Military Style Gear

Does anyone go out of their way to have their bugout gear, etc, look more like camping stuff than military or police gear? Staying away from MOLLE stuff, BDUs, leg holsters, etc? Or is this an unfounded concern of mine?

Military gear is cheap and cheerful and good value and reasonably functional but not the highest performance. As for the latest ACU type military uniform, I personally think they look like camo jimjams so I wouldn't want to wear them outside in public.

An 82nd Airborne patch or two might come in useful along with some pips (pips and or crowns in the UK) in the same way a 'Qui audet adipiscitur' cap badge might work out in the UK. Could get you through those TAs or the National Gaurd checkpoints to freedom a whole lot quicker but you would probably need a goatee and some Oakleys as well. (plummy southern accent is required for the UK, unless your trying to escape from Glasgow of course, which could well prove to be difficult.)

Anyone else remember those sneaky Jerries changing the signposts to point in the wrong direction in the film 'Battle of the Bulge'.

I have a complete set of the military equivalent of camping gear, minus tent and stove, but I only use it whenever I'm told it is my duty to do so. Not because it is bad, but because my civilian alternatives are just as good or better in functionality, but has much less volume and weight. And my civilian gear is by no means in the ultralight category. I know for certain there are newer and better military versions than the old stuff I have lying around.

For my use, I see no need for lots and lots of molle webbing, pouches and the like. I like my gear inside my pack, thank you very much, with some exceptions, like my GPS and map case.

I think it is a good idea to shy away from gear that screams "GUN!". Doesn't matter if you have a gun or not, the impression will draw attention of the kind you don't like, both from representatives of the law and the not so nice kind of people. My view is that weapons are either in plain view or very discretely hidden.

I've also heard that having backpacks, clothes and bags with camo colors will cause you all kind of trouble in certain Latin Amerika and African countries. Not so surprising if you read up a bit of their latest 50 years of history, they have very good reasons to be paranoid about people traveling around with "military" equipment.

Civilians wearing or importing camouflage gear even in certain European countries is illegal, such as Cyprus for example. If memory serves me you need to have a hunting license to wear camo in Cyprus. Its also illegal in Cuba and even in Barbados.

The assumption is often that military gear is somehow special. In a few cases, things like sights and communications, it may be.

But you have to understand that mass produced USGI field gear ,like packs and uniforms, is seldom state of the art. It is designed to equip a large army of draftees. Ease of manufacturing and cost are often held higher than durability, comfort and effectiveness.

A good example of this is the venerable K-bar. They were designed to fill a need for a handy and functional, but expendable, utility/fighting knife that could be produced quickly, wouldn't use up strategic materials or require too much productive capacity. It is a good and effective knife but by design it was never supposed to be the finest knife out there. The military typically shoots for adequate and functional instead of 'best'.

The blade is common high-carbon steel that is vulnerable to both breaking and rusts in a few hours after a dunking in salt water. The leather rots in salt water and tropical jungles. The galvanized steel staples and stitching used to hold the sheath together rusts or rots.

Given all this vulnerability one has to wonder how any of them survived. Examples are still around because better than a million were produced and they were reissued frequently and in great numbers. In combat these knives were full expected to get lost, blown up, broken and, because there was little time for TLC, they deteriorated rapidly. Which is pretty common for all the field gear a combat unit had through Vietnam. The expectation is that at regular intervals essentially all their field gear would be disposed of, cleaned and patched if practical, and new issued.

Some of this dynamic has shifted as we moved away from a massive army of draftees toward a much smaller force of volunteers. Even the concept of USGI gear has slipped. Back through the 70s the vast majority of field gear was government issue through a government contracting and supply system issuing government approved designs. Now most units get money allocated that allows units to purchase gear directly from civilian suppliers. Most combat units purchase some portion of their field gear from civilian suppliers.

Many of the manufacturers of standard camping gear, and a considerable number of companies catering primarily to military users, cater to this lucrative market with a specialized product line. They fully understand that offering a backpack in camouflage and using military terminology allows you to double the price.

Typically servicemen get the best and worse of both the service supply system and whatever the civilian providers can supply. USGI field gear is usually pretty good. But seldom exceptionally good. It can be both functional and a bargain to equip a group with it. A good example of this is the venerable ALICE packs and frame. They work, are still used within the military, and they are inexpensive for what you get in capability. But they were never as comfortable, refined, or effective as they might have been. That is pretty much standard for USGI field gear.

All my camping gear as a kid was army surplus because it was cheap and durable. As others have said, today's camping gear is affordable and great quality. Don't have a need for camo patterns on my gear, but if for some reason you don't wish to be seen, neutral colors seem to blend in just as well. The only camo I'm interested in is mosquito camo, which pretty much means staying away from dark colors.

I wasn't clear in my original post. I was just thinking that in a bug out situation I wouldn't want to look like I'm associated with the military in any way, because I'm not. And I realize that anyone can buy military looking stuff, but I fear the masses might not recognize that.

If you have to bugout,It will probably be from some sort of weather related disaster.The National Guard will have been deployed thruout the area,& I would like to think that people would recognize them as Help.What could possibly be wrong with wearing bdu's or Having military equipment?It's Highly likely where ever you have bugged out to,Is gonna' be someone's Private Property,& In that case,I wouldn't want to be seen nor found!Making yourself noticable,would make it Just that much easier for Big Brother to round you up with everyone else or Your bivouac can be found much easier as well.I would think MOBU camo would be your Best option!

<Could get you through those TAs or the National Gaurd checkpoints to freedom

Unless you are planning on wearing a full uniform and have the military jargon and info to carry it off, you are going to scream 'fake' to any military you meet. Good way to get arrested. A 'soldier' turning up with no companions, no weapons and no ID is not going to last long.
No TA or National guard units have ever tried to force people not to go to 'freedom' (whatever that means. you think they are going to arrest liverpool or somethiong?)
This is a way of creating a real problem to avoid a non existent one.
The Sock

I agree with TheSock, don't try to dress up like military personell. They - as well as the police - have nothing but a profound contempt for para-military looking "wannabees" that dress up and act in a military manner. Do you wish to be viewed and treated as a crazy survivalist who view this disaster as nothing but the perfect opportunity to try his bug-out techniques - perfected through hours and hours of internet research - for real? Worst case scenario, they will think you are a crazy gun wielding survivalist that will flip totally and violently when faced with withdrawal from coffee and internet quality time.


Focus on functionality and I would be VERY surprised if the resulting outfit isn't more or less all civilian with some "tacticool" items here and there.


If you want to score sympathy points from the police or the national guard, you could have some discrete "support our troops" or similar statements on buttons, patches or stickers, but don't overdo it.

I don't think military gear is a problem unless you dress head to toe in it.

I use a lot of military gear, but I am 71 years old and over weight. No chance of confusing me with a soldier.

The MOLLIE system works great for me. I use a mollie vest (ACU pattern) which cost me all of $12. If I don't need to carry an item I can remove not only the item, but its pocket as well. I can move the most used item for the day into a convenient spot, and the less used to an "out of the way" location.

For Daily carry I use a SOTech designed (Paladin manufactured) Mission Go Bag

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productID=17178&TabID=2000&CatID=1749

and love it. Large capacity, lots of carry options and mollie on the outside for those things I need repeated access to.

Many items are unique to the military. Like the Rip away EMT pouch. It is mollie mounted, but has a velcro "rip away" pouch so you can quickly rip it off and hand it to someone.

http://www.uscav.com/Productinfo.aspx?productID=19840&TabID=2000&CatID=455

Do I look like a military wanna be? I don't think so. And I guess I really don't care. An advantage of being an old duffer I guess.

Nomad.

The surplus stuff here is hard to find and often of poor quality. It seems the Quartermasters have a habit of rendering everything as unservicable as possible before sending it to auction.
The "Tacticool" stuff tends to be overpriced and often of poor quality too.

I but good quality civilian gear and I usually choose muted colours. My colour choice is more about aesthetics than for camo. Bright colours hurt my eyes.

I deliberately go for bright colours during the hunting season.
If I was looking at it from a survival point of view I might want bright colours so I was easier to find instead of hiding.
I really don't expect to be in a situation where I need to be evaiding enemies.

I honestly buy gear that best suites my purpose, period.

Around here (Oklahoma) I don't think anyone is going to think twice about someone in BDU's or 5.11 pants and a jacket. That said, Connecticut may as well be on another planet so YMMV.

If you add to the above a few insignia on your clothes, a bunch of emergency lights on your vehicle OR in ANY way attempt to pass yourself off as military or LEO I think you are asking for a LOT of the wrong kind of attention.

I had no concerns over actual military personal being confused, I meant more unprepared people, anyways, all interesting points. Thanks!

Repeated psychological testing has shown that attempts to appear 'tough', through clothing and oversize muscles, does not impress most women. It does have an effect, intimidation with associated resentment and blowback, on other males. The most common result of steroid pumped posturing and martial affectations on the ladies is laughter. The term 'overcompensation' tends to come up a lot.

As the joke goes, if you want to impress the ladies: pay their rent and wash their dishes. It also helps if you at least try to look like you're paying attention and are concerned with their feelings.

Remember that the ladies don't want your solution. They want you to feel their pain. But remember that feeling pain goes only one way. Not fair, but that is the way it is. Deal with it. Save the solution for your own pain.



I go out of my way to avoid the military/paramilitary look because it attracts attention and brings up associations and mental images that are unhelpful in most survival/preparedness situation. A military style jacket or pack, by itself, isn't much of an issue. But even there I avoid camouflage patterns.

Solid OD green, 'coyote brown', or medium gray are about as effective as camouflage without hammering home that your trying to blend. It end toward subdued colors and patterns. The one solid color I avoid is black.

The whole drop-leg look is ridiculous if your not on an assault team. Drop-leg holsters and bags have very few practical advantages if your not wearing body armor. Having everything on a vest or belt is another look I actively avoid.

I have assorted camo gear,though I don't have anything complete as per a matching BDU set.While hiking/camping,I wear or have with me a German-Military Goretex jacket in Flectarn camo,& I wear MOBU(mossyoak break-up)pants or shorts,& usually a brown or green T-shirt,Gray merino wool socks, with Reddish-Brown Timberland boots,& Top it off with a Royal blue boonie hat.My short pack consists of a black LC-1 harness with an East German-Rain camo main(brown) with asst'd flectarn/olive drab pouches,&an olive drab canteen pouch or two,or three.This has been my set-up for Many yrs.I've received no complaints,& a few compliments,from time to time,from Rangers,Sheriff Deputies,& SAR folks,as well as other hikers/campers.I have seen much more elaborate camo combo's than my own stuff,Right here in the city!I like Camoflauge,My friends like it,My neighbors like it.I liked it as a Kid, as well as in The Service!I have Bright clothing/equipment,& use it from time to time mixed in with the other stuff,though I prefer Military gear,as it has proven it's worth to me 10-Fold!I do doctor up some of my stuff,to equip myself better,but it is still Military Surplus.I'm Not ashamed one bit!I'm not a Survivalist,I'm a Survivor!

Re: The Sock,I'll be sure NOT to bring anything camo with me should I visit England,Especially London,May I ask,"Do you folks really have Camera's on Every street corner"?Re:Mostly Harmless,& If I should be in Norge,You folks aren't gonna' like me No matter what I'm wearing,because I'm Svenska!lol!

Sorry if I didn't make myself plain Richlacal but there is no harm at all in wearing camo in England. I'm just saying that trying to pass yourself off as being in the military can only lead to trouble. And is pointless; there are no checkpoints to make people stay in an area and there never will be.
No we don't have cameras on every corner. Nor has any innocent person ever suffered as a result of the ones we do have. On the contrary criminals are regularly caught because of them.
The Sock

Frankly, the military stuff weighs too much. My ALICE pack, large, weighs about 5+lbs empty. My comparable civilian Kelty weighs 2+. A canteen w/cover v. a water bottle.

The clothing is designed to be useful in many situations, making it perform poorly in specific situations. Would I rather be wearing shorts and a t shirt in the summer instead of the new combat uniforms - no-brainer there.

A military poncho is great, at least the nylon ones. The rain suits are about useless. Forget the mess kit, it's designed to eat from, not cook in.

Personally, I like some military gear - the poncho liner is the greatest military invention ever. But other stuff, not so great.

I'm not really worried about the military shooting me for being an imposter - my ID card says I'm not, really.

@Richlacal

You are obviously not swedish, (I am ) you wrote one word and you got it wrong!



The "correct swedish is "svensk", not "Svenska" (unless you are a bit old fashioned or if you are a woman?

the only part of my gear that's milsurp is the ALICE pack and BOBelt, and even worn together there's no way anyone's going to confuse me with military or LE; what with all the rations i keep around my middle.
i don't wear any surplus or tacticool clothing, preferring jeans and a t-shirt most of the time.

Field camouflage doesn't particularly work well in urban areas and vice versa. The best camouflage is of course a method of dressing which does not generate attention and so in urban areas the camouflage is quite different. If you don't want to be seen then wear the appropriate camouflage.





Typical urban camouflage most popular throughout urban UK cities such as Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, London etc.

The CCTV culture in the UK is appalling. It is big brother gone mad and the TV show is just a method of conditioning young folks throughout the UK in a clever pysops operation to accept being spied on as normality. I consider many of the areas where these CCTV operations are being carried out (poor and deprived underclass areas) as nothing more than open prisons with the walls being pyschological self imposed barriers forced into operation by the imported gangster culture and hopelessness. There are many who are happy with that status quo (who restrict themselves in their half million dollar plus homes in their own happy privileged little camps/prisons called gated communities).



Try and tell that to the woman who watched herself half naked in her front living room on her own TV on Shoreditch Community Television. Even the TV channels that you watch on your cable TV are used to secretly profile you. The same with your purchases at the supermarket.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29JewlGsYxs

It's not like anyone hasn't been warned. Was No6 just an antisocial criminal.

The situation in the UK is actually worse than the East Germany Stasi during the cold war. At least most of the east German citizens knew how to counter the intelligence gathering machine which was human int based. In the UK most folks are simply unaware of the electronic gathering int based machine or believe it to be just benign. Getting off the electronic gathering int based machine is virtually impossible in the UK although I will attempt to for 3 days next week.

I had also recently heard from a colleague that even the Swilken Bridge is now under constant 24hr anti terror surveillance.

Bork,You got me!I'm an American,Born/Raised & No Talla du Svensk!I must have gotten my BeefalaLindstrom mixed up with my Pitipana och pomfritz,but it sure beats Lutafisk! Brost!

>Try and tell that to the woman who watched herself half naked in her front living room on her own TV on Shoreditch Community Television. >

I'll gladly tell her. Name please?
The Sock

>Bork,You got me!I'm an American,Born/Raised & No Talla du Svensk!

You're an American; which tribe?

The Sock (who always finds it amusing when non-red 'Americans' are against immigration)

C'mon guys, lets try and keep this thread going.

LED you are right.
I'm not mentioning surveillance again. And the 'whose american' post is meant as a joke. I'm not discussing that either.
The Sock

Oh, my sweet mama! That was even worse, please stop now

>the poncho liner is the greatest military invention ever


The British military don't issue one; what is it for?
The Sock

The poncho liners is a light weight polyester fill camo blanket designed to tie into a military style poncho so you can use the poncho as a sleeping bag. It can also be used alone in warm weather or used inside a real sleeping/bivvy bag when colder.

Aka - woobie, binkie or blankie (when kidding around)

This remarkable piece of gear is very light, fairly warm, quick to dry, and has various uses. It can be folded fairly small, but normally is just crammed in and around other gear.

There are civilian knockoffs - some better, some not so good.

Regardless, this is the one piece of kit that went into the ruck regardless of the terrain/environment/mission.

I do agree tho, the P38 can opener has it's own place in the military gear that really works hall of fame.

The typical polyester fiber batting used for the liners was almost high-tech back in the early 60s but it is old hat now. I've found that making my own liner using a good quality poly-fleece blanket gives me a more useful product. It feels and hangs better. Weight is about the same. But the warmth and adaptability are improved.

I don't think I go out of my way to look one way or another. I have several camo items, could probably make 3 or 4 uniforms... but most of that is a result of being into camo as a kid/teen. I've been slowly getting rid of stuff.I also have a small "buy now!" bone for backpacks and knives. So I have lots of surplus bags, again being slowly sold.

I do tend to camp/hike in camo pants and usually an UnderArmor type t-shirt. The extra pockets are wonderful. The moisture management is too! Usually I have a camo daypack, but most of my gear is civilian.

Like mentioned though, muted colors work pretty well for blending in. Most of my stuff tends to be that way - darker colored, not so much for concealment, but cuz I hate bright colors standing out in nature. I supposed it'd work OK in a bug-out situation, to not stand out much.

Military gear is often pretty mediocre performance wise. As others have mentioned it is made to be adequate, and to be abused by semi-trained teenagers under long term field conditions.

The military does not care a whole lot if the stuff lasts all that long as most of it is expected to be replaced regularly.

That being said, it is often available at very low prices, making it attractive even if it is not the best available. Sometimes low cost is a good quality.

There are military issue gear that are about as good as it gets though. The issue compass comes to mind. But, most of us will do fine with something that costs 1/3 what that piece of gear costs.

I like paracord too. It's about as good of a utility cord as you are going to find. Lightweight, cheap, and strong. And not real prone to rotting when its damp. What more could you ask for?

There are a lot of vets who have experience with issue gear and are comfortable with its uses and limitations, and often got it in exchange for a few years of their life. So it is understandable why they continue to use it.

I have never quite understood the fascination with military gear some people have. But I have some surplus stuff. My car kit is packed in a surplus Austrian pack. It's near indestructible and I can't tell you how long it has set in the back of my Jeep. I think it was like $3. It's bigger than it needs to be, and heavier, but I don't expect to be hiking any really long distance with that bag on my back.

The Sock (who always finds it amusing when non-red 'Americans' are against immigration)

It's not the Immigration we're against... Its the Illegal Immigrants we don't like.

I use mainly Military Style Gear, it is cheap, and holds up nicely for me. I always buy from International Military Sales, great service there!!

No affiliation with IMS Plus.

>It's not the Immigration we're against... Its the Illegal >Immigrants we don't like.

I'd love to take this further normally; but Blast our moderator is unavoidably away from his post at the moment and we all have to be on our best behaviour.
No discussing anything even possibly controversial for me. I regret making the comment.
The Sock

I realize blast is away, I do not know why, but hope he comes back soon. I was simply correcting a simple mis-wording...

Up here in my area, not many people wear/carry any type of military clothing/gear. Those that do, really stand out from the crowd.

I myself prefer earth tones in both my gear and clothing choices. I am also of the opinion that good civilian gear is of much higher quality then the mil surplus variety.

Well said.

If the point is to blend and avoid standing out it would be well to contemplate your surroundings instead of assuming that looking like a bush, or stretch of desert, will allow you to disappear.

Most of us live in urban or suburban areas and our clothing should align with what is common in that area. Jeans, tee shirts and synthetic jackets are all good. OD green M-65 cotton jackets are so common that they don't even qualify as military in many minds. OD green, dull grays and browns blend well without looking like your trying to get away with something.

Rural areas feature a lot of jeans and Carhart canvas outerwear in subdued colors that blends both with the local population and the natural surroundings.

I think you are right that selecting clothing and equipment in simple earth tones is about 80% as effective as any camouflage pattern while blending seamlessly with the local population.

I don't have a great deal of use for a lot of surplus military kit since my days in Boy Scouts. We were sponsored by an Air Force unit so we got lots of WW2 and earlier equipment. I was actually given a WWI canteen and cup in the old canvas carrier and belt. In the Pacific NorthWest, this gear always increased in weight tremendously during periods of prolonged liquid sunshine.
After my own period of service in Uncle Sam's Flying Circus, I came to the conclusion that the only folks who ever got issued decent gear were Special Forces types, the rest of us were given Vietnam era castoffs or worse. Canvas gains tremendous amounts of weight when it rains, but its performance is not enhanced.
I also would feel foolish walking around looking like some middle-aged PeeWee Rambo wanna-be. I go for the lowkey approach with just a mishmash of everything that works.
I do have an Esbit stove and a German utensil set, but I prefer my REI cookware and Mountain House foods to MREs.

I have been wrapping my mind around one central component of my military gear and my hiking/backpacking/trail running life...when my ruck was on my back, I could still reach around my LBE for gear. When my ruck was off, I still had my basic infantry EDC on me: water, ammo, compass, knife, etc. Regardless of a pack on or off, regardless if I even need a pack that day, I can grab my web gear and be ready to roll.

With current civilian packs its generally impossible to mate an LBE system to a civilian pack. And I don't want to carry extra gear in my pack, I want it on 24/7. Been trying to make my own with 1 inch webbing with imperfect results. But found some great MOLLE gear like fold up Nalgene holders.

I think my end result will most likely be a MOLLE thigh harness on a padded web belt. Adding a very light home stitched shoulder harness to hold some pieces of gear up high like my SPOT2 & compass.

I think military gear does have its place in civilian applications.

Comms - Great points.

Goosing this post.

Based on the thread, I took a drive to my local surplus shop down the street. I found a Cross Over Thigh Rig which in Coyote Tan is pretty close to what I am looking for. They only had ACU so I didn't get it. All photos I have seen online, make unit look smaller.

The top strap is a waist strap. Lower is a leg strap. I had a 1L Nalgene with me and it fit very loosely into the main compartment and the cord lock cinched it in. Along with the bottle it could also fit quite easily a modest EDC, considering it has exterior slots for flashlights, etc. Could fit a base compass in the zipper pouch on flap. Pretty deep pocket with zipper on the outside to fit a map or in my mind hide low fixed blade.

For the cost, I may invest and see how I run with it.

Comms, you have a point, and in some ways I agree the concept of key gear on you is a good thing.

But there are lots of ways around it. One idea is a fanny pack - they have sizes from the truly ridiculous, practically a duffel bag, to a runner size that holds a deck of cards and a 1 pint water bottle. You could probably strap one around your bag, and still pop it off when you wandered away.

Of course, I like the thigh rig; haven't tried it, but it reminds me a bit like the MOPP gear bag. Maybe a good idea, if you like a big sweaty spot on one leg.

Ahh, the much maligned fanny pack. I have a few and in fact for the last couple of seasons I have used the Mother Of All Fanny Packs, the Mountainsmith Day Lumbar Pack as my EDC and day hiking bag.

For myself, YMMV, I have gotten tired of fanny packs bouncing on me when I run. I do not know if the item above will do the same on my leg or hold tight. But I was intrigued by the theme of the thread and I constantly attempt to mate military gear to non-offensive civilian applications.

Id say go with basic OD green

Alot of law enforcement, emergency services and contractual operators wear OD green or "coyote" - Should sway the nieve or unsure that your not worth thier time

Want to "go off radar" in an urban environment?

Go out and get a classic "Mechanics Uniform" - You know those Blue/Green/Grey (depending onthe company) work shirt and pants that you used to see everywhere (but are somewhat less common now)

Get them in a nice medium Grey, get your name put over the pocket if you want, and a company name over the other pocket

Grab a tool bag, and one of those metal clipboard that they use to carry work orders, and you have just become totally invisible - First of all, the grey really DOES work as cammo against concrete/rocks (Look at the CSA and German WWII uniforms if you doubt me), plus in 90% of urban/suburban areas, you're "someone who is supposed to be there" - "Oh, I don't know him, but he must be here to fix something"

You make a very good point there KG2V.

Camouflage is all about blending with the background and maintaining patterns and colors that don't catch the eye. Medium to charcoal gray, dull browns, subdued and muddy greens like OD green, are all earth tones that the eye tends to slide over without notice. Grays and subdued blues don't match the color of much in particular but they work well with the visual haze that is seen in the distance and generally a medium hue that don't stand out against many backgrounds. Black, on the other hand, stands out against everything and remains noticeable until lighting is so low that virtually any color would be invisible.

But your notice of contextual camouflage is quite apt. Blue collar workers have long favored Dickies, and similar brands, because they are inexpensive, tough cotton poly blends that wash and wear well, and hold up to hard use. Visually these are even better for urban camouflage because much of the Dickies line come in subdued hues.

The rural equivalent of Dickies, with a considerable amount of overlap on both sides, is Carhart, and similar brands. These tend to come in earth tones and are respected for their durability.

High-top work boots are a good choice both because they blend but also because they are tough and adaptable. These fit into any urban or rural environment.

Mix and match Dickies and Carhart and you pretty well blend anywhere. But as the ladies know, to make an outfit 'pop', or in this case disappear, you need to accessorize. A feed cap blends in rural areas. A baseball cap in urban.

A hardhat, traffic vest (generic ID clipped onto the front) and clipboard will get you ignored so profoundly that it is virtually a universal pass.

I'm tempted to try my luck with a saffron wrap, a fistful of pamphlets, and some good old fashion pseudo-religious gibberish. I suspect that you can slide on by a lot of situations wearing that outfit.

Load all your stuff into a grocery cart, pile assorted trash on top. Strip down to boxer shorts with a parka on top for outfit. Get a cheap poly blanket in a garish color, roll it in the mud ,[censored] and spill beer on it so you smell right. Drape this over your shoulders. Talk loudly to yourself about mind control to complete the picture. In that outfit you have a free passage through a lot of tight spots.

The point here is that color matters if you wish to blend into the physical environment. But the style of clothing can help you blend into the pattern of humanity and motion. What your going for is to either blend into the pattern of local life and to escape notice. Or to stand out in a way that gets you pegged and discounted as harmless and not worth messing with. The key is to take advantage of existing types, stories and prejudices.

Slightly OT but camouflage related. According to this study it appears car and bike thieves want to blend in too.

At the last plant I worked at, all the general use hard hats were pink to deter people from bringing them home. lol.

Sears used to make tools intended for women featuring pink and pastels and floral patterns. Other retailers carry similar lines but many of their offerings are marginal, weak and sloppy tools that make work more difficult but dressed up for ladies to move them. Many of the tools catering to the ladies at Sears were quality tools usually made by the same manufacturers as their jobber quality tools.

Anyway, I bought a set of pink, pastel and floral tools and put them in a day-glow tool pouch. If anyone on the crew who needed tools, in one case a guys toolbox was stolen, they got the loaners. They always came back and the colors really stood out on a job site.

I read that many jails have issues with their clothes supplying the surrounding communities. So they dyed the clothes pink and the clothes tended to stay at the jail.

i dipped all my tool handles in neon pink Plastidip, or whatever that stuff is called, for the same reason. i also put duct tape on electronics and cover it in graffiti. don't worry about cosmetic dings; it's a good thing in this case.

as for the camo subject, i find that jeans and a t-shirt is pretty universal. i always wear my drabbiest clothing during the X-Mas season; i find the beggars tend to leave me alone when i'm wearing my old A2 and a wool watchcap.