{"id":570,"date":"2022-11-24T21:44:18","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T21:44:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=570"},"modified":"2022-11-24T21:44:18","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T21:44:18","slug":"blend-or-bleed-will-you-make-the-right-choice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=570","title":{"rendered":"Blend or Bleed: Will You Make the Right Choice?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Ryan Domke<\/a><\/p>\n

W<\/span>hen I was growing up, I was encouraged to not worry about \u201cfitting in\u201d. While I agree with that sentiment to this day, I now realize that there is most definitely a time and place to do just the opposite. Standing out in the wrong place or at the wrong time can put a target on your back, which is why having the ability to be a \u201cgray man\u201d can literally save your life.<\/p>\n

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Are you ready to defend yourself? Or, is the entire situation avoidable in the first\u00a0place?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is a \u201cgray man\u201d, you may ask? The gray man has an exceptional talent that will likely never be noticed, which is by design. He blends in with the crowd, doesn\u2019t draw attention to himself, and avoids confrontation.<\/p>\n

Some believe that the gray man concept only needs to be applied in SHTF scenarios, but I would disagree. Even in day-to-day life, it can help by reducing your chances of being targeted by a criminal or being confronted by the drunk on the sidewalk as you walk to your car from dinner. Flying under the radar is not a bad thing in many cases.<\/p>\n

How it Works<\/h2>\n

Believe it or not, there\u2019s a scientific explanation behind why blending in is so beneficial. There is a part of our brain, called the Reticular Activating System (RAS), that processes stimuli and responds to whatever details happen to stand out. Think of it as a filter of sorts, only making you notice things that seem out of place, or things that might be perceived as threats. Anything from bright colors, loud noises erratic movements and more, can trigger it to take notice.<\/p>\n

\"being\n<\/picture>
Keep your gear hidden by utilizing an inside-the-waistband holster for your firearm and a deep-carry pocket clip on your\u00a0knife.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Your attire plays an obvious role in mitigating or attracting immediate attention, but there is so much more to take into account. From your vehicle, to your home and even how you carry yourself, they all need to follow this principle if you want to avoid becoming the focus of a threat.<\/p>\n

Your Attire<\/h2>\n

Your attire includes your clothing and your EDC gear. It\u2019s one of the first things people notice. I\u2019ve heard many people say it\u2019s as simple as wearing low-key colors such as gray and black. That\u2019s true in some cases, but I believe it\u2019s more about matching the environment you\u2019re going to be in.<\/p>\n

\"gray\n<\/picture>
While avoiding eye contact is preferred, at the same time, you don\u2019t want to come off as shady and aggressive, or the opposite,\u00a0scared.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re invited to a 70\u2019s-themed costume party, showing up in all gray and black will actually make you stand out. If you\u2019re going to be in the woods, camo would make sense, but not if you\u2019re walking through the mall. If it\u2019s 90 degrees out, long pants and a hoodie aren\u2019t going to be your best bet. In short, it\u2019s less about the colors of your clothing, more so about the style of them.<\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s safe to assume that if you\u2019re reading this article, you likely carry some sort of gear on a daily basis. Whether that be a firearm, knife or flashlight, keeping them hidden and discreet is always a good idea.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t advertise if and what you\u2019re carrying. Have you ever seen someone open-carrying at the grocery store? If you have, everyone else probably noticed as well and was likely staring. It\u2019s not something you see often, so it stands out. It can also make you a target for confrontation.<\/p>\n

Your Car and Your Home<\/h2>\n

Many of us are proud of the guns and gear we own, and also the beliefs we have. However, using your vehicle as an advertisement for them by putting stickers all over it will not only draw attention, but let people know what you may have inside.<\/p>\n

\"gray\n<\/picture>
Making sure you don\u2019t have any \u201cloud\u201d decals or stickers on your vehicle will help you blend in with traffic and not draw extra attention from\u00a0thieves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A large \u201cI love my AR-15<\/span>\u201d decal paired with an NRA sticker can put a target on your vehicle. SHTF scenario or not, people may want to steal your guns and will assume they are in the vehicle.<\/p>\n

The same goes for your home. Let\u2019s think about something as simple as a flag. Flying an American flag out front is common, and you probably don\u2019t even notice them half the time. But, flying a bright yellow \u201cdon\u2019t tread on me\u201d flag or a black Punisher skull flag will definitely grab people\u2019s attention, and also scream \u201cI have guns in the house\u201d.<\/p>\n

The less you advertise, the better.<\/p>\n

Your Demeanor<\/h2>\n

One of the least touched-on aspects of being a gray man is how one carries themselves. From an external perspective, you want to avoid eye contact, match the movement of others around you, and avoid giving off an overly confident, aggressive or even scared vibe. Just like with your attire, you want to mimic your surroundings as much as possible.<\/p>\n

\"what\n<\/picture>
Heading out to run errands with the 5\u201d Prodigy in an outside-the-waistband holster doesn\u2019t fit the gray man idea. A Hellcat in an IWB-style holster is a better\u00a0choice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Internally, you want to be sure to observe everything and everyone. Essentially, it\u2019s practicing situational awareness, which you should be already doing all the time anyways. What you\u2019ll start to notice is others not behaving like you will stand out quickly. Then after a while, those that are like you will also be noticeable, but that will take time and lots of people watching.<\/p>\n

Spot Others Like You<\/h2>\n

It can be beneficial to be able to spot other gray men for a couple of reasons. By paying attention to spotting them, it can help you adjust your own techniques moving forward.<\/p>\n

\"gray\n<\/picture>
The color of clothing is not the only factor to consider, but also if the clothing fits the area. The author demonstrates that dull colors on a plate carrier would still be a bad\u00a0move.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since they likely share a similar mindset and are likely prepared like you are, you can try to remember who they are in case there is a time you need an additional resource. Even though you should never rely on anybody else, it can be good to be aware of them.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n

You truly never can know, if or when sh*t will hit the fan. Being prepared is not the same as being paranoid. If you become a gray man, it does not mean you are some paranoid person who is scared of everything. It means that you take your safety and well-being seriously. There isn\u2019t much you can control in regards to others\u2019 actions, but you can prepare yourself for how to avoid certain scenarios or react to them. Remember, it\u2019s never too late to start adopting the concept and skills of being a gray man!<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in!<\/em><\/p>\n

Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n

Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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By Ryan Domke When I was growing up, I was encouraged to not worry about \u201cfitting in\u201d. While I agree with that sentiment to this day, I now realize that there is most definitely a time and place to do just the opposite. Standing out in the wrong place or at the wrong time can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":571,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=570"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}