best place to disappear

[randyt]

Back when I was a wee lad, my buddy and I would run the hills behind our houses. We would come across these perfect spots in the middle of nowhere that seemed like a great spot to disappear. There was good water and a nice spot to build a dugout in a hill side. We mentioned this to my friends father. He replied that if a person really wanted to disappear, the city was a better option. In the woods trails, gutpiles and smoke will give you away. In the city you are just a face in the crowd, stay out of trouble and keep a low profile.

I got to thinking about all this. There are all kinds of wilderness survival schools, classes and whatnot available but nothing pertaining to surviving in the city that I know of. Perhaps there is a opportunity there. A person could take a few students into the city and live "homeless" for a week or so at a time. Legal boy would need to be involved to get a release of liability and whatnot, probably not much difference than a wilderness school. Who says there's not opportunity LOL.

[BENESSE]

If you want to disapper in a city like, say NY, being homeless wuldn't be the way to do it. The homeless couldn't survive by flying under the radar, quite the opposite. They have to be front and center in the middle of it all where they can get the most out of panhandling. I know every homeless person in my hood and around where I work. And so does everyone I know.
No, if you want to disappear you gotta become a regular, boring Joe...blending in and not distinguishing yourself in any way. No eye contact, no friends, no acquaintances, no frequenting any particular place on a regular basis, and not having a permanent address. But you will need money, no question about it.

[natertot]

Regardless of where you are, the basis of hiding isn't "no to be seen" but to appear that you belong. Why have hunters welcomed camo with tree brances and leave on them? So when animals see them, they think the are actually seeing a tree. I know a cop who does radar from a car dealership. Why? Because when people see him, they think it is another car for sale. In the city, Ms. B is right on. I work in the city near three colleges. If I wear tan cargo pants, a black polo, athletic shoes, have a book bag on my back, and carry a cup of coffee, the whole world could see me. No body would think twice about me or remember me. Why? Because when people see me, I am just another student.

As far as doing such a thing long term, money, logistics and a lot of planning would be required. I think for me, the woods would be better for long term.

[Rick]

Hire a magician.

[Geek]

What would be the purpose? Generally, if you are trying to hide, you're trying to hide from some specific threat. For instance, if you are trying to hide from Zombie Biker Gangs in a post-apocalytic world, . . .

Never mind. :-)

[kyratshooter]

Write on the board 500 times:

There are no zombies!

The late Ron Hood did an entire series on urban survival. This is not just one video but an entire series.

http://www.survival.com/?page_id=50

The Hoodlum forum, and many more forums, have sections pertaining to survival in an urban setting. We concentrate on the "wilderness" here and I never questioned the absence of the topic.

Much of what we deal with here is transverable, such as food preps, medical, shelter in place. As has been stated, it is all about blending into the crowd while being totally aware of your sorroundings. As our technology inproves it becomes more difficult. A camera on every corner and three in between along with new facial recognition technology are closing in.

But so are drones in the country. Pilotless planes with FLIR and cameras swarming our skies are now an expectation. It ain't like it used to be when we were kids. There are sattalites with cameras up there, if the powers that be ever need that information. I am not worrying about that until we are required to have "internal passports" and "travel papers". Until then I can go camping any time I wish.

When the huge Nissan factory in Smyrna TN opened back in the 1980s one of the managers told me that it would be the ideal place to hide.

1. It was international trade zone, soverin territory of Japan, no police could enter the property.
2. It was self contained. Everything needed for life could be obtained on the property, including a fully functioning hospital.
3. You could put on a white coat and carry a clipboard around for years and no one would ever ask what you were doing. There were 20,000 employees on 24/7 shifts. Many were contract workers and new faces and presence of Non-Nissan workers were common.
4. The place was hunge and all of it was not used. You could set up housekeeping in a remote basement room change the locks an no one would find your hideout for years.

It has come to the point that "hiding in plain sight" will be a survival skill on its own. Living in my rural setting, or your urban setting, doing normal things, might be the way to go. So would keeping ones mouth shut and revealing as little as possible about ones self. You will be seen. Being seen without being noticed if the key. That might involve some new techniques for hiding bone structure of the face, spacing of the eyes and things we never consider in our ferro rod, blue tarp and .22lr universe.

[hunter63]

What do you mean there are no Zombies?.....OMG what am I supposed to do with all this "Zombie Stuff"?

Here is a blog entry that was discussed in many different forums , this is one of the original postings, on the subject of "Gray Man" theory.
http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot...-grey-man.html

Concerns of cameras, tracking devices, and even self tracking phones, cars are gonna make disappearing a whole lot harder.
And a lot of these things we can't buy or down load apps fast enough.........Post every detail on your life on twit, facebox,....sign up for walking into a store for free coupons.....Doesn't this just seem a little 1984 to any one.

Not many reasons to track the average person, most everyone life is boring enough that it wouldn't be of any interest......BUT, What if you are the exception?
Cameras and tracking devices are looking and recording, your 'pattern",....and all of a sudden "new face" shows up...Alarms start going off.....

Homeless training need to include with Gray Man training.

As far a the OP goes, I can see the ads now, "Folks, beat SHTF", sign up now for "invisible man training, ....on line, on face box NOW"

[BENESSE]

Here is a blog entry that was discussed in many different forums , this is one of the original postings, on the subject of "Gray Man" theory.
http://westernrifleshooters.blogspot...-grey-man.html

Never heard of this theory but everything described in it is just common sense.

One of the more fascinating cases of hiding in plain sight is that of the mob criminal White Bulger who for 16 years lived a low profile normal life while being one of FBI's most sought after fugitives only second to Bin Laden.

"Reports of the whereabouts of Bulger and Greig were so frequent and — often — so wrong that Tom Fuentes, a former FBI assistant director, says Bulger assumed the ubiquitous, mythical existence of Elvis.
"He was everywhere," Fuentes says.

In the end, Bulger, the iconic Boston crime figure who was the inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film The Departed, was found with Greig not in a far-away locale but in the plain sight of Southern California's thick urban sprawl.
Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said police believed the couple had been living there for years."


http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...t-Boston_n.htm

[SARKY]

If you want to disapper in a city like, say NY, being homeless wuldn't be the way to do it. The homeless couldn't survive by flying under the radar, quite the opposite. They have to be front and center in the middle of it all where they can get the most out of panhandling. I know every homeless person in my hood and around where I work. And so does everyone I know.
No, if you want to disappear you gotta become a regular, boring Joe...blending in and not distinguishing yourself in any way. No eye contact, no friends, no acquaintances, no frequenting any particular place on a regular basis, and not having a permanent address. But you will need money, no question about it.

Miss B, You don't really know them and if one of them dropped off the radar for a while would you really even miss them.
Blending in is the key to good evasion and in essence, that is what disappearing is.
If there are no zombies, then explain all that face eating that has been going on????

[Geek]

I think that unless you define what you are hiding from, it isn't clear what applies. Bulger. Was hiding from law enforcement. All he needed was a new identity. That is a very different thing from camo clothing to not be noticed by animals while hunting.

[BENESSE]

Miss B, You don't really know them and if one of them dropped off the radar for a while would you really even miss them.
Blending in is the key to good evasion and in essence, that is what disappearing is.
If there are no zombies, then explain all that face eating that has been going on????

No I wouldn't miss them but then I wouldn't miss some of the neighbors in my building. I don't need to know them, just recognize what they look like.
The point is, that as long as I see this person frequently and he happened to be wanted by the police who circulate his photo I could point him out. As I said before, the homeless in this city don't blend in, they stand out.

As far as zombies go, you gotta be aware of their MO. They come at 4am on black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and don't slink away until all their money is spent and their credit cards maxed out, usually by the first of the year. That's when life gets back to normal for the rest of us.

[hunter63]

I think that unless you define what you are hiding from, it isn't clear what applies. Bulger. Was hiding from law enforcement. All he needed was a new identity. That is a very different thing from camo clothing to not be noticed by animals while hunting.

Not really, "camo" come in all colors, patterns, shapes and is location sensitive......... think about it.

[Wildthang]

It seems to me that only a criminal would want to dissapear, and I dont understand why a normal person would want to even try. I think I am just gong to stay where I'm at and hold my ground! Besides only Ninja's can dissapear

[Seniorman]

There is a book that was published years ago on this subject. "Live Off The Land In The City And Country," by Ragnar Benson with Devon Christensen, Paladin Press, (c)1982. It addresses some of the questions posted, although has little to do with the incredible technology available to the "Searchers" today.

Interesting book.

It seems to me that the real question not addressed but is extremely important is "From whom are you hiding?"

If the U.S. has become a complete totalitarian, merciless, overpowering, dictatorial police state -- as we see in certain flicks and read in future fiction novels -- then the person "hiding" is eventually going to be caught, simply because he or she can not hide from the relentless "Searchers" forever.

Anyone not marching precisely in lock step with all the others will be gathered up and sent to some distant resettlement facility ... perhaps to be turned into "Soylent Green," all for the good of the "compliers."

I do not foresee this situation, although there are definitely some very high level politicians who would love to institute such a "government." Fortunately, there are still too many barriers in place to stop such a situation, but... someday..... who knows?

As the old saying goes, "Never say 'never'."

S.M.

[randyt]

I agree that being homeless wouldn't be the best option for hiding out but I still think a enterprising sort could make money with a homeless school.

The reason I posted about disappearing was for the young folk that want to run away to the wilderness. They can disappear in a city just as well. Me, I love the woods so that's where I am.

[BENESSE]

I agree that being homeless wouldn't be the best option for hiding out but I still think a enterprising sort could make money with a homeless school.

The reason I posted about disappearing was for the young folk that want to run away to the wilderness. They can disappear in a city just as well. Me, I love the woods so that's where I am.

The crucial clue that figures big in their quest is that they want to run away from society...i.e.people. The city is the last place in which to do that. It's full of people and most of them are annoying.
Here's a tip from someone who knows: If you feel marginalized and ill at easy in your little town or high school and your parents don't understand you, DO NOT run away to the city or anywhere else before you sort things out in your head. Unless you plan to leave it behind, it'll follow you wherever you go.

[hunter63]

Youth homeless is a problem in many cities, a new report while back out, from Milwaukee.
I'm sure there are homeless in just about every city......and I don't think too many are just making their journey.........

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/117830433.html

[jhnnymwr75]

I would say being a bit of both to be honest. Being out in the wilderness to hide as in 'you can't find me' hide, then back to the city to get supplies but keeping a 'you don't know me, don't talk to me'/in and out approach. When I go out and hike, I would see people ever and I live in a very popular hiking area, and if I go out into town I can pull out the whole gray man thing and nobody will realize i'm there. I've done this with kids from my school even, and they looked right at my face without saying hi (so maybe they didn't want to say hi? or there a zombie!)

[Rick]

All kids are zombies. It starts when they turn about 11 and ends when they get about 29. You can tell they are zombies by the incoherent speech. You can say something like, "Don't stand on the end of that board. It will break and you'll get hurt." They will respond with, "Nu uh." Sure sign of a zombie. You'll know they've outgrown zombieism the first time that say, "You know, dad, you were right when you said....."

[BENESSE]

You only wish you hear that as you draw your last breath.