Be the gray man - Surviving in the Crisis

The Gray Man: you read about him again and again on various websites on the internet that deal with survival and prepping topics. But who or what is he actually? The Bug out bag guide has accurately summarized what the "Gray Man Theory" is about, and we provide you with the German text. If you prefer English: HERE is the original, English-language text. (And a fundamental note on spelling: "Gray Man" comes from America, so it is written with "a", contrary to the English "grey man" which has an "e" in gray.) At the same time, this is the starting point for a Gray Man focus on SPARTANAT - identifiable by the Gray Man logo - with several articles and equipment presentations that fit into and deepen the Gray Man concept.

The Gray Man Theory is meant to teach how humans can disappear in a crowd and remain unnoticed when a crisis occurs or a disaster strikes. The idea behind it: don't show that you're prepared, stay incognito, don't stand out in the crowd, stay hidden, even when things get serious.

Although it's called the "Gray Man Theory," this concept can of course be applied by anyone: whether man or woman, any age. Anyone who needs to go into hiding in a specific dangerous situation should come through as a gray man or woman. In German, there is also the term "eine graue Maus sein" for someone who is extremely average and inconspicuous. That's exactly what we want to achieve when things get serious: no one should recognize that you would be capable of surviving through your knowledge or even that you carry equipment with you.

"Blend in with the crowd?" That sounds pretty negative to most of us, doesn't it?

None of us wants to look like just any random person. Everyone wants to be unique, stand out, show individuality. - At least until a crisis requires otherwise. Then you might be the only person around who can make it through. As a prudent "prepper" (derived from "prepared"), you are prepared when it really happens, when the emergency strikes. But what about all the other people around you?

They will all be in panic, most likely. Most of them, at least.

In states of panic, people tend to do desperate things. They do everything that seems necessary to stay alive. - Precisely at this time, and in the middle of the crowd, you definitely don't want to stand out as a person who is prepared for the challenge of survival and openly shows it.

Being able to disappear in a crowd is an extremely useful skill to be able to disappear in an emergency.

Why should you use and apply the Gray Man concept?

In the event of a disaster or emergency, there are many advantages to not standing out as an individual.

Those who do not attract attention are quicker able to simply escape in a crowd without the many others realizing they are actually prepared and can handle the situation. Additionally, the gray man makes himself much less of a target for those who may act out of desperation. They may want to forcefully take your personal survival equipment if you are unprepared.

Basically, the Gray Man Theory is a theory for active self-protection and also shows how the individual can actively protect their family. Therefore: prepare yourself secretly for emergencies.

The theory of the gray man teaches how the individual can use the herd to their own advantage.

The advantages of being a gray man

Our first goal in an emergency must be to get ourselves and our loved ones to a secure location as quickly as possible - this could be your own home or a specific, predetermined escape or retreat location.

In an emergency, everyone has the same goal - to get somewhere safe. But the majority will act without a plan - and therefore desperately try to survive in a wild manner.

How many of these people look like they are prepared for a crisis situation?

At that moment, all the skills to blend in with the crowd, not draw extra attention to yourself, fade away. It becomes difficult to hide the fact that you are prepared. However, by upholding this secrecy, the affected person increases their chances of survival.

Since most people around us are not prepared for an emergency, the prepared individual will undoubtedly feel the urgent need to help immediately. However, one's own survival should always be the top priority in such situations. In such situations, one should only help others when there is no risk to oneself. Otherwise, they are just another victim...

Acting like a Gray Man and blending in with the crowd also makes one less interesting to those who are looking for help. And more importantly, they are far less of a target for opportunists who are looking for loot, plunder, and might even steal your own survival equipment.

How to become a gray man

The best way to not leave lasting impressions is to not leave any impressions at all.

This is the core concept behind the "Gray Man Theory." It sounds simple in theory - however, the implementation can be challenging.

This article explains the basics of the Gray Man Theory. It provides tips and tricks on how to effectively make yourself "invisible" in an emergency.

These are the steps to becoming a Gray Man

The ultimate goal for the "Gray Man" or "Gray Woman" is to blend in with oneself. This way, the gray person becomes part of the crowd. The gray man is therefore not a potential "gold mine" for others. Nobody believes there is equipment on them, no one can obtain information from them. Radiating self-confidence and readiness attracts opportunists seeking to benefit from your ingenuity - to the clear detriment of your own personal survival ability.

To hide your survival equipment and skills, you must focus on four characteristics:

• How you act
• How you move
• How you look
• How you carry your equipment

How you should act

Acting in a Gray Man manner means appearing inconspicuous and non-threatening. Be careful about what you say and to whom you say it. If you stand out because you are actively doing something against others or have your own political opinion, you could also attract the attention of those who are unprepared. They will remember you.

Stick to the group's norms in conversations. If "small talk" is appropriate, talk in a way that doesn't draw attention to yourself.

The Gray Man concept is based on creating as few impressions as possible to no impressions at all. Eye contact stimulates memory to store a memory. So you should look away - this can help you remain unnoticed.

This model can also be applied to government security forces in practice. Here, the need for inconspicuous presence increases with rising danger levels. The phases could be, for example:

Phase 1:        Entry/precursors of a disaster (floods/civil war/etc.)

Security forces can remain unrecognized. Weapons are carried covertly. Civilians wear inconspicuous clothing - essentially everything mentioned in the above text.

Concealment effective from 300 meters to 1 meter

Phase 2:        Panic/unrest/revolts - sometimes still under government control

In Phase 2, life is still partly regulated, but revolts and violence can occur. Here, the equipment should already be adjusted but largely improved.

This means also for civilians e.g.: inconspicuous hiking boots, a protective vest UNDER the normal jacket, perhaps a helmet and protectors (in conjunction with a bicycle inconspicuous).

Executive: The armament remains the same, possibly more ammunition. Weapons should be more readily accessible here than in Phase 1.

Concealment effective from 300 meters to 10 meters

Phase 3:        State security control no longer present

Security forces openly carry weapons. They are already identifiable as armed at a great distance. A long gun provides additional protection here.

The Gray Man avoids conflict zones as much as possible and has made crisis preparations to remain autonomous.

We will soon bring some reviews that deal with this topic, or equipment items that fit into this concept.