Tactical walking tips for bugging in or out (v2)

[NorthernRaider]

Tactical walking tips for bugging in or out (v2)
© 2012Northern Raider

BEFORE SETTING OFF
It is wise to try on your rucksack and jacket and jump up and down on the spot, if your kit rattles or bangs re-pack your bag / pockets until it makes no noise when you move about. Remember the load from your rucksack should be taken on the shoulders and not the hips, an unbalanced rucksack will cause severe back pain very quickly of you try to take the weight via your hips. And remember sleeping bags go on top of the rucksack, not slung underneath banging off your bum with every step.

Ensure shiny items like watches, ear rings, earphones, belt buckles are covered up or taped over.
Make sure your specs and shades are the dull, matt coloured frames, not the shiny chrome or bright-ware frames.

Should you be armed ensure the breach is empty and safety applied, an ND (negligent discharge) could ruin your entire escape plan.

Do NOT take hand luggage you must keep both hands free for climbing, roping, using tools etc

Keep your EDC essentials on your person not in your rucksack (Knife, Compass, Lighter, Flashlight, Multi Tool, Bandana, Hats, Gloves, Watch, Shades etc) should be on your person should you have to abandon your rucksack.

Daytime departure, take a look out the windows from well within the room moving to the right of the room to look left down the street, and vice versa. Do not stand in the window and silhouette yourself.

Nightime departure, extinguish all lights and fires and hour before looking out of the windows, move slowly at night as human eyes detect movement more than detail in the dark.

Turn off cell phones, pagers etc before leaving, check each other’s kit for left open pouches or pockets or anything reflective.

Use simple hand signals to relay information to other family members, raised arm means stop, raised arm and a crouching stance means stop and take cover, arm extended to left means move towards the left, arm extended to right means move to right. Keep the signals few in number and very simple.

If possible prearrange with your group various locations along your bug in / out route where they can head for if the group is ambushed or forced to split up.




READY TO GO

Turn out lights if it is dark, open door or window PARTIALLY and LISTEN for threats.
Send out one person to scan the immediate area for concealed threats.

If area is good to go the rest of group to follow silently and at least 3 to 4 ft apart (6 to 8 feet if tactical situation demands more defensive posture).


WALKING

Walk where possible in the shadows, look up for hazards in surrounding buildings, Look down to avoid items that may make noise like twigs, gravel or broken glass. Make sure your not going to get something dropped onto your head from people in tall buildings you pass close by to.

Pause frequently to listen, you generally will identify more threats at night by sound rather than sight, breaking glass, raised voices, gun shots, vehicle engines, running feet, barking dogs etc

Watch what nature does, if you see a flock of birds, or a rabbit, or deer for example suddenly take flight that tells you something has frightened it, and it may NOT have been your group.

Look left and right SLOWLY in a steady scanning motion, Human eyes detect movement more than shape in the dark and you have more detector rods and cones in the sides of your eyes than you do at the back. Scanning side to side as you walk you will detect MOVEMENT before shape.

The last man in the group needs to keep stopping and quietly observing and listening to the rear to see if you are being followed.

Avoid using flashlights to navigate with, rely on your own night visions, Human eyes take 35 minutes to adapt to the dark but only seconds to lose night vision if a fool turns on a flashlight. Not to mention the risk of advertising your position to the whole area if you do use a flashlight.

Remember the old army adage in not getting caught, SSSSS
(Shape, Shadow, Shine, Sound, and Silhouette) all are to be avoided.

Where possible avoid public places and spaces where cops, troops or thugs may gather, try and stay in the shadows.

Avoid districts where scavengers may good looking for food, loot etc

When passing through hilly neighbourhoods never walk along hilltops or ridgelines, stay under the ridgeline and don’t silhouette your self.

If faced with an obstacle such as a hedgerow or wall try always to go round or under it, not over the top or through a gate because again you are just exposing your position.

In the short term most highway and rail bridges are really places to avoid, both official check points and predators WILL target them. Look for alternatives. You are nearly always better off paralleling the road / path / track / river by a few hundred feet rather than walking on the actual path.


RESTING & EATING
No cooking fires during the day unless you can guarantee you wont create any smoke.

When cooking at night site the cooker in a hollow or hole so it does not give off light giving away your position, Beware of the odour of cooking food also giving away your position.

If in a group ONE PERSON COOKS, the others spread out and keep watch for approaching scavengers, Silence is golden as you will hear them approaching long before you see them.

You need to remember the cook will probably lose his night vision so if you have to bug out someone will need to help him until his eyes adjust.

Ideally eat in shifts, half eating half keeping watch, pack away camp cooker etc BEFORE eating in case you have to bug out in a hurry.

Take every scrap of rubbish with you or bury it, fill in your cooking hole / fire pit, leave no clue to your passing through.

SLEEPING

We all need rest and the young and elderly need more rest than healthy adults, you all must sleep when possible. Human biorhythms run in two hour cycles, so to get the full benefit of sleep people need to be fully asleep in two hour sections. This really means in a stressed situation after a day of bugging out each member will need at least three hours in his sleeping bag, and hour to wind down / de-stress and two hours sleep. So whilst at least one person stands watch, the others should rest in three hour sections. All gear must remain packed in rucksacks and boots etc kept close to hand in case you have to make a swift and stealthy exit from your campsite.

Regardless of your duty such as cooking, resting, washing up, monitoring the radio etc your defensive equipment must ALWAYS be within an arm’s reach.
NR