By Michael D.
Former Clandestine Officer, CIA, DIA, NSA
Escape and Evasion is one of the most critical elements in any survival situation.
If you are forced into separating yourself from a threat, the first step is breaking (bad) contact with that threat.
The threat can be a flood, fire, active shooter, home invader, mugger, or any other existential threat to your safety.
There are two classes of threats: intelligent and non-intelligent.
Intelligent threats include people, drones, cameras, cellphone hacks, or other means of observing and tracking you.
The point is that people are involved and direct these threats.
The other, non-intelligent threat are natural or manmade disasters not under direct control of people – like a wildfire, flood, tornado, chemical spill, or pandemic.
We repeatedly trained to successfully break contact.
Breaking contact with an intelligent threat deserves the closest examination because it is the one you can outsmart – unlike a nuclear detonation or tsunami.
While the “grey man” techniques are what we employ when conducting special operational activities, they are not necessarily the most useful in breaking initial contact.
Here is the key to breaking initial contact with intelligent threats – go bold.
I carried a yellow windbreaker, and bold Scottish derby cap, a brightly colored scarf, and other items in my ops bag depending on the climate and where I was operating.
The idea is simple and overlooked by those who have not studied or participated in surveillance.
Stepping around a corner and donning a yellow raincoat, wild Scottish cap, or flaming red scarf instantly disguises you on two levels.
First, you look different and are more difficult to spot, and second, you are so bold that you are easier to overlook because they are searching for the hidden, not the obvious.
It is natural, even for trained spies, to look for people who are trying to hide by blending in.
It’s that simple.
Anyone wearing a yellow slicker, a bold Scottish cap, or some other flashy covering will escape the visual interrogation of surveillance.
Remember, the initial acquisition of you as their target will be based on aggregate recognizable points, not on facial recognition.
The disguise shop issued me a folding cane, clear glasses, and several other items that I could keep in my ops bag for emergency use.
Even if your enemy is using AI face recognition, the cameras will need a clear face-forward look at the bone structure of your face.
A simple neck/face gaiter can defeat most AI facial recognition.
But you should also try to cover as much of your face as possible with a collar, hat brim, sunglasses, and gaiter or other facial covering.
But be thoughtful. If you appear to be hiding, you become the one they look at the closest.
The trick is to make the change discreetly.
You can throw the cap on as you bend over to tie your shoe or step into a doorway.
Keep your yellow raincoat (or whatever cover you choose) rolled up in your hands covered by some other material.
Then shake it out and drape it over your shoulders in a smooth motion as you turn a blind corner or as you wind your way through a crowd.
The point is to change your appearance quickly and distinctly and to stand out enough that you do not look like you are hiding.
A couple of other tricks we use are to bend over slightly, lean to one side, and limp just a bit.
The primary goal is to change three things:
Your outer appearance, your head and neckline, and the gait of your walk and body motion.
Just a quick change in those three direct identifiers allows you to disappear right in front of your surveillance.
Want to up your game?
If you are carrying an ops bag, EDC bag, backpack, or something similar, keep one of those lightweight, parachute material roll-up packs inside your bag.
Then, drop your backpack into that parachute material pack to conceal it.
If you are carrying your pack on your shoulders, switch to carrying it by the carry handle or vice versa.
Everything you can change about your overall appearance will make it harder for intelligent threats to identify and track you.
I know. I have done it, and it works.
It just takes is confidence, practice, and an understanding of the mechanisms.
Still, anyone who can walk and put on a jacket simultaneously can escape and evade and break bad (contact) in seconds.
