Category: Preparation

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To Tell a Lie

A lie is a false statement made by one, to another who is entitled to hear and know the truth and which false statement tends toward injury to the other.

~JJ.lune

Whether to Lie or not, with only a few exceptions, is a moral issue. This means everyone has to make their own decision on when it is acceptable to lie. Of course with the few exceptions, when telling a lie is in fact illegal.

This mainly applies to your personal information security which in this day and age can also be your physical security. Does the random person on the subway that started talking to you need to know where you were born, how old you are, where you live, where you work, how many kids you have and that you were just promoted to a new project at work?

Is this person just a friendly commuter looking for conversation? or are they a corporate spy looking for info on this new project that they can exploit or maybe they saw your suit and nice watch and want to know where to you live to steal your stuff.

The point is you can’t always tell a persons intentions from a single meeting and I get it most people naturally want to open up and after generations of cultural pressure feel un comfortable lying or even not telling the full story. This can be used to your advantage if you are the one gathering the information but be careful if you are on the revealing end.

I am not saying lie to every one who strikes up conversation with you but maybe be more vague in your answers until you get to the know the person. Trust but verify.

If you are having moral hesitations ask yourself these questions and it light put you at more ease. is there a benefit or a risk to revealing this information and does telling them make you safer or less so?

JJ Luna gives an example of his personal guide lines that he follows in his book How to be invisible.

1. If no harm will be done, and no oath is sworn he gives false information.

2. If an oath is sworn or to be sworn he does not lie.

3. He MAY withhold or not volunteer info to government representatives unless specifically asked depending on the situation but he will not lie.

4.Under no condition whatsoever will he file a false tax return.

These are easily applied in person and can be used for your digital life as well. I have however modified these rules as these days its not so much about giving false info as it is about giving varied info, having sets of information for different purposes and making sure these sets don’t cross over with one another( thats the hardest part) I will cover this in more detail in a future post.

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Operating in the Dark

The draw back of the dark is pretty obvious…. it is dark and you cannot see as well. There are however some things that you are able to do to compensate at least partially. And while there is downsides to the dark, there are some benefits too if you know what you’re doing.

For starters when you’re standing in the light you cannot see into the dark, but when you’re standing in the dark you can see into the light. This can give you obvious advantages in escape and evasion in both urban and rural environments.

Now the obvious way to over come the dark is Night Vision Tech, and while some of the cheaper stuff is getting better, for the most part, quality night vision is outside the budget for most people.

During the gulf wars many long range recon units learned that they stand out with night vision and when they stopped using it their natural night vision actually improved to a decent level where is was not as hindering as they thought it would be.

There is a list of supplements that one source or another says can improve your night vision. They can be found with a startpage search with little effort but as I am not a doctor or have any experience with it personally I am not going to include them here. We are going to focus on tactics and behaviors that you can use instead.

First off prepare your eyes by allowing it to relax and slowly transition to the dark. This can either be done naturally and just being outside as the sun goes down (don’t use any artificial light) or sit a quite darker place than the one that you are currently in. Another option is to cover your eyes with something for a few minutes before heading into the dark. While doing the above you can also gently massage you’re closed eyes to help them relax.

Now once you have got your eyes relaxed and you’ve headed into the dark don’t just stare at one object or location. Look off to one side of what you want to look at specifically and continue to look around so let your eyes adjust the best they can.

Try to avoid looking at a direct source of light such as the sun, flashlights, headlights etc. When you look at sources of light directly, the pupil of your eyes constrict and undoes the work you have done so far. If you have to go into the light, or a light source is unavoidable try closing one eye to preserve as much of your night vision as possible. Fun fact this is why pirates wore eye patches (or so I hear) so that when they went below deck on a raid they could take it off and have better vision below.

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Why you Should Always Have a Map!

Everyone should know how to navigate with a map, whether in the city or in the bush. Maps don’t rely on electricity or a connection to wifi or cell towers and short of loosing them or being destroyed, they cannot fail you (only your skill with them can).

That being said if you don’t want to stand out as a tourist don’t go walking down the street staring at the unfolded map. This it not only a dead give away that you are not from the area it also takes away from your situational awareness which makes targeting you all the easier. It is better to use them before you depart a location for your next one and if you have to use them along the way find a quite out of the way place that offers some security where you can stop and take a quick look at it.

Maps are also a great practical souvenir. When you are traveling especially in a place you have never been before. Use it to learn the area, mark it up with the important places to know, hospitals, embassies, police stations.

You can also take notes on where you go, an so one to turn the map into a way to keep track of your adventure as well as a useful tool while you’re there.

It may not be advised to mark down where you plan to go as this is an OPSEC violation especially if you are an individual that is more likely to be targeted. If your map is stolen or lost someone targeting you will have a basic idea of where they are likely to find you and set up an ambush or kidnapping.

Both as a tool and souvenir a folded up map will take up very little space. When you are traveling with a single bag your packing space will be limited and this will be important.

Depending on the situation it might be a good idea to plan out escape routes from the area you are in. Whether you’re traveling to a politically unstable region or maybe its just hurricane season. (Good idea to put you map in a ziplock whether its hurricane season or not)

You can mark these on your map as well as different meet up locations should your group get separated. It is a good idea to designate meet up spots in different areas of the city so that no matter where you get separated there should be a location some what close by.

For both Meet up locations and escape route remember P.A.C.E. Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency. IT works for comms and it works for this too.

You have to decide how much of these routes and spots you mark up on your map and I would recommend leaving at the minimum the contingency and emergency spot off and commit them to memory. Another method is to use UV pens to mark them on your map although not 100% secure it will stop the average joe Criminal from immediately knowing your locations. I still recommend keeping at least one route and spot off the map.

Pro tip. If you are a targeted individual or super paranoid you can also mark up visible routes that are not accurate and uv ones that are for your knowledge to attempt to throw off anyone who gets their hands on the map.

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Don’t be this guy! travel with one bag

I always recommend people travel with a single bag. Traveling with more than one mag starts to weigh you down and decreases your mobility. That’s traveling with a backpack or sling bag of some kind is so beneficial.

Back packs are easier to carry and move with than roller bags in an emergency or if transportation is slim and you have to walk. Also in some countries the transportation options are not like the USA or Europe and do not have the cargo space for large roller bags so keep this in mind when your packing.

If you pack correctly one bag is all you need. I am talking ranger rolls and packing cubes. This will drastically improve the efficiency of use in the bags you are packing. A major component of that is also to only take what you need to. Most people drastically over pack when they travel somewhere and usually don’t end up using half of what they bring. Especially when you are staying with friends or family. Anything you don’t bring, forget to bring, didn’t think that you would need, they likely will have one or something that will make do. Even if you are not staying with someone you know most hotels and BnBs will have hair dryers, and other small appliances for you to use you sometimes just have to ask the front desk.

When it comes to clothes, go by the rule of threes. That is three tops, three bottoms, three underwear three pairs of socks. Wearing one set and packing the other two. Try to choose colors and Items that you can interchange with each other if need be. Depending on the situation for the trip that may change a little bit. If you need to bring a jacket or coat try and wear it not pack it to save space. and if you are going to a cooler or colder destination plan your clothing around layering instead of huge coats and this will also save you space.

Now once you get to where your staying you can just pull your packing cube(s) of clothes out and throw them in a drawer and the rest of the stuff in your bag comes with you in case you need it or to protect your self from theft.

If you are not staying in one place for long you should still be light enough to just carry everything with you.

Every where I’ve been has a hotel laundry room or a local laundry mat you can use to wash your clothes if you trip is longer than 3-4 days, or you can wash your clothes in a sink (some clothes are even made for that purpose now)

All that being said some times needing a second bag is unavoidable for a certain situation. Maybe its a business trip or a special occasion and you need to take special equipment, or supplies that wont fit in your single bag.

When that happens I down size my back pack/sling bag to a smaller one (one that can still hold any of my emergency and other essential supplies or anything that you cannot live with out if you ditch your second bag). This makes the sling bag my “personal item” that can go under the seat.

Then your second bag should be sized to meet the airlines carry on standards if at possible. Providing what you have to bring is carry on legal and will fit. This way you can still bypass the ticket counter on departure and the baggage claim on arrival. This “carry on” that holds everything else including the additional “stuff” that forced you into this situation in the first place.

I recommend avoiding checking bags when all possible because whether its life threatening or not loosing you bags can put a damper on your trip whether you think it really matter or not.

Packing lite keeps you light and mobile should an emergency arise. This way you don’t have to ditch some of your gear or possessions or get stuck in a situation because you don’t want to leave your stuff behind… Trust me it happens humans are weird when it comes to fight or flight and their possessions.

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Airport Safety

There are a few considerations to make when traveling through any airport that not only will make it a smoother experience but also improve your safety as much as possible.

Start out by giving yourself some extra time to get through all the stops and get to your gate. This will not only ease your stress a bit, but when you rush you don’t pay attention to your surroundings as much as you should which leaves you more vulnerable to potential threats.

Another way to smooth the process is to print your boarding pass ahead of time. Depending on the country, airport and what airline your flying this may or may not be possible but it is good to take advantage of it when it is available.

Only take a carry on sized bag unless absolutely necessary. (keep in mind you also can carry a personal item on most carriers “backpack/purse”)

By only taking a carry on or not checking bags, you not only make yourself more mobile, and gets you into the secured area faster, but depending on where your are flying you might not be on a large jet airliner. Most people don’t think about it but small planes have weight limits which can throw a hitch in your travel plans if you brought your whole bedroom with you and now have to decide whether to leave luggage or not get on the flight.

Those two actions will allow you to bypass the check in counter, go straight to security and not have to stand around in the unsecured area of the airport. This also means that you shouldn’t stop for anything until you get past the security check point. This means avoid stopping for food, drinks, gift shops etc. unless absolutely necessary, They usually will have more beyond the security check point.

If something is going happen at an airport that poses a threat to you, whether its theft, robbery or terrorist attack it is likely gonna happen or at least kick off outside of the secured area of the airport.

Once you are through security you can breath a little easier but your not quite done yet, your first stop should be to find your gate. Once that is done survey the area, its good to know where the closest exits are at a minimum. Also good to know is where you might be able to find an improvised weapon should the need arise.

As a general rule of thumb when traveling whether in an airport or not is avoid crowds, terrorists target crowds. Most terrorist organizations will target crowds or areas where crowds tend to congregate. Crowded areas are target rich environments for terrorist allowing them to cause the most carnage and casualties in the shortest amount of time.

If terrorism is a concern in the region your traveling or just a personal concern of yours it is best to avoid crowds. both in the airport as well as once you have arrived at your destination.

Besides terrorism, crowds and crowded areas are hunting grounds for all sorts of crime. pick pockets and other thieves of opportunity take advantage of the sensory overload and distraction of the people that are inside the crowd. This keeps them unaware of their presence and allows the thieves to escape before they notice they have taken anything as well as offering them a chaotic area to escape into or through.

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Stages of Collapse

collapse

When your traveling especially to developing countries it is important to know the general state of affairs in the country your headed too. It is a good idea to start following the news for the area a week or two prior to your arrival. Generally speaking, it could be argued that all countries world wide in one of these stages of collapse in one way or another. Some start collapsing almost as soon as they were created.

If you read through history you can start to see a pattern of behavior that leads to the eventual collapse of a nation/empire as well as the different stages of collapse that follow. These stages of collapse that follow is what we are going to focus on, they are not exact and may happen in different orders or skip stages entirely as the world is not a linear place.

These stages can range from creating minor inconveniences and altercations to complete collapse and war in the streets. If possible you should find out what the situation is like before traveling to your destination however some of the information you may not be able to find reliably until you’re there to witness it first hand.

Stage 1

This is barely a level of collapse but everything has to start somewhere. At this stage you could see minor political disputes between different group/party members, however people tend to leave it at the polls. You might have a heated discussion here or there but no one is disowning anyone over their views yet. At the government level you are likely to see some political grid lock and certain policies that parties are polar opposites on.

You are not going to see any real refugee issues, At this stage people who can, may move from where they are at to a location that more aligns with their views and those who cannot may casually look for other living options.

Stage 2

On the low end of stage 2 people may steal each others candidate/party signs, workplace disputes over politics may begin to happen, minor localized voter intimidation and unrest/protest/riots may occur depending on the location, how free or authoritarian the country is and, how contested the environment is.

At this stage, due to the above people who can will start fleeing the major cities and/or locations that don’t match their politics or points of view and those who cant but want to are actively looking for away to get out. Most people will still likely have a plan for when they get where they are going before they leave.

On the high end of stage two you may see large scale and wide spread riots, extremest groups may commit attacks such as bombings, assassinations, and other overt direct actions. In more authoritarian/dictatorial states uprisings may start to occur and freedom fighter/rebel organizations start to emerge. Covert financial support from foreign governments and outside groups may be taking place but you likely wont be able to tell unless your in the groups. (generally stage 2 consists of events and situations that can be handled by local law enforcement/national guard type units if they are available in that country) The military may also be used if they double as the police force in the given country.

Depending on the severity of the above events the refugees from high end stage 2 could be coming out with anything from what they can pack in their car (or a moving truck if they can still find them) down to nothing but the clothes on their back. They are leaving the city without a plan in most cases unless it was put in place prior, they just need/want to get out before its too late. You are seeing this in some regions of the United States right now as people become more desperate to flee certain cities or states. Those in this category have taken over many campgrounds and RV parks in the areas they want to move to until they can find a place to rent/buy. A lot of countries are this way today and you may find yourself traveling to or through them with little issues out side of specific regions.

Stage 3

This is generally when you start seeing the first signs of the government starting to loosing control. It will start with certain sections of their country and slowly spread as their resources get more strained. Guerrilla warfare/insurgencies may begin to take place. A good similarity to this is the wild west. The US government had the land and the government but they dint have the resources to keep control of all of it and the citizens in the west were for the most part on their own. Events in this stage could be as formal as states/cities, territories seceding from the home country or non governmental factions taking over control of a region, for instance the different cartels in Mexico and other countries or terrorist groups in Afghanistan. You may also start seeing foreign combatants showing up. This could be “unofficially” as advisors, or conducting covert direct action, but still in a less than overt capacity. Militias may be formed or forming as a defense for local neighborhoods, towns cities, villages etc. as the local law enforcement or government forces become unable to help and Gangs and criminal organizations operate more blatantly due to less fear of getting caught. Any refugees at this stage are likely coming out with nothing but the clothes on their back and have no plan for their life once they get out of the area.

Stage 4

Uniformed armies may be present, (Think Civil war). This could be the government army trying to squash an uprising or two factions fighting it out for control. There could also be international peacekeeping forces there as well as other relief efforts, and likely covert and minor overt operations taking place with international forces. Refugees have likely stopped at this point either because there is no one left to flee they have been stopped by force, or who is left has decided to stay and fight.

Stage 5

This is a war zone and if it hasn’t completely collapsed already it will soon, you will in all likelihood be seeing blatant and overt support from foreign governments. This will consist of financial support, possibly weapons and most likely other supply drops. You may see large uniformed forces either from the local country or international forces. Depending on the situation there will likely be covert or special operations from a range of countries taking place in one way or another.

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How to Confirm Your Contacts Identity

Confirming the Identity of your contact is important when making a meet. An obvious way to do this is to check their ID. However if you’re wanting to conduct business anonymously, operating in a region that has no ID or you want further assurance that who you’re talking to is actually who you set the meet up with or someone sent by them, there is some other basic tactics you can use.

The Physical Object

This could be telling them to wear a certain color shirt, tie, etc. or to bring a certain book, or other specific physical object. An additional layer of protection can be to tell them to wear/carry the item in certain way. You can also use this tactic and offer up the information if your meeting a client/customer blind and you want them to know how to ID you or put them at ease that they are talking to the right person. (Letting them know you will be wearing a black suit with a red tie and sitting by the window for example)

The Torn Image

For this tactic you tear a card (or other unique image) and send them half. Then when you meet, you compare the two halves and if the tears do not match, you know the person you are talking to is not who you sent the piece to. Playing cards work well for this especially if you can find a more unique deck. Grabbing a generic blue or red Bicycle deck from Walmart is not the best way to go about it. The more unique the Image/card your using and the more drastic/unique the tear you can make the better.

The Behavior

Another option you see in crime and spy movies a lot is to make them conduct some specific behavior. This can be anything from requesting a special table from the hostess or ordering a special drink or food. This tactic requires you either sit where you can hear/ see the orders or behavior or having a partner or cut out do it for you. The latter is recommended for an added layer of security. You can also attempt to enlist the hostess/ waiter/waitress in this roll for an extra tip. As long as you don’t look suspicious and make what they are to ask for not seem to weird then they shouldn’t be to hesitant to help out if you make it worth their while.

The Challenge and Passphrase

Another option is the challenge and pass phrase. When you set up the meet you designate a challenge phrase that you/them will say and a response phrase for them/you to say back. This method is easy to use and is recommended when setting up any transportation in locations that are more dangerous or known for kidnapping.

Setting Up Your Transportation

When you set up the car/transport ahead of your arrival you would work out a challenge and phrase with the driver or company so that you have a way to confirm the driver is an actual driver. If you are a celebrity, a well know business person or other targeted individual It is also recommended to work out a pseudonym last name for them to put on the card they hold up.
Criminal organization will often work the arrival pick up area and google the names on the cards held by drivers waiting for arriving visitors. If any of the names pop as wealthy or influential they will either scare off or pay off the driver to get lost and take their place. This allows you a way to have a better idea if the person your talking to is an actual driver and not someone who is going to take you hostage.

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Travel Caching

Caching is the pre-placement of mission essential supplies in concealed locations throughout the area your operating in for resupply or emergency situations. Caches are usually in either a secure location or concealed in some manner, some times both.

This is done extensively by government agencies and the military. Usually consisting of ammunition, food, water, medical, and other mission essential supplies. This is one of the reason that the military and government agencies establish bases or offices in multiple location through out their jurisdictions, and sometimes our side of their jurisdictions. This allows them to respond to emergencies faster by using the resources closest to the incident.

Caching also allows operators or operatives working in an area, to have access to supplies should they run out or encounter an emergency situation without having to return to base or if they are cut off from their home base.

Caching is also frequently talked about in the prepper community but usually consists of burying supplies for a long term survival scenario which is not always practical or apply to most people.

Travel caching however is becoming popular with people who travel a lot, especially those who travel to the same areas pretty regularly, and those who like to travel as lite as possible.

Travel Caching is great for those items that are specific or only needed for that area or that you often break, loose, or forget. This could be Coats/glove in a winter region, chargers, items that you have to replenish like toiletries or items you may not want to fly with such as pocket knives or other TSA restricted items.

SETTING UP A TRAVEL CACHE

First step is get the items to where you want to cache them. This could mean that you either fly with them once to get them there, purchase once you arrive, or send them ahead of time.

Then you need to find a place to store them securing once you leave. This could be leaving them in a bag at a friend’s or families house or your own property if you traveling to a vacation home. If you travel for business and you have an office space where you are going you might be able to leave them there. If your dedicated enough you can rent a self storage unit or if you can still find them a long term locker at airports or train station. These will cost you money and I do not know how available Long term lockers are any more as I haven’t seen one in years.

Caching can save you time and hassle or could possibly save your life depending on the situation. Either way this is a skill/habit you might want to consider taking up to make your travels and life easier and safer.

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Situational Awareness

 

The punch you don’t see coming is the one that puts you down.

The basis of good personal security is situational awareness. People have come up with many systems over the years to describe this but they all boil down to knowing what is going on around you. Cell phones and devices are the number one killer of situational awareness today. This means you have to put away your phone, or other devices and actually look at, listen to, feel, and interact with the world around you.

Personally I prefer to use the base line method to explain it to my clients. All it means is that you of learn and understand what the base line is for the area your in (what is normal) and then look for what stands out or rises above that base line. I use this method because it transitions easily to talking about being gray and blending in, except you yourself are trying not to rise above that baseline.

Now as with any new skill it takes practice to learn and do well but then after a while it becomes second nature This is going to be no different.

THE BASICS

A good way to practice is people watching, next time your out to lunch or dinner instead of staring at your phone take look around. If your with your family or friends make a game out of it. How many people are on their phone, what are people wearing, where are they sitting, are there any large groups, who is arguing, who looks like they are having a good time. Notice their clothing, tattoos, and accessories. Observe any mannerisms and how they carry themselves. This gets you in the habit of paying attention to the information in the environment around you.

Take it a step further for a game and ask each other questions about them and try to guess the answers based on what you see. Hobbies, kind of vehicle they drive, stuff along those lines.

Now on to environment, a good place to start is to be aware of exits. Know how many there are, where they are, what could stop you from getting to them, whats your first choice whats your back up? Is there a window you could break to get out if you cant get to an exit? What would you use to break said window?

Now look to see if there is cover close by or just concealment. Cover in this sense is defined as a structure or piece of the environment around you that might stop projectiles. This could be anything from bullets to broken glass depending on the situation. (Hard surfaces like brick, rock, concrete or steel. Wood may only count in certain circumstances like flying glass. Concealment only offers you the ability to hide visually, wood walls, bushes, tinted glass etc. Most cover is concealment but not all concealment is cover.

NEXT STEPS

 

Now we mentioned blending in before because we don’t want to draw too much attention to our selves in most instances and at this point you might be getting some looks from others who are more aware. When your looking around your probably moving around in your seat a little to much to get a better look around and probably borderline line staring at people. So the next step is not to be so obvious about it.

Start by sitting in your seat like you normally would, now what can you see with out moving? What can you see with only moving your eyes.?

Now back to the people themselves. The next natural progression for training is to study human behavior and body language. When you actually study human behavior instead of just going from your experience or guessing, you be able to more accurately. You will be able to more accurately judge whether the person you’re talking to whose arms are crossed is closed off or just cold, or more importantly if the guy walking towards you on the street is a true threat.

The best book I have found on the subject is The Ellipsis Manual by Chase Hughes. This book goes deeper than just body language but the first section on body language is extensive. It also goes into interacting with people, building rapport, psychological profiling and much more. To go with the book Chase Hughes has a training planner that you takes you week by week on how to teach your self the information in the book in a way that will stick with you.

 

WEAPONS

Being able to spot weapons can literally be a life saver and is a good next step after learning body language to improving your situational awareness. Now just because you spot a weapon does not mean that person is a threat. Many people other than criminals carry weapons and you need to evaluate the entire situation and person. Almost all states allow concealed carry of a firearm and other weapons both with or with out a permit depending on the state.

Now we will start with firearms, the natural places that people tend to carry firearms are the waist, under the arms and the ankles. So these are the places you want to visually check first. Do you see bulges, are their cloths hanging weird in those areas, do you see something swing or poke out when they move? These may not be weapons but they should clue you into people you might want to pay more attention to.

Now beyond firearms there is a wide range of weapons that you could encounter in your day to day, or your travels but knives are widely carried in a variety of ways world wide. Knives may be harder to spot because they are easier to conceal due to their typically smaller size and lighter weight.

Now you need to understand that just about anything can be used as a weapon, not to mention a persons bare hands. make sure that you learn and pay attention to the body language of the individuals around you and watch for signs of aggression and other red flags.

 

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Blending in or Not Standing Out

 

When ever people first purposefully try to blend in they usual go over the top and end up standing out more than they did before. Not just with clothing but body language too when you try to hard at something you give off unconscious indicators that other people pick up on, body language starts to look unnatural.

This is because most posts and info I see on blending in or being the grayman seems to write it in a way that leads you to believe that dressing in this certain way makes you blend in everywhere. This is usually darker or natural colors, clothing without labels, and so on. We have all probably seen these people.

It all comes down to research and knowing your environment. As not every environment is the same one set of rules for dressing is not going to work. For example if your going to a football game dressed in a suit your likely to standout. Where as if you go dressed in a jersey your likely to blend in just fine provided its the correct jersey.

Now working within this understanding there is a place for clothing with out large logos or designs because it can make it harder for people to visually track you .

Blending in goes beyond just clothing, anything that could make you stand out form the baseline needs to be considered.

The Basics are

Jewelry

Most people wont think twice about wearing jewelry or even a nicer watch these days but when traveling it can make you a target for criminals. Depending on how nice the jewelry is this could get you pick pocket, mugged or make you a target for kidnapping if they think you are worth enough. Unless its absolutely necessary (it usually isn’t) I recommend leaving anything thats overly flashy at home or if you must take it with you don’t wear it when actually traveling.

Tattoos

In most of the USA tattoos are relatively common place. Not everyone has one but most wont think twice of seeing them provided they are not on your face. He rest of the world is a different story. They may not be common place and you could run the gambit from simply drawing minor attention from passers by from the novelty factor, to more harsh attention you don’t want to be on the receiving end of.

The type of tattoo is also something to consider, Among the top of the list for tattoos you should consider covering when traveling are military, religious, and patriotic tattoos. Depending on your country of origin and your destination this could easily get you either further questions at the airport, get you arrested for suspicion of being a spy, or targeted by criminals due to your religious affiliation.

If you need or want to cover them up

There are multiple ways to conceal tattoos. The method would depend on certain factors such as how closely you’ll be to the people your concealing them from, how long you’ll be that close, if you have to conceal them your whole trip or just for certain parts among others. So think it over before your on the plane.

The quickest method is wearing clothes that cover them, Depending on the tattoos location and your destination this may be adequate or completely uncomfortable (Long sleeves or pants in the tropics can be no fun).

Religious items

For the same reasons religious tattoos should be covered and jewelry should be left at home, religious items/and jewelry should be left at home as well. Unless from your research you know that its either accepted or not discriminated agains by majority of the population or government of your destination.

Hair and skin color

Skin color is pretty self explanatory as far as how it can make you stand out or blend in. So I am not going to go into to that because there is not a whole lot you can do about it anyway. Its one of the few factors that you cannot change and you will just have to roll with it and accept that some destinations you may stand out more.

Now just like skin color. Hair color can make you stand out, however with hair color there is a little more wiggle room as you can change it if you have to. When doing your research you will likely discover if your destination as a predominate hair color.

Cleanliness

Now I am not talking about letting your hygiene slide because you are traveling, but cleanliness when traveling in certain parts of the world can make you stand out. Traveling in areas that are less developed, or when adventure traveling and your out in more rural areas, cleanliness will quickly stand you out. Luckily this can easily be rectified.

Speech, accents, manners and behaviors

If your traveling to a country that speaks a different language I highly recommend learning the language or at least learning the basics. There are times that you want to play dumb and act like you don’t speak the language but we will cover that another time. Learning the language wont make you blend in necessarily but it sure will make you stand out less.

You probably were told as a kid to mind your manners……well looking around maybe not every one was. Either way, what your parents might not have know is that manners change depending on where you are.

For example if you are eating in Europe and pick of the for with your right hand, This is sign to every one you are probably from out of town and specifically American.

Do Your Research

As you can probably tell there is a lot to know when trying to blend in or rather not stand out while traveling and you should be doing a lot of research before you go especially when traveling abroad.

The more you can research the more you’ll know going in and less that will surprise you. The surprised look is a dead giveaway that your new to what ever your experiencing. Do your research, see what you can do to blend in and act like you’ve been there before.