Let’s Play a Game of Survival Hide and Seek
Be Quiet or They’ll Find Us
One of the biggest things that gives up someone’s position while hiding is noise. Something as simple as a cough, stepping on a broken twig or the rustle of clothes can lead a pursuer right to you. There is no detail that should go overlooked when trying to evade capture. However, it takes some on-the-spot thinking along with practice to learn how to avoid detection. Unfortunately, the only way to really test your skills and learn how to mask sounds is through experience, and role-playing in various settings can dramatically improve your ability to be as quiet as a mouse.
Blending in With the Scenery
Finding the appropriate hiding place as well as blending in as much as possible are also important strategies to use in order to avoid detection. While we adults tend to think of camouflage as a way to minimize our level of exposure, choosing the right place to hide is equally important. This can be anything from taking cover in a dumpster to laying flat in tall grass. Use natural cover, think of places to duck into and use nature to your advantage is the best way to keep a low profile. While camouflage helps tremendously, using cover and different nooks and crannies are equally important things to consider.
It’s also important to choose cover that provides an opportunity to watch or listen to an approaching pursuer. The last thing you want is to be backed into a corner without an escape route if someone stumbles on your trail. You want to be able to run and find another place to hide as soon as it becomes necessary. Only in rare cases will you end up in a situation where you don’t have an escape route, and you should avoid those at all costs unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Effective Pursuing
A good pursuer will also use effective evasion techniques in order to sneak up on someone who is hiding. Remember that there are no rules in a real world game of cat-and-mouse. Someone who is hiding can detect that you are on their trail and move to another location. They can find ways to get behind you and end up turning the tables so you are the hunted instead of the hunter as well. Tread carefully and assess the consequences of every move that you make in order to maintain the strategic advantage.
Remember that there are no guarantees that you will be able to successfully hide or pursue someone. You should also be prepared to take appropriate action once you do come into contact with the people you are trying to avoid or catch. Your response will obviously depend on the nature of the situation at hand, but it is very important that you think things through so that you have a response in mind in order increase the likelihood of achieving your objective.
Take these general suggestions and put them to the test in your own version of hide and seek. Try to “play” with different people under different conditions in order to get broad sense of how to react appropriately. This can be a lot of fun and a great way to hone your skills. The name of the game is to be in a better position when you are faced with a situation that has consequences that are far more serious than hearing someone say “Tag, you’re it!”.
