Author: Ten-Chi-Jin

Avoiding detection while effectively and efficiently moving, as an individual or as a group, from a hazardous situation to one of safety involves the sound use of camouflage, concealment and deception; moving along concealed routes; noise discipline, such as avoiding speech with hand-and-arm or other signals if in a group; light discipline, namely abstaining from excessive use of flashlights or other sources of light; appropriate individual and group movement techniques; constant 360 degree awareness; and frequent SLLS (Stop, Look, Listen, Smell) halts. Yet this also involves effective planning and preparation, and it is in this regard that contemporary military patrolling techniques can be directly applicable to individual but especially collective stealth movement in order to avoid detection and reach a safe place.

While military patrols are conducted to perform reconnaissance as well as combat operations, such as ambushes and movement to contact, we can use the same principles, planning considerations, tactics and procedures in order to move as an individual or while leading a group of others to safety. Luckily, however, our mission here is far simpler than the combat operations undertaken by military units, though many of the basic concepts and principles remain the same and can be easily applied to our purposes.

The following material draws directly from the US Army Ranger Handbook,[1] while adapting its contents to our purposes. It deals with the planning and execution aspects of group stealth movement from the perspective of a leader, though such an understanding of the broader picture will benefit any single member of a group with such an objective, or an individual pursuing the same end. Although we have relied mainly on the Ranger Handbook and US Army infantry doctrine to provide an initial framework from which to proceed, we aim to develop this further from the insights of other disciplines and fields of knowledge. Please feel free to pose questions and offer constructive feedback and ideas in the comments to collaborate in this endeavor.

It should also be noted that the planning described in this article should only be carried out after the group has removed itself from any immediate danger, is in an interim and temporary safe place and is maintaining 360 security.  

Five Principles of Patrolling

The five fundamental principles of patrolling apply to all types of patrols and include:

Planning – Devise a simple plan quickly and disseminate it to every individual in the group, ensuring that all understand it. A timely acceptable plan is better than a perfect plan that comes too late.

Reconnaissance – Before committing the entire group to a specific route or action, confirm or deny what you suspect and proceed with or adapt the plan accordingly.

Security – Maintain continuous 360 awareness and observation to be able to detect and react to threats (as well as possible sources of aid) as preemptively and proactively as possible.

Control – Have a clear plan that all members of the group understand, do not overextend spacing/dispersal and maintain good communication.

Common Sense – Use good judgement based on available information to make sound and timely decisions.

Main Task and Supporting Tasks

While the main tasks of military patrols are to conduct either reconnaissance or combat operations, our primary task is always reaching a safe place/situation. In this regard, there are also additional interim supporting tasks which may need to be performed in order to facilitate accomplishing this primary task of reaching a safe place/situation. These include, if necessary and appropriate:

               -Crossing danger areas

               -Establishing a patrol base (bivouac or temporary camp site)

               -Acquiring resources (like water, food and shelter)

               -Signaling for help

               -Breaching or otherwise overcoming obstacles

Designate Responsibilities

There are a number of tasks that may need to be continuously, frequently or just potentially performed while patrolling. If leading a group of entirely untrained individuals or children, one may have to perform all or most of these responsibilities oneself. When possible, however, delegation allows the leader to concentrate on leading and keeping the bigger picture in perspective, thus being able to make better and more timely decisions. Some tasks are relatively simple and persons can be trained in them on the spot, while others, such as especially navigation and first aid, are not and require prior training, knowledge and experience. In most circumstances, especially in smaller groups, persons will often need to perform multiple roles.

Patrol Leader (PL) – Is responsible for everything that the patrol does or fails to do. He or she plans, issues orders, assigns tasks, supervises execution of the patrol and makes timely decisions as required.

Assistant Patrol Leader (APL) – Acts as PL in the absence of the actual PL, advises the PL, monitors the situation of individuals in the patrol, such as physical and emotional well-being and readiness, enforces noise and light discipline, and ensures that individuals are observing their respective security sectors.

Point Person – Responsible for providing frontal security and thus early warning as well as for negotiating the exact route the patrol will take under the direction/guidance of the compass person and the PL.

Navigation (Compass/Map) – Keeps track of where the patrol is on the map and in relation to where they are intending to go while ensuring that they are moving in the correct direction along the selected route (whether following an azimuth or a handrail) and providing direction for the point person accordingly.

Pace Count – Keeps track of the distance the patrol has travelled by counting their steps, thus facilitating navigation. This person should have some idea of their average pace count, and if they are not also assigned the task of navigation, they should be near the compass/map person in the formation and in communication with them.

Communications/Signals – Responsible for communicating with or signaling to possible sources of assistance that are external to the patrol. They may be tasked with carrying signaling devices as well as being alert for opportunities in which such devices could be used. For instance, if mobile phone reception is limited, they would monitor signal strength to identify when a call becomes possible.

First Aid – Provide basic medical care to any injured members of the group. This obviously requires at least some amount of basic medical training. Depending on physical ability, this role may or may not be tasked to the same individuals who are assigned to provide casualty evacuation.

Casualty Evacuation – Responsible for moving or assisting injured group members in moving to the ultimate destination of a safe place. Depending on their level of medical knowledge and skill, this role may or may not be assigned to the same individuals who are tasked to provide first aid.

Breaching/Engineer – Facilitate the smooth movement of all members of the patrol over, through, under or around obstacles. Some examples include laying mats or branches to breach a barbwire obstacle, placing a log over a ravine to allow for ease of crossing, or simply standing at the base of a steep elevated obstacle to support other group members climbing up, onto, down from or over it.

Reconnaissance – Before committing the entire patrol to a specific route or course of action, it may be necessary to first confirm or deny certain suspected conditions, such as route trafficability or enemy presence. This is the function of the reconnaissance element.

Security – While every individual in a patrol performs security by monitoring their respective assigned sector, thus creating 360-degree security through the combined interlocking sectors of the group as a whole, certain tasks require specific security functions. A standard example of this is crossing a linear danger area. Whether as part of the designated security element or as individual members of the patrol, it may be required to alert fellow patrol members of threats via agreed-upon signals or to engage with threats directly to facilitate breaking contact, and thus the escape of the group as a whole.

Planning Considerations

Beyond identifying essential and supporting tasks and ensuring that all of the above positions and responsibilities are assigned, there are a number of other planning considerations that are especially important for patrolling. These include:

Route Selection – Select primary and secondary routes in case, for instance, the first choice is not trafficable due to the terrain or enemy situation. Some considerations include:

                -Cover and concealment

                -Obstacles and general trafficability

                -Distance to the objective

                -Avoiding high-speed avenues of approach, unless this is part of the plan for procuring help

                -Do not select the same route you were travelling on when you encountered the enemy that you are currently seeking to evade. He or she may be lying in wait, expecting you to be returning along the same way you came or continuing forward on that same route.

Timeline – Estimate the time it will take to travel along selected routes, including each phase if divided into separate segments, as well as the time needed to perform all identified tasks in each phase. Adhering to the planned timeline can be crucial for a variety of reasons, such as with regard to sunrise or sunset, rest plan and whether or not it will be necessary to set up a bivouac/patrol base, movement of seriously injured personnel, or if the safe place one is travelling to is a public area like a shopping mall, since arriving there after closing time would be inadvisable. Deviations from the planned timeline may necessitate changes to the plan. The PL must perform backward planning against any concrete times.

Patrol Base (if necessary) – While en route to the main ultimate objective of a safe place, it may be necessary to stop and set up a temporary camp (bivouac, patrol base) for an extended period, ranging from less or more than an hour to overnight. The details of establishing a patrol base will be covered in a separate article, but the purposes for doing so may include:

               -Hide, reducing movement when an adversary is in relative proximity and/or is actively searching for the patrol

               -Eat and rest, when necessary and a safe place is not immediately available

               -Plan and disseminate the plan

               -Rehearse necessary actions

               -Wait for a particular change in circumstances, such as sunrise or sunset, or to allow extreme adverse weather to pass

Whatever the reason for establishing a patrol base, never stay at the same location more than once and do not remain there for more than 24 hours.

Signals/Communication – Plan for how you will communicate (a) within the patrol itself, such as by using hand-and-arm signals, whistles and insect/animal mimicry, and (b) with potential sources of aid and assistance, such as by mobile phone, radio, signaling flags, smoke, flares, mirrors or ground-to-air signals made from logs, bright cloth, etc. Ensure that internal signals in particular are rehearsed and familiar to every member of the patrol. Signaling will serve as the topic of a separate article.

Challenge and Password – In the event that one part of the patrol must temporarily separate from the main body, such as on a leader’s recon, it is imperative that upon returning to the main body, the departed element is able to identify itself and reenter the perimeter. This is particularly important in limited visibility conditions caused by poor illumination, inclement weather or dense vegetation. Such reentry can be facilitated by (a) a preplanned challenge and password, or if they must return in haste, by (b) a running password.

Locations of Leaders – The PL typically positions him/herself where they can most effectively control the movement and actions of the group as a whole, especially at decisive points in the plan. This means that (a) while the patrol is moving, the PL is often positioned toward the front of the formation, whereas the APL is typically situated further to the rear while playing a supporting role, like ensuring rear security and enforcing noise/light discipline. On the other hand, (b) when the patrol is stationary and the PL departs from the group for such tasks as reconnaissance, the APL usually remains with the main body, assuming the leadership role and ensuring 360 security and the fulfillment of other requirements as necessary.

Contingency Plans (GOTWA) – The PL may at different points have to leave the main body of the patrol, such as to conduct his/her leader’s reconnaissance of the objective (see below).  In such circumstances, he/she leaves the APL in charge of the patrol as they maintain their position with 360 security while also performing any other necessary tasks, such as eating and resting in rotation. But the PL also leaves behind a five-point contingency plan, or GOTWA. This outlines where he/she is Going, Others who are coming along with him/her, the Time they are expected to return, What to do if they do not return on time and the Actions they are to take on enemy contact.

Rally Points (RPs) – These are designated places where the group will meet or return to in order to regroup in the event that members are separated from the group or if the entire group becomes dispersed, such as resulting from enemy contact. RPs should:

                -Be easily identifiable

                -Avoid natural lines of drift and high-speed avenues of approach (unless the intent is to seek assistance from passing motorists or foot traffic)

                -Offer camouflage and concealment

                -Not have been the site of recent activity by the adversary

RPs could be designated beforehand through map reconnaissance or they could be assigned en route. If not all members have maps and the navigational skills needed to use them, it may be easiest to establish RPs en route, explaining clearly to group members that if they become separated, it is to the last RP that they should return and wait. Nevertheless, due to the risk of group members not being able to find an RP, to reduce the risk of separation, the dispersal between group members should be minimal and frequent headcounts should be taken. Headcounts should be taken at frequent intervals as well as at certain key events, like before and after crossing danger areas, or any other situations where there is a higher risk of a member becoming separated from the group.

If the route to safety is relatively short and direct, then the PL may designate the starting point of movement as an RP and then establish only one more RP half-way to or just before the objective. If the route is longer or more complicated, then it may be divided into separate phases, with a different RP for each phase.

Actions on Enemy Contact – The actions to be taken upon encountering an adversary are highly situation dependent, but we can consider three main options based on our natural responses to being faced with a threat, as well as their sequence of priority. These are the freeze, flight and fight responses.

               -Freezing involves immediately stopping all movement in place or moving into positions of camouflage, cover and concealment to then freeze in order to reduce the possibility of detection. Ideally, the group can then wait until the threat has left the area. Moreover, in the best-case scenario, the patrol has detected the threat before the threat has detected the patrol. In such a case, freezing/hiding will likely be sufficient, and if not, then it is possible to fall back on the flight response.

               -If the threat detects the patrol first, then the option of flight is the preferred course of action. Depending on the distance to the objective, the required action may be proceeding directly there, or if it is further away, patrol members may need to flee to a position of concealment, following the point person under the guidance of the PL, or disperse and circle back to the last designated RP.

               -If freezing to hide or fleeing are not possible, then the only option left is to fight, but even then, such fighting serves to open a window through which to flee and thus escape the threat. The security element of a patrol may need to carry out this fight response in order to create space for the remainder of the patrol to escape. They could subsequently regroup with the patrol’s main body at the last designated RP.

Objective Rally Point (ORP) – Since the enemy may have anticipated the location the patrol has selected to find safety, and since there may be open spaces and potential areas for enemy interception between one’s last area of concealment and the objective, it may be advisable to halt and perform some amount of observation or reconnaissance before making a sprint for safety to ensure that the patrol is not walking into an ambush. We might call this stop before proceeding to the objective, an Objective Rally Point (ORP).

Leader’s Reconnaissance of the Objective – The leader, along with the reconnaissance element, may need to go beyond the ORP to collect further information to ensure the safety and security of the patrol while proceeding to and conducting actions on the objective. Based on their observations, it may be necessary to modify the plan and update the members of the patrol on such changes.

Actions on the Objective – For when the patrol finally reaches its end objective, it should be clear what actions must be taken and by whom, whether that be, for example, flagging down a passing motorist for assistance or approaching a receptionist, clerk or cashier at a business and asking for sanctuary as well as use of the telephone to call the police.

In this article, we have dealt with the principles of patrolling as well as roles and planning considerations. In a future article, we will deal with other aspects of leading a patrol, such as organizing and communicating this plan (Troop-Leading Procedures [TLPs] and creating and issuing an Operation Order [OPORD] or Fragmentary Order [FRAGO]) to members of the group as well as conducting backbriefs, rehearsals and pre-combat inspections/checks (PCIs/PCCs).

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[1] Two versions of the Ranger Handbook were consulted here, the 2000 (SH 21-76) and the current 2017 (TC 3-21.76) editions.

Group stealth movement involves two or more individuals travelling together as one element while also applying individual stealth movement techniques in coordination to avoid detection.

The main methods we use when training for group stealth movement are derived directly from US Army doctrine as found in such manuals as FM 7-8 Infantry Rifle Platoon and Squad (now FM 3-21.8) and the Ranger Handbook (TC 3-21.76). These, however, are informed by other sources as well as adapted and practiced exclusively for unarmed civilian use for evading and eluding threats as part of a larger group. Planning considerations and other aspects of such collective stealth movement are addressed under the theme of patrolling and draw from the same sources for their framework.  

Formation – File[1]

Movement Techniques

-Travelling

-Travelling Overwatch

-Bounding Overwatch (Alternating or Successive)

Crossing Danger Areas

                -Linear Danger Area

                -Large Open Danger Area

                -Small Open Danger Area

Communication

                -Hand and Arm Signals

                -Audial Signals (such as mimicking insects or birds)

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[1] While infantry elements make use of a variety of formations, these often relate to the volume of direct fire allowed in different directions by any given formation. However, for an unarmed group of civilians wishing to avoid detection and travel from a place of danger to one of safety without engaging with any threats, the file formation seems to be the most appropriate for achieving such an objective. Thus formations like the wedge, vee or echelon are not practiced here.

Having recently covered land navigation; wherein we learned how to determine where we are, where we want to go and how to get there; this article explores the “how” a bit more closely. If our movement from point A to point B must be accomplished without being detected by potential adversaries, then we must also incorporate individual stealth movement techniques.

The modifier of “individual” in “individual stealth movement” only denotes that the techniques are performed at the individual level, that is by each person. Whether operating alone, as an isolated individual, or as just one member of a larger group, individual stealth movement techniques are equally important in avoiding detection.

For our basic framework, we rely on methods taught in the military of the US and other nations; including those of dismounted infantry, and in fact all soldiers generally, but also skills taught to more specialized troops, particularly snipers and reconnaissance personnel, but also drawing squatting movement techniques from Russian martial arts. We have, however, further expounded upon these techniques with insights from naturalists, survivalists, trackers, hunters, Appalachian and Native American/First Nations people lore and our traditional Japanese martial arts training.

Although numerous variations and other techniques exist, especially for walking, the basic methods we use in each mode of travel are listed below. Future posts may go into greater detail with regard to each of these methods, as well as introducing variations and supplementary techniques.

Walking

-Fox walk

-Crouched stalking walk

Squatting Movement[1]

-Squatting walk

-Long-leg creep

Crawling

-Crawling on hands and knees

-High crawl

-Low crawl

-Sniper crawl

Running

-Silent running

-3-5 second rush between positions of concealment

Each of these stealth movement techniques is intended to deny “target indicators” to potential threats. The indicators we are primarily concerned with reducing here are either visual or audial and direct in nature. Mitigating indirect indicators, such as one’s footprints or tracks and the disturbed vegetation one leaves behind, are discussed separately under counter-tracking measures.

After the main senses of sight and hearing, the sense of smell is the next most important in avoiding direct detection. Olfactory indicators can be mitigated through means other than movement techniques, such as by positioning oneself upwind of potential adversaries, careful dietary and hygiene choices, masking one’s smell, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco products.

The senses of taste and touch are of less practical relevance here, as they are not as likely to lead to detection in any but the most close-range of encounters, that is if taste factors in at all, other than through its relation to the sense of smell. Thus here we are primarily concerned with reducing direct visual and audial target indicators.

But beyond the degree of visual exposure or the level of noise inherent in each mode of travel, there are also several other considerations to be taken into account when selecting the most appropriate mode of travel for a given situation. These include what each mode of travel affords in terms of the speed, maintaining one’s field of vision and thus situational awareness, ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances and the degree of physical exertion required to perform each technique.

As depicted in the table below, we have assigned a grade to all four modes of travel in each of these six categories (1. silence and 2. visual exposure, as the main concerns with regard to stealth; but also the considerations of 3. speed, 4. field of vision, 5. responsiveness and 6. physical exertion). From least to most desirable or beneficial, the grades assigned are: poor, satisfactory, good and excellent. This table serves as the basis of discussion for the following paragraphs. We will not go into detail on each individual movement technique, but will instead concentrate on the overarching modes of travel. Later articles, however, may undertake such a detailed endeavor for individual techniques and/or modes of travel.

Walking

In most situations, walking techniques are preferred due to their superior silence, field of vision, ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances and comparative ease in terms of physical exertion and thus energy preservation, not to mention their generally faster speed of movement, the latter of which is only surpassed by running methods. The main drawback, however, is a higher profile that increases the risk of visual detection when there is insufficient concealment.

When available concealment; whether provided by vegetation, terrain features or man-made structures; is too low in height to conceal one’s entire standing form; whether fully upright in the fox walk or crouched in the stalking step; one must resort to crawling or squatting movement to avoid visual detection. Yet both means of travel can be significantly more physically demanding than walking methods, in addition to other limitations in terms of field of vision and responsiveness. Hence, these should only be used as long as necessary, returning to walking as soon as there is sufficient concealment available to hide one’s standing form.

When concealment is sporadic and/or there is a pressing need to move more quickly than what walking already affords, then one must resort to one of the running methods. Yet again, because of the increased physical exertion as well as the reduced field of vision and ability to react, but also because of the greater amount of noise produced by running, as soon as there is sufficient concealment to hide one’s body while standing and/or there is no longer a need to move more quickly, then one should return to the default of walking.

If the situation demands a lower profile, darting between sporadic positions of concealment and/or faster movement than what walking methods provide, one must guard against laziness and do what must be done to avoid detection, but only as long as is truly necessary.

Crawling

In terms of reducing one’s visual exposure, crawling offers the best option out of all the movement techniques. That said, in addition to the reduced speed and increased degree of exertion required, one’s field of vision as well as one’s ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances are both substantially hindered.

Squatting Movements

While not much better in terms of speed and significantly worse with regard to exertion, methods of squatting movement do have advantages over crawling, in that they provide better responsiveness or mobility, and even more so, in terms of a better field of vision. Because of the physical exertion involved, it is recommended that squatting movements are only used to travel very short distances, such as moving past a window (beneath it) to avoid silhouetting oneself. Since it is easier to move into and out of a squatting position than one of lying prone on the ground, they can be used to travel short distances of increased visual exposure. For distances greater than two or three meters, however, crawling is preferred to preserve energy.

Running

The primary benefit of running is the increased speed of travel that it affords. Such speed may be employed to evade an immediate threat, reach a nearby safe haven or to accept a certain amount of risk with regard to a greater degree of visual and audial exposure while also limiting the duration of such exposure, that is darting between positions of concealment in the hopes of not being seen or heard. In all three cases, there may sometimes not be much in the way of options to do otherwise.

If for whatever reason, an increased speed of travel is imperative, then running for an extended period may become necessary. Yet this should of course be seriously weighed against the costs in terms of physical exertion and the risks of exposure, disorientation, dehydration and/or injury, but also the likelihood of expected payoffs, such as discovery and rescue, or reaching a safe haven, such as a public area, hospital or police station. Thus, depending on the situation, one may choose running as their default mode of travel. Factors like terrain, weather conditions, distance to a safe haven, one’s level of physical fitness or that of one’s companions, clothing (especially footwear) and likewise, the mobility of potential threats should be considered while making such a decision.

In contrast to running for an extended period, in the case of a sparsity of concealment, one may well need to temporarily resort to scurrying short distances, darting like a mouse between the limited opportunities that do exist.

Yet the benefit of speed can also become a weakness, and it naturally comes at the cost, however brief, of producing an increased level of noise, alongside a heightened profile, reduced field of vision and decreased responsiveness, due to focusing on one’s path of travel and next position, not to mention the greater degree of physical exertion entailed.

Pertaining to the level of sound produced, if running across clear, open and moist terrain, one can travel remarkably silently, but if breaking brush and/or trampling dry or conversely saturated ground, the level of sound produced will be greatly increased. Additionally, one’s visual profile, since standing, is basically the same as if walking, though reduced in terms of the duration of exposure.

It should be noted, however, that movement attracts attention, and fast movement even more so. Hence this truly is a gamble, though one in which the odds can be stacked, such as by moving only when the sound of one’s movements will be masked by other sounds; like wind, traffic or flowing water; or when potential observers are likely to be distracted by other occurrences and focusing their attention elsewhere.

Although the main benefit of running methods is their speed, it is because of the speed at which one is travelling and the resulting momentum, combined with a focus on arriving at one’s next position of concealment, that there is both a reduced field of vision and a lessened ability to respond to emerging threats or obstacles. The faster one moves, the more rapidly one’s environment changes. This leads not only to an increased danger of disorientation and becoming lost, but also more immediately of encountering unforeseen obstacles and injuring oneself, particularly in low-light conditions and/or dense vegetation.

In the same vein, with regard to dealing with assailants wishing to obstruct one’s movement, such as through tackling to apprehend, a potentially fruitful avenue of inquiry might be to explore the methods used in American football to elude the opposing team’s defenses.

General Guidelines for Individual Stealth Movement

There are certain guidelines that apply to two or more of the above categories. These are as follows: 

-Only use crawling, squatting movement, running techniques or the stalking step if the situation demands it. Your movement technique should be appropriate to the circumstances to avoid enemy observation or audial detection.

-Keep in mind that one’s movements will likely not be heard further than 300 to 600 meters away, and thus visual detection is the primary concern unless the threat is believed to be within or closer than that range.

-Use available cover and concealment, moving within the dead space provided by the terrain, vegetation or manmade structures.

-All forms of movement create sound, some more than others, but as a general rule, the faster one moves, the louder one’s movements will be. Be patient and take your time if necessary, that is when the enemy is known or believed to be in close range and contact is likely. One stalking step may take a full 60 seconds or more to ensure complete silence.[2]

-The inevitable sound produced by one’s movements, however slight, can be mitigated by masking it with sounds like the wind or city traffic. This is especially important for running.

-Stop periodically to look, listen and smell, familiarizing oneself with the baseline of one’s environment so as to be able to recognize when something has changed and there is a potential threat.

-Deer walking is a method described by ReWildUniversity co-founder and head instructor, Kenton Whitman.[3] It makes frequent use of SLLS to produce a stealthy effect that is similar to how deer walk in the forest.

-If you have inadvertently made a noise and believe you may have exposed yourself, freeze and listen/observe/smell your surroundings to assess whether or not you have been compromised. If not, continue as before; but if so, then you may need to revert to a running method to remove yourself from immediate danger.

-Maintain situational awareness by remaining undistracted and alert audially, olfactorily and visually, scanning ahead of oneself as well as to the sides and occasionally rearwards.

-Employ wide-angle vision, the opposite of tunnel vision, to take in the fuller view of one’s surroundings that peripheral vision adds.

-Use the hands and/or feet to probe, test and/or clear the path ahead of oneself. This is particularly necessary in low-light conditions, but it is also needed at other times so that one does not stare down at one’s feet or hands while making the next step or hand/arm placement and thus lose situational awareness. Let your hands and feet supplement your eyes.

-With all techniques except those for running, carefully transfer your weight after having already tested the ground on which you are about to step or otherwise move.

-Lower your center of gravity to maintain balance and reduce visibility, getting as close/low to the ground as each mode of travel comfortably allows.

-Stay calm, relax and move with fluidity. An upset mind and a rigid body are less able to adapt to changing circumstances and more likely to produce unwanted noise, not to mention the wasted energy (emotional and physical) from such increased tension.

-Breathe continuously, as holding one’s breath could lead to a tell-tale gasp in the event of an unexpected occurrence, like stepping on and snapping a twig or encountering an adversary.  Breathing also helps in remaining calm.

Practicing Individual Stealth Movement

With regard to practicing these techniques, while crawling and running methods are easily learned and performed, although a degree of physical conditioning is required, squatting movements and walking techniques are more nuanced and need to be practiced more in order to be employed effectively. Squatting movements require not only conditioning, but also a certain measure of flexibility, balance, poise, agility and fluidity of movement, which do not come easily without practice. Moreover, this ability atrophies if not maintained. Walking methods in particular should be practiced in a variety of settings and on different types of surfaces, but especially in areas one frequents often, such as one’s home, place of work and the routes used in between such locations.

In addition to practicing on one’s own, there are multiple ways of working with training partners to test for stealth. One example is a game played by boy scouts, wherein one sits blindfolded on a log, guarding an object that represents a “pirate’s treasure,” while others attempt to stealthily walk toward him and take it. As soon as he hears someone, he points to them and they are “out.”

Even more challenging than human training partners is the animals we encounter in the wilderness. If we are able to approach birds, deer and other fauna without alerting them to our presence, or at least without startling or making them feel threatened, then have accomplished much.

But this leads us to a very important point. When practicing these techniques on public land, we have an ethical obligation to avoid frightening and thus causing emotional distress to others. Thus, we recommend that in the event one is spotted, as soon as this is realized, to smile and extend a friendly greeting like a hearty “Hello” or a hand wave to the person or persons and then continue with your activity. This should not only help to allay their fears, but it will also reduce the likelihood that you will have to explain yourself to the police.

Movement in Special Situations

It is also important to train for movement in a variety of special situations; such as through narrow spaces, while carrying a pack or negotiating slippery or steep terrain (moving both uphill and downhill). Such special situations can also have a direct impact on stealth, which is why they are mentioned here. For instance, if due to improper movement technique, one slips and falls, this increases not only one’s vulnerability, but also their likelihood of being discovered. The main special movement situations we address are as follows:

-Narrow spaces

-Ruck marching

-Walking/running on slippery surfaces such as ice

-Steep terrain

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[1] These two squatting movements were adopted and adapted from Appendix II of Scott Sonnon’s Body Flow: Freedom from Fear-Reactivity (Atlanta, GA: RMAX.tv Productions, 2003), 3-4, 11-12. For Sonnon’s diverse array of initiatives, visit RMAXInternational.com.

[2] For an excellent video on stealth walking, see Sigma 3 Survival School, “Art of Stalking Tom Brown III,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjnhnmBU_rU (accessed October 3, 2020).

[3] ReWildUniversity, “Deer Walking — an easy method to develop more ‘woods stealth’,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImPgGJ0d0fA (accessed October 2, 2020).

Being able to determine where you are, where you want to go and how to get there are crucial skills to have. This is true not only in any escape and evasion or survival scenario, wherein navigating from a place of danger to one of safety is essential, but also while simply hiking and enjoying nature or travelling in a new city, and more importantly, in life generally. The following are the fundamental tasks we train in to acquire a basic level of proficiency in land navigation:

Understand your map (scale, grid system, topographic symbols, colors, etc.)

Plot grid coordinates on a map

Determine grid coordinates of a point on a map

Determine grid azimuth using a map and protractor

Determine magnetic azimuth using a compass

Convert between magnetic and grid azimuths (magnetic to grid: easterly-add, westerly-subtract; grid to magnetic: easterly-subtract, westerly-add)

Calculate back azimuths (0-179, add 180; 180-359, subtract 180)

Determine elevation of a point on a map

Identify terrain features on a map

Orient a map using a compass

Orient a map by terrain association

Determine a location on the ground by terrain association

Locate an unknown point on the ground by:

                -Resection

                -Modified resection

                -Intersection

Measure distance on a map

Track pace count (pace beads, pebbles, notches carved in a stick)

Plan a route:

               -Direct line point-to-point (“bee line” or “dead reckoning”)

               -Avoid obstacles (90x90x90 or contour)

               -Handrail

               -Backstop

               -Deliberate offset

               -Panic azimuth

Navigate from one point to another

Determine direction without a map or compass

                -Sun (observe sun’s position in the sky, shadow stick, wristwatch method, shadows pointing north at midday in the northern hemisphere)

                -Moon (observe full moon’s position in the sky, use horns of crescent moon to find south, use illuminated side of the moon to determine east or west, moon version of the shadow stick method)

                -Stars (find the North Star with the Big Dipper, Little Dipper or Cassiopeia, find south with the Southern Cross, use Orion’s Belt, star version of the shadow stick, LURD method)

                -Vegetation (density of growth, rings of felled trees)

                -Prevailing winds (leaning vegetation, bird or insect nests on protected side)

               -Use higher ground to gain perspective

               -Make an improvised compass with needle or razor blade