Being the grey man

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My take on being a grey man.

In any situation that threatens your or your family's security it will be critical to keep your head down and avoid making yourself a target. In survivalist speak this is referred to as being the grey man.

To be the grey man you need to think intelligently. It's not simply a case of maintaining a low profile. First and foremost, the grey man needs to maintain a facade, a multi-layered facade that takes some time and effort to maintain. He needs to be aware, alert, knowledgeable and he needs to know the limit of his capabilities. This facade covers every aspect of his life including;

Clothing - the grey man has to fit in. Dress appropriately for the situation. The grey man will be wearing clothing that will lead observers to believe that he is also just like them, unprepared, a victim waiting to happen. He will not wear anything that will arouse suspicion. He may be wearing thermals and be concealing enough supplies to make it home or to his bolthole, but nobody but him will know.

Actions - the grey man will maintain his manners and lead observers to believe that he is just another joe bloggs going about his business. Nothing will stand out. He will hold doors open, be polite and be disarming. Little do the observers know that the grey man is constantly assessing the situation and his surroundings to ensure he is always one step ahead.

Transport - the grey man will always drive a car that is inconspicuous. It will look just like any other car on the road. It will probably be white or black, it will probably be old and rusty. It will be meticulously maintained and have supplies stored in the boot to deal with any situation that might come up. He will always obey the rules of the road, not giving the police any excuse to pull him over and find his gear.

Behaviour - the grey man will not be known as a survivalist. His neighbours, friends and possibly even family will not know that he has months worth of food, supplies and equipment stored in the shed. They will not know that he is carrying a small pack that will allow him to confidently survive in all but the very worst scenario. His stash is his pride. In a survival situation nobody will have any reason to suspect that he has enough food and water to supply a small army.

The grey man can be dismissed by everyone. He slips under the radar and may appear to be confused and confounded when presented with a challenging situation. In reality he is always alert, always assessing, always thinking tactically, always being invisible.

Come the time the grey man will be overlooked as irrelevant. He will be anything but. Being the grey man now and practising it may someday save your life.