Survival Escape and Evasion

Survival Escape and Evasion, by Nemo

Post from Survival Blog

When reading survivalist literature, on various blogs and in fiction, there are many good ideas and suggestions, but often suffering from an idealization of circumstances, both before and after “the event”, which throws all into confusion. On the one hand, preparations for disaster are too often haunted by the twin hell-hounds of over-confidence and the myth of universal preparedness. Over-confidence, in that the prepper is assumed to have unlimited financial resources and time to purchase the items suggested and to acquire the training needed to do various things. Universal preparedness, being a myth, is based on the idea that the things prepared for are the things one will have to deal with. Reality is a sloppy mess at times, and the things that happen are often not the things one has thought to deal with. Chaos is always bubbling under the surface, and in a SHTF scenario, chaos bursts to the surface. Therefore, it is not theoretically possible to be prepared for anything and everything. One can prepare for those things one has the imagination to project out into the future, but one cannot prepare for that which has not been imagined.

On the subject of bug out bags and bugging out in general, these deficiencies of the imagination can be fatal. On the one hand, one can over pack their bags, leading to a slow and painful foot evacuation, which inevitably results in taking rests, perhaps at the exact moment when one must keep moving, or gear must be shed to lighten the load and continue the trek toward safety. Packing a vehicle, one should also keep in mind that there is a fair likelihood of not being able to complete the journey in a vehicle. Whether automotive breakdowns, road blockages, carjacking, or inaccessible terrain, the reality is the longer the vehicular journey to a safe place during a crisis, the greater the odds of a disruption and possible rehabilitating breakdown. Journeys should be planned and packing done with the assumption of getting at least part of the way there on foot. Your vehicle may get you closer to the destination and faster, but do not assume that a vehicle will get you all of the way there.

Bugging out is a problematic subject. Much has been written on this subject, and I do not wish to rehash it. But suffice to say, if you do not get the “jump” on traffic, whether by early warning or simply pulling up stakes and leaving before it gets really bad, then chances are you will be stuck in traffic at some point. Fuel costs will immediately begin spiking up, as soon as a generalized crisis is announced, and travel restrictions may well come into play at some point. If you are not fully prepared at that moment and ready to go, you may well miss a narrow window of opportunity to get from point A to point B.

Bugging in is a preferred option for many, especially the elderly and the disabled. Those without financial resources to secure a secondary residence are also likely to bug in. Bugging in consists of securing the home for an extended stay indoors with little to no outside relief. One can fortify the home with improved doors, locks, alarm systems, fences, et cetera. Certainly, one should store enough food and water to stay indoors for an absolute minimum of two weeks. For an extended crisis, one should store enough food to last for multiple months and up to one year. Fortification of the home should also increase exponentially with the projected duration and severity of the foreseen crisis.

For an extended crisis, one should also raise food resources, from gardening to small livestock, and even small luxuries like homemade beer and wine. I am of the opinion that black market trade will always exist, regardless of any national or local crisis, and many things can be obtained even in the worst circumstances, but the question becomes: What are you willing to trade in exchange for whatever is on sale?

One thing that one should not be without in a crisis is a firearm and plenty of ammunition. While it may be possible to trade for guns and ammo, even deep into a crisis, valuation will be so high as to require the buyer to give up things they had no intention of being without. Then, the owner of the gun may decide to simply take what you have and give you nothing in return. In which case you will be lucky to escape with your life. Therefore, always have a gun, regardless of any law. Every American should have at least one gun hidden away somewhere it cannot be found. The day may come when only such hidden guns are the last barrier between absolute tyranny and the possibility of one day achieving the freedom we once knew.

The flip side is, in certain circumstances, having a gun is the one thing that will surely result in the loss of your freedom. Checkpoints are an ideal gun disarmament zone. I have manned checkpoints and done other security work, and I can assure you that when I was at the checkpoint there was no such thing as a legal gun. Anyone attempting to cross through under suspicion of having a gun would be quickly detained or worse. The only exception to the rule is VIP’s. Are you a VIP? If not, then this advice is for you. There was at least one occasion when I had a legal gun that had to be left behind in order to cross an international border into a country where everybody hated me, and they would have killed me on principle. On the other hand, if I had tried to sneak a gun through security, I would have been in quite a pickle.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic on the way to your bug out and you see a checkpoint up ahead, know that your vehicular journey has come to an end. The only way out at this point is too quietly and with great stealth exit the vehicle with what you can easily carry in your hands and attempt to sneak into the cover by the side of the road. If you have not been seen exiting the vehicle, you may be able to escape into the woods and possibly continue your evasion until you reach your destination. Take with you any maps, GPS, and other material that may indicate your eventual destination. When the police and soldiers search your empty vehicle, they will find indicators that may alert them to go in hot pursuit. Your long rifle in the trunk is probable cause to initiate pursuit. Certainly, they will have your identity, either from insurance and registration left behind or from the VIN number. At this point in your escape, destroy and dispose of all identity documents. You can get new identity documents later, if you wish, and it may be wise to change your identity at this point.

From that point on, escape and evasion is the name of the game. Put all your training into practice, and this time it is for real. The likelihood of bringing legal guns through a checkpoint in a national crisis is virtually nil. The only result of passing through the checkpoint with guns in the vehicle will be your incarceration. So, leave the vehicle and sneak into the woods. Keep moving, and avoid highways. Do not attempt to camp out in the woods anywhere in that county or municipal jurisdiction. Keep moving, avoid highways, utilize drainage ditches to evade helicopters, stash and hide gear as necessary, change appearances, and in general consider yourself to be behind enemy lines.

One simple way to avoid this eventuality is simply to stay off the roads. Evacuate on foot, blend in with refugees, and affect a sad and discouraged demeanor, combined with dirty faces and worn clothing, and you are likely to attract less attention. I recommend taking with you in the vehicle, a folding shopping cart and a dirty change of clothes in case one must suddenly take on the appearance of “homeless” refugees. With any luck and perhaps a CB radio or a police scanner in the vehicle, one might take advantage of a rest stop to make this transformation before traffic is stopped at a bottleneck of a checkpoint.

I have a little experience in escape and evasion, running blockades, and even running from the law. Without going into details, I have crossed international borders during a national lock-down for reasons of security. I have crossed into hostile countries where there are people who would murder me if they only knew my identity. I have crossed international borders in violation of a court order. Of course I had to see the judge after the fact, but I was able to make that “bug out” when I felt it was necessary. I have also done quite a bit of E&E from basic common criminals. On at least one occasion, the gentleman in question had a gun and intended to shoot me with it.

No system of security is perfect. There is always the possibility of escape, and to make that escape one must remain confident that it is possible. The number one reason that people get caught is that they give up. They despair of escape, and so they remain where they ought not to be, awaiting capture. The second reason people get caught is that they do not believe they can get caught. Overconfidence can also be a disability. One must walk the razor’s edge between confidence and paranoia. At all times, remain calm, bland, and uninteresting. Security guards I have encountered while on the run did not see any signs of nervousness or else I would have been caught. Also, contraband in luggage is a sure way to get caught. Sometimes, one must travel very light to get through obstacles, human and otherwise. On the other hand, carrying no luggage at all is sometimes regarded as suspicious.

Bugging out should be considered a form of escape and evasion. Anything less is preparing to fail. Even when the crisis has not yet arrived, one should plan and execute an orderly evacuation as if behind enemy lines. Just as the hunter sees sudden movement in the brush, so do security forces alert to hasty moves and a high energetic state of “nervousness”. Whatever your plan, do dry runs with all principals involved, make sure everyone knows their role and the script. Have a perfectly reasonable explanation why you are traveling, and do not give an excuse to search the vehicle. If the vehicle is likely to be searched in any case, make an effort to have the more suspicious items not in the vehicle, i.e. pre-positioned at the safe house. Otherwise, hide certain things in parts of the vehicle that are not likely to be searched. A license for a firearm is no excuse at a checkpoint when the orders from on high are to disarm and arrest everyone suspicious. Plan, train, and execute; rinse, repeat. Practice makes perfect.

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How to avoid FLIR and Aerial Detection

How to effectively avoid FLIR and Aerial Detection

This article is from the "All Self Sustained" Blog, I thought it has some vital information that you would want to know about.

If you want to avoid FLIR you need to fully understand how FLIR works. As an electrical utility thermographer, I might shed some light (pun intended) on the subject. To qualify this, I am using the latest (I think) commercially available FLIR product, and am a level II thermographer, (total formal IR training: 2 weeks; experience using IR equipment: about 5 years.) I believe I am at least familiar with IR. Granted, my life is not depending on avoiding IR detection, so I guess I can have my opinions pretty safely. These are my observations about IR imagers using civilian equipment and are.. “just my opinion”. It’s up to you and yours to check them out in your world.

IR is not Xray, Hollywood be damned, it cannot detect a differential heat image through common solid materials, plastic film (black or otherwise) being an exception. However, a good imager system can see through holes in a masking material (“IR masking” camo net). And if you are inside a dumpster, body heating the bad guy’s side, he can “see” the hot spot on the dumpster’s outside. But if you are not leaning (heating) against that side, he can’t “see you”. Your body heat will not be detected behind most readily available un-holed blinding materials if you are not differentially warming/cooling those materials or allowing your own IR to reflect off of something behind/over you. BUT, if the shielding materials are alien to the surroundings, the material itself will probably stand out. See below.

•Glass will not allow your THERMAL image to transmit (pass) through; same as the dumpster scenario. The lenses of IR imagers are made of exotic non-glass materials because of this.
•Every piece (cluster) of matter, including gasses, emits IR if it is above Absolute Zero (minus 459.69 degrees F). The warmer a body gets, the more IR it will emit. Eventually it will enter the visible spectrum as it gets “red hot”.
•The surface of a piece of matter is where IR is emitted. Altering an object’s surface will alter the rate at which IR is emitted. Stoveblack is a classic example.
•Materials physically different from each other will likely emit IR at different rates. BUT the differences may be very slight.

IR imaging (read DETECTION) depends upon two objects having one or more differences in Temperature, Emissivity/Reflectivity, and Absorption of the compared objects. For this application, we can forget about Absorption, and you should all understand Temperature. Now, E + R = 100%, thus the more emissive a surface is, the less reflective. If two dissimilar objects are at the same temperature, a high E will “look” hotter to an IR imager than a low E, thus forming an image. Objects with different Temperatures and the right E’s could “look” the same, thus forming NO image. Two objects with similar temperatures and similar emissivities will present an unclear, poorly defined image. Herein lies your IR strength.

Here are some Emissivity values for a few materials, all in percent's, all plus/minus a point or two. These are for short wavelength commercial imagers and may vary slightly for long wavelength/long range military/LE equipment. Military techies should have similar emissivity tables for your equipment.

Human Skin 97
Black Vinyl Electrical Tape 96
Surface Sprayed with Dr. Scholl’s Powder 96
Water 95
Rubber, Black, Hard 94
Smooth Glass 94
Plywood or Lumber 90-95
Most Painted Surfaces (Non-aluminum Paint) 90-95
Aluminum Based Paints* 30-50
Oxidized Steel 90+/-
Snow 82-85
Vegetation 80
Clay and Gravel 40+/-
Note the materials that cluster around 95, 80, 40, and 10

Now, to apply IR-101: In all of the scenarios below, remember that your body (or ANYTHING above absolute zero) emits IR in ALL directions. If there is a reflective object behind or beside you, it will pick up your IR and reflect it like you were a light bulb. Whichever situation and methods you use, if you have the opportunity, have an ally check you out from a flank with your best IR detection equipment. Or get the flyboys to check you out with FLIR’s namesake. Do this by day AND night, as the sun will do weird (but predictable) things to the differential temps.

The BEST way to protect yourself from IR detection is get behind/under what is already there, and DON’T change the temperature of it. Since you obviously have to see and perhaps reach out, do so through the smallest portal(s) you can handle. Those “man-sized” targets detectable at 1100 yards are just that – man-sized – not the size of your nose and right eye. Remember that glass reflects some IR (100 – 94 = 6%), and the sky (space) is cold (approaching Absolute Zero), so if your scope is reflecting not sun, but sky, it will look COLD. If you have on a scope sunshade that is hot, the internal IR of the sunshade will reflect out as HOT.

I believe the GI Woodland BDU’s are treated with an IR emittance reducer. If so, the “cloth” E figure in the table will change and you have to adjust for the following discussion. Or obtain untreated camo fabric or defeat that treatment (starch, I believe). The IR reducing treatment makes sense for a situation where the woods is cooler than 98.6 F. I hope the Desert Daylight BDU’s are NOT treated, but the nighttime anti-starlight smocks probably should be. If your BDU’s image “cold” against hot sand, you are just as “seen”. I trust the techies were aware of this, and have specified correctly. But you need to confirm by looking through your equipment at your buddy against some typical backgrounds.

It has been reported that “fresh” BDU’s do indeed have an IR treatment that fatigues (pun) with laundering in “brightener” detergents. As a hunter, I am aware of the UV problem with animals with good night vision (is it an overabundance of rods, or cones, in the eye?) and there are detergents available via sporting goods stores that do not contain brighteners. If you need to maintain that BDU treatment, you might try that. But again, look at your buddies with your equipment.

Now, in sand or vegetation (E = 76-80): If you HAVE to have artificial cover for situations where your clothing will approximate the temperature of the surroundings, you want to expose matching temperature “stuff” with a similar E (around 80). Cover as much of your skin (97) as possible with cloth (80) (remember that I don’t know the E for treated BDU’s). But also remember that sweaty cloth in a hot, dry background might look cold due to evaporative cooling. If you are in a hot dry situation, a tented, solid (not net), dry camo fabric applied as a screen might do the trick for IR. (Remember, same T, similar E). Visual is another problem. Keep the outlines irregular for both IR and visual. Square stuff in a curvy world stands out, no matter the technology. Fresh local vegetation in front of the screen will help both.

Camo face paint is PROBABLY a high emitter, similar to regular paints (90-95), and sweat (water-95) is for sure. You really have to keep that face behind something. I don’t know what a synthetic ski mask would have for an E, but I bet it is below 97. A plain old cotton tee shirt mask would work, but remember the wet/dry/cooling problem.

Black ANYTHING is a good emitter. Blackened steel barrels, synthetic stocks, and painted surfaces (all E’s in the 90’s) should be cloth wrapped for IR and visual both. Black SWAT uniforms probably have a higher E than camo. You need to test.

Dry rubber boot soles (94) are nearly as hot as your face – sock ‘em (80).

Old cut local vegetation will be drier, thus HOTTER due to lack of evaporation.

The name of this game is to keep both the Emissivity and the Temperature of the screen and clothing the same as that of the surroundings and keep those portals small.

If you are on bare clay or gravel (38-40) and are worried about aerial observation, dig in. Cover yourself with almost anything sufficiently rigid and then cover it with at least a thin but full layer of the local “dirt”. This will match the E’s. Once the moisture of the new cover layer equals the moisture of the surface around you (evaporative cooling), you will be in decent shape IR wise. Remember that these low E materials have a high Reflectivity, so block your own IR from getting out from under the cover. If there is a chance your body heat will affect the top surface of the dirt cover, use insulating material between you and the bottom of the “roof” to keep it the same temp as the ground around you. Foam board or sleeping bags will do that. The most critical times of day for this hide would be as the sun changes, because rapid heating/cooling of a thin layer of dirt will show up compared to the slower heating/cooling of the intact soil masses. If you can set up in a shaded spot where this will not occur, you should be in decent shape. If there is no shade, make the cover layer thick to create a heat sink approaching that of the surroundings.

If there is no threat of aerial observation, and it is only a frontal threat, a “wall” of local dirt with small portals would be the best bet.

Any new foxhole will print either hot or cold depending on the season and surface temperature, even if the surrounding soil is bare. The deeper soil temp is probably closer to 55 F than the surface.

On snow (82-85), build a snow fort or tunnel in and make small portals. Try to dust loose snow to duplicate surface texture. Pray for new snow. If you wore an aluminized face shield behind that snow fort, it would reflect the “cold” off of the fort, and cover your hot face. This might be a shiny side application of the space blanket, and could be worth testing. Water (95) is your breath when it condenses. And it is warmer than the snow.
Only thing I can think of to do here is breath through a ski mask and let it condense before it fogs up over your screen.

As to “space blanket” applications: there might be some, BUT. If you are using the shiny side toward you to keep your IR from getting out, remember that the backside of it is probably not a good E match to the surroundings and it will heat/cool a lot differently than most natural things around you. If you are trying to put the shiny side out angled down to reflect the IR of the terrain right in front of you, there would be a 10% reduction in the reflection, more if it casts a shadow. If the shiny side is out and up, it will reflect the cold of outer space (or the heat of the sun) – and it is going to look REALLY weird to visual and starlight in EITHER case! I cannot think of a space blanket application that I would stake MY life on.

In an urban situation, you will have lots of “normal” IR blockers to get under/behind. Just remember that you are an IR light bulb on the cold surfaces behind you. You cannot casually set up back in the room shadows of a windowless building anymore. Remember, glass will NOT pass through (transmit) your IR image. BUT, glass (94) has a high emissivity and will show its surface temperature rather well. If you are near the window warming it with your breath, you will reveal yourself. If you had a small barrel portal through an otherwise intact glass window, you would be IR blocked, but visually seen. A loose pane of glass back in the room shadows might be a possibility, especially for a spotter. If the room is painted (90-95) and warm (approaching 98.6 F), you might blend in IR wise. But if there is one warm window/room in an “empty” building, something is amiss. The painted walls behind you might not reflect your IR really well, but a metallic light fixture might blink every time you turn your face toward it. The best I can imagine is forget about the “room” and get behind/under something that should be there – sofas, chairs, drapes, etc. and keep your portal small.

None of the above CONCEALMENT strategies are easy; none are guaranteed to make you disappear to an imager. But they will all help make you a less vivid IR image, thus less detectable. IR imagers may or may not have an adjustment to key in the emissivity for scanning and reading temperatures. I doubt military/LE targeting devices would have that – you don’t care what the actual temp is, you just want to see a picture. Military/LE devices probably have a temperature range adjustment to scale up/down according to environment. They probably have an adjustment to set the sensitivity – the difference in perceived T to go from black to white (dark green to light green; whatever). If this is finely tuned, it is like upping the contrast on your monitor.

There is one comforting thing to consider: unless you are in the desert, there are a lot of different “things” around you, each of them with a slightly different Temperature and Emittance combination. If you can make yourself “nearly” match the most common IR surroundings and the sensitivity is set very high in order to pick up your small T/E difference, the other guy is seeing a lot more clutter around you, so your image will be just one spot on the Dalmatian.

For the Ghillie fans: A man sized wad of only burlap and jute rope at 98.6 F plus or minus a few degrees will have the same E all over it. But if there was some leafage from an IR blocking camo net on one shoulder and a splotch of shredded BDU’s at the waist and some foreign force camo material shredded in there somewhere in a cluster, all well supplemented with local veggies, from an IR standpoint it would look like a pile of dissimilar “stuff”.

If you have gotten this far, perhaps a little DECEPTION is in order to up your advantage.

Remember that “Sarge WILL find something during an inspection, so ya might as well give him something so he will stop looking.” If you want to determine if indeed IR detectors are out there, you might want to give them a cowboy hat to shoot at. I don’t know what the E of a bare GI plastic canteen is, but if you either wrapped it with Scotch 33 electrical tape (97) from a demo/como kit or sprayed it with foot powder (96) from your ruck, and had 98 degree water (coffee? Body heat?) in it, it would make a darned good human face (97) to a distant IR imager. Topped with a BDU hat and moved about on a stick behind some intentionally inadequate screening after dark (by somebody else behind that cowboy’s large rock), I suspect you would soon know the targeting capabilities of the opposition – and also acquire a muzzle flash. A piece of most anything warmer than the terrain drug remotely through the grass at night should get IR attention. Just don’t pull it all the way to your position. But you get the idea.

If you want to just give him/them something to worry about, scatter some old tire shreds (94) around at points distant from your position. They will look hotter than most surroundings when they are actually the same temperature. Plus, they will heat up more during sunlight, and hold their temperature for quite a while into dusk. If you can make them move a bit, so much the better. If they are behind intentionally poor screens, thus not visually or starlight identifiable, so much the better. This would be a great application for decoys specially made for the purpose – a visually camo’d, high E lollipop on a spindly, flexible stick.

One of the new IR illumination chemlights would do something, but I have no experience with them. I suspect one of them tripped off in front of or to the side of your position, yourself in a shadow from it, would blind any thermal imagers looking at you – like a trip flare would blind a starlight. Obviously this would be a defensive action.

There have been some pretty impressive demonstrations of the capabilities of IR equipment. And it is indeed impressive stuff, but it ain’t magic. It can image warm footprints on a cold roof, or a “ghost” where you leaned against a cold wall and walked away. But those images fade pretty quickly – faster than the grass will spring back up on your trail to a nest.

I believe that if one person takes the time to study and understand the theory of IR systems and applies it to likely circumstances in his world and does it better than the other guy does, the first guy has an EXCELLENT chance of being the winner. That is true for sniping or bidding on a roof inspection. Even an unfavorable tilt in sophistication of equipment may be overcome with intelligent application of ingenuity. And it won’t take a lot of formal training. After that, it is experience behind an imager. In your case, looking at your buddies in drill hides, and correcting each other’s errors. I grant you that my “thermacam” is not a military targeting device, but if your life is professionally depending on IR avoidance, I hope you have access to IR theory training and support along with the opportunity to drill with your own imagers.

A rambling closure:

If you may be exposed to a “new” technology, you just have to learn it and apply it. Like you did for visual and starlight. In fact, most of those old rules apply to IR: Irregular outlines. fresh vegetation. local materials. etc... The only real new rule is “Similar E – Similar T”. Now, get with some equipment and TRAIN, DRILL, EXAMINE, Train, Drill, Examine, train, drill, examine…..


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Bugging out by vehicle

EVACUATION: Bugging out by motor vehicle
by Team Training Systems
Reprinted from American Survival Guide  

Most individuals have included "bugging out" in their emergency response planning. This is correct, as evacuation may be necessary for many reasons. Most plans make the assumption that major highways will be open and passable. The individual or group will likely be part of a mass exodus, complete with panicky, desperate drivers, vehicle break- downs, accidents and other traffic-tangling conditions. 


 The military has priority on the interstate highway system, and the military may close the interstates at any time compounding the confusion. We need only to examine the evacuation prior to Hurricane Opal, where 60 percent of evacuees remained in place due to "grid-locked" highways, to see that an alternate evacuation plan should be developed. 
 
While mass evacuation in the event of a natural disaster or hazardous materials incident is normally a well-planned and practiced event, evacuation in the event of mass civil disobedience is not. The Historical Response to such events has been curfews, travel restrictions and restrictions on the sale of gasoline (Remember the riots of the 1960's?)
The ability to travel by tertiary roads, or no roads at all, will be invaluable under chaotic conditions. 

This article is intended to serve as a primer or basic introduction to cross-country evacuation by motor vehicle.We will discuss route find- ing, traversing obstacles, security and communications. Operation will also be discussed. 

ROUTE FINDING-

Prior reconnaissance is an absolute must for successful use of territory roads, trails and utility rights-of-way. A large scale atlas, or better, USGs grid maps will prove invaluable and save time. Power line and particularly pipeline rights-of-way are kept reasonably clear of brush for inspection purposes and are frequently the most direct routes available. Be advised that utility rights-of- way are private property, and frequently include steep grades and side- hills that may be impassable for less capable vehicles. 

Abandoned railroad lines may offer another usable route. Grades are shallow and curves are wide even by modern highway standard. The road- bed was designed for far heavier loads than any four-wheeled vehicle is capable of moving. The roadbed is packed so tightly that very little vegetation grows. Here in the East, abandoned logging and mining rail- roads are frequently encountered and are usable by even low-capability vehicles. The principal drawback is that bridges over both ravines and water obstacles may be collapsed or removed entirely, creating what may be a near-impassable obstacle. Even so, if an abandoned railroad grade appears on the map, it is worth investigating. Never, except under the most dire and immediate circumstances, attempt to travel on a "live" railroad track. An oncoming train could produce the most horrible consequences! 

Even direct cross country travel is not impossible, if the terrain is not too heavily wooded. Most government owned woodland is well covered with maintained fire fighting trails. Open terrain may be crossed on a compass heading, the only drawback being the tracks left by the vehicles. 

OPSEC AND CONVOY OPS-

Most individuals and families concerned with emer- gency planning have formed groups with others of like mind. There is safety in numbers, particularly when traveling. Risk exposure is high- est when on the move, and the risk is compounded when only a single vehicle is involved. 

The type of vehicle is also a risk factor. While not to belabor the obvious, a standard passenger auto or minivan would be a poor choice. Road bound and with poor hauling capacity, this type's virtues are limited to improved high speed capability and greater fuel economy, when compared to the average four-wheel drive. Consider also that a full size four wheel drive usually has sufficient power to drag almost any man-made obstacle out of the way. Choose accordingly. 

The first step in preparing an evacuation plan should be predestination of an initial assembly or "rally" point. This should be a central location for all parties, enroute to the designated area of operations. Ideally a point with a fairly high elevation providing to the degree of cover and concealment should be located. The higher elevation will assist with radio communications, and concealment will be necessary as not all group members will arrive at the same time. Make no on the air reference to road or places names, landmarks, etc., as such radio traffic may assist undesirable elements in locating the group. If the route is over 50 miles or so in length, or passes through several small towns, then intermediate rally points should be designated, using the same criteria as before. 

Second, the order of march should be designated. First in line should be the lightest and least capable vehicle, carrying the forward secur- ity element. If the first vehicle crosses obscales unassisted, then the rest of the convoy should cross also. The heaviest and most capa- ble vehicle will proceed second in line, carrying towlines, chain saws, axes and other vehicle recovery and road clearing equipment. In the event of a stuck vehicle or road obstacle the equipment forward security element will be positioned for most rapid deployment. Next in line, in third and fourth position, should be the supply vehicles and non- operational personnel. The trail vehicle should be a near duplicate of the second vehicle and carry equipment to create roadblocks as well as the rear security element. Open trucks would be ideal as the lead and trail vehicles: the security elements, riding in the open cargo area would have maximum visibility and fields of fire. 

Third, while on the march, maintain maximum safe interval between vehi- cles. Each vehicle should remain within sight and small-arms range of the vehicles immediately preceding and following. Avoid the tendency to "bunch up", particularly at obstacles or other ambush points. Minimize exposure by maintaining interval at temporary halts. 

Fourth, radio communications between vehicles and security elements elements can not be overemphasized. Work out some simple codes so that voice transmissions will be minimized. Keying the mike will produce a spitting sound as the radio breaks squelch. A simple "one" for stop, "two" for go, "staccato burst" for dismount and take cover will suffice for most work. Such short bursts will greatly reduce the effectiveness of direction-finding gear, and will give no clue as to what the group is doing. 

Fifth, when making prolonged halts, the vehicles should be "laagered"- dispersed in a rough circle, under cover and/or camouflaged. Two sentries, circling the laager in opposite directions will be sufficient to keep watch on the laager and each other. Maintain light and noise discipline while laagered. Sound travels for long distances in unpopulated areas, and light is visible for many miles, even in daylight. If group plans include an overnight halt, the same criteria for selection should be used as for the initial rally point. 

FORDING OPERATIONS-

If road travel is be avoided for security reasons, then bridges over water obstacles are to be doubly avoided. Water crossings have been recognized as natural choke points and ambush sights since armed conflict began. Intentional destruction of bridges has been used to deny mobility since ancient times, and more recently, obsolete bridges on tertiary roads frequently are not replaced when damaged. Fortunately, most of these tertiary roads date from horse and buggy days when the only way to cross water obstacles was to ford them. Note the number of waterside towns with -ford in the names (Chanceford, Chaddsford, etc.) that usually indicate an old creek ford. 

Once the fording sight is located, the next step will be determined by the tactical situation. In a high threat environment, the security element will have to proceed on foot and secure both the far bank and both flanks prior to sending the vehicles across. If the perceived threat level is low, one or two lightly armed scouts on the far bank will be sufficient. 

The ford element should proceed across at wheel track width, inspecting the bottom of the creek for deep holes, large rocks, mud, or other obstacles. On reaching the opposite bank, the ford element should continue for at least 200 meters under cover and evaluate conditions. If passable, one of the ford element should return to the ford and direct traffic at the ford itself. 

Park the heaviest, most capable vehicle nose-on to the creekbank to one side of the ford. Connect the front of the most capable vehicle to the rear of the least capable with a towline and send the least capable vehicle across first. The towline should be long enough to reach across the entire obstacle, if possible. If not the heavy vehicle will have to follow the lighter vehicle across in order to maintain slack in the towline. If the first vehicle does not make it across, the recovery system is in place to pull the vehicle out without having personnel wading in the creek in order to hook up the towline.

In the event that the convoy contains low capacity vehicles such as passenger cars, different procedures are in order. These vehicles are not capable of fording more than a shallow stream, and most likely will have to be towed across. If there is any possibility of submerging the engine, the air intake opening should be sealed and the vehicle towed across (dead). Bear in mind that a passenger car will float in relatively shallow water and that it may be necessary to open the doors and puncture the interior trunk floors to prevent the auto from drifting downstream, pulling the tow vehicle with it. It may even be necessary to use a second vehicle and towline as an anchor on the near bank. 

Once across, the first vehicle should stop only long enough to discon- nect the towline, then immediately proceed in the direction of the ford security element. Each vehicle should cross in turn, maintaining inter- val and extending the line. The vehicle operators should not attempt to crash through the obstacle. Proceed slowly and steadily, maintaining control of the vehicle. Use extreme caution when operation in still or muddy water. Depth is hard to determine, and wandering offline could result in a swamped vehicle, or worse. If the water is deep enough to impinge on the radiator fan, the fan belt should be loosened or removed to prevent the fan from revolving. A rotating fan may bend forward far enough to damage the radiator when the fan hits the water. 

The anchor vehicle then picks up the rear security element (if deployed) and crosses last. The convoy should immediately proceed to a secure area at least one kilometer away and halt to inspect all undervehicle components for water vehicle contamination. Do not omit this step if the water is more than axle deep. The convoy may return to normal road march after the inspection is completed. 

DEBRIEFING NOTES: 

Team Training Systems-Creek Fording/Convoy Ops Training
Several of the photographs used in this article were shot on a Team Training Systems training op. We identified several weaknesses needing remediation: 

1. Communications. Due to the late arrival of one of the operators, the pre-op briefing was greatly shortened and several operators did not "get the word." Several crossings were required to set up the photo- graphs properly. 

2. One vehicle had no two-way radio. Due to the short briefing no hand signals were designated. The operator of this vehicle had no idea of what he was expected to do, other than follow the vehicle in front. 

3. Perhaps most important, five large vehicles traveling together on roads that normally see only two or three vehicles per day attracted a tremendous amount of local attention. While no legal authorities were contacted, we found ourselves explaining our presence more than once. This attention would likely be magnified under chaotic conditions. Maintain the largest possible interval between vehicles that reliable communications will allow. Keep weapons and other survival gear out of sight. Camping gear would make a good cover story, as would a large toolbox, hard hats, and a stack of unusual looking electrical parts. Make vehicle halts in parking lots and other public locations. 

In conclusion, prior planning, reconnaissance, identification of obstacles, and several dry runs will be necessary to identify and correct problems.

Defeating Shine

Defeating Shine   

The shine from binoculars, scopes, infrared viewers, watches, night vision goggles, and even individual sun, wind, dust goggles (SWDGs) can give away your presence, especially in the open expanse of the desert, and draw enemy fire. 

Glint from an officer's binoculars gave away the Confederate attack at Gettysburg, killed the German Army's top sniper in WWII, cost an Israeli general an eye, and allowed a Marine gunnery sergeant to take out the Viet Cong's top sniper. 

Visiting paratroopers from the former Soviet Union said recently that looking for reflections from our optics was a major scouting tactic in the Cold War. And during major U.S. Army exercises, at least one scout helicopter is usually assigned the sole mission of looking for optic reflections from ground forces.

You can shield binoculars by cupping your fingers around the outer lenses. But you can't cup your fingers around a weapon scope or around the SWDGs you're wearing or resting on your helmet. 

A field expedient solution is to make lens covers from a pair of women's brown nylon pantyhose, preferably a pair with the thicker nylon in the upper part. this technique will give you immediate camouflage for your optics while preserving their normal use. Another technique is to take OD green duct tape, and tape across the lenses, leaving only a 1/4 inch slit with which to look through.

FOR BINOCULARS AND SCOPES:

1. Cut off the ends (toes).
2. Stretch fabric over the lenses.
3. Secure with a rubber band and tape.

FOR THE SWDG LENS:

1. Lay the lens on the thicker nylon.
2. Outline shape with a pen and cut out.
3. Stretch fabric over the lens as you return it to the frame, leaving a little overhang.
4. When lens is back in place, trim excess nylon from inside the goggles. 

Reference: INFANTRY magazine, March-April, 1995. SWAP SHOP: OPTICAL CAMOUFLAGE
By Mike Sparks, USARNG, Redford, NC

Patrolling 101

PATROLLING 101

 


PLANNING PHASE

A detailed map should be made; covering the route, including terrain features selected for orientation
The use of difficult terrain must be considered in route planning. Impassable terrain is very rare
An "offset" in the route should be planned when applicable. An offset is a planned magnetic deviation to the right or left of the straight line to an objective. It should be used to verify the location right or left of the objective. Each mil offset will move a person one meter to the right or left for each 1000 meters traveled

When the patrol is to infiltrate a hostile area, an alternate rendezvous must be selected

When selecting your weapons, you should try to select ones that use the same ammo and or magazines to facilitate cross use between team members

All weapons must be cleaned, operationally checked, and test fired before departure. The weapon must not be cleaned after test firing, due to the possibility of putting the weapon back together wrong, or something else being wrong. Individual weapon cleaning equipment should be carried on all patrols 

Gloves should be included in your personal kit to protect your hands, anyone that has been in combat can attest to the fact of how valuable gloves are. I personally suggest that they be worn at all times when on patrol

At least two flashlights and two each of such critical items as binoculars, wire cutters, or any other items you feel your patrol may need, must be carried 

Ponchos can be used to make litters, construct rafts, conceal lights, and as shelters. Also each man should carry two canteens or a large water bladder on long patrols

Every member of the patrol should carry an extra pair of socks, socks are one of the most valuable and important items in the foot soldiers kit 

A rope is a necessity and can be used for many things including but not limited to, binding prisoners, climbing or descending obstacles, securing your gear, setting up camp, and crossing streams
Duct tape is also very useful and can be used to secure rifle swivels, slings, and other items which might rattle. It should be used also to tie back loose clothing

Personal camouflage is a very important aspect of patrolling. Ensure when applying cammo face paint to use darker colors on the high areas, and lighter colors on the recessed areas. Ensure that you cover every inch of exposed skin, whether it be the back of the neck, or behind the ear, have a buddy go over your job and double check it. 

At least one sharp knife should be carried by every member, one being a folder/pocket knife, and one should be a combat/survival knife

Security must be provided by assigning every man an area of responsibility, when on the move, and during breaks/remain over night location (RON). Each member should be assigned a different, but overlapping sector of fire while on the move, or in a fixed position

At least two members should be designated as pacers, which means they count their steps, then the average of their individual counts should be used

Maps must be folded where the section being used is visible, before departing so they can be more easily handled when checking. Maps must not be marked, unless laminated and a grease pencil is used

Compasses should be preset before departing your staging area or home base. More than one should be preset for each setting required, and every member of the patrol should have one, and be proficient in the proper use of the compass

A list of questions and answers should be designated prior to leaving on patrol to be used as "challenge and pass" words. Which are used to challenge anyone approaching the patrol, or that the patrol approaches. When this situation occurs the first person issues the challenge word, or phrase, then the person being challenged answers with the pass phrase, or word

Leaders need to be involved in recon patrols so that they can get a real world feel of the areas patrolled

All signals whether they be visual, or audible to be used should be simple, prearranged and rehearsed prior to departing on patrol

Time for patrol members to obtain their night vision must be planned. This is to allow personnel to acclimate their night vision as it starts getting dark. This should entail about 45 minutes prior to and 45 minutes after darkness has fallen to allow for proper night vision acclimation. You want to halt the patrol and allow no movement during this time if at all practical.

The patrol should be inspected carefully before any dry run through, and before departure. During this inspection make each member jump up and down to listen for any noise being made, then fix with 550 cord, or duct tape. Men should be questioned to check their knowledge and understanding of the mission

All inhabited areas should be avoided, unless these areas are the point of the patrol 

Plan to utilize ridge lines for movement if in mountainous terrain, in that you do not ever under any circumstance travel on a ridge, plan your route to travel about 1/3 of the way down the ridge, or below the crest enough to not be silhouetted by the crest. The skyline should be avoided 

Luminous tape, or "snake eyes" should be worn on the back of the collar, and greatly aids in control and movement on dark nights. The collar should be turned down if close to enemy

All radios and other communication equipment should be checked before departing, and ensure that everyone knows the comm plan, including which channels to use and proper radio protocol

It is too late to consider planning and preparation when the patrol is in no man's land, so make sure you plan for every eventuality, because Mr. Murphy is out there and will come get you when you least expect it

ON PATROL
 
On small patrols, the count should be sent up automatically after each halt or passage of a danger area. In large patrols, a chain of command should be used to account for men

Navigation should be checked frequently. The patrol commander is responsible for this, but every member should offer backup if necessary
 
On long patrols, the point man and compass men should be changed occasionally, because these positions are very mentally demanding and you want your patrol members to be fresh, and ready to go at a moments notice

Weapons are always carried at a ready position. The patrol must be able to return fire instantly and effectively. They must have their zones of fire and roles within the team down pat

Enemy wire should be cut only when necessary. A reconnaissance should be made first

Take advantage of any noises such as wind, vehicles, planes, and combat sounds to cover any movement or action that you need to make that makes noise

There should be no movement on roads and trails unless absolutely necessary, and even then to get out of these areas as soon as you possibly can

Movement can be aided in daylight, especially in dense terrain, by using night compass settings

Do not move across the enemy's front

Over short distances such as the width of a road, the compass can be used for signalling at night. a piece of luminous tape can also be used, but ensure that your signalling cannot be seen from any other direction than your own team

Crossing roads in enemy territory is a matter of common sense. Each situation may dictate a different method. Established procedure will not be violated if a proper reconnaissance is conducted before crossing an obstacle. Adequate security should be established and movement should be silent and quick to avoid detection. A main point of consideration in any road crossing is control of the patrol and their actions. Crosses should be done at a curve, or other area that does not offer a long distance viewing. 

Some of the accepted methods for crossing roads are:

(1) Patrol can form a skirmish line and move quickly and quietly across the road
(2) The entire patrol can form a file, following the footsteps of the members in front of them, in order to minimize footprints, and cover up the patrol numbers
(3) Members cross the road a few at a time until the whole patrol is across the road

When necessary to leave a wounded person to be picked up on the return trip, another person should be left with them. 
Walking wounded can return on their own to friendly areas, or can remain with the team if needed. When the enemy is near, the wounded should be removed from the immediate area before applying first aid
Enemy positions or obstacles should be by-passed, unless they are the point of the patrol, or if engaging them is needed

The patrol's location should be known at all times, by all members of the patrol. This is particularly important when there is a change of direction or the patrol is transported by air or water. A relatively slight error can cause a missed objective

Security must not be jeopardized by letting ear flaps and hoods interfere with the hearing ability of the patrol

Talking should be kept to a minimum. Arm and hand signals should be used to the maximum, and should be one of the items members are tested on prior to leaving on patrol

When enemy positions are being reconnoitered, a covering force must be kept within supporting distance of the reconnaissance element to facilitate cover fire if necessary

Trash must never be thrown on the ground while on patrol. It should be buried and camouflaged to prevent detection by the enemy, as with everything while on patrol including feces and pee as well as any food 

When friendly agents such as partisans are contacted, the entire patrol must not be taken to make contact with them. One or two people should make the contact and the others should provide cover

A unique and disposable patrol password should be used forward of friendly positions, this is different than the challenge/pass that I covered earlier, this is a challenge and a pass phrase that is established once out on patrol and is only known to the members of the patrol

At halts and during movement, odd numbered people observe to the left, and even numbered people to the right, or visa versa, just ensure your guys know where they are covering

When people have difficulty staying awake on security and at halts, the number of halts should be minimized, and the people should assume a kneeling rather than prone position

Personnel should be allowed to sleep on long patrols when possible, but proper security should be maintained

To aid in navigation stars should be used but it should be remembered that they move. The patrol's location should be confirmed on a compass

Smoking or chewing must not be permitted, because they make way too much smell, and can be noticed quite a ways off

The method of finding the North Star (if in the Northern Hemisphere) and the Southern Cross (if in the Southern Hemisphere) must be known and also the watch and sun method of finding North, and South

During halts the communicator should position himself to the left of the patrol commander in order that the handset can be held in the patrol commander's left hand

So that is a run down of a bunch of good information to use to plan your patrols, in no means is it a complete list. There are many more items that should be trained on and employed in a patrol, but this will get you headed in the right direction hopefully.
 

More E&E

 Escape and Evade #2


To find you they have to use their senses. But you become one with your environment--- invisible and inaudible, so their senses won't work. Confuse them and they can't think. Attack them, Harass them, trap them, destroy their minds, then their hearts, and finally some of their tired, beaten bodies, and the only thing that WILL work is their emotions. Then, You own them. 


Stealth is your great ally. Speed is only used for emergencies. Many people think that the idea in escaping and evading is merely to put distance between you and your pursuers. That's wrong--- with one exception. In this game of life and death, stealth, and the ability to scheme are relative. It's them against you. In the beginning of the chase, flat out speed often works to your advantage, because it forces them into hot pursuit immediately, so they never get a chance to organize.


Even if you are running scared, so that the more lead time you have the better you like it, the answer may not be for you to run faster, but to make them run slower. Take at least one member of their party out and the rest will slow down to a crawl. When they start out after you with superior numbers, better weapons and dogs, they will press on and enjoy the chase. As soon as one of them dies, all will scare, and start thinking maybe this isn't fun after all. 


DON'T PANIC; Stay cool! If you Panic you loose the ability to scheme and plan. Then you are dead meat. You have to know the power of the enemy and plan for every possibility. Don't just move. Think. Scheme. You must be able to PRECISELY assess the situation and then Plan and scheme around the facts. 


Never make a maneuver that requires a strength you don't have or a weapon you don't own. On the contrary, Force THEM into over-extending, hurrying, and running scared. Why Tangle with them when they are fresh, confident and ready to fight. Wait. Sooner, or later, they will make a mistake. 


The secondary factor is your physical condition and how well you maintain yourself as you escape.
Finally, distance is helpful, but remember--- ONLY HELPFUL. 


Hiding in Water   DO NOT attempt to hide in Water. Every War movie from Rambo on back, puts the hero into the drink. He breathes through a reed while they pass, and then comes out behind them. That's show biz; Here's real life: 


You go into the water. If they have dogs, the doggie will turn and say, "this is where he went into the drink because I can't smell him anymore." (Even if you have bathed 100%, you develop Maggot breath in the woods, and no dog could miss it.)
Then the Handler will fan left or right and find a place for the dog to pick up your trail on one side of the bank or the other. If they find no trail, they know you continued to bathe. They will find you. "But," you say, "you're hidden under a bunch of sacred lilies, Which they don't dare to disturb, so they can't see you." (yeah, right.) 


So--they will just wait you out. Water takes away your body heat at a phenomenal rate, about 7 times faster than air. Your natural body temperature is about 98.6 degrees. Even if the water is a comfy 74, in time you will suffer from hypothermia. They will wait, and you will freeze. Even if they didn't have time to wait (but they certainly will...you are their priority), detection is a big problem. You have to get deep enough so they can't see you through the water. You also have to breathe. Now, we already know that you wouldn't be in the water if you didn't believe in fiction, so you just happen to have with you a special camouflaged hose six feet long. 


At first you breath fine. But then it becomes labored. Why? You exhale carbon dioxide, which does not clear the hose, so you breathe back in your own carbon dioxide, and re-use the unexpended oxygen... you run out of air. You end up cold and sucking gas as you bubble to the top. Yes, water hideouts are great, but only in the movies... 


Finally, there's the one about running in the creek. Then a scent dog can't track you and you get away. No,no. First, you run a tremendous risk of injury travelling in creeks because all the rocks on the bottom are slippery. You'll think somebody designed them just for breaking ankles. Second, you move more slowly in water than you do on land. Anybody can walk faster on the bank than you can run in the water... And you will make God's own noise while running. Hypothermia is, again, a problem, and at very least you lose calories, and therefore stamina. The creek getaway is an armchair dream; it won't work either.
Hiding In Trees
  If you go up a tree, the enemy will make a monkey out of you. As you sit at home and think about it, treetops are alluring. Here's the scenario: With a slingshot you shoot a shot weighted fish line over a high limb. The fish line is tied to a parachute cord (550 lbs test) and you pull it over. With your foot in the loop on one side of the line, you Hand-over-hand up the other until you're into the tree tops. Then you connect tree to tree, and you befuddle the whole Posse. Bull; it really goes like this: You finally get up in the trees and, miracle-- the branches are thick enough to connect. It takes a long time to pull this off so you lose lead time, and it is tiring. Also you could have fallen on your Butt and broken something, but you made it! Now, you're ten-twenty trees away, and they arrive.

The dogs either bark treed or stop and look up. So the posse fans out and goes heads up also. You don't dare move. If you happen to have a gun and shoot, you'll kill one, and the other 19 will ventilate you. You are cornered.

They WILL find you, day or night, because they know you can't move. If you do.. they will probably kill you (weapons or the fall). Yes, the tree plan sucketh. Ask any dead bear or coon that has ever been treed---DONT TAKE TO THE TREES.



Food   You can't evade if you don't preserve yourself. If you let your diet go or get a case of food poisoning, you're history. You have to eat. No 7-11's in the woods, so you will have to go native, and eat what's available. 

Most often in an E&E situation you must feed yourself on the run. Snake, birds and rodents are great, But it takes a ton of lead time to catch them. You are better off with ants, Termites and grub worms, because these are plentiful and take very little stopping time to catch and prepare. 


Even grasshoppers take some time and energy to catch. Ants, termites and grub worms are the fast food of the jungle. Just think of this as the escapee's Kentucky Colonel. You can even sing, "We do termites right." 


Turn over a rock and catch a bunch of ants on a leaf or piece of paper. Scoop them into a cup, add water, heat 'n serve. It will taste sweet. Break off a bottom chunk of wood to find termites, and flick these into the same cup. Incidentally, replace the log so that trackers won't know what you're eating. Add water, boil; enjoy. 


Grub worms go down like a large pill. Break off the head and swallow the body with a swig of water. These are best because the fat content provides you with energy. 


With enough lead time developed to enable you to build a small fire, you can upgrade your menu. Rodents, birds, squirrels, etc, make great meals. A fat rat isn't much less than a skinny rabbit. I am not in favor of snakes because the risk isn't worth the low fat diet they provide. 


Birds can be snared alright, but they take a long time to prepare, and you have to boil any carrion-eater because they are full of parasites. Fowl are wonderful to eat, but they make a racket you would not believe when snared.
Plants are another chapter entirely, but as a rule grasses are edible unless they have saw toothed edges; this will tear up your digestive system. Avoid eating any plant with a mily sap, except dandelions, which are fine to eat cooked or raw. 



Evasion - Celestial Navigation   Many of the things you will need to know are covered in Site Selection and Patrolling. Remember these things: 


Do not cross open areas
Don't walk across the tops of hills, walk around them. Freeze if you see or hear an aircraft.
Cross roads in curves, not on straight-aways.
Parallel streams, rivers and roads if necessary, but be very cautious when doing so
Avoid all inhabited areas (traditional method).
Travel at night, sleep during the day. 


Sleep in thick inaccessible wooded areas. Crawl under bushes to get into the center of thickly wooded areas. If traveling through populated areas you must adopt the customs of the people.


Don't linger in one area. It arouses suspicion and authorities may be called to investigate. 


Alternate Method - Steal clothing from houses when no one is home. Try not to let them know what you took.
Keep a clean, neat set of clothes rolled up and protected. Change into these when you come to a populated area. Keep your sleeves rolled down and wear gloves when traveling through woods and fields. It is not hard to keep from getting cuts and scrapes when you are out for a day or two camping. It is much harder when you have to traverse hundreds of miles. After a few days you will be covered with scratches, insect bites, and torn, soiled, clothing. 


It is very hard to look like anything but a vagrant but that is what you must do. The authorities will be looking for someone who looks like they have been traveling on foot. You want to look clean cut if you are in a town, like a farmer if you are in the country, or a factory worker if you are near shipyards, factories, etc. 


The alternate method allows moving from one inhabited area to another. If you have the balls to pull this off it could be much simpler than trying to avoid the enemy in the woods. You can't go around asking directions in a foreign tongue if you don't want to be noticed. You must find a place where you can blend in and observe the actions of others. If you are sitting outside, it helps to have a newspaper or book to pretend to look at. Get one from the trash. be very careful when trying to steal. If you are caught it will mean more than a jail term. If you are caught by a homeowner or proprietor, don't just run. Try pleading your situation to them. If you are a foreigner fleeing from an occupying army or unpopular govt troops you may find sympathy. In Central America, you will be viewed as a rich Yankee and shot for your shoes! It all depends on the situation. Rural farming people are distrustful of outsiders in any country. If you can win them over, they are also more friendly. They work at farming, animal husbandry, etc. and don't depend on nor expect the kindness of others. Poor urban dwellers will probably rob you or turn you in for a reward. Use your knowledge of the people to survive. You can see why there is less danger if you choose to make your own way through the wilderness. But it has it's own difficulties, shelter, clothing, food and other necessities are very difficult to come by with a knife, compass, and the clothes on your back. 


If you are armed you may be able to take a road checkpoint, or other unaware small party of soldiers/civilians. Take their clothes, vehicle, food, weapons and simply haul ass as far as you can. Then strike out over the country again.
If you come to a road check point it may be a good idea to watch them for a while. Sit back in the woods and see what they do. 


Celestial Navigation 
 
Now is the time to learn to do this. Don't wait until it is necessary to learn basic constellations.
In the northern hemisphere you will need to find only one star. The hardest thing for some people is to forget myths they have learned over the years about certain stars and constellations. The ones we will discuss are the North Star, Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the Southern Cross. Many people if asked to find ANY constellation will point to the Pleides and call it the little dipper. If you don't know the difference, get a star chart and find these constellations.

The North Star is important because it never moves. It is always in the same place -- the north sky. It is the very end of the handle of the little dipper. You can find it this way, or if the dipper is below the horizon, locate it by using the big dipper. Measure the distance between the two stars that form the end of the 'pan' Now draw a straight line through those two stars. Measure along that line 5 times the thickness of the pan. That is where the North or Pole star is located. To check your work, if you are close to 30 degrees latitude, the north star should be three hand widths above the horizon. The farther north you go, the higher it will be in the sky. On the north pole, it would be almost over head. Near the equator it is invisible, and it's location must be approximated by looking for the big dipper or Cassiopeia.

In the southern hemisphere, you can find due south by looking for the southern cross. It rotates around the south pole. If you draw a line from the top of the cross straight through the bottom and on across the sky, the line will pass through a due south point. Remember this, if you are about -30 degrees latitude, the imaginary 'South Star' will about 3 hand widths above the horizon. There is no southern pole star.

Sun Navigation 
 
Take a stick and push it into the ground straight up. Place small rock on the tip of the shadow that is cast. Wait about 20 minutes and place another small rock on the tip of the 'new' shadow. Now draw a straight line between the two rocks. This line points east - west. Stand with your left toe on the first rock and your right toe on the second. You are facing north. Think of it this way -- if the sun moves from east to west, then the shadow moves from west to east, right?

Take a small stick, pencil or something in the fold between your thumb and hand. Hold your palm up and flat. Tilt the stick about 15 degrees toward the center of your hand. Face due east. Look at the point on your hand where the shadow falls. Divide the hand into 12 hours, starting at the wrist and moving clockwise around to your index finger, 12:00 noon being about where your little finger meets your hand.

The place where the shadow falls is the time of day.

Escape and Evasion

Short Term Escape & Evasion

You are on the run behind enemy lines with just the contents of your escape tin and the clothes you stand in, what should you do?

British fighter and helicopter pilots, Special Forces operatives and other specialists who are likely to be shot down or ambushed deep behind enemy lines receive excellent training in Escape and Evasion (E&E) procedures. Indeed this training is so good that selected operatives, soldiers and airmen from friendly nations are also often to be found on these courses.

However, it is not just the fast jet jockey and winged dagger trooper who could find themselves in the role of unwelcome guest behind enemy lines, being hotly pursued by a hunter killer force. Once the shooting starts, at any time it could happen to YOU.

1] Your unit has been decimated after being surrounded by the enemy, but you have managed to escape.

2] Your defensive position has been overrun by the enemy but you have survived and must get away before they start mopping-up.

3] Your patrol becomes lost behind enemy lines.

4] You have accidentally strayed through the enemy front line.

5] You have broken out from a POW holding area behind the battlefield

6] You have managed to escape from a POW camp further into occupied territory.

7] You are on a peace-keeping mission when your unit is taken hostage or ambushed and all are captured except yourself.

The list is endless, but ask yourself honestly these two questions. If I found myself in any of the above situations, would I know exactly what my very first move should be? And then, as the minutes tick by, what should I do next?

Now you are probably thinking that you should start water gathering, building a shelter and instituting all the other 'surviving in the wilds' skills. Wrong! Long term evaders such as downed pilots, or escapees from permanent POW camps deep inside enemy territory, may need to travel for weeks or even months before reaching friendly territory, so 'wild' survival skills are very important For them. However, only a very few soldiers ever become long term evaders.

Most Escape and Evasion (E&E) in any conflict is short term, lasting anything from about one hour up to 48 hours.

What is most important in short term evasion is to understand the few basic rules of E&E based around anti-capture and anti tracking techniques. Without this knowledge, the chances are that you will be shot, taken prisoner or recaptured very quickly.

If you don't understand the fundamental anti-tracking skills, the chances are that you will not be able to use your survival skills without tipping off the enemy. So it is important that you learn the basic ground rules of short term escape and evasion first.

The Escape Phase

Rule 1 - Escape Quickly

1st Rule - Escape Quickly

This is the first and most important rule of E&E and can be applied to many different situations. In this case, Escape Rule 1 refers to the period immediately after capture by the enemy. You must escape at the first opportunity because:

a] The longer you remain in captivity, the more thoroughly you will be searched
b] The longer you remain a prisoner, the further you will be sent behind enemy lines.
c] Your captors will very probably be front line combat troops. These soldiers will likely have neither the interest, the time, nor the training in handling POWs. The longer you remain in captivity, the greater the chance of being sent to a secure POW camp with guards who have been specially trained in preventing escapes.
d] Once incarcerated in a purpose built POW camp, the rules of E&E will change drastically (to be covered in a future article).

2nd Rule - Don't Talk

Being captured by an enemy is a severe psychological shock, even for experienced soldiers. Only those who have experience of such an event can appreciate the desire to talk to captors, sometimes without being able to stop. You must steel yourself from the very first moment of captivity to say as little as possible. Under the Geneva Convention you are expected to give your name, rank, number and date of birth (this allows the Red Cross to hopefully keep track of your movements and health condition as well as to notify your next of kin that you have survived) but resist the desire to say anything else.

3rd Rule - Be The Grey Man

After capture, most soldiers adopt one of two attitudes. They either try to appeal to their captors by smiles and other friendly gestures, or they show defiance by scowling, cursing or exhibiting signs of aggression. Do neither!

You must attract as little attention from your captors or jailers as possible. This will prevent you from being singled out for interrogation, when you will be under closer guard, and will greatly help your chances of escape.

To play the grey man, stand or sit motionless with head slightly bowed. Avoid eye contact, but if forced to look at the enemy, focus on your opponent's forehead and show no emotion. Speak only if spoken to.

The Evasion Phase

This most important Escape Rule also applies to the Evasion Phase. You may have just escaped from POW custody, be the surviving member of an ambushed patrol or have been overlooked as enemy assault troops overran your position.

In any of these situations, you could be captured at any moment. You must now travel as far and as fast as you can. The further you escape from your last point of contact with the enemy, the wider the arc or area the hunter-killer force will need to search for you and the greater the area that tracker dogs may have to cover to pick up your scent.

Rule 2 - Evade In Pairs

The larger the evading group is, the easier it will be to track down. If possible, try and break down into pairs as this could split up the team tracking you or even leave them all tracking just one spoor. In most situations, two heads are better than one and when rest becomes a necessity, one can remain on guard while the other sleeps.

Rule 3 -Assume You Are Being Hunted

An evader has a very limited view of events around him and it's very easy to assume that he has given the enemy the slip. Often this is a mistaken view. Besides which, always assuming you are being hunted focuses the mind and this should lead to you making less mistakes.

Rule 4 - Carry A Compass

The sensible soldier will always carry a mini-compass in his Survival Tin plus one hidden in his clothing. This is one of the most treasured E&E possessions. To allow for all eventualities though, learn to make an emergency compass by magnetizing a needle and sitting it on a free floating leaf on water. Practice now as you won't get time when you are an evader.

Rule 5 - Make Or Get A Map

Maps are important. Before a mission make a simple map on a sheet of paper from your waterproof notepad. Show just the basic routes, roads, rivers and major topographical features, then sew it into your uniform.

If captured, while awaiting escape, make a rudimentary map by drawing on the inside of your clothing as this will greatly aid your navigation plans. Once on the run, acquire a better one- search bodies and deserted buildings and, particularly in an urban environment, look inside vehicles or even check out phone boxes

Rule 6 - Ignore The Hay Barn

Don't assume the 'Hay Barn' mentality. In other words, never hide in obvious places. The barn on the hill will look tempting refuge with hide, but this is also the first place the hunter force will search.

Rule 7 - Become a Magpie

Never pass-by anything that could be of use. a discarded bin liner or even a plastic fertilizer bag can make an emergency waterproof over garment.An abandoned steel helmet, not too common in these days of composites, makes a good cooking pot but look out for any metal container that will do this job and also transport drinking water.

Rule 8 - Camouflage Your Tracks

You must camouflage signs that you have passed, and especially your footprints, from man trackers. This is because the most common form of track to find and easiest to follow is the markings you leave on the ground-known as ground spoor. an even better find for an experienced tracker is a full boot print (a confirmed spoor) from which he will be able to tell how fast you are moving, how tired you are and much more information on you.

With a consecutive pair of prints he can tell how fast you are traveling, what distance you are covering and even if you are carrying a load. Despite your boot probably having the same tread pattern as the rest of the guys in your unit, individual wear marks and tread damage make your boots as individual as your fingerprints. No wonder trackers call full bootprints a confirmed spoor.

Consequently, avoid walking on soft muddy ground. Instead try to find hard, rocky surfaces. Remember, though, not to disturb loose rocks as these would give a tracker recognizable, though less useful, ground spoor.

Of course there will be times when you have no choice but to walk on soft or muddy ground, so remember the following techniques. They may only temporarily confuse trackers, but they may gain you valuable time.

a) Often there are harder ridges on either side of well used, soft, muddy paths. Walk legs astride on these ridges.
b) Step carefully into existing footprints.
c) Walk backwards or on tiptoe.
d) Walk in a stream. Remember not to leave scuff marks or other ground spoor on the bank as you enter or leave the stream.

Rule 9 -Don 't Leave Aerial Spoor

Spoor above the ground or overhead may not be as easy to spot as ground spoor, but a good tracker will find it nevertheless.

a) Don't break branches in your way - gently bend them aside.
b) If you can't bend it, go under, over or around it.
c) If you snag or tear clothing, don't be in such a hurry. Check to see that you have not left a small piece of cloth or telltale fibers behind you.

Rule 10 - Don't Leave Scent

Tracker dogs follow the microscopic body scent particles that continually fall from your body and settle on or just above the ground.Their remarkably sensitive noses will follow your previous route as accurately as if you could draw the dog a map. Even so, there are ways to slow down,confuse and even defeat tracker dogs.

a) Use a vehicle or even a bicycle. This will not only break the scent chain, but will put you further ahead of the pack much quicker and with less fatigue.
b) On foot, follow an erratic path through tangled undergrowth. This usually tangles the running lead of the dog and its handler, slowing them down.
c) Use well traveled animal or human trackways. Even better, follow an erratic path through a farmyard, as a large collection of new scent may temporarily confuse the dog and hinder progress.
d) When you reach water, don't just cross it. Walk in running water for a short distance before exiting on a part of the bank where your spoor will not show.
e) If you can only find narrow waterways such as ditches, with still water in them, walk in them but cross diagonally, doubling back on yourself at least once to confuse the dog.
f) If practical, wash regularly, but never use anything scented.
g) If you cannot wash, roll around over the ground you are traversing, to add country scents to your own. However, remember that a man who has rolled in a dung heap smells just like a man who has rolled in a dung heap, to a well trained tracker dog with a good nose.
h) Don't allow yourself to come in contact with strongly smelling substances such as smoke or animal droppings. If an article of clothing becomes contaminated and you have to discard it, make sure you bury it, or better still hide it under rocks in a stream. Now wash hair and skin. if also contaminated.
i) Try to outrun the dogs. A tracker dog has to move comparatively slowly so, as stated before, escape as quickly as possible.

Rule 11 - Camouflage Your Identity

It should almost go without saying, that you practice the basic rules of camouflage and concealment when resting, laying-up, approaching a dangerous area, etc. You should also practice camouflage and deception when traveling.

a) Avoid busy or populated areas and keep your distance from any civilians you see.
b) Don't act suspiciously or appear to be nervous as this wilt attract attention.
c) Never walk in an upright, military fashion-adopt a tired slouch.
d) Try to at least keep the appearance of being clean and keep shaving if you can.
e) If traveling in countryside, carry a spade or some other farming implement.
f) Keep your uniform on underneath any civilian clothing as otherwise you could be shot for being a spy.
g) Keep your watch in your pocket.
h) If approached by the locals, unless you speak and look like a native of the area, pretend to be deaf and dumb or perhaps even half-witted. The latter often works.

Rule 12 - Disguise Your Hide.

Sooner or later you will need to lay-up or rest. Again, leave no traces of your presence.

It is a good idea to rest for 5-10 minutes in every hour that you travel. Don't just stop anywhere though. Choose an area of good cover and try to leave no trace of your LUP (Laying Up Point).

A longer LUP occurs when you sleep. lie facing the ground, and if you have a ground sheet or something similar, cover yourself with it. This should concentrate your scent in one place. Before you leave, cover your sleeping area with soil and natural debris to mask the scent.

Always bury any food waste, camp fire debris, feces, urine or anything connected with your stay. Try not to contaminate your skin with waste material. Finally, cover disturbed soil with natural debris. Waste on the surface will attract flies in warm weather and will be easily spotted by human trackers, and a dog's nose will pick up the scent a long way off.

Rule 13 - Disguise Your Fire

Opinions vary as to exactly when you are safe enough to light a fire. However, sometimes it is crucial to purify food or water by cooking or boiling,to provide warmth to prevent hypothermia.

If you have to light a fire, ideally you should dig a fire pit deep enough to hide the flames. Try not to make the fire too big and ensure that flames to not show above ground. Use only small pieces of fuel.

Dig a separate air shaft at an angle to the pit as this will make the fire burn quicker and prevent excessive smoke. If the ground is too hard to dig, is too waterlogged, or a fire pit is impractical for some other reason, light the fire under a canopy of leafy foliage to disperse smoke. Alternatively, light a surface fire against a high wall.

Above all else, when Escaping and Evading, DO IT QUICKLY and DO IT CAREFULLY

Q (Taken from Combat And Survival Magazine Volume 10 Issue 4 July 1998, an excellent magazine written mostly for the British Army. However, many of it's articles are relevant to our present and future predicaments)