[alex]

Some things to consider in case of a natural disaster, martial law or war.

DON'T WEAR CAMOUFLAGE CLOTHING. Dress and act as neutral as possible and you will avoid the risk of people mistaking you for a soldier or government employee. The fewer prejudices might fit you, the better. Avoid those marine corps boots no matter how good they are or even that Rolling Stones t-shirt no matter how much you love that band. Whatever you could stand for might piss off people you can't afford to piss off then. So don't stand for anything. Be neutral. Be a ghost. Or like Bruce Lee said: Be water.

AVOID TYPICAL SURVIVAL/MILITARY GEAR. You think that Fallkniven knife or Maxpedition bag is the way to go? Think twice. The sheeple won't know the difference, but for those somewhat prepared (incl. the police, soldiers and other survivalists) you almost advertise yourself as a survivalist, soldier or at least a somewhat better prepared person. You might lose your gear or be arrested sooner than you think. Using good but unknown stuff is the way to go. Your uncle's old hunting knife or that worn non-LED Maglite that never failed you might actually be a lot more useful that the lastest fashion and high end gear we all gotten so used to. Also overthink personal preferences in favour of discretion. The less attractive your gear looks, the less attractive YOU will be for anyone else.

DON'T SHOW YOUR GEAR. That beautiful leather sheath might look nice and come handy now but it might cost your life in a real disaster zone, no matter what is in that sheath. A sheath means you have something worth protecting, something you don't want to lose. And that's almost always something someone else would want, especially in a disaster situation. Put a knife in your pocket, your (civil!) boots or wear one around your neck under the shirt. When you are walking through a dangerous area, keep one hand around the knife in your pocket. If you carry a survival kit make it fit into your pants or at least into a small housewife/tourist-looking pouch/hipbag.

I once wrote more of these but my english is a little rusty so please excuse the lousy translation. If you are intrested I can share some more later.

I'd also be intrested in your advice for discret urban survival, so post yours here too!!

btw I'm new to this board, hi everyone!

[heysmithy]

First of all.. your English is rusty? I wish my English was that rusty. And I don't even speak another language (well, barely). Where are you from anyway?

Second, thanks for the advice. Discretion is the name of the game. Very good stuff here.

Also: Hola and welcome to ST!

[Robert]

I think you have made real good points. In a disaster it would'nt be a good time to show people what you have,desperate people often do desperate things.

[ikean]

wow Alex your english is great,where are you from?I like your post, a big thing in a large city is to look the part.if i live in an upscale area and roll in there looking like a gangster or roll into the hood looking like a rich yuppy you will make yourself a big target.welcome Alex. Great post

[TnLonghunter]

Welcome Alex, very wise post,if you stand out like a sore thumb you will always gets hit first, and I agree, nothing wrong with your english.

[stairman]

My urban SHTF advice is to get the hell back to the country so you can put your camo back on!

[TaintRight]

Well I'll be damned. I was so keen on getting my emergency bag set up properly that I didn't think about what my gear would say to anyone smart enough to "see" it for what it is. Via my gear I would in fact be advertising myself to people who might not have my interests at heart. LEO's FEMA officials, National Guard and etc..

Perhaps I should drag my Maxpedition BOB behind the truck for a few miles and then spray paint it pink. Or maybe I'll put a "save the whale" or "OBAMA 08" sticker on it.

I reckon the trick is to look like a yuppie victim on the outside while maintaining the "survival nut" mindset under the Izod.

Thanks for the post. Now I have to go rethink my BOB. How am I gonna hide a tomahawk in my pants?

[tjwilhelm]

Originally Posted by taintright@comcast.net

...Thanks for the post. Now I have to go rethink my BOB. How am I gonna hide a tomahawk in my pants?

(In his best Mae West voice...) "Hey big boy, is that a tomahawk in your pocket, or are ya just happy to see me?" (BA-DOOM, cymbal CRASH) Ra-da-da da-da-da, ra-da-da da-da-da...

[kevin]

good first post alex. welcome to the board.

[Enigma]

IF you are using that shiny gear of yours. (Which as stated should be avoided.) Don't make your situation worse then it already is. If theres a brand name on your equipment consider scraping it off or painting over it. A little bit of a "beat up" look will probably make your equipment seem less "pretty pretty shiny shiny". (Theres a difference between "beat up" and "rugged" The main one being that the former makes your stuff less attractive while the latter makes you look like rambo.) Small stuff should be in your pocket and not on your belt. Ahead of time you should get some cheap civie boots outta ross or good will. As far as clothing goes the colors you should avoid are (in this order.). Camos (Esp. an all camo outfit), brights, Military greens, and to an extent blacks (mainly of the whole outfit variety.) If you don't have to go outside, don't. Don't try and act sneaky it just makes you more noticeable. Other people don't have any idea of what the hell your doing but you do. Which makes it pretty easy to get ultra paranoid about other people noticing you. If you look innocent enough (Camo is the UR example of making you look like a lunatic) the majority of sheeple will assume you are. (assuming they haven't seen you do anything.)