gear thoughts

[Schatten.Bären]

I have a shemagh (OD/black) and an Alpenflage BDU style jacket I picked up from a surplus store I worked at. The Alpenflage has a lot of white and red which Im unfamiliar with, being from USA. Do you think any amount of white will be more likely to give me away, or will it be advantageous while on an op? The greens and blacks on the top and shemagh are pretty damn close so Im not worried about blending. What other excuses, other than it being a scarf, could I give to an officer if I were to be detained? Detained is not arrested, by the way.

[Ghost]

For your camo, it really depends on what kind of environment you're going to be opping in. Most likely, the white will just help to break up your form, but there are certainly areas i can think of where white flecks on your camo would be more of a disadvantage than an advantage. I wouldn't worry about it too much, though, because camo should only be a backup precaution in the first place. Use solid cover and concealment to obscure you from watchful eyes, and think of the camo as a safeguard for when you make a mistake, or when there is no cover immediately available (which is rare).

As for excuses to give to police... simply don't get caught! This may seem like a gross oversimplification, but in fact it's the opposite. When you op, you need to go out there with the willingness to do whatever it takes to avoid being apprehended. Planning any bit of your clothing, equipment, or opping choices around "if i get caught" will only serve to diminish your operational effectiveness. Planning for being caught will only make it a more likely outcome. There are some here who will disagree, but ask any of the veterans, and they'll tell you the same thing i did. Being apprehended, arrested, detained, or questioned is completely unacceptable while opping. instead of planning for what you might do if that occurs, instead plan for what you might do to prevent that from happening.

[Xanatos]

That camo looks really selective, and while the red would blend well with the dark (since red is on the lower end of the visible EM spectrum and absorbs light) the lighter parts would stand out quite a bit, unless you happen to be in an environment to match. If you've got nothing else, then stick with it though.

[Teutoni]

So you're North American, can you get any more specific? Regardless Alpenflage is unlikely to be very helpful unless it is Fall yet generally speaking some camouflage is better than none. I would recommend moving to something more dark and with colors that you are more likely to approach year round in NA. Also I agree with Ghost, you shouldn't even get detained. Ever.