Moonlight ops

Exchange the techniques and skills needed to walk the shadows. Post your guides and how-tos here.
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NewbieNinja
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Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Sat Dec 26, 2015 10:41 pm

Short version: Any tips for opping on a moonlit night?


TL;DR warning
Last night, I decided train nops. I went to an area I frequent on the edge of town.
Last night was my first time opping on a moonlit night. I hadn't gone opping for a while cuz of personal reasons which I might discuss in another thread.

The moon was nearly full and everything was bright! This is my first time opping with the moon lighting up the whole place. I found it to be way harder....

I was wearing black for this training op. Unless I was next to a deep shadow, I just felt like I stuck out real bad.
I used the bent knee walk and tried going as fast as I could from shadow to shadow.

Then I got to an area with shorter brushes. These brushes didn't have leaves and the moon was pretty much at apex, killing almost all shadows.

I wasn't sure what to do.... I tried sitting in the brushed curled up to distort my silhouette.
It was then... I wished I had camo....

With camo, I might have been able to hide in those brushes. I might have been able to crawl through the open areas....

I'm kinda bummed. I dropped a bunch of $$ for black gear and now it looks like I gotta do the same for camo.
Black is also my favorite color and tends to be cheaper/ more available. Which makes me even more sad...


Do u guys have any tips for opping on a bright moonlit night?

CookieThief
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by CookieThief » Sun Dec 27, 2015 1:04 am

Think of it as the in between of Day and Night ops. I would practice hiding your shadow and silhouette by moonlight.

Read this http://nightops.net/doc/mov_stealth/The ... bility.txt
The world is dark until your eyes adjust.

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Psychlonic
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by Psychlonic » Sun Dec 27, 2015 1:20 am

For what it's worth, while I'm definitely a loud singer of the camo praises, your black probably wasn't costing you as bad as you thought it was. Camo or a lighter color will be more optimal and should be acquired IMO, but you have to remember your eyes are adjusted and more importantly than just knowing you're a black spot, you can see detail. People passing by the area who have unadjusted eyes and aren't expecting you will only readily see you if you are moving. It's a tricky balancing act of knowing when to move fast before anyone can look, and when to move slow in case someone IS looking. Sort of a twisted night ops red light/green light game with high stakes.

I wrote that guide linked to, it's probably not all encompassing but it should give you ideas to work around. Think of how it applies to your individual location and use the techniques to navigate moonlit terrain more effectively, allowing yourself the best vision outward while remaining hidden. Visual superiority. There's more than just staying hidden. The more you can see and the less everyone else can see, the safer you are.
Knowledge alone is not power, it is the potential for power. That potential can only be unlocked through applying that knowledge and realizing the skill.

NewbieNinja
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Sun Dec 27, 2015 1:53 am

Whoa! Thx for the link!!
noob question: How'd u get to it? The library?

CookieThief
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by CookieThief » Sun Dec 27, 2015 2:54 am

Library.
The world is dark until your eyes adjust.

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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Sun Dec 27, 2015 6:20 am

CookieThief wrote:Library.
Oh ok thx! Lol

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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Sun Dec 27, 2015 6:35 am

Psychlonic, I just noticed ur comment. Thx for writing the moonlight guide!! :)

Psychlonic wrote: black probably wasn't costing you as bad as you thought it was.
Just for clarification, do u mean "cost" as in performance or $$? Like "black ain't too expensive" or "black ain't that bad"?


Also I really like the red/green light game analogy. I've practiced in this area b4 without moonlight. It was dark and i felt way safer. I was slower paced when it was dark rather than darting to whatever shadow I could find.

I kept thinking " am I suppose to move this quickly? I must be doing it wrong.." Lol.
But yeah, the green/red light analogy rly clears things up.

NewbieNinja
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:53 am

I tried opping again at the same place last night. This time I decided to go through some thick brushes. They were rly thick. I had to break and back a lot of branches with my knife. When I turned to look back I could kinda see a trail had formed.

Is there a better way to travel through rly thick brush? I felt that I disturbed a lot of the scenery. I read somewhere that investigators and trackers look for trails of broken twigs/branches.

I tried to disturb it as little as possible, but there was no way for me to get through without breaking 'em.
Not to mention it was pretty loud. "Snap! Crack! Krunch!"
But I felt safer hiding in the thick brushes than in the open areas exposed by moonlight. Someone once said "Better to be heard than seen."


I also took some pics. First time photography on an nop for me lol.
Attachments
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NewbieNinja
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Mon Dec 28, 2015 12:57 am

Hmm... Not sure why the pics R upsidedown... But when u click to view it's right side up...
Gosh, I'm such a noob!! Lol

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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by Absent » Mon Dec 28, 2015 9:02 am

Pretty much every time I feel like I'm in an open spot and likely to be seen, if I don't move and I'm in appropriate attire, people don't see me. It never ceases to amaze me. I'm pretty risk adverse these days (way more than I used to be anyway), but back when I took a lot of risks I would find myself hiding near people pretty regularly. It's really surprising how little people pay attention / can see you when you're in a shadowed area. As long as you avoid sudden movements, wear appropriate clothing, and ideally have some cover, nobody is going to see you. I once was like 10 feet away from a hunter (poacher?)(who presumably was also acclimated to the dark, and I was like halfway under some brush. I was almost sure he would see me, but nope. Now, I wouldn't bank on this and I don't. I avoid those situations as much as possible now, but ime usually you're ok and shouldn't overreact.

Basically my experiences line up directly with everyone's advice.

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Xanatos
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by Xanatos » Mon Dec 28, 2015 10:29 am

I've spoken quite highly about the joys of operating under a full moon and the tactical advantage the contrasting shadows bring. On a cloudy night or a night with no moon, the scattered ambient lighting is pretty even meaning that someone whose eyes are adjusted to the dark will be able to see pretty evenly across the whole environment. But when the moon is full, not only does it make navigating and spotting landmarks easier but it also amplifies the shadows cast by objects - especially at a distance. You can squat in the shadow of a tree under the moon and, provided you're not silhouetting yourself against a bright backdrop, you can remain safe in the knowledge that you won't be seen by a passerby. While camouflage is generally preferable over black you must remember that when exposed to the moonlight you will cast a shadow too and the contrast your camo brings will stand out somewhat. Where the moonlight hits the camo will break up your outline, but underneath you'll still be casting a humanoid shadow. When wearing black, your dark silhouette will 'bleed' into your shadow making you look like an amorphous blob of darkness.

As for traversing through thick brush, try to avoid stepping on the roots/base of the plants you're weaving through. If it's unavoidable, then take wide, irregular steps by lifting your feet high (perhaps even jumping from spot to spot) and don't walk in a straight line. Straight paths catch the eye easily, whereas scattered sections of flattened vegetation with no real hint of continuity look less conspicuous. And wherever you step try and 'fluff up' the vegetation you flattened to make your footfalls even harder to spot. The more obvious approach is to simply walk around whatever dense vegetation is blocking your way, but this isn't always possible.
I was on such a trek on my last op - the vegetation was so thick that even when I hacked a path through the reeds the trail behind me was barely discernable. Luckily nobody traverses that neck of the woods anyway - I mean, who in their right mind would want to walk through there?
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:38 am

I took out my multicam acu and observed it from a distance in the moonlight. I did notice what u mentioned. It casted black shadows. Since the uniform was a bit wrinkled, there was a bit of shadowy tiger stripe going on.

Thx for the brush tips. I was mostly going through in a straight line haha. I'll be sure to zig zag next time.

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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by Lynx » Tue Dec 29, 2015 4:31 pm

You haven't wasted your money on black gear, IMO. I own exclusively black gear, and camouflage everything I have on me black.
Tough shit if It's moonlit and someone sees me walking through an open field of grass. Of course, I'm going to get spotted. However, I think that black gear is much more adaptable to the environment than, let's say, ACU. Seeing a dude decked out in ACU against a brick wall is going to ring alarm bells. Black can fit in anywhere. It's present anywhere, in some shape or form. In the forest, during day ops, rolling around in the mud and attaching leaves/branches into your MOLLE can serve just a good camouflage (or even better) than a fancy set of A-TACS FG or Kryptek Typhons.
For urban settings, which are brightly lit, I rely on uniformity, rather than hiding. If I curl up I look like a lump of blackness, perhaps a garbage bag. Curling up in a corner, even if brightly lit, is enough for someone to pass by without spotting you.
So black gear is not a waste of money. If you op in a lot of environments, in my experience it is the best "all around" camo. By all means, camouflage suited to the environment is far superior. But don't be distraught.
Don't take it too seriously, you're not coming out of it alive.

NewbieNinja
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Re: Moonlight ops

Post by NewbieNinja » Thu Dec 31, 2015 12:28 am

Thanks u guys, I feel better now. I'm gonna stick with black for now and perhaps complete my multicam set at a later date.

I just love how available and cheap black is. Often times I see the same piece of gear pricier in camo than in black. And plus Black's my favorite color.

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