There are plenty of reasons why we would want to keep a very low profile during a crisis or SHTF situation. Maybe we don’t want people to know that we are nearby. Perhaps we are trying to protect our stockpile. Maybe we are hiding from trackers or those who wish to do us harm. No matter the reason, it’s important that we realize that it doesn’t take a lot to give away our position. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, and being able to successfully fly under the radar requires us to start paying attention to details and re-learning habits.
Let’s look at a few examples of little things that can leave big clues to people that we’re nearby.
Cooking Smells
We all know how walking into a kitchen while our favorite foods are being made can cause our mouths to water. We get hungry. We can’t wait for dinner, and many of us reach for a snack to hold us over. Now imagine that someone who hasn’t eaten for a week following a SHTF situation smells the food that you’re cooking on your rocket stove. Keep in mind that smells can travel far, and they can also linger long after dinner’s over. Always be mindful of where you are cooking and calculate the risk of possibly being exposed.
Coughing, Sneezing or Sniffling
It’s hard enough to control these annoying problems under the best of circumstances, let alone during a SHTF situation. Imagine that you need to be completely-quiet as you hide from someone nearby. All of a sudden you start coughing or sneezing. The problem is that we can’t control many of these involuntary sounds without a lot of training, and the more we try to suppress them often makes us cough or sneeze harder and louder.
Aside from covering our mouths in soft, sound absorbent material, you should also have some strong cough and cold medicine on hand as well. While the idea of drugging yourself into silence may not be the first choice, it may be the only choice to avoid detection under certain circumstances.
Garbage
The presence of garbage is an obvious sign of human activity. It’s also pretty easy to determine how fresh the garbage is as well. Consequently, one of the most important things that we can do is to bury our trash, and it should be buried far from your location in order to throw possible intruders off your trail.
Footprints
It’s pretty easy for the average person to notice and track good, clear and fresh footprints. Those with a little training and experience can hone in prints that are harder to detect. Covering your tracks is one of the most important evasion skills to develop, and all it really takes is some attention to detail. Make sure that you are minimizing footprints whenever possible, and remember to clean up behind you as necessary.
Turn Off Phones
Have you ever experienced the embarrassment of having your phone go off at the wrong time? Imagine the consequences if it happened when you were trying to keep a low profile. Make sure that your phone is turned off completely once you go into “silent mode”. Remember that the light from the screen can give away your position just as easily as your ringtone or notification sounds.
Never underestimate the importance of being prepared to be as invisible as possible. Going stealth is a lot easier said than done, and these are just a few examples of ordinary, little things that can give away our position at the worst possible time. Make sure that you take time to learn, and put into practice, techniques that can help you to maintain a low profile when it matters the most.
