Some tips.

Exchange the techniques and skills needed to walk the shadows. Post your guides and how-tos here.
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The Soldier
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Some tips.

Post by The Soldier » Sat Jul 04, 2009 4:23 am

Just wanted to have a thread to put all the helpful minor things you do/carry when oping. I'll start.

1.) I drink a small cup of hot black coffee before oping to counter lower blood pressure at night. 8-12oz. is good caffeine-wise so you can be more alert without over-doing it.

2.) I like to carry a handfull of "nitro-snappers" in my pocket as a distraction as they are small and need no fuse.

3.) When doing B&E a "flat-bar" style crowbar has good application and portability aspects compared to others.
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darktorn
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Re: Some tips.

Post by darktorn » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:43 pm

Are nitro snappers those little bits of gunpowder wrapped in tissue paper that all the kids buy? The ones that bang when they hit the ground...
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Saaber » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:53 pm

even tho im a rookie, and i havent done many ops, I carry a small bottle of gasoline with me, just in case...

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Re: Some tips.

Post by The Soldier » Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:07 pm

yes darktorne.
"Every man dies, not every man truely lives"- William Wallace

"If it ain't rainin' we ain't trainin' "- U.S. Army Rangers.

"It is not enough we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required"- Winston Churchill

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Re: Some tips.

Post by Psychlonic » Sat Jul 04, 2009 10:57 pm

Those poppers are worthless. They can only snap if thrown hard at a nearby object, so you can never use them at a long enough distance to be of worth. Using them at throwing range will just lead them right to you. There are tricks you can use, of course, to counter this like weighting the snaps, but why bother? Anything hard enough to cause them to pop is also hard enough to resonate when struck with a lowly piece of gravel. And a piece of gravel rarely looks out of place.

If for whatever reason you need a cheap pathway alarm, instead of thinking you can put those poppers on the ground, use the pull snaps instead that have the two strings on them. These can be rigged to doors, attached to monofilament trip wires for path coverage, and more.

Prying, while not the best entry method, is the most likely method of entry for any novice. Use it, but replace it with a superior method as soon as you can. An alternative to a pry bar is a thick, two-hand screwdriver. It's not quite as effective, but you get some portability out of the compromise and it's a better choice when you don't know what to expect. If you know you need more prying power, by all means use the bar.

Padlock shimming and door carding are two of the easiest entry methods to learn. All novices should look these two methods up on google as they are quick to pick up and can be done with easy-to-improvise tools. They won't get you everywhere by any means, but they'll take care of your light work with less effort and evidence left than prying can. There's no reason not to learn them, really.


Saaber,
Might I ask what possesses you to carry gasoline around? :?
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Re: Some tips.

Post by The Soldier » Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:43 am

perhaps i should have explained better. the whole reason i use those is to lead someone to me. for example if someone is obstructing my path i throw a few down and move around to either of my flanks. point C beng my previously obstructed objective and A being the point i use the snappers, i am now at point B, my bogie is at point A and my path to C is clear.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by stealththief » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:25 am

Some general tips:
Make sure you know your partners' abilities and your own before going out.
Travel light, you can always come back another night with more gear.
Go slowly all the time, going fast is for movies or large open spaces that must be dashed.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Saaber » Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:15 pm

One of the reasons is torching things i hate(dont worry, not ppl)

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Re: Some tips.

Post by Psychlonic » Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:02 pm

stealththief wrote: Go slowly all the time, going fast is for movies or large open spaces that must be dashed.
The single most important thing to know. Slow is hard to see, fast is easy to see.
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.

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Re: Some tips.

Post by The Soldier » Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:48 pm

the brain responds/reconizes attributes in this order.

1.movement
2.outline/"figure"
3.color

ghillie suits are great because as long as you move slow it takes care of all three attributes quite effectivly all though mobility is reduced
"Every man dies, not every man truely lives"- William Wallace

"If it ain't rainin' we ain't trainin' "- U.S. Army Rangers.

"It is not enough we do our best; sometimes we must do what is required"- Winston Churchill

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Re: Some tips.

Post by killdozer » Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:34 am

The Soldier wrote:the brain responds/reconizes attributes in this order.

1.movement
2.outline/"figure"
3.color

ghillie suits are great because as long as you move slow it takes care of all three attributes quite effectivly all though mobility is reduced
Yeah, but my ghillie suit is extremely hot after long periods of time during the summer and just heavy enough to hinder my mobility a bit which is one of my biggest pet peeves on an op.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by darktorn » Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:28 pm

Saaber wrote:One of the reasons is torching things i hate(dont worry, not ppl)
You sound like a fucking idiot mate.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Xanatos » Tue Jul 07, 2009 10:25 am

A good way to develop your nightvision before an op is to sit in the dark with sunglasses. Once you can see clearly, take them off and you'll see things as clear as day. Went on an op last week (just a bit of recon on a stadium) and tried this trick, I found it difficult to find good shadows to hide in it worked that well!
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Saaber » Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:10 pm

darktorn wrote:
Saaber wrote:One of the reasons is torching things i hate(dont worry, not ppl)
You sound like a fucking idiot mate.
Thats tends to happen sometimes.

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Re: Some tips.

Post by Legend » Tue Jul 07, 2009 3:34 pm

Xanatos wrote:A good way to develop your nightvision before an op is to sit in the dark with sunglasses. Once you can see clearly, take them off and you'll see things as clear as day. Went on an op last week (just a bit of recon on a stadium) and tried this trick, I found it difficult to find good shadows to hide in it worked that well!

I've taken a multi-vitamin which seemed to help night vision. Closing your eyes for ten seconds seems to restore night vision a bit. A 200mg caffeine tablet can help you stay alert. I've also taken ginkgo which is supposed to help mental clarity and memory. A nasal decongestant might help you breathe easier and smell more.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Dethkreep » Wed Jul 08, 2009 4:08 am

-Medium sized rock in the pocket. Thrown to cause distraction.
-More along the lines of a mental crutch, I always bring some pepper spray. But I'd rather have it when I need it than be caught without it.
-Remember that nobody is looking for you the same way you are looking for them.
-Do NOT get cocky.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by darktorn » Thu Jul 09, 2009 9:57 am

Saaber wrote:
darktorn wrote:
Saaber wrote:One of the reasons is torching things i hate(dont worry, not ppl)
You sound like a fucking idiot mate.
Thats tends to happen sometimes.
I'm sorry but bringing gasoline to torch things you don't like could not be further from night ops or even black ops. Unless you are being paid a large amount it's just straight up vandalism and likely to leave evidence and get you caught.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Saaber » Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:37 am

darktorn wrote:
Saaber wrote:
darktorn wrote:
Saaber wrote:One of the reasons is torching things i hate(dont worry, not ppl)
You sound like a fucking idiot mate.
Thats tends to happen sometimes.
I'm sorry but bringing gasoline to torch things you don't like could not be further from night ops or even black ops. Unless you are being paid a large amount it's just straight up vandalism and likely to leave evidence and get you caught.
That was only one time, but I didnt do it, due to too much ppl near that object.and to be honest, I dont know why I typed it here.

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Re: Some tips.

Post by darktorn » Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:33 pm

Saaber wrote: That was only one time, but I didnt do it, due to too much ppl near that object.and to be honest, I dont know why I typed it here.
Fair enough, I apologize for how unnecessarily aggressive my first post was.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Psychlonic » Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:08 am

We all like to have the very best equipment, especially when we're new, but learn to differentiate between fancy and practical. Any tool can be both, but when choosing between the two you need to ask yourself if what you're about to carry is really worth carrying. Gasoline, unfortunately, is impractical for just about anything except for an arson attack and you've got something to gain from it aside from personal gratification.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Zakolus » Sun Jul 19, 2009 7:10 pm

A tip I can offer for movement is: Keep your strides short, and your feet and legs close together. It helps center your gravity and make your walk quieter. I like to bend my knees and walk using my knees as my center of gravity, keeping my hips and upper-body balanced on my knees. Kinda hard to explain.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Xanatos » Mon Jul 20, 2009 6:40 am

Zakolus wrote:A tip I can offer for movement is: Keep your strides short, and your feet and legs close together. It helps center your gravity and make your walk quieter. I like to bend my knees and walk using my knees as my center of gravity, keeping my hips and upper-body balanced on my knees. Kinda hard to explain.
I know what you're taking about. I use Pa'pu (walking on the balls of the feet) while crouched in short steps, helps cross open spaces quickly and relatively quietly.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Dethkreep » Mon Jul 20, 2009 9:35 pm

Yeah. For some reason I do something simalir. I think it was because of something Stealtheif wrote a while back but I'm not sure. I don't so much walk on the balls of my feet as I do walk on the side of my feet. I contact the ground on the outside of the foot, at the part that is right in front of the heel, then I roll along the side of my foot to the ball of my foot, and take another step. It really is virtually silent if you want to give it a try.
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Re: Some tips.

Post by Ghost » Tue Jul 21, 2009 12:48 am

Dethkreep wrote:Yeah. For some reason I do something simalir. I think it was because of something Stealtheif wrote a while back but I'm not sure. I don't so much walk on the balls of my feet as I do walk on the side of my feet. I contact the ground on the outside of the foot, at the part that is right in front of the heel, then I roll along the side of my foot to the ball of my foot, and take another step. It really is virtually silent if you want to give it a try.
That's the technique i use when i need to move quickly. With the right pair of shoes, you can move virtually silently while maintaining a medium paced jog.

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Re: Some tips.

Post by Psychlonic » Tue Jul 21, 2009 5:50 am

It seems as if it's a step that's naturally learned through night ops. Perhaps one simply retries a step over and over until a sufficiently silent one is found, which just happens to be the one described.
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.

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