50 Preps of Grey

Prepping is not about showing off your gun or your bunker or your survival skills. It’s about staying alive and rule #1 is to avoid conflict altogether.

In this article I’m going to show you 50 ways to keep a low profile and stay alive, because that’s what being “grey” means. To stay out of trouble, to blend in, and mind your own business.

Oh, for more info on what a gray man is, the definition and further explanations, check out this other article.

woman wearing a neck knife

#1. Don’t wear camo or bold colors

You don’t want to be labeled as a prepper by angry/starving mobs or as a troublemaker by the law enforcement.

#2. Don’t look cleaner than most post-disaster

I know that sounds somewhat counter-intuitive, right? After all that stockpiling lots of water and other hygiene products, you’re gonna want to afford the luxury of using them, right? Sort of…

If you’re gonna go bartering, you don’t want to look cleaner than everyone else or they’ll just assume you’re doing so well that it might worth paying you a visit to find out how you are doing better than they are.

#3. Don’t cook if it isn’t safe

The smell will surely attract your neighbors like a magnet. Sure, you can eat your supplies that don’t need cooking but we all need warm food in our stomachs. The workaround is to do so in cooking bags (which trap most of the smell inside).

#4. Don’t burn your trash

Trash will be a problem, particularly if you live in the suburbs or cities. Burning it in your back yard might not be a option since the smoke and smell will attract people who will want to know what’s going on. Having trash is a sign of food.

There are lots of ways to deal with this: you can bury it, you can repurpose some of the items (cans of food can still be used to store things etc.) and you can even use food scraps as compost for your garden.

#5. Cover your windows with black curtains

You may not want people to know there’s someone inside. You may not want people to know you have electricity when the whole country has gone dark.

Whatever the case, installing thick black curtains on all your windows (which I suggest you start doing today) will ensure that you reveal as little as possible about what’s happening inside.

#6. Start begging

What? Start begging for food and water even though you have enough of?

Yes, if you don’t want to let people know that you’re doing well, you’re gonna have to start acting like them. Besides, you may actually end up getting it.

#7. Put bio-hazard signs on your doors, windows and fences

That should scare them enough not to bother you. 🙂

#8. Make your house look like it’s already been looted

Broken windows, graffiti, and a front yard that hasn’t been cleaned up since it hit the fan should do the trick.

#9. Stay inside and away from windows

I know it’s tough to do that for weeks on end but consider some ways to entertain yourself.

#10. Negotiate hard when you barter

If you don’t, people might thing you’ve got plenty of resources and if the rumor starts spreading, it won’t be long before someone follows you home to investigate.

#11. Do your cooking at night

Same goes for burning your trash (if you don’t have a choice). Since most people are sleeping, you stand a smaller chance of getting noticed at night than in the daytime.

#12. Don’t use firearms unless you have to…

Guns are as loud as they are effective. Use alternative survival weapons if you can to avoid drawing attention to your house.

A few gang members nearby might hear a gunshot and come running to find out what’s happening – you don’t want that.

#13. Take your crying baby inside the most isolated room of the house

Maybe that room is your safe-room, maybe not, but this will be a big problem if you live in an apartment building. Neighbors will easily hear your crying toddler.

A trick to keep him quiet is to give him cough medicine, although that’s obviously NOT something you’d want to use on a regular basis.

Please keep in mind that I’m not a doctor so I’m not recommending you this, I’m just telling you about it for your consideration.

#14. Consider bugging out on a boat

Retreating on a boat in the middle of the sea or a large lake is like disappearing into thin air. However, there are a lot of things to consider before you do this.

You’re going to want a sailboat that’s at least 30 feet in length to be able to sail without fuel and to be able to have space to stockpile all your preps.

#15. Consider a quiet bug out vehicle

While the Ford F250 is probably the best all around bug out vehicle, it can also draw attention not just because of its size, but also because of its running engine.

Mountain bikes, bug out canoes, and inflatable boats are the quietest BOVs you can find, although they have the disadvantage of not being able to carry as much of your stockpile or of offering any kind of real protection.

#16. Hide your guns well when you travel

If you have business in the city, make sure your handgun isn’t visible and that no one can’t tell it’s there. Same goes for that rifle in your car.

#17. Keep your mouth shut

As long as you’re not talking to anyone about your preps, your food stockpile, and the fact that you’re a prepper, you’ll be fine. This applies pre-SHTF as well as post; people will remember you and turn to you in the darkest times.

#18. Don’t get a HAM radio license

I know HAM radio is the absolute best when it comes to post-collapse communication but if laying low is something that keeps you awake at night, you don’t want one. To get one you need a license, which means you’ll be in the registry and Big Brother might pay you a visit post-SHTF.

Using HAM without a license isn’t an option either, you can get fined by the FCC and even thrown into jail…. UNLESS IT’S AN EMERGENCY, THEN YOU CAN USE IT (don’t take my word for it, though, talk to a lawyer). It’s really up to you to decide if you want one after examining the pros and cons.

I guess it all depends on how you think things go down and how much you hate the government. Not all preppers are the same, everyone’s getting ready for a different disaster, everyone has their own frustrations. So if you’re a Big Gov. hater, you might want to consider avoiding HAM licenses.

#19. Forget tactical vehicles

They’re not only really expensive but people will instantly label you as a prepper, an enthusiast, or some army hotshot who thinks he’s tougher than everyone else.

#20. Cut your ties with everyone who you’re not close with right now

I know it will be hard, particularly since there are dark times ahead and some of them are life-long friends and even relatives, but post-SHTF, it’s every man for himself.

#21. If you’re bugging out, travel by night

You’ll draw a lot less attention to yourself. During the day, you’re better hiding with your boat in a good place you find along the river.

#22. Choose the right site to camp

You can’t just make shelter anywhere. It should be a place that’s relatively inaccessible, where the are no visible human trails. You don’t want to set up camp too close to water, either. If people are looking for you, they’re gonna search a mile or two around that body of water, knowing you might be close by.

If you can, avoid using shelters previously made by others. Find a place that’s as secluded as possible, where most people will never think to look (or run into you by accident).

#23. Make a Dakota fire pit to dissipate smoke

This will ensure that less smoke will come out of your fire. In addition, you should make it under a tree so the branches disperse the smoke even more. However, you need to make sure you don’t set the tree on fire – be very careful!

lighting fire inside a Dakota fire pit
starting a fire inside a Dakota fire pit

Also, always use dry wood and make sure you add extra kindling to make it as hot as possible. This will result in less smoke.

#24. Start losing weight

If the S has hit the F and you’re the only one with a big belly while everyone else is starving, that’s an obvious sign you have food. Try to stay away from your comfort foods as much as you can.

#25. Get a collar for your rooster

You need your rooster yet it’s going to be noisy post-SHTF. A simple rooster collar you will fix that.

#26. Talk to your kids about the importance of staying quiet

Kids like to brag but that could be detrimental post-SHTF… and even pre. Make it a priority to teach them not to share your prep planning with anyone, no matter what.

#27. Don’t store food in your kitchen

That’s where hungry looters are going to look first when they break into your house. Store it in your closet or inside furniture.

#28. Avoid eye contact

I don’t know why but when you look at someone for more than a second, it instantly draws the other person’s attention. You don’t want anyone to interpret this as “I’m confident because I have food”.

#29. When caught in a riot, stay away from where all the action is…

Stay as close to the walls of the nearest building as possible. As you’re moving away to safety, try to stay in the shadow as much as possible to avoid being noticed.

#30. Always move with the riot, not against it

Actually, try to move with the crowd but at an angle until you find a moment to break away. Going against it is not only very hard but will cause other rioters to realize you’re not with them.

#31. Don’t wear any jewelry, piercings etc.

While we’re at it, it’s probably best to avoid getting tattoos in obvious places. The less attention you draw to yourself, the better.

#32. Never get into arguments about politics, religion or guns

These things can escalate pretty quickly and you do not want to be a part of it. In fact, try to avoid long conversations altogether, particularly if you’re a bad liar.

You don’t want people to ask you sensitive information so, if you can’t lie, don’t put yourself in that position in the first place.

#33. Don’t walk too fast or too slow

Post-collapse, someone who walks too fast has something to hide and someone who walks too slow is probably up to no good. You want to be neither.

#34. If you’re the only one wearing a hat, take it off

#35. Avoid large tactical backpacks post-SHTF

grey backpack with stainless steel water bottle on side pocket

I get that your BOB is mandatory when disaster strikes but large backpacks will attract attention because, from a bad guy’s perspective, there’s a big chance you have something worthwhile inside.

Sure, camo might get some to think you’re military and therefore dangerous, but there’s a higher chance that they’ll look at the man, not the bag.

So if you look like you haven’t done a push-up since high-school and you have this big, MOLLE bag, rethink your strategy.

#36. When bugging out, avoid main roads

Two reasons. One, most people are going to take them to get out of the city. Two, there might be road blocks set up by the police. Find secondary roads, bug out by water, or even on the rail tracks.

#37. Never travel alone

And this goes double for when you’re bartering.When you’re all alone, you become a target because you seem like you’re unable to defend yourself.

#38. Blend in

If you’ll be the only one having a bike, you will become a target. If you’re the only one wearing shorts and a t-shirt while everyone else is dressed warmer, you will become a target.

Always try to look like everyone else. Clothing that’s grey in one scenario may not be gray in another scenario. Become one of the crowd and you’ll be safer.

#39. Forget body armor…

…not completely, only when you’re trying to keep a low profile. When you’re looking puffed up, you might unwillingly signal trouble to the others.

#40. Hide your money inside your shoes

I used to do that as a kid to just in case a bully decided he wanted my lunch money. It was a tough world when I was a kid and history always repeats itself. Other places to hide include inside handles, like I did with mine:

cash hidden inside the handle of a hatchet
cash hidden inside the handle of a hatchet

Tip: you may want to keep a little bit in your pockets just in case you need to pay off an aggressor to leave you alone.

#41. Trim down your EDC (Everyday Carry) Kit

edc items
EDC items: watch, first aid items, multitool, compass, flashlights, gloves and more

More stuff doesn’t always mean more chances of survival. Your everyday carry kit should have as little items as possible to get you home when SHTF. You don’t want people to ask you why your pockets are always full, do you?

#42. Pretend you’re sick

Start coughing even if you’re fine, look pale and disoriented. Do this only if people around are like that, NOT to avoid confrontation. If you appear too weak when everyone else isn’t, you become a target.

#43. Let your burglars get away

That may sound crazy but there’s an exception when it’s for your own good. If you’re upstairs with your family and they’re downstairs looting, it’s probably best not to interrupt them.

If they leave without knowing you’re there, you avoid a confrontation that could potentially get very bloody.

#44. Make yourself useful

If a post-disaster society starts forming, you don’t want to be the only guy with the “screw you” mentality.

You’ll just sub-communicate that you have better things to do and, potentially, more resources. Start making yourself useful by sharing your skills to help others out – it’s the best way to blend in.

#45. Start growing indoor plants

How hard it is for people to steal all your veggies one night while you’re sound asleep? The food you grow inside in containers is going to be there when you wake up.

#46. Avoid carrying bags

You can wear cargo pants and overcoats with extra pockets sowed on the inside to hide a lot more stuff than you could carry wearing regular clothing.

#47. Communicate anonymously

In the event that the phone lines and even the Internet are going to work, various people and organizations are going to spy on you for various reasons. Heck, they’re doing it to us right now!

So go ahead and use an anonymous search engine such as duckduckgo.com, secure messaging apps such as Pidgin, and remove as much of your online and offline trails as possible (e.g. cancel your newspaper and magazines subscriptions).

#48. Get creative when it comes to hiding your stuff

If you have a back yard or a large property, what you can do is dig holes in various places and hide a little bit of your stockpile in each.

To remember where they are, a neat trick is to take photos of your family on the exact spots you dug.

You and your loved ones will be the only ones knowing the secret meaning behind the photos.

#49. Hide your tracks in the wilderness

Don’t leave trash behind and don’t break tree branches as you advance. Don’t try to cover your tracks with a branch, it won’t work and you’ll just be wasting valuable time.

Don’t move through the river thinking it will confuse a dog that’s chasing you. Since most of your body is still going to be above water, it won’t work.

What you can do is to step on rocks as you move through the woods since this will leave no footprints whatsoever. This works in places with plenty rocks, of course, such as river beds.

#50. If you can’t get out of a riot, find shelter in a nearby building

Literally any place will do as long as you can get inside and hide well (just in case the gangs decide to get inside as well to loot it).

18 thoughts on “50 Preps of Grey”

  1. Coupla thoughts, here:

    Cooking – day or night – can be easily smelled by hungry people – especiallly if your window is open. However, a 16 oz propane bottle driving one of those little Coleman camp stoves, does not smell, and you can use it with the windows closed. Frying smells, even if the window is closed; boiling water, however, does not smell at all. All the long-term 30-year type freeze dried stuff requires ONLY boiling water to activate. Use it! All your conventional canned goods can be eaten cold. Focus on freeze-dried foods for all your hot meals.

    A 16-oz. propane bottle can easily last a month if all you do is bring water to a boil and then, QUICKLY turn it off. For something different other than freeze-dried foods, mix rice, beans and seasoning in a small pot, dry – then, boil enough water to cover the mix, plus two inches. When your water comes to a boil QUICKLY turn off the propane, dump the water into the pot, mix quickly with a spoon, put the lid on the pot, wrap the pot in a space blanket, put the wrapped pot into a styrofoam picnic cooler filled with plastic packing peanuts. Shut the lid and wait ten – twelve hours; open the cooler and eat – you’ll find the beans-and-rice still hot, cooked perfectly and it only took you 3 minutes of propane to cook! Remember – when that propane is gone, brother – IT’S GONE! Use it very sparingly!

    Trash – I bought eight used 55 gallon oil drums w/lids (very cheap locally). I store them in the woods behind my house, covered with a camo tarp. If I wash out cans (I have all the water I need – installed a hand pump atop my electric pump in my 220′ hidden well), washed-out, flattened cans won’t attract bears/coons if stored in these 55 gallon drums w/lids. Keep the cans separate from other trash – they may be useful someday.

    Window coverings. Use heavy black garbage bags, taped up with good-quality duct tape (Gorilla) so that it won’t come loose and reveal your household on a humid day. Double-cover to be sure.

    Good lawn sign to use in rural/semi-rural area; BEWARE OF SNAKES!”

  2. As an old time darkroom photographer I had to block out all light. I used cardboard painted flat black on both sides. I cover the inside with aluminum foil The edges I would reenforce the edges with duct tape. Add some thin wood frame on the inside to use as handles. Keep the duct tape with a small flap that conforms to the window frame and this will block the light but the flat black paint give illusion of depth and an empty room. It is amazing where old skills will come in handy. It may take a little construction but it shouldn’t be hard.
    Grampa

  3. Agree with all but bugging out to sea. I live on the east coast and there is not enough water on any of the barrier islands to keep a flea alive and you can’t carry a lot of water on a boat (maybe enough for a few months). Desalination equipment is pricey. The expense put into a boat and gear could give you a great underground bunker in the middle of a heavily forested chunk of remote property.

  4. @Wiseman: Hey pal, can’t thank you enough for the info on cooking rice, beans, and such by using boiling water and then putting in cooler with packing peanuts. This adds a whole new dimension to my prepping. Had been purposefully shying away from rice and beans and sticking with dehydrated foods because I couldn’t figure out how to cook them after teotwawki. Fantastic idea and thanks for sharing. Christ bless!

    1. Hi Wiseman, very good. Not everybody knows about a Hot box. All materials are allowed. Wood, metal, Plastic. good insulation, good lid. Get it HOT and get it in the HOT box. It will cook and stay hot for a long time. (Do not forget!!! Food which is kept warm too long, can spoil sooner than necessary or wished. Eat it or cool it, just do not lose it! GP

  5. Trash: there comes a time post shtf where there should be virtually no trash. Wash used tin foil to reuse, same with cans, bags, etc. Boxes can be saved for kindling.
    Toilet paper!!! You need this!! When it runs out, its gone. No trip to Walmart for more angel soft. Its a trip to the trees for not-so-soft. Thick phone books work in a pinch.

  6. Great article, as usual! Just a few thoughts to add:

    #6: That extra stuff acquired by begging can be “reinvested” in other people who have skills you may want to utilize. Worth the effort to try.

    #5, 7, & 8: investing in home OPSEC can be a bit tricky if you don’t already have your neighbors onboard as part of your prepper network. Putting up things like signs or new curtains post-SHTF might be as much a risk as not because people will notice that there’s something new about that place which might be worth investigating…..set to those things pre-SHTF, and again, considering that your neighbors should be on board and in your “community.” Even “primitive perimeters” like Bocage hedges that have just been put on your property could set off light bulbs for those looking to get in. In my estimation, the most practical method of developing OPSEC at home is just not repairing things as circumstances get worse. By the time SHTF comes, you look like you live in an overgrown, unkempt, dilapidated junk house….nothing worth going after there.

    #23: Another thing to add to this is to ALWAYS use dirt to put out fires, NEVER water! Water creates even more smoke as it smothers the fire, but is dense enough that it traps smoke as the fire goes out.

    #27, 31, 40, 43, 45, and 48: I would also suggest a “toll serving” put in obvious places for thievery scenarios, especially #27 and #40. These situations remind me of a line from the movie Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. Robin is set upon by bandits in Sherewood Forest and pushed to pay the “Sherewood tax.” When he begs off, saying that he has nothing , the leader of the bandits, John Little, says “Anyone passing through Sherewood without any bloody money is either a fool or a liar.” If you have a home and you’re surviving collapse, then you can’t be the fool; you’ve clearly got or know how to get at least SOME food. My thought would be to lay out some bread crumbs so that they might stop looking for the loaf. They know you have something, but they don’t really know how much. Best to lay out something and let them think they got it all while the bulk of your cache goes unfound.

    #29: If things become violent and projectile weapons come into play though, get as far away from the walls as quickly as possible! Walls and projectile rounds are a BAD combination, as they tend to deflect and ricochet off of them, making things more dangerous for you.

    #31: Another point to make about this: ditch the “sacred stuff” if it’s stuff that other people would be drawn to (shiny, precious metal, bejeweled, etc.). As hard as it will be, religious objects, family heirlooms, precious hand-me-downs, and others necessarily need to go for your own well-being.

    #39: If you feel the need to absolutely have some form of protective covering at all times, consider improvisational armor setups like cuir boulli underneath your clothing or an interwoven linothorax.

    #43: another thing about this scenario is that you don’t have the full picture on the home invaders. Maybe those in your house are only part of a gang and a gunshot will bring them all running in…or if you kill one, the others will possibly mark your house for future retribution, a fight you do not need.

    #46: i’ve always maintained that the bloused cargo pocket is the greatest fashion accessory known to mankind!

  7. Hey ya’ll!
    I’ve been reading the comments in here for a and I’ve only seen one mention of step back to the old way things were done.
    I’m a 58 yr old female, and I’ve had to learn to adapt to a lot if changes in this old world, but I was raised very old school.
    I grew up hunting, fishing and learning the land and area I was in.
    People get out and walk, others will get used to you. In turn you become grey,
    Ladies, loose the sparkles, bury the things you feel you want to hang onto. In this coming mess less is gonna be more.
    Your life is not worth Grandma’s ring!
    Females are always viewed as weak, appear to be so, but do get your mind and body in shape. Half if any conflict is won in the mind.
    Do your preparations, but be quite about it. If you are lucky enough to be in a group that’s like minded, be valuable, know how to do the basic things. Learn to depend on yourself.
    Gyms are good I hear, never been to one, I hike daily, nothing like actually walking in difficult area’s to get in shape. Start small, but just start.
    I live way out and beyond nowhere. I know my land.as we all should, town, city, or wherever, look around be aware of who and what’s around.
    Look at things with the thought of what can I make out of you?

    Sorry long winded…. enjoy the day. Go for a walk!

  8. Old military fart

    If you live on the coast, the water off shore will have salt in it. To turn this into drinking water boil it with a rag on top of the container opening. As it boils, it will steam and the rag will become wet. Ring out the rag into another container. This will be fresh water that does not have salt in it. Of course your water is only as clean as your rag. Do not boil it dry. When it gets down 2/3, dump it out and add more water.

    1. Hi Old fart, I`m 62 does that make me younger or older than you?
      Never forget how wet your tennis shoes get when you walk through the grass wet from the dew every morning? Get a towel, mop the yard, wring the dew into your container, let the dust settle, then do whatever you always do with water to make it drinkable!!
      Filter/chemicals/bleach/boil/etc. Live free, GP

  9. LED lanterns & flashlights are the best things to happen since 9/11. They get cheaper & use less energy everyday that goes by. Unlike hot lantern mantels & candle flames they don’t start fires. There is no liquid fuel to spill & spread fire.

    Many use AA or AAA batteries, both of which cost the same per cell today as they did 30 years ago except for the Damned sales taxes.

    You dont need spare bulbs, but you do need a supply of batteries. I buy the name brands at the dollarstore, they have high turnover as there is usually only one display , near the cash to avoid shoplifting. High turnover, always fresh stock. Everytime im in the dolarstore i buy a pack or 2 or 3 & i keep them in a plastic ammo box behind books in a bookcase.

    I have one large lantern that uses D-cells that I buy in an electronics supply store, my flashlights all use AA or AAA.
    9 volt batteries have reaĺy gone up in price in the last 2 or 3 years, I use them only in smoke detectors. I stock just a few of them. I have nothing that uses C-cells or the #6 cells (1-1/2 volts) or the 6V lattery batteries.

    Peace.

  10. #40. Hide your money in your shoes
    Use a “Decoy Wallet” or “Decoy purse ” fill it with expired credit/debit cards or the type you sometimes get with junk mail along with a small amount of cash or even counterfeit cash. Remember, passing counterfeit cash is illegal, but possession isn’t. And don’t HAND it over, throw it a short distance away and move the opposite direction

  11. Going in a river to avoid or outsmart a tracking dog will not work because your dead skin cells will drop off your body,creating a trail for the dog to follow.

  12. #7. Put bio-hazard signs on your doors, windows and fences.

    While most of these are great tips, I would argue this one will accomplish the opposite of your goal.

    Considering that such signage, if real, would usually be placed by a government or health agency, and those agencies are going to be non-functional or severely limited post-SHTF, all but the most gullible persons would probably wager that this is a ploy meant to discourage them from entering what is likely a gold-mine of resources.

  13. Get unscented soaps, deodorants, body wash, baby wipes, etc. or use essential oils from conifers (spruce, pine, fir, etc) so you have an outdoorsy smell, not filth, but also not perfume-y (dilute them well and they fade fairly quickly). Braid hair that is long enough so that it is out of the way and use caps, bandanas, and the like to cover (if you are in an urban area avoid colors that may be associated with gangs). In the camping and outdoor section of stores you can find ‘hunter’ soap that smells a little like dead leaves. (it’s also good for removing teen boy smell if it isn’t an emergency)

  14. Esthersdaughter

    I really appreciate all of these tips and the comments. I’m a 67 yr old woman and live alone in a condo. The neighborhood is not the best, yet I’ve been safe for 5 yrs here.
    I’ve been prepping and have done my best. My question is, should I get a gun? I have 2 stun gun’s, a fortitude cane, and many knives with 1 big one.
    Thank you everyone.

    1. Get a gun Granny! Like a small 9mm. AND DONT TELL ANYONE!!! As an older person, they’ll target you for your weapon.

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