# Great Article On 'The Grey Man'..



## AfleetAlex (Nov 8, 2013)

This gentleman was a guest speaker, when I attended B.O.S.S. in 2003.

We had another guest speaker who survived urban warfare, in the Civil War of Bosnia (not Rwanda, sorry I've had no caffeine this morning). I'll look for his article, too.

http://www.deathvalleymag.com/2010/02/19/civilian-contractors-the-greyman/

Bosnia Survivor...

http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/09/lessons_from_wartime_bosnia-he.html


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## Jenna (Oct 19, 2013)

Nice to read it.


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Real training by professionals takes it to a whole new level&#8230;

I posted this recently.

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f23/urban-escape-evasion-22131/


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

I enjoyed reading these. 

I have always been the grey man in any situation. Body language is a learned is the most important followed by clothing and attitude. Then comes the vehicle you drive. The ability to show no signs of trying to impress anyone at any time is hard to learn. 

If you can't do the grey man thing then expect a hassle at the first sign of trouble.

When I was much younger I would get pulled over by police at least 3-4 times a year. Dirty license plate, tail light out, in the wrong area of town, etc. I never get pulled over now, in fact other then a speeding ticket in 2007 the last time before that was maybe 25 years ago.

I good way to learn something is to watch people come and got from Walmart. By the way they are dressed you can identify the car/truck that they are walking to before they get there. 

It's very entertaining.


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## AfleetAlex (Nov 8, 2013)

Grey Man is probably the most overlooked prep, aside from being multi-purpose to your group. It also separates the real preppers from the Rambo Preppers. 

But, I think we all probably went through a little Rambo stage. Lol.


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## bravocharli (Nov 30, 2013)

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## Sourdough (May 22, 2010)

Very informative and helpful articles. Thanks.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Grey man is good stuff, I just dont like the attitude that its the only food stuff. Sometime a display of force is going to be the best choice. Sometimes running away is best, sometimes standing and fighting is the way to go.. 

anytime someone says their way is the only way, learn what you can from them and then move on n find another skill set..


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

The whole "Grey man" concept is so area specific that it only applies to a small locality anyway. Around here anyway no one is going to know if you pickup with oversize tires is a BOV or just another pavement princess. People dress how ever they feel like, unless someone is wearing a mall ninja get up no one will notice. maybe it is a lot different in other parts of the world , but around here pretty much anything is "normal"


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## Cotton (Oct 12, 2013)

Tirediron said:


> The whole "Grey man" concept is so area specific that it only applies to a small locality anyway.


I'd disagree, with respect. It's not about tires or dress. It's about being aware of your surroundings and all the subtleties. It's about being able to adapt no matter where you are&#8230; not just "around here"! It's not "area specific" at all&#8230; it's the opposite. It applies to everywhere at all times.

It's also&#8230; not just about "food stuff". Improvising weapons is a major part, force on force. In Atlanta a situation developed where my partner was in real danger from 2 men. I ran a bluff that worked, the way I appeared un-nerved them, from some pines with a big pine limb on my shoulder, I looked like a drunk (opposite side of the street from my partner). I didn't offer an "in your face" threat, just an unknown "possible" threat. I turned my back and started walking.

I made nothing clear to them, they weren't sure my partner and I was connected in any way or if I were a new target or if they were walking into an ambush. The smart one backed off immediately, the dumb one follow for about a half a block.

This is the one occasion during the exercise where I wished I'd put my .45 cal derringer in my pocket. As it were, I didn't have to pull a knife. I used uncertainty as my weapon. 

An important weapon for a greyman!


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

Tirediron said:


> The whole "Grey man" concept is so area specific that it only applies to a small locality anyway. Around here anyway no one is going to know if you pickup with oversize tires is a BOV or just another pavement princess. People dress how ever they feel like, unless someone is wearing a mall ninja get up no one will notice. maybe it is a lot different in other parts of the world , but around here pretty much anything is "normal"


How is being a grey man so area specific that it only applies to a small locality? It applies everywhere. Yes people dress however they want, and dress differently in different locations. That is exactly the point. it is not about being fashionable or not, it is that some stand out or are more noticeable than others, while others are so unnoticeable that they are forgotten. A greyman is the latter. As an example a suit and tie will stand out in a logging camp or fishing boat. Jeans, flannel shirt and smoke jumpers (boots) will stand out in the board room, opera or four star restaurant. At the next less obvious level in a board room full of off the rack Men's Warehouse suits, the tailored Lewis Raphael stands out, as does the shoddy well worn J.C. Pennies suit. But the guy with that plain charcoal grey, not dark, not light, not pin stripped, not double breasted, not anything Men's Warehouse suit disappears among all the others. Unnoticeable, hidden in plain site. That is the grey man and the same principles apply every where no matter where you are.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I see what you and the previous poster mean, I don't think that I conveyed my thought process yery well either, point that I was trying to make is that so many people seem to think they have the one size fits all grey man system down. I must have it or a reasonable facsimile functioning because people don't seem to notice me, and I never try to blend in, I just happen to, I would be kind of obvious amongst the monkey suits in a board room.


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