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UER Forum > Rookie Forum > Tips for hiding (Viewed 7492 times)
Explorer Zero 


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Tips for hiding
< on 2/5/2020 1:10 AM >
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Hiding in plain sight. Or not.

I was previously banned from posting in the rookie forum so this may get locked or deleted but to clear up some opportunities I've been asked about:

Hiding in plain sight does not just mean you need to wear a hard hat or other costume. It does mean you need to fit in. If you're an infiltrator by permission only skip this thread it don't really apply to you.

People, passersby, average day to day pedestrians are usually preoccupied staring into their smart phones, carrying on a conversation with someone, or planning their next move i.e. navigating around the urban landscape. If something (or someone) does not stand out sometimes they don't even see it.

1. Try to look normal. That can be a relative requirement. If your wearing an outfit that looks different than everyone around you, chances are you will be noticed. Its also application specific. If you're wanting to blend in with construction workers by all means wear a hard hat etc. Just know that on a lot of jobs different types of workers wear different hard hats.

2. Infiltrating live locations is my favorite. No peeling paint or lonely chair phot-ops but the adrenaline rush is off the scale. I always study a location first, noting how people dress and when they are active, coming and going to work for example. Scouting trips are a big help here.

3. Motorists. There is so much to be said here not just about "where to park" that's been covered. Typical drivers are pre-occupied too, to some degree. Depending on traffic flow, traffic controls, direction they are having to look. You can plan your access and egress to minimize your exposure. I almost always notice people in odd places when I'm driving. Unless they're stealing something or killing someone I don't take much interest. I do notice them though. But some people, I call them busy-bodies feel compelled to call the police on just about anyone they don't like or that looks out of place. Try not to arouse suspicion. I have been to locations where its impossible to not be seen. Looking like you belong and not slinking around or looking over your shoulder helps.

4. Consider your age. If this offends all you 14 and 15 year old urban explorers sorry. But in a lot of cases you just don't fit in. Not many construction companies hire 14yr olds to work on site. There are a lot of places you do fit in.

5. Hiding in not so plain sight. This could be its own thread. I've walked right into some locations in downtown Dallas simply by waiting for the traffic light to change then slipping around the corner into an unlocked door, All the drivers were thinking about was the light turning green. Sometimes you have a choice of what time to go in. Scouting remember. Or what direction to come from, walking with the traffic, wearing non-descript clothing, acting busy. The various options are too many to list.

6. Cover and concealment. There have been lots of threads on camouflage. That's not always jungle fatigues or Mossy Oak Real Tree hunting camo. I have used this type of camo, once. Out of the hundreds of places I have infiltrated it was just not ever necessary or useful. Sure dark colors by all means those can help but dressing like a punk or hoodlum doesn't help. Fit in, remember. Natural barriers, walls, fences, tree lines, tall weeds, parked vehicles and shadows. Plan your approach to take advantage of these.

7. Be observant not suspicious. Look to see if anyone is looking at you. At ground level and from windows. Sometimes it helps to not look directly at someone. Pretend you don't see them and do something innocuous like pull your phone out and read a text or make a fake call. Wander off in the opposite direction. Focus your attention on something other than your desired objective.
Move quick when the time is right, limit your visible exposure but don't run. In some cases running is enough to draw attention or for the cops to stop you. Unless you're a jogger. Sweat suit and headband lets you run around some places walking would draw attention.

Improvise, adapt and overcome. The more difficult the target the greater is the reward. These are skills I have learned and adapted from years of practice mostly just common sense. I hope this share thread gives you some ideas.

Feel free to add your own tips and techniques.




RescueMe1060 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 1 on 2/5/2020 1:53 AM >
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respect the police officers who catch you, half the time they know you've been hiding and are just simply laughing about it. respect is a subject in its own that people don't seem to be taught in this day and age.




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Howie Dunnet 


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Avoid attention and get lost in plain sight.

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 2 on 2/5/2020 3:23 AM >
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Great tips so far. I concur with everything posted. Back in the mid to late 90s I did some PI work, so I learned some cool tradecraft that is very useful in URBEX. By the way, women make better operatives than men, because they can carry a host of items in their bags and purses to change their appearance.

-Surveillance of a potential site is not like the movies. Better have a piss container. Also, sit in the passenger seat like you are just waiting on the driver.

-Use a smartphone as a prop if necessary, act like your talking to someone or act busy texting to look normal.

-Casually check every reflective surface to see what's going on behind and around you. Better yet, see if you can arrange any reflective items to aid your ingress and egress.

-Observe people, observe traffic patterns, observe entries and exits. If no one is watching try every door you pass, you never know if you might need exit or a quick place to hide. Check fire escape maps in active buildings to get the floor layout. Also, look for cameras everywhere. Fake smoke detector cameras are a thing. My insurance company used one in the common area of our floor to catch a disgruntled employee.

-Wear normal clothing without logos. Dark blue or brown on one side and muted on the other. Don't under estimate the power of a ball cap and a knit cap in your bag. Just don't stand out.

I am retired military, and I can always pick security and military types of people by the way they look and act. Also, by what they wear. I would fly commercial flights to the Middle East and could always spot them on the plane and in the terminals, because of the Oakleys, 511 tactical bags, and other giveaways.

If you feel something is not right, trust your gut and abort.

Stay safe!











stealthwraith 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 3 on 2/5/2020 5:53 AM >
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Great tips.

As a woman it’s very easy to have a scarf, lipstick, and sunglasses for a costume change. They won’t take up much space.

Neutral but nice enough clothing is my go to. Maintain a pleasant, neutral expression and avoid looking directly at anyone; over an ear if they offer a greeting. Ultimately, most people are super absorbed in the various computers we have at our fingertips and as long as you don’t grab their attention they don’t really care what you’re doing.




Stealth: adj. designed in accordance with technology that makes detection difficult. Wraith: n. A wisp or faint trace of something
Thinklikefreak 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 4 on 2/5/2020 6:19 AM >
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Access All Areas book by Ninjalicious section: Social Engineering

Fun stuff.




Howie Dunnet 


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Avoid attention and get lost in plain sight.

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 5 on 2/5/2020 1:35 PM >
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Posted by stealthwraith
Great tips.

As a woman it’s very easy to have a scarf, lipstick, and sunglasses for a costume change. They won’t take up much space.

Neutral but nice enough clothing is my go to. Maintain a pleasant, neutral expression and avoid looking directly at anyone; over an ear if they offer a greeting. Ultimately, most people are super absorbed in the various computers we have at our fingertips and as long as you don’t grab their attention they don’t really care what you’re doing.


This is so true.




AdventureDan 


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I'm here to make wavy eyebrows and climb on stuff

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 6 on 2/5/2020 1:55 PM >
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Posted by Howie Dunnet


-Use a smartphone as a prop if necessary, act like you're talking to someone or act busy texting to look normal.



I'd say this has gotten me onto more roofs than anything. If you ever walk around any downtown high rise lobby, one of the most normal things you can be, is have your head in your phone, completely oblivious of the world around you.

As much as I hate this social norm, it IS the norm. It also gives you an excuse to keep your head down, and an excuse for walking down "dead ends", a usually instant giveaway that you aren't supposed to be there.

Although you may appear oblivious, use this cloak of invisibility wisely and try not to fall too deep into character and actually get lost.

Simply dressing in business casual, keeping your camera gear in a leather satchel, and looking at your phone will usually allow you to walk completely free rein of a large office building.




AAAAAAAAAAAADVENTURE TIME!!!!
becckeez 


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trippin.

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 7 on 2/5/2020 10:08 PM >
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When the eyeball's open - it means they can see you.






LOL. Just joking.

Here are some tips from my experiences:

1. Clothing. Darker colors without patterns or images help you blend in and/or less identifiable in a report.
2. Quick. Make it work. Don't think too hard about a good spot when the fuzz is pressing down. If you are found, be respectful and nonchalant, and most importantly - honest. If you're there to just take pictures, and not dubiously hiding in a space that makes it look like you're about to attack someone, you can come off as less of a threat to law enforcement/security.
3. Keep moving. I've found it's best to keep moving when working an abandonment or location for the first time. Even as you are hiding when you move - keep going. Staying in one spot for too long can cause problems.
4. Stay calm. So important. Don't geek out. This can cause rash decisions/movement and freak out anyone who may or may not be looking for you. Also, try not to laugh. I've struggled with keeping quiet under pressure... but if I stay calm, I can keep quiet as a mouse.




blackhawk 

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 8 on 2/5/2020 10:18 PM >
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Do not wear blue jeans unless it's for social engineering.
Blue is an unusual color in nature and sticks out worse than a sore thumb.




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
Howie Dunnet 


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Avoid attention and get lost in plain sight.

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 9 on 2/6/2020 12:06 AM >
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Posted by becckeez
When the eyeball's open - it means they can see you.


https://stayhipp.c...2019/01/skyrim.jpg



LOL. Just joking.

Here are some tips from my experiences:

1. Clothing. Darker colors without patterns or images help you blend in and/or less identifiable in a report.
2. Quick. Make it work. Don't think too hard about a good spot when the fuzz is pressing down. If you are found, be respectful and nonchalant, and most importantly - honest. If you're there to just take pictures, and not dubiously hiding in a space that makes it look like you're about to attack someone, you can come off as less of a threat to law enforcement/security.
3. Keep moving. I've found it's best to keep moving when working an abandonment or location for the first time. Even as you are hiding when you move - keep going. Staying in one spot for too long can cause problems.
4. Stay calm. So important. Don't geek out. This can cause rash decisions/movement and freak out anyone who may or may not be looking for you. Also, try not to laugh. I've struggled with keeping quiet under pressure... but if I stay calm, I can keep quiet as a mouse.


Lol. The eyeball caught me off guard for a sec.




Be.safehave.fun 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 10 on 2/6/2020 2:14 AM >
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Posted by blackhawk
Do not wear blue jeans unless it's for social engineering.
Blue is an unusual color in nature and sticks out worse than a sore thumb.


I made this mistake exploring an abandoned resort. Didn't realize till we got into the woods how badly I stick out. Mind you this was in winter so I had no foilage cover. On top of that we were next to a busy highway.




Thinklikefreak 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 11 on 2/6/2020 2:25 AM >
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Have your wallpaper on your phone something dark colored. Have your brightness all the way low. Phone as well as camera on silent mode is a must! If you take pictures with your phone and occasionally forget about the flash you can put a sticker over the flash. Same for cameras. Good idea to take some black electrical tape and cover flahes/blinky lights for self timer and focus assist. I like to also cover occasionally the white logos on my camera to make my camera as black as possible. My camera also has a electronic view finder so I can if I really want to be stealth keep the lcd off and just use the EVF. But then you just got to be aware it may illuminate your eyebrow a lil bit.
Other trick for hiding is walking in the shadows. Also be aware of surface options you have to walk on. Some surfaces make more noise. For example when walking on gravel it is best to walk on the harder packed gravel vs the loose chunky parts. Also talking! A lot of these things I learned in the book Access all Areas as well as from self doing and explorer friends. My friend hates it when I psss him to get his attention but I think the nice thing about that especially if at a industrial location is it sort of sounds like a air compressor... a dude walking the grounds if they can't see you or hear you any other way, I do not think will be alarmed if he heard a quick pssss noise.
Be aware also of areas which you may cast a shadow... If its a crucial area which you must pass be patient and go at the right time you determine. But there might be another way like a large non lit up area aka shadow already existing in the same area which you can utilize



[last edit 2/6/2020 2:37 AM by Thinklikefreak - edited 3 times]

blackhawk 

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 12 on 2/6/2020 2:49 AM >
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Posted by Be.safehave.fun


I made this mistake exploring an abandoned resort. Didn't realize till we got into the woods how badly I stick out. Mind you this was in winter so I had no foilage cover. On top of that we were next to a busy highway.


Lol, I think we all have.
That used to be all I wore.
I've been wearing cargo and fatigue pants for close 20 years.
Makes it easier to avoid the blues...




Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
android_eyez 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 13 on 2/10/2020 7:22 PM >
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Posted by becckeez
When the eyeball's open - it means they can see you.


LOL. And if it's a hairy situation remember that you get 2x damage when the eye is closed...

I've posted this here before, but the best tip that I figured out on my own (especially when exploring urban areas) is to grab an inexpensive rain slick for your backpack and use it even if it isn't raining. Not only is a camera bag with a tripod attached to the side kind of a giveaway, but it can make you a mugging target.

https://tinyurl.com/rrbudyy Just pop this on over your pack and voila, it literally makes you look like you've just got a rucksack/bag of junk.




neiloffthegrid 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 14 on 3/3/2020 9:16 PM >
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Great tips. I will second, “looking normal”. Nothing sets law enforcement/security/property owners off more than finding someone in all black dressed like a cover ops agent. I always wear a polo or button down shirt. Dressing causal automatically helps you.




Dee Ashley 


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Write something and wait expectantly.

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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 15 on 3/3/2020 10:32 PM >
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Posted by Howie Dunnet Check fire escape maps in active buildings to get the floor layout.




I always try to snap a shot with my phone (or camera, but phone is more convenient sometimes) of the fire exit map whenever possible. That way I have at least a rough idea of where the exits are and general layout of the location at all times.

It’s also useful for really large or confusing locations so you can get your bearings. Anyone who has actually gotten lost or was unable to relocate their POE knows what I’m talking about!

Posted by Thinklikefreak

[. . .]
Phone as well as camera on silent mode is a must!
[. . .]


^^^ This. ^^^
More than once I’ve found myself frantically grappling with my phone to shut it off when I’ve forgotten to mute the damn thing.




I wandered till the stars went dim.
urbX360 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 16 on 3/4/2020 2:33 AM >
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I've never infltrated any live building or construction site for the moment but I'd love to. I know this is a serious business and that doing that kind of stuff is risky and needs skill.

Do you usually infiltrate alone or with other people ?




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Explorer Zero 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 17 on 3/8/2020 10:53 PM >
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Posted by blackhawk
Do not wear blue jeans unless it's for social engineering.
Blue is an unusual color in nature and sticks out worse than a sore thumb.


LOL true. I just started reading some of these replies.

Back in the bad old days when I was a bow hunter, I learned a lot about camouflage and the "brighteners" used in many laundry detergents and fabric dyes. These make things look a little brighter in the human visual spectrum but a whole lot brighter in the UV spectrum, the part most humans cannot see.

Deer see it. Some sporting camouflage manufacturers proved this back in the 80s when Internet videos barely existed. One camouflage company even made a detergent to eliminate fabric brighteners and scents. Ive seen this through some sort of a special UV camera and it does make a difference. Clever advertising maybe but I bought some.

It did make a difference. To deer.

Not so much to humans but blackhawk is correct in that blue denim is very unnatural to us color vision creatures. Canines like coyotes for example see in sepia tones or monochromatic vision that's as far as my layman's knowledge goes about the lack of rods or cones in their retinas.

I only know I had animals come up much closer before they detected me when I washed my hunting camo in that stuff.

And then I killed them. And ate a few of them too.

Now a days I truly regret doing that and I have changed.

If youre not hiding from coyotes or deer and trying to mix amongst a bunch of humans, jeans will fit in just fine.

Remember, dress for success.




Explorer Zero 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 18 on 3/8/2020 11:02 PM >
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Posted by urbX360
I've never infltrated any live building or construction site for the moment but I'd love to. I know this is a serious business and that doing that kind of stuff is risky and needs skill.

Do you usually infiltrate alone or with other people ?


Good question it can make a huge difference. Social engineering is "location specific" in other words does a group fit in where you plan to infiltrate or will it draw attention?

Wherever you go, try to look like you belong there.

Active construction sites, i.e. workers are present can be pretty tricky unless you walk the walk and talk the talk.

Those same sites "after hours" might get you busted big time. Theft in those locations is a real and current problem so if tools and equipment are left on-site beware somebody is probably watching it.





Explorer Zero 


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Re: Tips for hiding
< Reply # 19 on 3/8/2020 11:07 PM >
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Posted by blackhawk


Lol, I think we all have.
That used to be all I wore.
I've been wearing cargo and fatigue pants for close 20 years.
Makes it easier to avoid the blues...


Not only that but all the extra pockets to carry stuff like flashlights, camera batteries and filters makes it worth ditching the Levis for exploring garb.

I don't carry a camera bag unless Im actually trying to look like a photographer or tourist.




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