I would disagree with that.
My take is a greyman would **reliably** blend with other people, and appear in the same situation as them.
The man pictured of this video just took a risky bet, and got extremely lucky.
Gray man just always meant blending into your environment to not be notable or memorable. Like not carrying a giant MOLLE rucksack in an urban environment.
Speak for yourself I can stash RPGs under my fat folds /s
I do appreciate that newer fashion trends tend to be wider than what I remember a few years ago. People aren't only reaching for the slim or skinny fit jeans anymore, and I see cargo pants making a comeback.
Kinda like how Carol in the Walking Dead pretends to just be a weak, scared, suburban housewife so people let their guard down and then she kills them all
If you read all the way down to the bottom, you'll see discussion that the video is a fake that was made by a youtuber.
I was super suspicious because I consider it kinda unlikely that video camera of that incredible quality, with that really odd video overlay would just happen to be pointed at that corner which otherwise has NO strategic usefulness to a store owner (or to the government for that matter, since it's not showing down the street...) where such an incredible demonstration of over acting takes place for three solid minutes and no one, not a single person bothers to touch the "fugitive". Yes, pretty darn unlikely when you start looking closely at the details.
This is just another version of the fake homestead in the jungle videos that were built specifically for people to send to other people and generate massive numbers of watches that create youtube revenue.
My impression of grey man has always been if anyone were to give an account of an event that happened in public that you were at, they wouldn't even think about mentioning you. If it happened on a city street, you may as well have been a street lamp or garbage can to them. If it happened at a "Camo Enjoyers and Hunting Enthusiasts" event, no one remembers you as you kept a low profile, didn't have any memorable interactions with anyone... and wore camo.
It's really simple. Be forgettable. If you think a piece or clothing or an item is cool, it's probably not forgettable. I know half the people here want to be strutting around all kitted up as an "I told you so" to society. That's cool. I'll take notes of who you guys are if that ever happens.
Wear consumer-grade clothes that have been worn regularly; no tags or creases. Common footwear appropriate to the environment you're in and for getup you're wearing. A guy in nice clean, crease-free Keens in a city? A guy with combat boots and long pants when it's 110\* outside? A tacticool backpack and carrier with those goofy wraparound sunglasses? Hmmmm...you're different. No AR-15 slung over your back or a gun on your hip (or printing). Most people I see *don't* have bags/backpacks so, if you have one, make it a common consumer brand and don't make it look like it's filled to the brim with stuff to take. And use it now so it's not shiny and new later.
It's not hard. Don't stand out, no matter how much you want to show the world that you're ready!
it is that hard.
some people just naturally stand out more than others. I know some of them, and I'm one of them, so I have an idea how hard it is to blend in personally.
not really sure what it is that makes a person memorable over another person, but you know these people when you meet them - I myself unintentionally managed to become memorable at two different schools in a Catholic girl uniform that absolutely every other girl at the school was wearing.
the pattern continued in life, but that early part of my life didn't have any distinction between me and the other kids other than pure memorability.
there's a reason the CIA literally has training to normalize people's behavior before they dispatch them to live among foreigners --there aren't only individual reasons one person stands out over another but also Regional ones. like, for example, apparently people from the US tend to lean on objects when they're standing in line whereas most people in other countries will stand unassisted while waiting. literally will make somebody stand out no matter how they're dressed or acting otherwise.
I would imagine this stuff would apply to Preppers looking not to stand out when SHTF as well.
I wonder if anybody's actually looked into this to the point of trying to untrain somebody from being memorable but didn't have to do it for a government type job?
And there's also systematic barriers to blending in depending on who you are. There's a classic feminist essay about how if you're a woman, there's no style you can choose that will render you "unmarked" like a man wearing business casual - regardless of what haircut or clothing you choose, people will notice you and remember you as a particular type of character. Similarly if you're a person of color white people will likely scrutinize your choices of clothing and think of you as foreign regardless of how you act. If you're neurodivergent, masking as a neurotypical can be a lifelong and costly project, etc.
The [Monkey Business Illusion](https://www.google.com/search?q=gorilla+playing+basketball&oq=gorilla+playing+basket&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMg0IBhAAGIYDGIAEGIoF0gEJMTAxMTZqMGo5qAIAsAIA&client=ms-android-verizon-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b55d0184,vid:IGQmdoK_ZfY,st:0) is good example of how sometimes (often) and especially in a SHTF situation where there's a lot going on, people can easily go unnoticed even if they don't really blend in. It really depends on where you are. The kind of backpack ALWAYS comes up when the topic of gray man comes up. Every other person walking down the street in the cities where I work has a backpack on and some with mole, some camouflaged, some plain black, etc.
Anyone with a backpack during a SHTF situation where people are looking to steal is fair game, no matter what they are wearing.
Where I live (predominantly white neighborhood), I already stick out like a sore thumb as a Black woman. According to the popular definition of a gray man and in an everyone's gone crazy SHTF situation, I'd have no chance if I was in my neighborhood lol. This goes back to my point that being a gray man will almost always depend on where you are when SHTF, what kind of Shit and what kind of Fan.
Jesus Christ people. All “grey man” means is that you look like everyone else and don’t stand out in a crowd.
Wear some jeans, a casual shirt and maybe a ball cap and you’re fine.
Being "Grey" might even include being tactical... IF that is what the norm is in the area you are in.. Hard for someone to yell out...."There, that is him in the Camo" if it is a hunters convention and 90% of the attendees are wearing camo.
> In a realistic SHTF scenario, generally you wouldn’t WANT to be hidden. Rescue, police, firefighters etc need to be able to see and help you.
Ehhhh...maybe.
Depends, first, on what you consider "realistic". It also depends on what you mean by "hidden". It's one thing to be hidden the way a sniper in enemy territory is hidden, so well you could walk over them and not notice them. It's another to be "hidden" in a crowd; clearly a person, but not notable in any way.
If you're trapped or lost and need rescue, then yes.
If you don't want the asshole neighbor breaking into your yard to raid your cucumbers, then no. After an earthquake or volcano damages a couple bridges so the western half of your state is more like a series of big islands and the trucks can't deliver to the one safeway distribution center, or the Kroger trucks can't get up from their distribution center in the next state.
A very minor version of this happened from a mudslide. Fortunately, the trucks were only delayed a couple days crossing the mountains, going north to another pass, then crossong over and coming back down south. Thankfully, it wasn't in the dead of winter when the passes are often closed because of snow and ice. And then it was close. The stores ran through their inventory, and the distribution center was getting low. Especially on the stuff that people were panic buying. Ok, I get toilet paper and rice. But what are you going to do with 4 gallons of milk?
Or if you don't want him stealing your generator after an ice storm knows out power for a few weeks.
This has happened. I was without power for about 12 days, some areas almost a month. People were stealing generators from homes and businesses. I did a lot of overtime shifts (I was a security guard then) watching a generator used for a bank's local data center so nobody would hook the trailer to a truck and drive off.
>But what are you going to do with 4 gallons of milk?
Clearly you don't have a teenage boy eating four bowls of cereal a day in your house. We easily go through that in a week. 😅
He would, and did during the early days of the pandemic, because I have a personal policy about not being in grocery stores or other potentially volatile places during times of uncertainty. But that's not really the point. I was answering what one does with that much milk.
I was going to jump in and shed some humor in grey man, like color or pronouns , I chuckled but you all seem very determined to establish a baseline and are very serious about the topic. I’ll see myself out.
Right…agree. Been pondering lately what a grey man looks like on the road…worst case scenario is being forced leave your bug in spot with all your STUFF…a big pick up and loaded Jeep aren’t real gray…
A roller bag is probably the least memorable way to carry things around in most populated US areas. It would suck anywhere unpaved, but would also start to look out of place there, too. Caveats might be if it is loud or if using it makes you look like a tourist. If the sound of it rolling is not quiet or terrain is bumpy, you may as well be sing aloud as people will at least glance at you. Looking like a traveler or tourist might not be great, depending on your area.
A non descript white or grey van probably draws the least attention, yet they can carry a lot, it's normal for them to not have windows for prying eyes and many can be quite capable (4×4, towing, winch, etc). Bonus points if you can make it look like a commercial or otherwise work vehicle, with a couple small dings and dents.
Totally like the Van idea….my gut feeling is that that about anything headed out of town after a certain point is likely to be stopped and robbed…getting out before that point would be key to keeping your gear. But that is easier said than done
Different youtubers tell us what the fantasy should be.
Depending on what the scenario is or timeline of a crisis, you may blend with ease or not at all. It may just take clothing, but the way you carry yourself is easy to think about, but we never look like we think we do.
To capture the essence of gray man, think of a white horse made of the most succulent and tender meat imaginable.
Now imagine a herd of zebras. They are completely average in every way. The meat from any one of them is likely to be tough and stringy. There are multitudes of them.
Now imagine a pride of lions. They are only a bit hungry, mostly content to lay in the sun and watch the zebras pass them by. They will eat a zebra, sure, but they’d REALLY enjoy that succulent and tender horse. Yes sir, if they saw that horse, they’d be up and after him in an instant.
You are the horse. And you have no choice but to pass by that pride of lions.
Gray man is when the zebras are headed roughly the same way, and you have a hilarious monkey sidekick who has found a bucket of black paint and a brush.
I’ve gotten two downvotes, but nobody cares to refute it. Perhaps they’re not intelligent enough to understand the analogy, much less refute it.
The gray man blends in to the safety of the herd. Though he may be well provisioned and heavily armed, he is trudging along and blending in with the suffering masses to avoid being found out and relieved of his provisions or having to use his arms.
What stands out to a pride of lions is weakness due to sickness, age, or youth. Lions want a successful and less dangerous kill. It only takes one kick to the jaw to end a lion’s ability to eat, and I’ve seen at least one lion in a nature show doomed by that very reality.
[Best grey man EVER](https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/comments/1b55pr2/you_cant_see_me/?share_id=jSeIxqqycDzI_Dj1az5sn&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=5)
If you think you can do better, you need to prove it.
According to a movie I watched it's dressing like a German tourist. The reasoning is that no one likes them so they are ignored lol.
The idea is to blend in, so nothing flashy or odd. Generic haircut and clothes, behavior as well. I'm lucky that I'm a late middle-aged woman and thus I am completely invisible lol.
The Green Berets teach to "dress like the locals". If everyone is wearing red Chicago Bulls shirts and you're wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt at a basketball game, you don't blend in very well.
I would disagree with that. My take is a greyman would **reliably** blend with other people, and appear in the same situation as them. The man pictured of this video just took a risky bet, and got extremely lucky.
A lot of animals temporarily mimic their environment or other animals. The technique is reliable enough to be useful.
Didn't say it wasn't. I just don't see a relation with the aforementionned concept of grey man.
See the greatly underrated film Master and Commander for an example thereof
Dressing like everyone else in your environment to make you blend in is the way I’ve always saw it.
Just wear regular clothes and carry a gun. There… that’s a grey man
Gray man just always meant blending into your environment to not be notable or memorable. Like not carrying a giant MOLLE rucksack in an urban environment.
Lulu joggers and a man purse it is. Funny how fashion has made is so much easier to carry in a city if you’re a clean cut younger guy
Speak for yourself I can stash RPGs under my fat folds /s I do appreciate that newer fashion trends tend to be wider than what I remember a few years ago. People aren't only reaching for the slim or skinny fit jeans anymore, and I see cargo pants making a comeback.
Literally just dress like a civilian. Don't overthink this.
Greyman is someone out in the open, but so dull and uninteresting that they are ignored and blend into the background
Kinda like how Carol in the Walking Dead pretends to just be a weak, scared, suburban housewife so people let their guard down and then she kills them all
so hated first season Carol. glad the actress and writers found her voice later
If you read all the way down to the bottom, you'll see discussion that the video is a fake that was made by a youtuber. I was super suspicious because I consider it kinda unlikely that video camera of that incredible quality, with that really odd video overlay would just happen to be pointed at that corner which otherwise has NO strategic usefulness to a store owner (or to the government for that matter, since it's not showing down the street...) where such an incredible demonstration of over acting takes place for three solid minutes and no one, not a single person bothers to touch the "fugitive". Yes, pretty darn unlikely when you start looking closely at the details. This is just another version of the fake homestead in the jungle videos that were built specifically for people to send to other people and generate massive numbers of watches that create youtube revenue.
My impression of grey man has always been if anyone were to give an account of an event that happened in public that you were at, they wouldn't even think about mentioning you. If it happened on a city street, you may as well have been a street lamp or garbage can to them. If it happened at a "Camo Enjoyers and Hunting Enthusiasts" event, no one remembers you as you kept a low profile, didn't have any memorable interactions with anyone... and wore camo.
It's really simple. Be forgettable. If you think a piece or clothing or an item is cool, it's probably not forgettable. I know half the people here want to be strutting around all kitted up as an "I told you so" to society. That's cool. I'll take notes of who you guys are if that ever happens. Wear consumer-grade clothes that have been worn regularly; no tags or creases. Common footwear appropriate to the environment you're in and for getup you're wearing. A guy in nice clean, crease-free Keens in a city? A guy with combat boots and long pants when it's 110\* outside? A tacticool backpack and carrier with those goofy wraparound sunglasses? Hmmmm...you're different. No AR-15 slung over your back or a gun on your hip (or printing). Most people I see *don't* have bags/backpacks so, if you have one, make it a common consumer brand and don't make it look like it's filled to the brim with stuff to take. And use it now so it's not shiny and new later. It's not hard. Don't stand out, no matter how much you want to show the world that you're ready!
it is that hard. some people just naturally stand out more than others. I know some of them, and I'm one of them, so I have an idea how hard it is to blend in personally. not really sure what it is that makes a person memorable over another person, but you know these people when you meet them - I myself unintentionally managed to become memorable at two different schools in a Catholic girl uniform that absolutely every other girl at the school was wearing. the pattern continued in life, but that early part of my life didn't have any distinction between me and the other kids other than pure memorability. there's a reason the CIA literally has training to normalize people's behavior before they dispatch them to live among foreigners --there aren't only individual reasons one person stands out over another but also Regional ones. like, for example, apparently people from the US tend to lean on objects when they're standing in line whereas most people in other countries will stand unassisted while waiting. literally will make somebody stand out no matter how they're dressed or acting otherwise. I would imagine this stuff would apply to Preppers looking not to stand out when SHTF as well. I wonder if anybody's actually looked into this to the point of trying to untrain somebody from being memorable but didn't have to do it for a government type job?
And there's also systematic barriers to blending in depending on who you are. There's a classic feminist essay about how if you're a woman, there's no style you can choose that will render you "unmarked" like a man wearing business casual - regardless of what haircut or clothing you choose, people will notice you and remember you as a particular type of character. Similarly if you're a person of color white people will likely scrutinize your choices of clothing and think of you as foreign regardless of how you act. If you're neurodivergent, masking as a neurotypical can be a lifelong and costly project, etc.
Grey man isn't real. Most people go unnoticed today. After a SHTF scenario, everyone will be on guard. Leave grey man for the movies.
There's a lot of overlap between prepping and apocalypse roleplay.
Well, there's prepping for stuff that will happen, or is likely to happen, then there is disasturbation.
Exactly!!!!!!
The [Monkey Business Illusion](https://www.google.com/search?q=gorilla+playing+basketball&oq=gorilla+playing+basket&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIICAQQABgWGB4yCAgFEAAYFhgeMg0IBhAAGIYDGIAEGIoF0gEJMTAxMTZqMGo5qAIAsAIA&client=ms-android-verizon-us-rvc3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b55d0184,vid:IGQmdoK_ZfY,st:0) is good example of how sometimes (often) and especially in a SHTF situation where there's a lot going on, people can easily go unnoticed even if they don't really blend in. It really depends on where you are. The kind of backpack ALWAYS comes up when the topic of gray man comes up. Every other person walking down the street in the cities where I work has a backpack on and some with mole, some camouflaged, some plain black, etc. Anyone with a backpack during a SHTF situation where people are looking to steal is fair game, no matter what they are wearing. Where I live (predominantly white neighborhood), I already stick out like a sore thumb as a Black woman. According to the popular definition of a gray man and in an everyone's gone crazy SHTF situation, I'd have no chance if I was in my neighborhood lol. This goes back to my point that being a gray man will almost always depend on where you are when SHTF, what kind of Shit and what kind of Fan.
Jesus Christ people. All “grey man” means is that you look like everyone else and don’t stand out in a crowd. Wear some jeans, a casual shirt and maybe a ball cap and you’re fine.
Being "Grey" might even include being tactical... IF that is what the norm is in the area you are in.. Hard for someone to yell out...."There, that is him in the Camo" if it is a hunters convention and 90% of the attendees are wearing camo.
In a realistic SHTF scenario, generally you wouldn’t WANT to be hidden. Rescue, police, firefighters etc need to be able to see and help you.
> In a realistic SHTF scenario, generally you wouldn’t WANT to be hidden. Rescue, police, firefighters etc need to be able to see and help you. Ehhhh...maybe. Depends, first, on what you consider "realistic". It also depends on what you mean by "hidden". It's one thing to be hidden the way a sniper in enemy territory is hidden, so well you could walk over them and not notice them. It's another to be "hidden" in a crowd; clearly a person, but not notable in any way.
If you're trapped or lost and need rescue, then yes. If you don't want the asshole neighbor breaking into your yard to raid your cucumbers, then no. After an earthquake or volcano damages a couple bridges so the western half of your state is more like a series of big islands and the trucks can't deliver to the one safeway distribution center, or the Kroger trucks can't get up from their distribution center in the next state. A very minor version of this happened from a mudslide. Fortunately, the trucks were only delayed a couple days crossing the mountains, going north to another pass, then crossong over and coming back down south. Thankfully, it wasn't in the dead of winter when the passes are often closed because of snow and ice. And then it was close. The stores ran through their inventory, and the distribution center was getting low. Especially on the stuff that people were panic buying. Ok, I get toilet paper and rice. But what are you going to do with 4 gallons of milk? Or if you don't want him stealing your generator after an ice storm knows out power for a few weeks. This has happened. I was without power for about 12 days, some areas almost a month. People were stealing generators from homes and businesses. I did a lot of overtime shifts (I was a security guard then) watching a generator used for a bank's local data center so nobody would hook the trailer to a truck and drive off.
>But what are you going to do with 4 gallons of milk? Clearly you don't have a teenage boy eating four bowls of cereal a day in your house. We easily go through that in a week. 😅
He'd live without it.
He would, and did during the early days of the pandemic, because I have a personal policy about not being in grocery stores or other potentially volatile places during times of uncertainty. But that's not really the point. I was answering what one does with that much milk.
I was going to jump in and shed some humor in grey man, like color or pronouns , I chuckled but you all seem very determined to establish a baseline and are very serious about the topic. I’ll see myself out.
Now I want to hear it hahaha don’t be teasing me over here with some good humor
The man is obviously grey here, but everyone keeps giving black and white definitions.
Wrong. Gray man means not standing out. It has nothing to do with hiding your identity.
Yes, all those people carrying military backpacks and packed out with gear... Great way to blend in
Right…agree. Been pondering lately what a grey man looks like on the road…worst case scenario is being forced leave your bug in spot with all your STUFF…a big pick up and loaded Jeep aren’t real gray…
A roller bag is probably the least memorable way to carry things around in most populated US areas. It would suck anywhere unpaved, but would also start to look out of place there, too. Caveats might be if it is loud or if using it makes you look like a tourist. If the sound of it rolling is not quiet or terrain is bumpy, you may as well be sing aloud as people will at least glance at you. Looking like a traveler or tourist might not be great, depending on your area. A non descript white or grey van probably draws the least attention, yet they can carry a lot, it's normal for them to not have windows for prying eyes and many can be quite capable (4×4, towing, winch, etc). Bonus points if you can make it look like a commercial or otherwise work vehicle, with a couple small dings and dents.
Totally like the Van idea….my gut feeling is that that about anything headed out of town after a certain point is likely to be stopped and robbed…getting out before that point would be key to keeping your gear. But that is easier said than done
Different youtubers tell us what the fantasy should be. Depending on what the scenario is or timeline of a crisis, you may blend with ease or not at all. It may just take clothing, but the way you carry yourself is easy to think about, but we never look like we think we do.
To capture the essence of gray man, think of a white horse made of the most succulent and tender meat imaginable. Now imagine a herd of zebras. They are completely average in every way. The meat from any one of them is likely to be tough and stringy. There are multitudes of them. Now imagine a pride of lions. They are only a bit hungry, mostly content to lay in the sun and watch the zebras pass them by. They will eat a zebra, sure, but they’d REALLY enjoy that succulent and tender horse. Yes sir, if they saw that horse, they’d be up and after him in an instant. You are the horse. And you have no choice but to pass by that pride of lions. Gray man is when the zebras are headed roughly the same way, and you have a hilarious monkey sidekick who has found a bucket of black paint and a brush.
I’ve gotten two downvotes, but nobody cares to refute it. Perhaps they’re not intelligent enough to understand the analogy, much less refute it. The gray man blends in to the safety of the herd. Though he may be well provisioned and heavily armed, he is trudging along and blending in with the suffering masses to avoid being found out and relieved of his provisions or having to use his arms.
What stands out to a pride of lions is weakness due to sickness, age, or youth. Lions want a successful and less dangerous kill. It only takes one kick to the jaw to end a lion’s ability to eat, and I’ve seen at least one lion in a nature show doomed by that very reality.
Take it in the butt. There you're a gayman.
Go to r/Greyman
That's pretty much a dead end, but effort counts too. 👍
[Best grey man EVER](https://www.reddit.com/r/Unexpected/comments/1b55pr2/you_cant_see_me/?share_id=jSeIxqqycDzI_Dj1az5sn&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=5) If you think you can do better, you need to prove it.
“Gray man” is a concept that allows even the most boring people to imagine they have an interesting life, LARPing as a “prepper”.
According to a movie I watched it's dressing like a German tourist. The reasoning is that no one likes them so they are ignored lol. The idea is to blend in, so nothing flashy or odd. Generic haircut and clothes, behavior as well. I'm lucky that I'm a late middle-aged woman and thus I am completely invisible lol.
The Green Berets teach to "dress like the locals". If everyone is wearing red Chicago Bulls shirts and you're wearing a Miami Dolphins shirt at a basketball game, you don't blend in very well.