(Modern Survival.org) – Which of these could break your gray man status in an urban environment?
- Camo shirt
- Local Team Hat
- Combat Boots
- Backpack
Answer: Camo Shirt
A camo shirt is most likely to break your gray man status in an urban environment. Here’s why…
The concept of the gray man is to blend in with your environment so as not to draw attention to yourself. This means not wearing flashy, bright colors, or making grand movements that draw attention to you. In an urban environment, wearing camouflage clothing or gear can stand out.
To the average citizen, camouflage is associated with the military and/or individuals who train for emergency situations (such as preppers). Even if you’re trained to handle a disaster, you don’t want every Tom, Dick, and Jane stopping you along your bug-home route asking for help — or trying to see if you have supplies they can take. Worse yet, if you’re in an active shooter situation, you may be targeted as a threat by the aggressor.
Combat boots may be a dead giveaway to some, but to the average person, they will be indistinguishable from standard work boots. In the event of an emergency, where maintaining a gray man status is most important, no one’s going to be checking out your shoes as they are fleeing from danger.
A local team hat could attract unwanted attention from a passerby on a normal day, but in the event of an emergency, it’s highly unlikely anyone’s going to want to stop you and chat about the game last weekend. If anything, wearing sports gear will make you fit into the crowd. Unless, of course, the logo is bright and sure to catch the eye.
A backpack isn’t necessarily going to stand out in a crowd either, especially if it’s worn during times when school is in session (which is most of the year in many areas). The same rule applies here, though — a camouflage or obviously tactical pack is going to make people wonder what kind of goodies you are hauling.
Survivalists spend untold hours and dollars preparing to outlast any disastrous event that may come our way. It’s worth putting in the time and effort to ensure we keep a low profile so when the S*** hits the fan, we can get home (or get out) without drawing unwelcome attention to ourselves. When you’re working on your prepping, or even making your way out and about town, remember this simple rule: stay gray.
~Here’s to Your Survival!
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