Starting off.

[aaronderuiter]

So, I am going to be a Night Operative. Seems like fun. I have always had a strange love for the night, parkour and sneaking around on places I shouldn't be, as well as collecting gear and tactical stuff. Looks like I found a way to combine them. Because I already have most tools necessary I can start right off. Tomorrow I'll visit the local army surplus store to acquire some full leather gloves, and when I've done that I am going to scout the city for possible areas to sneak around on. I live in a reasonably small city that still covers all the basics and has plenty of interesting things to explore, most exciting of which is the construction site that is here to renew an elderly home. Construction doesn't happen often here, and I'd love to explore this site. It'll probably be my first big thing.

But first, I'm looking for reasonably safe locations to explore just to get a feel for it. I'm thinking of the abandoned train station that burned down years ago, but was never removed. It's completely safe, but it'd teach me how to get out of the house without my parents noticing (note that I do have experience with sneaking around the house itself at night) and how to get back in and stash my gear without making too much noise.

However, I'm looking for easy jobs that still involve trespassing, just to get that feel going. Any suggestions?

Also, what would you say of my current gear?

*CLOTHING*
-Dark blue jeans (also have TDU green 5.11 taclite pro pants, but the color is a bit off for night ops).
-Black hoodie.
-Black three-hole balaclava.
-Black 8'' ATAC boots by 5.11 tactical.
-Black leather gloves.

*TOOLS*
-Spyderco Tenacious, Plain Edge, Black. (Good folder).
-About 8 metres of black 5.50 paracord.
-Cheap-ass multitool, shiny as fuck. (saving for a black leatherman wave).
-Coldsteel Finn Bear (cheap fixed blade, decent quality).
-Reliable yet brand-less flashlight.
-Victorinox Soldier '08.

I also have a strong, carbon-steel tanto blade at home, but if I'm seen carrying that I'd be screwed, so I'm not taking it until I have more experience. It is really though and made out of one piece of steel, wrapped with paracord as a handle. Can be used for batoning or as a prybar.

[Ghost]

First off, welcome to night ops. You certainly seem to fit the "profile", as many of us here are into gear/parkour/weapons and things of that nature. I'm sure you'll fit right in.

As for locations, there are a lot of different directions you could go here. If you live in a suburban area, then just spend some time outdoors exploring back yards, sheds, garages and the like. Suburbia is a great place to develop all sorts of useful skills without risking overly much. Any abandoned building is a great target, provided you're careful and know how to recognize things like dangerous floors, rotted out supports, and asbestos. Public buildings can also be good targets, but I'm going to suggest you get a bit more experience before tackling those.

The green Taclite Pro pants shouldn't be a problem either, unless you're in a very built up urban area I'd take them over the blue jeans. Dark colors are great, but jeans tend to look like jeans when they're lit up at night, and that blue denim material will draw the eye like a magnet. Green, on the other hand, is a very natural color and won't have that issue. Typically, any combination of a suitable camo for the environment or just plain black clothing will work wonders. Your gear seems pretty damn good, better than what most start with. As an example, my "typical" loadout is as simple as a fixed blade knife, a red-filtered maglite, and a small pouch of medical supplies. Black BDU pants with running shoes, a black combat shirt, gloves and a balaclava finish the outfit. Of course, I'll add or subtract gear as needed, but that serves as a pretty good baseline for me.

Feel free to start up a thread or ask any questions you might have, we're pretty relaxed around here. Also, if you haven't checked out the chat room, give it a shot. There's usually some pretty good conversation to be had there.

[aaronderuiter]

Alright, I'm happy about the taclite pants because they are my favourite pair. Tons of pockets. As for the green, I live in a pretty damn urban area, but more rural or suburban area's aren't far from here. It's easily reachable by foot, and my pants are dark enough to go unnoticed as I go about.

Anyhow, thanks for the introduction! You guys do seem relaxed, as far as I have seen the moderators here are genuinely nice people, which helps a lot. I'll post a little story about my first offence as soon as I commit it. I'm loving all the stories on here, too. Night ops sound awesome, can't wait to get started!

[Xanatos]

I'd say check out the Dare forum; loads of ideas for targets (it has its own sub-forum in 'Experiences', at the top of the page).

While blue jeans do blend in well enough with the dark, and especially moonlight, they do stick out like dogs balls when hit by a light source. So unless you're hiding in a denim factory, I'd invest in something more neutral.

You've got a good selection of gear but I wouldn't bring anything I know I won't need for the op. Normally a knife & flashlight will do for most ops, as well as full body covering.

I wouldn't worry about being seen with that tanto blade, since the whole idea of Night Ops is not to be seen at all. Heck, I carry double-edged fixed blades on my ops and they aren't even legal here.

[aaronderuiter]

I think I've got my first target, the big ol' construction site. It has covered fences on all sides, so I don't think I'll be detected when snooping around, and it should be interesting enough. It's also close to my home, so I know the area really well. I'll check out the site and all access/exit points tomorrow, and when things look good I'll hit it that very night. I can sleep for a bit longer on Wednesday-mornings, so Tuesday seems like the chosen day because there won't be a living thing on the streets on a workday.

Of course I haven't figured out the optimal entrance/breakout yet, but entering/exiting are the only chances I have of being spotted. There is no surveillance on the site, the thing is surrounded by covered fences and the debris and half-demolished buildings offer more hiding spots than I could ever need. This should totally work.

[Azotos]

Just a note on abandoned buildings: While it's unlikely that you'll run into any authorities, the chance of running into homeless people increases. While most homeless people are perfectly nonagressive (they're still human beings, after all) you still have to consider the fact that you are alone, in the dark, in a secluded area. Since you say that you are living with your parents, I'm assuming you're younger as well. You might be seen as an easy target for drug/alcohol money.

Remember that the building is abandoned by the owners but embraced by the surrounding community, for better or worse. Every "abandoned" building I've been in has had graffiti and evidence of occupation, and many have had shelters that I assumed were created by a homeless person living there.

I'm not trying to talk you out of it, if anything I'd like to encourage you to test the waters, but be warned that just because there isn't any active security does not mean that you should let your guard down.

[aaronderuiter]

I know my town pretty well, it's not that big, and I also know where I can encounter such individuals. I'm also prepared for them. At night, running is pretty full-proof. I'll go for that. I also know jiu-jitsu, might shit hit the fan. I'd feel more safe wielding a crowbar (you'll need a sword to get any higher than that), but alas, I own no such thing. For now I'll just avoid them those areas.