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how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Fri May 12, 2017 8:32 pm
by Haporal
When you know that someone is coming close by and that you're going to get spotted, do you have a way to hide your eyes from that person's view ?

I was thinking about getting a ski mask to carry on my forehead just in case i'm going to get spotted, do you think it's a good idea ? and if not, how do you conceal your eyes ?

I know that i shouldn't think too much of getting busted because it would mean that i've done something wrong/stupid, but i can't just train on empty places my whole life for opping, and as i'm a bit of a noob, i suffer a lack of experience which need to be fixed by training at more living areas.

However, i think that a dark ski mask could be a good idea to accustom your eyes to dim light a bit before to actually go on your op.

I'm also afraid of the "might shine" effect of the mask's lenses, i don't want that ski mask the be the litlle detail that will make someone think that i'm worth investigating, so dunno...

Anyone already tried this before ?

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 12:09 am
by Psychlonic
You really don't need any special gear for this, standard technique is to face your target, minimize your profile, and cover your eyes with your gloved hand, peering through the very tiny slots between your fingers to see. This typically involves laying face down on the ground, facing the threat. In this way are you small, completely covered in dark clothing/camo, but can still see and judge your next move based on what they do. This becomes a reactive game of sorts, doing nothing until absolutely necessary because if you psyche yourself out and think you've been had then proceed to stand up before sprinting away the whole situation is blown.

Another way to think about it, night ops are all about seeing anything but not letting anything see you. The further you can tip that visual scale in your advantage, the better you are doing. Obviously this applies to the other senses as well - particularly sound - but maintaining a sort of "visual superiority" over everything else is always top priority. Seeing threats well in advance will prevent you from having to go prone and looking through your gloves in the first place.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 5:35 am
by Xanatos
Hand in front of your face, like Psych said, or turn your head away from your opponent. Normally in such a situation I relax my eyelids a little so there's less of a shiny white surface exposed (or even close one eye entirely) and look at my opponent's torso or feet rather than their face. The human brain is amazingly good at perceiving faces & eyes, so if you make yours difficult to discern you're less likely to be noticed.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Sat May 13, 2017 7:58 pm
by Haporal
Ok then, thank you for helping me out guys, i think my question is answered but can i still use them before going on an op to usure my eyes to dim light ? is it useful or is it some kind of "placebo" effect ?

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 4:43 am
by Xanatos
I'm not sure what you mean here... you mean getting your eyes used to dim light? It's not so much a concern for me any more but I used to wear sunglasses when travelling to a target and taking them off before entering the AO. Makes a world of difference.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Sun May 14, 2017 4:51 pm
by Haporal
Yeah, that's what in meant, thank you !

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Wed May 24, 2017 1:12 pm
by NINJAHAMMER
You can also use netting or a black / camo veil. You can still see through it but it helps to hide the exposed skin areas or the shine of your eyes. It should only be used when near searchers or when you may be spotted as it will slightly hinder your vision. You can sew it to the eye slit area of a ninja mask and tuck it inside when not in use. The military uses a camo bug head net and something like that could also be used and may make stationary surveillance more tolerable if bugs are flying around. I'm not a fan of face paint or using charcoal under the eyes as you cannot quickly remove it if you have to suddenly become just a person taking a walk at night vs an operative ; also, face paint in the eyes will ruin your day (had a bad halloween experience, so trust me on this). I've enclosed a picture of a woman's veil for funerals, just to give you an idea of the type of fabric you could use.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Thu May 25, 2017 5:33 am
by Xanatos
That's not a bad idea actually.

While I haven't worn facepaint or eyeshadow on an op before, I know you can remove it quickly with a tissue or cloth if you need to but the problem arises when you start to sweat and it fades off your skin. It's an extra careful precaution if absolute camouflage is a must, but for most ops a bit of skin around the eyes won't reveal your position.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 1:08 pm
by Haporal
when i'm training for opping i often end up removing my bataclva anyway because it's a pain it the ass to try listening around with something on the ears, but keeping it as a "cap" seems to be the best way to wear it because you can just slip it back on your face if needed.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2017 8:45 pm
by Xanatos
Try cutting holes or thinning the material around the ears.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:05 am
by zyklonben
Haporal wrote:when i'm training for opping i often end up removing my bataclva anyway because it's a pain it the ass to try listening around with something on the ears, but keeping it as a "cap" seems to be the best way to wear it because you can just slip it back on your face if needed.
Xanatos wrote:Try cutting holes or thinning the material around the ears.
If you're opping you're most likely doing something that's at least mildly illegal, so it's never really a good idea to be taking off your mask. I put mine on before I'm near the AO, and I don't take it off until I've put a great deal of distance between me and it, due to paranoia about unseen cameras both commercially and privately owed. I would recommend doing something like Xanatos said and modifying your gear to be more accommodating.

I've also found that if you have long hair or just large hair in general and you wear a full head mask like a balaclava, your hair can get squashed over your ears. So (subtly) trimming your hair near your ears or getting a haircut that does so for you could help as well.

Re: how do you conceal your eyes ? (+Ski Mask)

Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 6:44 pm
by Sicarius
I like creating a hood or shadow for my eyes with the shemagh, or keffiyeh, and it breaks up your head-shoulder outline. And it is multipurpose...

#shemaghmasterrace