychlonic]

Going in a random direction today with a bit of proper night ops gear.

Specifically, 3D leaf suits. I've talked quite a bit about these in the past, but I still consider them to be a valuable asset. For those unaware that these even exist, here's one example:

Code: Select all

https://www.amazon.com/POWLIFE-Camouflage-Lightweight-Breathable-Photography/dp/B087JLF3HL

In derogatory terms, you might think of them as a "halfass ghillie suit". They're more than just a middle-ground between normal camo and a proper tailored ghillie suit visually, though. They offer concealment without causing half of the mobility issues of a ghillie suit while also compressing down ultra-compact. There are many situations where this kit can make or break a potential operation. For example, may you need to cross open, natural terrain to reach more cover but meanwhile multiple houses border this area. A compressed leaf suit can enable you to travel normally with full mobility and quickly throw the suit over your existing gear as needed to blend in with natural environments.

Leaf suits are usually a nylon mesh with nylon leaves sewed on. The pants are almost always elastic-waisted with plenty of room in the legs. The shirts too are loose fitting with elastic cuffs and possibly using a zip-up design. This means you don't need to fiddle around to put one on, you can literally just throw them over your clothes and even any LBE you've got on if it's low profile.

Have you noticed they're also low cost?

More later.

[Xanatos]

Something similar is the Viper Hood:


Equally compact, easier to throw over existing gear (easier than putting trousers over webgear, at least) and can be customised with local vegetation or even coloured fabric to match your AO perfectly.

[Psychlonic]

The trousers go on like baggy sweatpants really, that is to say; it's really easy.

However I like that option a lot. Looking them up, it seems many also have the 3D leaves sewed on. Maybe I'm just biased toward having them in that style (3d leaves) because of all the experiences I've had with mine and how they can blend into ridiculous areas. It's fast and low effort, I've had too many cases where I was super curious about something that I felt needed better concealment to reach and explore but didn't want to go through the hassle of actually tailoring a suit.

Either way, I feel like the hood might be superior for extended low crawling efforts and could be combined with a veil if an operative needed to remain in a seated, upright position or similar. Perhaps recon from amidst foliage in a scenario where superior concealment is desired. And/or combine trousers, I guess. I can't see into the future and decide anyone's camo requirements.

Edit! Fun fact for the old motherfuckers: NON not only out-survived its parent forum, &Totse, but it's been on the web for longer than &T ever was.
not that we've ever had a fraction of the members or activity but whatever

[Psychlonic]

A little bit of a gray man concept on my mind today: "The Artist"

In today's digital world, the value of pen and paper has never been higher. Further, not all open intel can be gathered digitally. Fortunately, today's society thinks nothing of the middle-class normie sitting somewhere practicing their artistry.

To put "The Artist" shortly, you perform open, daylight recon on a facility by plopping down nearby and sketching out everything you can see of interest. On an operational level, you're wanting to try to draw out maps and floor plans as best you can. What to look for depends largely on the location obviously and how close/how many angles you're able to get without seeming suspicious.

On the gray man level, this needs to look legitimate. Have a good backpack to carry a binder in and don't be sitting there looking like a hired security contractor in "gray man" ops gear. (anyone trained in this sector BTW knows that look. Khaki cargo pants + collared shooting shirt =/= gray man) Pick up a cheap white binder and draw some art on the thing using colored pens, pencils, whatever. It's that hipster vibe, you know the look. That's what you want.

You should maintain a cover by having some art readily available to discretely flip over to at a moments notice. It should be art that you are capable of at LEAST enhancing if you have zero artistic ability. Holding your binder in a way that allows for this flip without an approaching pedestrian noticing is ideal.

Beyond that, you're just drawing out what you can elsewhere. Don't be an obvious snoop, try to glance unnoticed whenever possible. When you need to look up, do so casually and in a disinterested manner. If there are potential choke points in the general AO that could be problematic, be sure to note them and draw out anything you need there as well.

This is just one of many small general tricks for up close work. Maybe sat photos aren't leaving you very comfortable and you need more information on a target. Obviously you have the ability to take photos as well but there is danger here especially with a phone. Paper is a physical thing, sure, but paper can be permanently destroyed - and miss me with that "reconstructing a letter from ashes" bullshit, a good fire turns it into a pile of fine ash - you're not putting that back together.* Digital photos need to be safely sequestered to software that doesn't repeatedly back it up and send it all over the fucking place, and when deleted the only secure delete is a multi-pass so the file cannot be recovered.

* - Edit: For the hyper paranoid, often the next page or two can be smudged with graphite or similar to recreate what was drawn on the previous page via impressioning. You may wish to dispose of these pages as well after the operation is complete and the information is no longer needed.

More later.

[Psychlonic]

One thing that's been on my mind recently is conceptualizing a drop leg pistol rig for concealed carry. This isn't necessarily anything new, a low profile drop leg holster can be worn inside of a pair of cargo pants. The basic idea is that you cut out the inside of the appropriate cargo pocket so that you just reach inside of that pocket to access the pistol in its holster.

All well and good, only problem is that it can be a little finicky in practice. There is also a bit of a limit to the size of pistol that can be carried without obvious printing issues if the system is to be employed in proximity to people.

I think an improvement on the design would be to consider the pants and holster to be two parts of a single system. Rather than completely eliminating the inside of the cargo pocket, instead the material could be used to incorporate some type of attachment system to mate to the holster. The point of this would primarily be to keep the holster lined up in an ideal position for drawing. Otherwise the system is liable to misalign the pocket and the holster.

Also, some discrete way of getting into the cargo pocket faster would be ideal. Typically, cargo pants have flap tops that will require you to open the flap before you can access the pocket. What if the flap was false, permanently attached to the outer pocket material? I envision some type of quick break-away system you can just jam your hand into while going for the pistol that will give way.

However the second concern of printing could tie in nicely here. Some "padding" material to surround the holster set up would at least help prevent the grip from printing. I'm thinking of a curved panel of material that simply goes on the outside of the holster to keep the leg profile rounded, basically. Nothing too wide of course, don't want to look like there's obviously something in the pocket.

Suppose mock up pics might help later. This is just a vague idea that's been on my mind for awhile (that's why this topic is in SG!) that needs some polish and more time in the oven. Why? Sometimes you just might feel the want to have faster access to a pistol than conventional setups allow for. I think it'd be a little too inconvenient for EDC not to mention not as effective concealment-wise. However, for just that special occasion where you think that slightly faster draw will help, it's something.

Anyone with really small legs will probably find the suitable pistol selection not worth it. Regardless of how you carry the best method of speeding up draw time is practice.

More later.

[Mr. Edgyman]

Since you're talking about designing equipment I'm going to use this opportunity to put this idea out there. I did some research for stealth focused shoes/boots, didn't actually find any off the shelf designs, but I did find this really cool video about DIY ones:

https://youtu.be/zRQrgltq-MU

However, he doesn't state exactly where he bought the materials or anything like that or provides any instructions on how to actually assemble everything, I don't have the funds to buy a bunch of materials until I figure out which one is correct, how to correctly cut it and set up the composite, so I can't do the R&D myself, but the results were pretty impressive so if anyone wants to pick up the research from here and maybe do a guide that would be pretty cool.

As for some notes on alterations I think should be done, well, I don't suppose anybody here cares about the step activation super hero stuff, so I think it would be better to make it more of an add-on plate that you just tape to a shoe with a thin sole.

[Psychlonic]

Searching 'buy flexible airloy' seems to bring up a string of options that might interest you. Since even the video creator ignored this option in favor of conventional acoustic paneling though, it's hard to tell if it's worth the extra effort or money.

Quieter footwear is something of a unicorn to night ops as far as I've ever been able to find. In general, the quieter the footwear the faster it will break down. In some terrains, this can also be a little painful. I have a pair of boots that are superficially old US jungle boots except that the soles are eraser soft. Very quiet, also leaves my feet a little sore if I'm moving through rocky terrain.

Good walking mechanics silence walking on most terrain, but to the idea's credit it would be nice to at least minimize that margin of error. Plus there are terrain types that completely change acoustic dynamics. Loose gravel in close proximity to people is the classic bane of sneaking at night. In a case like this, opting for a much larger footprint to distribute weight across a larger area actually quiets each step down.

So the choices in gear are at odds with each other in many cases. You could start out with felt wading boots that are incredibly silent, but depending on the terrain you're in you might come back with your soles completely destroyed. Soft rubber is my compromise for footwear I can wear all night in terrain that won't punish me for it. We still find it lacking.

The only real solution we've been able to find is being able to change the properties of your footwear as-needed, or, sandals.

Sandals made from cut carpet with elastic straps added on was the classic community choice. You can also find felt replacements for wading boots that one could attach to the underside of thin sandals using an adhesive. Assuming sandals can be found large enough to fit over your footwear that's already on.

For me, this is typically an item I don't carry regularly. It's something I bring along after recon and discovering there's no simple way to cross a large area of gravel without possibly alerting people. So, I'll come back with sandals in a pack.

It's definitely an uneasy feeling pushing ahead through loud terrain like this, just ask Xanatos about getting ready for something stupid haha. So, the value is actually immense in having equipment like this.

This is where we're at currently anyway. If anyone comes up with something that's practical on an operation and superior to existing options that'd be great.

[Xanatos]

My quietest opping footwear are diving boots or aqua shoes (aqua shoes being cheaper & easier to get). But like Psych said, the thinner soles make them wear out quicker, especially on rough terrain (gravel, rocks, etc) and offer less protection from broken glass or nails jutting out of floorboards. Still, they are incredibly cheap and compact. You could invest in more expensive footwear (such as tabi boots or Vibram's like of "barefoot" shoes) but a pair of $20 aqua shoes work just as well.

[Shadow Scout]

.

[Xanatos]

That's actually a baller setup. Cheap & easy too. My only concern is the velcro straps - if you're in close proximity to someone (or something, like a guard dog) when swapping footwear, the straps will make a fair bit of noise.

[Psychlonic]

This is pretty much what I had in mind, only change I'd make is the felt soles since they're so ridiculously quiet but those cheap sandals are usually some kind of foam-like material (at least the soles are) and that works really well too. I think philosophy of use should be considered here regarding when to put them on and take them off. Personally I only feel the need for quieter footwear on loose gravel or harder flooring when I have to approach the AO using stiffer footwear because the terrain is so rough. In cases like this, I think velcro is totally fine since putting them on is quiet enough and I can gently take them off in a location where nobody will hear. Maybe for the paranoid individual, keep some kind of sleeve over one side of the straps so the velcro can't close while you're on the move? That way you don't have to rip velcro apart while putting them on.

For myself personally, cheat grass and rough terrain are a fact of life so water shoes are out. If anything I'm jealous of those of you who can wear them more often. Still, cheap sandals like this can slip over all kinds of footwear. Really that boils down to the thickness of the sole and how large the toe cap is. Most footwear that's suitable for night ops should be capable of slipping sandals over.

Either way, in my own experience the way you move makes far more of a difference than what you're wearing. Not to say that applies for everyone. I find basically anything will work 99% of the time, with the balance being either gravel, dry leaves, or having to move quickly over a hard surface. Crunchy snow is a burden too, I suppose, but I generally have greater concerns with that than the noise.

On a totally random note concerning custom footwear, I've been learning about guys in the Asian Pacific lately who make sandals out of old tires (tyres, if you insist). It's kind of a thing over there and they've got the practice down to quite an art. In relation to night ops, I can't help but wonder if a rougher version couldn't come in handy sometimes. Rather than being conformed to a conventional sole shape, leaving them completely rectangular for those times when you KNOW you'll leave footprints and there's nothing you can do about it. An old motorcycle tire cut into such a pair of sandals would provide an interesting throw off, assuming you're able to walk in a way that might convince people someone showed up on a bike. Extremely situational, to say the least, but could be handy for that one special operation.

[Psychlonic]

Going off from the usual topic matter here I made a fun discovery recently. This will sound a little ridiculous, but...

Has anyone ever tried to create a "giant ear" of sorts by using polysheet, paper, cardboard, whatever while out at night? Basic idea here being you roll something up into a quick cone like a semi-deaf cartoon might have.

I know, sounds stupid. It really helps increase the volume of distant sound though and does so with a form factor that's absolutely tiny until you need it. Maybe something to play with on your next operation. You'll be surprised how many sounds you want to get a better listen to from far away.

[Xanatos]

I've cupped my hands behind my ears from time to time (and YES, it does work) but never constructed a device to amplify that effect.

[Psychlonic]

I like to think of that as turning my face into a satellite dish haha. Open mouth and all. In fact, that's actually how I ended up doing this. I stumbled into some kind of event at night and was trying to listen in from a distance to figure out why the hell it was happening at all. Couldn't quite make out the voices well enough using my hands, so I used an empty MOLLE pouch on my back as a "giant ear" curved toward the sound a little.

[Psychlonic]

You wouldn't believe how much time I spent walking across gravel recently. As part of upcoming content efforts, I simply set up a camera and microphone low to the ground and recorded what it was like walking across said gravel with multiple footwear set ups.

Since we recently discussed custom gear, here is the biggest take away from my findings; the quietest gravel crossings come in two flavors.

1. "The silencer" - A soft "sole" with many air pockets to effectively absorb all of the sound coming up into it. Carpet of course is a type of this, many foams, etc.
2. Minimum contact - Imagine walking on stilts with a tiny footprint. It should go without saying that anything resembling actual stilts are unsuitable for 99.999% operations.

These principles are fairly simple and could probably be guessed, but hey for any fellow DIYers out there it's a basic point to start if you're wanting to make something yourself for gravel situations. There will be upcoming videos but since I'm not trying to tease: egg crate foam is stupid effective on gravel.

However, as cool as gear is I'd like to make this post actually about something else entirely.

The Cadence of Sound
If your silhouette is your enemy in regards to vision, your footsteps are your enemy in relation to sound. To my knowledge, nobody here has been able to totally vanish from sight on a technical level. If you have, congrats on being magical. For the rest of us, we know that you don't always have to completely hide. It is just as effective to distort your silhouette when necessary to appear as something besides human.

With sound it's much the same story. Just imagine foot steps in gravel, leaves, snow, deep mud... There's more involved in hearing than the source and direction of the sound. It's the cadence of the sound that tells you what it probably is. This actually extends to just about anything else that will produce sound in your operation. Think of every time you've heard somebody walking without actually seeing them. How did you know? You heard a sound. Then you heard it again. And again. All with virtually identical timing in between.

Breaking the cadence is an excellent way to be ignored. By all means, make no sound when possible. If you must make sound, make sure it is disregarded. A slow grinding step here, a quick tap followed by a normal step and a wait time.

Like any good night op technique, it's the sum of them that counts rather than relying on a silver bullet. Breaking cadence while moving along an area that can conceal your silhouette goes a lot further than stumbling through with sweet ass kicks on.

It works and we know instinctively that it works. Why? Gray man. Camouflage in the open. Broken silhouettes. Uncertain sounds. What do these things all have in common?

Doubt

Doubt is the true cloak of invisibility. It is not worn, it is thrown over the eyes of everyone else.

[Mr. Edgyman]

Breaking the cadence is an excellent way to be ignored. By all means, make no sound when possible. If you must make sound, make sure it is disregarded. A slow grinding step here, a quick tap followed by a normal step and a wait time.

[...]

Doubt

Doubt is the true cloak of invisibility. It is not worn, it is thrown over the eyes of everyone else.

I recently thought about something related to that. Moving to a house after years of living in apartments brought a lot of new experiences or experiences I had forgotten about, among them is sounds of footsteps coming from the ceiling, I initially thought there was someone up there but upon going to the front of my house and shinning a flashlight at the roof I saw two very glowy eyes looking at me, too glowy to be human, also too small, it was a cat, knowing this the sounds don't bother me so much anymore, and that made me think, a person who is used to the particularly careless way of walking on a roof that a cat walks would probably be less alarmed by sounds coming from the ceiling that are loud, fast and careless than an almost soundless, slow and methodical way of walking that a person who doesn't want to be detected might have.

[Psychlonic]

This is borderline off-topic, but does involve stealth I suppose: guerrilla farming. Had fun this summer establishing a couple plots of "farm land". Long story short, certain crops that are fantastic tend to be overlooked as being weeds. In my case, I tested the idea of having lambsquarter and amaranth grows out in the wild. The areas used already had these here and there, I simply threw seeds around from last year during rain and walked around in it.

That's literally it, real low effort stuff.

Anyhow, these plants require next to no care in my area so I just left them be and came back more recently. Buckets and buckets of easy to harvest cereal grains, especially from the amaranth. The leaves on both are good food sources as well, but I left them for the wildlife to enjoy.

[Psychlonic]

If you guys haven't checked out ripperkon on YouTube, he's got a lot of great videos concerning night operations on his channel including evading thermal technology, climbing at night and loads of other valuable tips and tricks relevant to the community.

[Psychlonic]

Kind of want to write down something that goes into the weeds a little bit, even more than my usual.

As most of you know, I've been in the scene for a minute. During that time I've met some really interesting explorers, mostly online but some in person. Now that I have the luxury of a large hindsight I've noticed something that has begun to bother me more and more. It's not an issue that effects me directly, but rather it's kind of sad and a shame to see. This is by no means a call out toward anyone, but I do recommend members self-check for this sort of thing regularly.

Night ops attracts a type. We are more interested in the world around us in general, not just exploring but at all times. In many ways, I would even advocate for the whole community and say that all of you are strictly more alive than the average normie. More intense emotions. I'm betting most of you tend to learn easily, school was probably a breeze and if it wasn't, I'd hazard a guess that your problems stemmed from social/emotional issues that made you disinterested and not the difficulty of the material.

During this time, many are at least somewhat humble in a way. Perhaps there's a superiority complex gained by chasing all the forbidden fruit that your peers do not or cannot, but generally speaking you accept that you've got a long way to go.

As life goes on, I find that many isolate themselves from their peers. They take themselves out of a competition in life that they see as pointless and go their own way, so to speak. There is nothing wrong with that decision whatsoever. Unfortunately, many never place themselves back into any kind of real competitive environment. This manifests what is frankly a delusional sense of superiority that is often insufferable to be around. A person can become convinced that they are secretly better than those around them and even go so far as to completely close themselves off to any form of criticism or advice, even if it would be in their greatest benefit to take.

Not only that, but this poor behavior serves only to further isolate them from their peers. Nobody, not even myself, wants to put up with someone who has that shitty of an attitude. This can even become present in night ops interactions, with one operator feeling offended that someone else dare say literally anything less than absolute worship. It is an insecurity that invades every facet of life and I must confess, is quite disgusting.

Please, do not become that person. Stay humble. Stay hungry. Make improvement your way of life, not a false sense of contentedness. I have watched so many, in many different communities, fall to this. People who think so highly of themselves and don't even realize they're actually a punchline for everyone else. If you find yourself thinking you are absolutely amazing and yet nobody else seems to think so, you feel underappreciated and maybe you harbor resentment because of it, it's time to take a good long look in the mirror.

I'll root for your success.

[Psychlonic]

I looked to see if something had ever been mentioned here before and it seems Sicarius had brought it up but somehow the idea never got the attention it probably deserves: Lishi lockpicking and decoding 2-in-1 tools. In short, it's a way to make a complete idiot able to pick a lock. Decoding is also an underrated ability since you can create a copy of the key needed in private for a comically easy entry later.

In night ops, you'll be interested in the SC (schlage) and KW (kwikset) series. They make other tools mostly for automotive, but you have no business inside of a vehicle on strict night ops.

Notes:
+ These come in a "series" because there are some variations of each type and you'll need different tools in a set for different variations. The SC1, for instance, won't fit correctly into certain schlage locks.
+ They're ~50-60USD per tool so you're looking at around $200 to cover a set.
+ The SC series is the best start for most people. They seem to be the most common lock used in many facilities even today.
+ Don't sneeze at the decoding feature. These are more than just an "EZ Pick", if you can decode a lock in secret that alone can create the operation in the first place.

The question you're all (lol... "all"...) asking is "Is it worth it?" How good are your picking skills? Not just on a table but out in the real world, in the dark against locks that have been exposed to use and abuse. How many times are you foiled by a lock? What is your budget? How much do you care about succeeding on operations?

I think it's worth asking if maybe this could open up the world of NO a bit more to you. That's something only you can decide. For many the low budget, skill-based nature of the hobby is plenty enough and that's legitimate. However, if you often find yourself wishing there was more you could make out of it, maybe start working toward getting some of these absolute gems.

[Psychlonic]

Lately I've been looking at the general "stealth" scene in a more broad scope and I've noticed something amongst it that also appears to be the case here. While there has always been very sizeable communities in Europe and Australia, it seems that today they heavily outnumber their American counterparts. I can't help but wonder what has happened in America to drop numbers not only here but urbex and similar communities. Has fear taken hold with all the shooting news? Cultural shift toward being more law abiding?

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

[V-S]

Hmm... perhaps it's more difficult to do it there due to more risk or being caught and the consequences of getting caught. Surveillance technology is typically available to any household/property these day. And the possibility of being shot by a property owner or by police is moderate. I see a lot of videos out of America these days of gangs of doing a lot of violent home invasions and carjackings, so police and citizens are probably less likely to take chances if they see someone skulking around in the dark. If someone has a gun trained on you, would you risk running away? Even if you are unarmed it's still a worry.

Also, not specific to America, but social media and video games have a lot of people spending too much time in the digital world, instead of going on real adventures.

[Psychlonic]

Wonder if there is a weird demographics overlap happening and this is simply the result. I feel like overall the US is less monitored via camera than the UK, for instance, which has a massive urbex community still thriving today. Maybe stealth was never quite as prolific in heavy urban areas in the US so the advent of personal cameras/online watch-groups has had an impact?

Valid on the violence point, my wonder was simply the proliferation of firearms amongst the general population. It may well be a non-factor.

Perhaps kids growing up are simply more placated with technology, although I still can't figure out why other areas thrive in spite of this. From what I can tell, other communities aren't necessarily aging either. There seem to be plenty of Gen Z urban explorers. However, placation could be a big deal and the consequences of getting caught might heavily outweigh that "safe space" I'll never forget Enfaded Serenicity eventually getting caught for sneaking into a military base and getting a slap on the wrist even after taking his video footage to the media. He would have been paraded on television in the US as a terrorist lol. Also, I know of like 3 night operators from Canada who were ever active.

[Psychlonic]

For those who haven't seen it yet:

How to Evade A Professional Military (Tracking, Countertracking)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDqzlGBejWo

Most of my time with our subject here has been spent on the wiki. It's comfortably ahead of WotS which was sort of an itch I wanted to scratch immediately when working on it, but talk is cheap. Roll out is still on schedule.

[V-S]

Nice.

I'm sure I've posted this before but this video series on tracking/evasion was good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XsrHVdTy7Q

[Psychlonic]

Here's a good channel that has some interesting tests against conventional night vision and thermal imaging:

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https://www.youtube.com/@ripperkon/videos

You'll enjoy that his approach tends to go for simplicity without making things overly complicated.