Who would not want the security of knowing that they themselves as well as their children, their partner or other loved ones, have the knowledge and skills required to vanish and escape from anyone wishing to do them harm? It is for this reason that the theory and practice of stealth are among our central concerns here.
It should be noted upfront, however, that in the vast majority of situations in which one finds oneself in danger, stealth is the exact opposite of what one wants to achieve. This is probably why this skill does not feature prominently if at all in most self-protection systems. Hence, it cannot be emphasized enough that in most situations, one wants to attract attention to oneself visually and audially, signaling for help by whatever means available and shouting, blowing a whistle, honking a horn or whatever else one can do to attract the attention of potential sources of aid, or at least witnesses to deter criminal threats. Yet stealth is indeed a beneficial and powerful tool, but one whose use is reserved for only those situations in which 1.) potential sources of assistance or bystanders are not immediately available, or 2.) one is seeking to avoid an encounter with a potential or identified threat before it ever occurs.
This series of articles draws its content mainly from various military manuals, US and Soviet, for conventional as well as certain specialized troops like snipers and special operations personnel, the Boy Scout Handbook along with Lord Baden-Powell’s seminal work Scouting for Boys, law enforcement doctrine for SWAT personnel as well as English translations of classical texts on ninjutsu and some early 20th-century works on the same subject, among other sources. These articles do not claim to be a definitive work on the topic of stealth, or even just stealth for self-protection. Instead, they constitute the author’s best attempt; based on his own limited experience, research and also some educated speculation; to formulate a foundation for using stealth as a means of self-protection for the average person. It is hoped that these articles can stimulate some dialogue on this topic in order to refine, expand or improve upon the ideas and premises outlined here and in subsequent articles.
But beyond only being able to disappear oneself, an understanding of the principles and methods of stealth can also facilitate awareness of how potential adversaries can hide themselves while poised for an attack. Such first-hand knowledge of the fundamentals of stealth allows one to, in US military parlance, “put the red hat on,” meaning to see from the perspective of those seeking to do one harm. This allows one to narrow their focus in detecting threats to problem areas, such as dead space, shadows and thick foliage, while anticipating how adversaries may use the environment to hide themselves, or to understand that their own ability to hear or otherwise recognize an advancing enemy can be adversely affected by certain background distractions and noise that may mask or obscure their foe’s approach.
Thus, given the dual benefits of being able to vanish and remain undetected oneself as well as to understand how potential adversaries may attempt to use stealth to facilitate an attack, this skill seems well worth the investment in time and energy to study, acquire and hone.
Most of the current literature and training programs related to personal stealth, however, pertain to the military, law enforcement or sportspersons, like hunters or paintball enthusiasts, all of whom may enter their respective situations already prepared, to one degree or another, with the necessary materials to blend in to their environments to achieve their intended objectives.[1] In contrast, our focus is on individuals who may find themselves, quite unexpectedly, in need of the ability to vanish and move undetected as expediently as possible to a place of safety and a source of aid. Thus, we are not concerned with which camouflage patterns to purchase or how to construct a ghillie suit, though when selecting clothing and equipment for excursions such as a camping trip, one may take the stealth factors discussed in this series into consideration.
This exemplifies a frequently repeated theme in this series: the principle of proportionality. Efforts to remain undetected must remain proportionate to the risk of being detected by a hostile threat. For most of us, it makes little sense to always don state-of-the-art camouflage patterns or have a ghillie suit on-hand for a potential threat that we will probably never encounter. Instead, we are primarily interested in being able to reduce or eliminate “target indicators,” a term we use synonymously with “recognition factors,” thus avoiding detection to facilitate evasion, regardless of what one is wearing or carrying at any given time. This involves 1.) assessing ourselves, such as our clothing, equipment and any exposed skin and hair; 2.) assessing our environment; including terrain, weather, vegetation and man-made structures; and 3.) determining how these two seemingly distinct but ultimately inseparable sides can interact in a way that affords opportunities for blending, concealing or deceiving to facilitate stealth. In short, we are looking to harmonize with or fit into our environment in such a way that allows us to become or remain undetected by potential adversaries. This ability is displayed all around us in nature, we see children practicing it instinctively, it was crucial for the survival of our primitive ancestors (whether avoiding detection from threats, such as predators and rivals, or while hunting) and it is not far from our own grasp today.
We begin exploring how to harness this ability by first addressing three broader strategies or approaches to preventing a hostile threat from knowing one’s location. In future articles, we will go into further detail on other related topics, like the various types of recognition factors, ideas for training games and exercises to develop one’s stealth abilities and competency, and how to select static positions for longer-term occupation, whether for an hour or two or for an overnight bivouac.
Three Complimentary Approaches to Hiding: Camouflage, Concealment, Deception
Camouflage, concealment and deception can be seen as three different but complimentary approaches to hiding, which could all well be employed simultaneously. The term “hiding” here is used in a broader sense of preventing an observer from detecting one’s presence or at least from knowing one’s precise location. Sight is the most dominant of the three primary senses to consider when attempting to avoid detection, the other two in order of importance being hearing and smell. Accordingly, these three strategies of camouflage, concealment and deception deal chiefly with deceiving or denying the enemy’s sense of sight, though there are undoubtedly corollaries for hearing and smell, such as masking or reducing sound and scent.
It must, however, be noted with regard to the first two approaches (camouflage and concealment) that there is a difference in the levels of risk of exposure entailed in their application. That is, reliance on camouflage (or blending in) poses a greater risk of exposure than the more secure approach of opting for concealment (completely hiding oneself from view). Given that we cannot always predict when we may need to elude a threat, and in accordance with the abovementioned principle of proportionality, it is neither practical nor healthy to constantly select our wardrobe based on the off-chance that today might be the day that we need to disappear from a threat. Instead, if such a situation ever does present itself, it is important to quickly assess whether or not the color, contrast, texture, reflectivity, etc. of our exposed skin and hair, clothing and equipment will help or hinder attempts to blend with our surroundings. If the answer is that they will hinder such efforts, then the safer and often faster option of concealment is preferred over attempting to blend through camouflage. If only certain items of equipment (or parts thereof), such as a backpack, are reflective or a color that stands out, these can be selectively concealed or subdued. In addition to being riskier, camouflage is also a substantially more complex topic, which is why we devote the most space to it below. With this comparative note, we now look at each approach in turn.
Camouflage:
In contrast to some prevailing definitions in military manuals, which consider camouflage as primarily the use of natural or artificial materials to facilitate blending in with one’s environment, here we define camouflage quite simply as: blending in to one’s environment, whether with or without additional natural or artificial aids. This highlights the fact that one may indeed be able to blend sufficiently well into their environment with only an awareness of one’s own recognition factors combined with informed and sensible selection of positions and routes based on the opportunities for blending that the environment provides.
There are several ways to achieve successful camouflage, ways which can be readily found in use in nature and that have also been put to use by the world’s militaries, naturalists, hunters, etc. Those pertinent to our purposes include: mimesis, disruptive coloration, altering outline, altering or relying on shadows and eliminating or reducing sources of reflection and light. Mimesis involves resembling the environment, such as in terms of color, contrast, texture, shape, etc. Disruptive patterns of coloration can break up one’s shape but can also contribute to mimicking the environment in terms of color, contrast and especially texture. Altering one’s outline, that is one’s shape or silhouette, also facilitates blending as it delays or inhibits the observer from recognizing one’s form. This can be achieved through crouched, kneeling or flat postures and movement techniques, partial concealment and the addition of camouflage materials like branches. Altering shadows that one projects or that are on one’s entire person or just on parts thereof, can also impede recognition. Shadows can also be relied upon to facilitate blending. Lastly, any items that reflect or produce light should be concealed and/or used sparingly and cautiously. These methods will be addressed in greater detail below, following the format of direct visual target indicators, namely: color, contrast, texture, shine, light, silhouette/shape and shadow, to which are added dispersal and movement.
Now, however, we turn to the issue of using additional materials for camouflage. While natural or artificial materials can be used to facilitate blending in to one’s environment, given our emphasis on being able to disappear from threats as quickly as possible and proceed as directly as possible to a safe haven, and in accordance with the principle of proportionality, we give less attention to the application of such materials. If the clothing one happens to be wearing facilitates camouflage, then capitalize on this, but if it does not, then it may be better to rely on the safer approach of concealment. Improvements to one’s baseline camouflage (viz., whatever one happens to have on at the moment one needs to begin evasion) should be limited to a.) mitigating dramatically apparent target indicators, b.) situations in which one cannot proceed immediately to a safe place and must evade for a longer period or in a less direct manner, or c.) when close and unavoidable contact is expected and the circumstances allow one to employ additional materials for camouflage. Camouflaging with additional materials not only takes time, it also requires attention, which might be better spent monitoring/observing for the threat and finding an escape route. Each situation is different, and one must assess and decide for oneself. But having established that adding additional materials to improve one’s baseline camouflage is reserved for mitigating significantly noticeable recognition factors, for longer term evasion and/or when close contact is expected and the situation allows for such measures, we now look into two main ways of doing this which can be used together: adding vegetation or artificial materials and applying paint.
The first basic technique is to attach vegetation from one’s environment, such as branches or vines with foliage or grasses, to one’s clothing and equipment. Buttonholes, pockets, straps and added cordage can help to attach such materials to one’s body. This can facilitate modifying one’s color and texture as well as distorting one’s shape, especially if attention is paid to breaking up the outline of the head and shoulders. Natural materials used should match the environment in which one is trying to hide. Thus, tall stalks of grass, for instance, would be inappropriate for trying to blend into a deciduous forest. When moving through areas with different types of vegetation, added natural materials for camouflage must be updated as necessary to blend with new settings as one enters them. Natural materials should be taken from a wider area so as not to create noticeable gaps in foliage by collecting from just one spot. Moreover, in addition to added camouflage simply falling off and needing to be replaced, during a longer period of evasion, plucked foliage can wilt quickly and then also cause one to stand out, so it may be necessary to regularly replace it with fresh material. An artificial alternative could be attaching strips of cloth, such as from burlap sacks.
Another technique is to use paint or dye on exposed skin, hair, clothing and/or equipment. Pertaining to skin, if on-hand, one could use commercially produced camouflage skin paint or resort to improvised alternatives such as burnt cork (non-synthetic), charcoal (without chemical additives) or lamp black (aka, carbon black). Mud could also be used, but due to the risk of bacteria and parasites, this is only recommended as a last resort. We address different patterns for applying camouflage paint in the next article, but here we must enumerate some of the drawbacks to its use. Over time, paint on skin wears off due to perspiration and rubbing, thus it must be regularly reapplied. Moreover, face paint can also prevent the recognition of cold weather injuries by one’s companions since it conceals tell-tale bluish-white skin. Lastly, camouflage paint applied to one’s face can be difficult to remove and could complicate the situation when seeking aid, potentially frightening or arousing the suspicion of people who would otherwise readily come to one’s aid.
Easily removed alternatives include a scarf with a watch cap or a balaclava, an improvised version of which is easily made with just a t-shirt. The collar is formed into a slit over the eyes while the sleeves are tied behind the head by pulling them both back and simply crossing one sleeve over and then under the other and pulling tight (like the first half of tying a square knot). This holds in place well and can be very quickly removed.
Of course, such coverings can also cause problems if one encounters potential sources of aid, like the police or security personnel, before having removed it. Thus, as always, situational awareness and preparedness to remove the mask when necessary are key. But in accordance with the principle of proportionality, one must assess whether the benefits of using such a face-covering outweigh the risks. The present author would suggest that in most circumstances, they do not and it would be better to go without, instead burying the face in one’s elbow notch when necessary.
To conclude the overview of camouflage, when evading as part of a group and the decision has been made to apply additional materials for personal camouflage, it is important to take turns in doing so, so that while some group members are applying camouflage, others are maintaining 360° security. If alone, one must divide their attention between security and applying camouflage. When finished applying one’s personal camouflage, it is advisable to have a companion identify any improvements that could be made.
Concealment:
As the name makes clear, concealment conceals – obstructing observation of – oneself, one’s equipment and one’s position. That which does the concealing may be thick layers of vegetation (the more the better in terms of concealment), terrain features or man-made structures which all create “dead space” within which one can hide. Since concealment obstructs the enemy’s view, regardless of what one is wearing or carrying, it is a more secure option than camouflage (that is, attempting to blend in to one’s environment). Using terrain to hide oneself, such as remaining on the reverse slope of a hill, are discussed under the recognition factor of silhouette/shape in the next article of this series.
Closely related to concealment is the concept of cover, which refers to anything providing ballistic protection from enemy firearms. Cover might include terrain, trees (as a general rule of thumb, if a tree is wide enough to conceal you, it can probably also stop bullets) or a vehicle’s engine block, though depending on construction materials, walls often fail to provide sufficient protection from bullets and doors even less frequently so. Thick layers of foliage obviously do not stop bullets, though the concealment which they provide can prevent an armed opponent from being able to locate and effectively place their fires on one’s position. Thus such foliage is not cover, but merely concealment.
Cover usually also provides concealment, but this is not always the case. For instance, a pane of bullet-resistant glass offers cover but not concealment, since the enemy can clearly see one’s location. This situation is similar to the case of a hardened permanent medical facility bearing the mandatory Geneva Convention markings designating it as such clearly displayed. For our general purposes, however, the difference is more philosophical and it is sufficient to understand that some sources of concealment also offer protection from small arms fire, while others do not, and that we refer to the former as “cover.”
Deception:
Turning to the third and final main strategy, that is deception, it should be noted that camouflage could indeed be seen as a form of deception, since while the observer can see part or all of oneself, they are deceived into believing that one is not there, since with successful camouflage, the observer only perceives the environment into which one has blended. Even concealment could be seen as a form of deception, since one is present but remains outside of the observer’s view. Yet deception is a broader category and there are other applications of deception for stealth that do not primarily rely on camouflage or concealment, though which can and should be used in conjunction with them.
Misdirection is the basic principle of deception which, in the context of stealth, causes the observer’s attention to be drawn toward what is unimportant (in terms of their interest in pursuing you), insubstantial, false or empty (kyo, 虚) and away from what is important, substantial and true (jitsu, 実). The goal is to exchange the substantial for the insubstantial (kyojitsu tenkan ho, 虚実 転 換 法). Perhaps of paramount importance here is the fact that distraction can be used as a means for breaking contact to facilitate escape when directly engaged with an adversary, such as by throwing sand, ash, dirt, gravel, hot liquids, dishes, glasses, ashtrays or other objects into a pursuer’s face, striking them or otherwise capturing their attention and using the moment that they are distracted to escape and begin one’s evasion.
In modern military parlance, we might describe this as getting ahead of, or restarting, the enemy’s OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop. Before they are able to complete, or preferably even begin to initiate, their act (such as an attack), one can set them back to observing, the very beginning of the loop, by completing a distracting act oneself, followed by another loop culminating in yet a further act, escaping, followed by a further act still, evading (including by means of camouflage and concealment).
As already alluded to, misdirection continues to come into play after initial contact has been broken. For instance, when fleeing and after leaving the observer’s field of vision into dead space, such as by passing over a hill or a blind curve, change your direction of movement and either hide suddenly (using camouflage or concealment) or continue in a new direction. The observer’s attention will be drawn to continue along the same trajectory you were previously travelling in.[2]
Decoys are another means of deception by misdirection, attracting the adversary’s attention away from one’s true location or direction of movement. Aside from the more obvious kind of decoy, a dummy or mannequin, there are additional ways of drawing an observer’s attention away from one’s true location. One might shake tree branches, bushes or grass to attract the enemy’s attention before slipping away and moving in a different direction. One could also throw an object like a stone or log into a body of water to imply that one has jumped in, while then evading by another route. Similarly, an object could be thrown into trees or bushes to also draw attention away from one’s actual position. Such maneuvers, however, entail a substantial degree of risk, since even though they might mislead pursuers as to your actual location, they all but confirm your presence somewhere in the vicinity and will surely put pursuers on much higher alert. Thus, it is preferable to make use of better camouflage and concealment over having to rely on such risky deception tactics. Yet a further and somewhat less risky possibility for using decoys is leaving behind false tracking signs to be followed, such as disturbed soil, foliage, litter and/or clothing fragments, in such a way as to suggest that one has taken a different route than one actually has.
Having introduced the idea of stealth as a means of self-protection and addressed three overarching strategies for achieving stealth, in the next article we will focus on the range of specific target indicators, also called recognition factors, and preventing an adversary’s recognition thereof. This will involve specific applications of the strategies of camouflage, concealment and deception in terms of visual target indicators as well as corollaries of such strategies for audial and olfactory target indicators.
References
Dermody, Matthew. Appear to Vanish: Stealth Concepts for Effective Camouflage and Concealment (Lexington, KY: Hidden Success Tactical, 2018).
Itoh, Gingetsu. Gendaijin no Ninjutsu. Trans. Eric Shahan. Charleston: CreateSpace, 2014.
Itoh, Gingetsu. Ninjutsu no Gokui. Trans. Eric Shahan. Charleston: CreateSpace, 2014.
ReWildUniversity, “How to Escape from Pursuers in the Woods (An Evasion Skill-Building Game),” accessed April 23, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfSij50oJ14.
U.S. Department of the Army. Camouflage, Concealment, and Decoys. Field Manual 20-3. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 1999.
U.S. Department of the Army. Infantry Platoon and Squad. ATP 3-21.8. Washington, DC: Headquarters, Dept. of the Army, 2016.
U.S. Department of the Army. Sniper Training. Field Manual 23-10. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, 1994.
U.S. Department of the Army. Survival. Field Manual 21-76. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, 1992.
U.S. Department of the Army. The Warrior Ethos and Soldier Combat Skills. Field Manual 3-21.75. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Army, 2008.
U.S. Department of the Navy. U.S. Navy SEAL Sniper Training Program. New York: Skyhorse, 2011.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Survival, Evasion, and Recovery: Multiservice Procedures for Survival, Evasion, and Recovery. Washington, DC: U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2010.
U.S. Marine Corps. Introduction to Evasion and Resistance to Capture. MCI 0327. Washington, DC: Marine Barracks, 2008.
[1] An impressive and exhaustive work in this category is Matthew Dermody’s Appear to Vanish: Stealth Concepts for Effective Camouflage and Concealment (Lexington, KY: Hidden Success Tactical, 2018).
[2] For an excellent demonstration of this, see ReWildUniversity, “How to Escape from Pursuers in the Woods (An Evasion Skill-Building Game),” accessed April 23, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfSij50oJ14.