Avoiding detection from your enemies. Mountain Recce (visible, IR, Thermal)

Basic Mountain Camouflage and how to become a ghost in the mountains centers around your efficient use of camouflage. In today's video we go over basic camouflaging in three different light spectrums; visible, IR, and Thermal. I hope you enjoy the continuation of our becoming deadly in the mountain series.
00:00 Become a Ghost in the mountains
4:18 Visible Light Camouflage Techniques
19:40 Night Vision / IR Camouflage
26:31 Thermal Camouflage
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All firearms shown are semi-automatic firing from 20 round magazines. All shooting was conducted on a closed private range.

[@MagicPrepper]

"The dumbest human being is still a apex predator in this world" Finally, the validation I needed.

[@nagaviper1169]

You have a great channel brother.

[@MagicPrepper]

@@nagaviper1169 hey much appreciated

[@ATruckCampbell]

Cool to see you here, why don't you make some videos on NVG or thermals yourself? In most SHTF scenarios we preppers may find ourselves in this tech can be a force multiplier.

[@neglectfulsausage7689]

predator is my nickname. Lots of ladies found that out in my area.

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

"An" apex predator. Point proven,- so I guess double validated.

[@libertyafterdark6439]

If you've ever spent 6 hours comparing camo patterns against a random bush by your house, go ahead and hit the subscribe button.

[@warrenharrison9490]

Living in NE, that's 4 different season patterns...😐

[@NoNo_IStay]

In Missouri you have to patch up 46 different patterns in puzzle piece shapes to get it correctly. And STILL modify it at the site

[@R.Sole88109]

If you've ever spent a hour being amazed at how effective the Waffen SS camo is all these year later, smash the like button as it's your enemy.👍🏻

[@zaynevanday142]

ATACS hands down

[@Valorius]

M81 for life.

[@TwoKnowingRavens]

I was involved in a study about "being stared at" - it was very rigorous and had as many controls as I think could be realistically assumed. The result was quite definitive with ~1200 participants over several years. A person can reliably know whether or not a person is looking directly at them from behind at a distance of 30ft-300ft about 60% of the time. My own inference was that more rural people and more "outdoorsy" people succeeded at a much higher rate just from my memory of the participants I witnessed. This was through University of Washington psychology school in about 2012-2013. If I can get my hands on it I will share it.

[@daepicnass7799]

cdn.centerforinquiry.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2000/09/22164841/p41.pdf I assume this isn't the one you're mentioning but it still covers the points mentioned

[@fizzleshizzle8314]

Sounds good. Please do share. Any explanation for it though?

[@leifiverson8549]

Morphic resonance

[@johnbooth3073]

An old WW2 Commando taught me that regarding silencing German sentries. He taught me how to block whatever it is that you naturally send out that is detected by the other person. Takes practice but it works.

[@TesterBoy]

@@johnbooth3073 How do you practice this?

[@GTRNights]

One of the things I learned in my military training was how to scan for something at night with your bare eyes. Look at something like a tree and just stare straight at it. You're not looking AT something, you defocus your eyes and you're paying close attention for any movement. Your eyes are excellent at catching movement, especially in your periphery. If you see something move, resist the reflex to look straight at it, because it will disappear and you won't be able to see it. Look about 10-15 degrees ahead or behind of it and track it in your periphery. Low-light threat detection is a completely different ballgame from broad daylight. You may have seen those pieces of paper where if you look at a certain spot on the paper, the black dots disappear. That's because of the way the rods and cones are set up in your eyes, you have actual blindspots where small amounts of visual data are just lost. So they trained us to be able to cycle our eyes and use lateral holds on our vision to keep potential threats in sight. Avoiding those blind spots in your vision is critical in low-light spotting without any optics. And yeah, I guess I just dated myself, because that was back before we had thermals and NVG readily available. Reminds me I'm an old dog.

[@GTRNights]

@@John-cp6uc Well, yes, we would scan, but if your eyes are constantly moving it's harder to detect motion. If you look at a spot and freeze, you'll see the tiniest movement. If you see nothing, move to a different spot. Freeze. Wait. Just keep doing that. Was actually a Green Beret that taught me that. I was fortunate and unfortunate enough to have him as my Senior Drill.

[@Archangelm127]

Hey, the Mk1 Eyeball doesn't need batteries and is less likely to get smacked around by a passing branch or whatever.

[@JoshBryan]

It's called off-center viewing and it takes advantage of the relative concentration of rod cells in the periphery around the highly concentrated cone cells at the optic disc and fovea centralis.

[@Joben2112]

I’ve always like the “warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war” quote. You should start a gardening channel for food prepping on your property, and call it ‘GareenThumb’.

[@mikef5694]

Underrated comment

[@gunsmoke132]

Or green thumb

[@colinworcester7938]

Garden thumb A few days later I thought about this name instead Garaden thumb

[@mortysmith5556]

perfect

[@parallel-knight]

I’m in

[@Nordheide]

In my 2nd week of basic training they brought us out on a hill at night, surrounded by some forests. They showed us how easy it is to notice different lights and sounds especially at night and what NVGs and thermals can do. One instructor was smoking a cig about 1km away and we could see it. Through nightvision-scopes it looked like a second sun. Another one was just walking fast through the woods and you could hear it hundreds of meters away and you instantly knew where to look at with thermals to find movement. Another one hammered small nails into a tree with a folding spade, around 1km away aswell and it was easy as hell to tell where it came from. And suddenly a team of 3 snipers stood up 15 meters in front us who had been there the whole time without being noticed by us lol. They did that early so we could develop a sense for important things like that. Airborne infantry unit from Germany.

[@squidy4082]

A cig from 1km away wow

[@horstguntherludolf6357]

effective training

[@seppshlllearningcenter419]

@@squidy4082 GT literally says similar. Go light up a cigarette at a mil Sim overnight event.

[@redwatch1100]

@@seppshlllearningcenter419 What is a milsim overnight event and where would I find one?

[@justarandomtechpriest1578]

@@redwatch1100 airsoft is milsim so look up that Hope this helps

[@roaringcast2604]

I’ve had the chance to talk with some helicopter pilots of my local police department and they got to experience something pretty fascinating while they were looking for a suspect who was hiding in a residential neighborhood. They were orbiting the area the suspect was last seen at and combed the area using thermal cameras. They stayed on scene looking for the suspect long enough that they noticed the development of a faint white silhouette on the side of a shed. Turns out the suspect was hiding inside the shed with his back against one of the walls and his body heat was radiating onto the wall which could be seen through a thermal camera on the opposite side of the wall. Just a little information to keep in mind.

[@Likeaworm]

You can also see where people stopped to rest too. Like were there butt cheeks where sitting. Anything you touch will absorb your body heat and shine

[@KarlPHorse]

"You're all stupid, see they're gonna be lookin for army guys." - Peter Griffin while dressed as a clown.

[@tungmiyaynusnbahls8936]

The knowledge of how to defeat FLIR/NV/etc is absolutely invaluable.

[@GarandThumb]

Its the future

[@earlOfCloves]

Agreed. I noticed that when I stand next to hot women I'm invisible. The enemy will never find me!

[@jpenny594]

@@GarandThumb Try a piece of plexiglass with some foliage glued on, blocks the ir signature.

[@lrballistics]

@@GarandThumb The future is now, old man

[@Valorius]

@@jpenny594 Even better, ballistic lexan. You can create a ballistically protected fighting position that offers 100% thermal and Mk1 eyeball camouflage for a heck of a lot less $ and effort than most people realize.

[@Thurston2011]

Few things to add, 10 years recon and did some cognition of camo for research paper; Movement towards a enemy should always be directly towards when you coming in close as the eye picks up horizontal movement very well. Your eye is built to only see detail in very narrow field and your movement detection is majority comprised outside that field. So don’t ever look directly at what you’re looking at. Research shows the two things (fully developed at birth in your brain) that brain can detect is a face and head and shoulders ratio. Contrast of the face, light up shadow parts and darken the peaks. And boonie cap is good but your eye still sees shoulders that’s why a viper hood or some kind of vail or break up in the void between your head and shoulders, fucking vital. Mind set: “if I were the enemy where would I be looking for me? What would I do if I was looking for me?” Thanks for coming to my TedTalk

[@Valorius]

what is the name of the ted talk?

[@kekula69]

thank you

[@aerowrench6787]

Súper insightful. People don’t realize all the cool things that are wired into all humans. Even city slicker that’s never been outside could potentially spot you if you’re not careful.

[@plumbherhub1664]

Good point on the hood or somthing

[@archangel2268]

I have a viper hood and have tested it, it works quite well

[@sidneybailey9217]

The main purpose of red light is to not destroy you natural night vision. It IS less visible to the enemy but can still be seen easily by the enemy, especially when reflected off of background objects. We were taught in the Corps to cover up with a poncho as you said. Great video.

[@TheWorldRealist]

Camouflage is even more important now. When I was training in the Royal Marines I was issued a camo smock which seemed familiar. Same as those in the Longest Day movie. It’s official tag inside said 1944. It was now 1970! I checked it for holes and stains but it was new, as in never issued. I am enjoying this series and learning a lot. At 73 still fit and out each day cross country for a couple of miles with my dogs and a 25lb pack. My abilities to move across country are limited in speed and distance now so good camo is important as I deem my purpose will be to hold a position whilst others chase around!

[@pin_high]

The creative and philosophical direction of this channel over the years, is beautiful.

[@GarandThumb]

Thanks!

[@improvingamericashomes6530]

Not to mention so dang relevant as probably all of us viewers are now categorized as militant extremists by our current government. Elect Patriots to office and train train train.

[@literalantifaterrorist4673]

@@improvingamericashomes6530 it *is* quite helpful, yes~

[@LordPerique]

@@GarandThumb You could charge a good amount of money for a set of videos like this and I bet a lot of us would pay pretty much whatever you decided to charge. But by doing it for free you've injected these concepts straight into the heart of the gun community's zeitgeist, and if things keep going their current course, that might be the difference between life or death for a ton of people.

[@badgertheskinnycow]

@@GarandThumb you're a disgrace to your uniform and a Right-Wing appeasing coward.

[@mastoner20]

Life-long hunter in the Appalachians here. A small tip to remember, but for just woodland creatures it's noticeable. Don't sit or lay near bases of trees when trying to be unseen. It's weird how much that sticks out compared to just sitting against a fallen log or another rock in the middle of a hillside.

[@IAnolastname]

A tree is a fixed cylinder, approximately. A fallen try is all sorts of weird shapes.

[@walkermott1750]

Both people and animals look at trees for food and/or landmakers so if something looks different it's immediately noticeable

[@chrish8545]

"Tree cancer"

[@mrdark9916]

Tree cancer bro. Sniper School 101 LOL

[@connorahall]

must be why I have no luck hunting, trees are nice and comfy lol

[@MercenaryJames]

Took your advice, found a good place to train and have blended in with my environment using proper cover, concealment, and noise discipline. No one realized I was in the ball pit for the whole day. (jokes aside this is a great video)

[@mrnobody2873]

No one is looking for me behind these silhouette targets....

[@scootermcgruder450]

" No one realized I was the ball pit for the whole day ".....That's what she said

[@Matthew25514]

This is such a great video and really hammers down on the training aspect. I grew up in the Appalachian mountains in WV and have hunted since I was around 7-8. There really is a difference between people who grew up in the woods compared to others. People who grew up going into the woods are very careful where and how they step in order to make the least amount of noise possible and move deliberately. To be honest the hunting example you gave was incredibly accurate. Not only could the deer hear you if you step wrong, they can also smell you as well, and the same is true for people. An interesting way you can tell if you're not alone where you are is if everything is silent. Animals often view people as predators and go completely silent unless their used to you being there and you don't smell like deodorant, cologne, etc. Either that or there is an actual big predator around like a bear, mountain lion, etc. depending on where you live. Either way if it goes silent pay attention to what could be around you. If it is a predator though like a bear it's smell should tell you what it is, bears for the most part smell like a stinky wet dog, while mountain lions have a sour musky like smell at least in my experiences with them. Hope this helps.

[@alaskanalain]

I know if there is a bear around because I can smell it before I see it, so true.

[@ivicamilosavljevic4706]

I never met a bear, but the same is valid for wild boar, and other animals, even me, as a heavy smoker, can sense a smell often (depends if the wind also)...

[@alecc9340]

They listen to the squirrels. They listen to the birds.

[@300metalhead]

My buddies and I used to set up situations where one of us would be hunted while playing airsoft, with emphasis on realism, you learn very quickly what you can and can’t get away with when someone is actively searching for you. Would recommend as a first baby step into this kind of training! Edit: I’m aware this does not even compare to military or any kind of legit training and it has been around way longer than when my friends and I did it. Just sharing a common experience with y’all.

[@donnie1581]

Sounds fun as fuck

[@Jerry_Mtz20]

@@donnie1581 super intense game of hide and seek

[@Cavscout101]

Hide and seek is a fun game

[@NoNo_IStay]

90s kids......UNITE

[@charlesadams7862]

Hell yea staying still while your 6 buddies is walking 6 feet from ya with aegs. Make ya question should you engage, run, or do nothing. Edit and you really started to wish you painted you orange slant brake on your ak.

[@kunaiguywot]

Neurology student here. Your motion-focused neuron groups are most focused at about 18-20 degrees out of the centerline of your vision all the way around. Your color receptors are focused at the center, and your light receptors are thicker to the edges. I will mostly leave the application of this information to you, but if it is dark and you think see motion to the sides of your focus, trust your eyes.

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

God that makes so much sense. I've spent a lot of time in the woods at night and I noticed I have to go off periphery, if I focus it darkens the object.

[@JBinthesticks]

Yep, it's taught in the British Army.👍

[@lincolnpascual]

Oh that's an old school Vietnam trick. They didn't have night vision in those days (and it's mostly useless in a jungle environment, even with an IR illuminator) so patrolling at night was wild. If they were setting up ambushes at night, beyond the claymores as a warning, they were mostly firing blind. That first shot had to count, so they aimed with their periphery vision. Imagine that... you're not even looking at the target you're shooting at? "Dude, sometimes I just close my eyes, squeeze the trigger, and hope for the best."

[@stuartgorka989]

Cool to know. I noticed that when I look at the sky at night, something would catch my eye (like a star), then when I looked at it, it would go dim. I thought it was just my eyes failing.

[@B.V.Luminous]

Peripheral vision is wonderful. Practice!

[@lukeingram7655]

23:40 As an owner/user of IR and thermal I'd say this is the number one thing to remember. That is that objects near you will act like a mirror and reflect your signature and give you away, even if you're entirely concealed behind a rock, wall, tree, etc you also have to make sure nothing is reflecting nearby.

[@josephfarley5118]

As a Appalachian boy I enjoy the becoming deadly in the mountains series so much.

[@scruffguitar2]

West Virginia boy here

[@sgtirish5915]

It’s somewhat useful for upstate South Carolina, but I still have to deal with some flatter terrain too

[@jasondavis741]

Yes sir

[@CoWaBunGAAA793]

@@sgtirish5915 and small urban towns plus city if you live near gville or columbia sc luckily i live in the deep woods of sc

[@bobafettimuss]

As a german swabian alb boy i enjoy it too

[@Finman78]

I love this series. The woods in my backyard will become my home when the IRS comes

[@Aquafresh_Official]

I have 60 acres😉. They will become my home in that situation as well lol

[@doubleOR1]

Are you avoiding taxes?

[@mrducklumps6371]

@@doubleOR1 who pays taxes?

[@eli-vu3vb]

LMAOOO

[@Cypher84X]

Fck that. My home will be my home if the IRS comes (for what I do not know). It's MY castle. If they want to cross that moat then suffer the consequences

[@apollosun6268]

15:56 Mountain Man Chase 19:00 Don't Directly Stare at Someone 20:40 NIR Compliant Clothing 31:45 FibroTex Thermal Cloak

[@Shogunersash]

Yeah, I need more mountain man story

[@isMatvei]

I just realized that many of the things you are teaching, I learned conceptually through playing Tarkov with my brother. The skylining, the don't jerk around when you move stuff, spacing. I don't really play video games anymore but I find it tickling that many of these concepts were directly responsible for keeping me alive in that game.

[@deus_ex_machina_]

Funny you say that. I'm watching this for tips in milsims like Tarkov.

[@isMatvei]

@@deus_ex_machina_ Not a bad plan. Funny you also picked now to say this. I'm watching my little brother play. Just got done screaming "DISPLACE! DISPLACE!" after watching him stand on top of a cliff face and shoot a scav where 3/4ths of the map could see him for about two minutes straight. 😂

[@callsignsleepwalker7231]

This video will help me prepare for my time in the woods against the skinwalkers with my friends.

[@ColdHawk]

Dude? I don’t think your camouflage efforts are going to fool the Skinwalkers. I don’t like your odds….

[@ForzaMonkey]

eh, if a skinwalker eats me soul and takes my body, he'll be stuck to a life of 9-to-5 jobs, working until he's 65 or older, and he'll have no bitches. Get fucked, skinwalkers.

[@steezydoge684]

Bro I'll have my grandpa pray for you

[@GarandThumb]

“I wouldn’t worry about it

[@CopeAndSeeth]

I wouldn't worry about it fellow human (not a skinwalker btw) 😃

[@jakerrush]

The human eye detects movement easier laterally than it does forward and back

[@posidonentertainmentcompan8490]

I've grown up in the boonies of Oregon and from my experience I can tell you that home turf advantage is powerful. Both for day and normal camo techniques and even going against thermal. When I was a kid one of my veteran relatives had a thermal optic (old tech so that does place a role) but was able to sneak up on him anyway. Move slow and use the bushes. Also a simple way to help break up your presence is cloaks wool one are good for this time of year but even lighter cloths will help too. One added benefit of cloaks is concealing a weapon, what gets spotted more often than not is not the lump in the underbrush but the metal rod sticking out of it

[@Slide8918]

Home turf knowledge is such an underrated thing. When you know an understand your local environment, knowing the colors an veg, the way the land looks. It's not hard to melt into the background, besides if the world does go pear shaped your local area is where you'll be surviving and fighting anyway

[@aletter1718]

That Cloak technique is real, We have used it before to fuck with each others thermals, and it can absorb outside temp pretty well if you let it sit.

[@rodiculous9464]

We are from the soviet union and my parents told me about the whole not looking directly at someone. Apparently that is like a common understanding in those countries.

[@jeanvaljean341]

I was 307lbs this time last year. Today at 262lbs, I climbed mount Mansfield. Toughest climb of my life; but honestly, I can't wait for khatardin. New England 💪

[@StephenAR]

Well done mate! Respect

[@type_s_tyler7547]

Heck yeah man! Keep it up!

[@clinical_caliber]

keep going dawg 👍👍

[@eurtostance]

Was just near Khatardin last weekend, beautiful area!

[@aG_oh_so_Sneaky]

vermont der young buckshot

[@masonprisco3782]

It's crazy how real the "don't look directly at your target" thing is. When I was younger my dad told me not to hold eye contact with deer that were walking past my tree stand amd not to stare directly at them too long. I thought it was b.s. at first but thru the years I've definitely noticed that deer, remarkably, will start getting real fidgety and nervous if you stare at them...and they will often take off running if you stare at their eyes. Even if they're looking in a different direction, if you look at their eyes for too long they lock on to you...while your 20 feet up a tree in full camo...and they bolt. Its crazy.

[@JakeNBake0021]

Absolutely. You could be down wind with scent killer, best camo set up, not moving, with 100% noise discipline and that deer will still know it needs to gtfo.

[@rodiculous9464]

My parents grew up in the soviet union and they told me this as well, interesting that it is a universal concept

[@wackmane2561]

@@rodiculous9464 Us humans have this as well, it’s happenes whenever you catch someone staring at you subconsciously

[@hatman4818]

There was some science show I used to watch as a kid hosted by Morgan Freeman, that covered fringe science topics. One of the things they tested were concepts related to ESP (extra sensory perception). For the most part, they found it was complete BS. However, there were 2 exceptions. First was testing ESP as it relates to potentially mating. Theyd show people 2 different images, like say, pics of cars vs trucks, and the person would have to guess one or the other a split second before hand. What they found after many many trials, was exactly a 50% right/wrong split, as one would expect... But when tested with say, being shown a man or woman, it was more like a 52% split. The theory is that perhaps the potential of finding a new mate has something to do with the predictive abilities of the human brain. Even creepier though... They ran a similar experiment wherein someone would stare at the back of the neck of another person. Then that other person would have to predict whether or not theyre being stared at... If I recall correctly, they found people could guess accurately about 54% of the time... Which, again, is just different enough from the expected 50% that it might mean something. Personally, I'm a bit of a people watcher, like, in public settings. I've actually gone out of my way to stare people down long enough to see if they look at me. Many do, even if theyre not looking anywhere near me originally, or are caught up in something else. Sometimes I can tell when that antsy moment happens, where they feel like someone is watching, and look away before they look at me... Absolutely uncanny. Occasionally, I've noticed I get that sensation as well, and when I turn, sure enough, I can see someone was staring at me. Weirdly, I noticed this living overseas where some cultures dont find it rude to stare at randos in public. Like Germany, for example... People will just... Stare you down in a restaurant for no reason there. Im not sure why, after a while, you get used to it. But you sure do get that tingly sensation of being watched when you first go there. I think perhaps its a lot more likely to notice this when it's in your periphery. Few animals, including humans, are fully consciously aware of what's in their peripheral vision. Yet, animals (humans included) are evolved to recognize patterns, even in their peripheral vision. This may be especially important where eye contact is important. A pair of eyes staring you down is likely a sign of being about to be attacked, so perhaps there is a subconscious recognition of 2 eyes staring at you in your peripherals as a survival trait. And humans tend to have quite focussed vision as well, since we are hunters as well as hunted. A prey animal like a deer is almost all peripheral vision for defensive purposes. I'm pretty sure they have near 360 degree vision without having to move their head much. So staring at one, you're likely within their periphery enough for it to trigger any recognition that theyre being watched and hunted.

[@--LZ---]

@@hatman4818 Good comment, thanks.

[@recordingstudiotech]

The no staring thing is really interesting. As a hunter, I have learned to not stare at animals while in the stand. There is something about it, animals have darted up from eating and directed their vision straight at me while I sat still with the wind was heavily in my favor. I have wondered a few times if there is some sort of undiscovered sense in mammals about being stared at. Also, I hope you get that mountain guy for an interview

[@ucantsmokethathere]

From what I have found, it seems to be that peripheral vision is what causes this phenomena. You do not typically focus on your periphery which is why many claim that they can “feel” being stared at, but there seems to be no evidence that this is possible when being stared at from outside your field of view.

[@Dkholm00]

Late to the party but if you dont have NVGs, Thermals theres a trick my dad taught me when being in low light/moon lit areas. If you think you seen something keep note and keep looking around and look back at that spot. If it hasnt moved or made a sound pass it up and keep scanning. Take another look next time you scan that area and if its moved you missed something/someone if it hasnt moved your looking at Vegetation/Structure.

[@Saltpork305]

Something not mentioned with IR is that certain clothing detergents make fabrics straight up glow. Part of the 'do not wash' aspect of IR camo clothing comes from this. So if you're serious about it as civilians, you NEED to use your NV and see if what you're using, from clothing to blankets(looking at you woobie) to the treatment on your shoes, and see how 'bright' it is. You can never tell this from just looking at it with the eye.

[@matias_rgt1429]

This comment is so american xd

[@MrBgglsWrth]

Not to mention the smell. That sh!t stands out to those who utilize sense of smell in the wilderness. Those added perfumes will carry on a breeze.

[@bevplanet5741]

@@matias_rgt1429 its okay buddy, id be jealous too

[@mgabriel2636]

whiteners will make whites fluoresce under uv light

[@mr.not.so.perfect.666]

@@MrBgglsWrth This is why traditionally Snipers would not wash their Ghillie suits or DPM's but rub them in soil or leaf litter and keep them away from anything that smells "human", I used to do this to my hunting gear as animals can smell you from miles away downwind. I probably stank like an old, dead tree but I could hide within a few feet of animals and they wouldn't smell me.

[@danielzahariev1671]

In Bulgaria we sadly don't have the same freedoms as other countries when talking about guns but we have a lot of mountains and historically we have been using them for warfare for centuries and this series helps me learn how to use our environment to the fullest. Whatever gun I can keep will help me in time of need but I gotta thank you a lot doctor Garand Tumb for the educational episode!

[@TheGrimiest]

It’s always crazy to me how we (Americans) can own so many guns from so many countries that the citizens of that country can’t.

[@RaptorTroll360]

Get friends that you can play airsoft hide-and-seek, in those mountains, if done correctly it can be fun and educational as a really good training. Thermal scopes are somewhat accessible in quite a few European countries, most restrictive thing being the price tag.

[@danielzahariev1671]

@@RaptorTroll360 i have gathered some friends that want to play and have gotten some guns to play with . I have found some thermals I like but will wait because the cause as much as a regular hunting rifle that costs like 3 months worth of wages sadly

[@Jorvaskrr]

Have you considered becoming a licensed hunter ?

[@stefa4013]

I'm from the Netherlands and man I'm fcked, no guns for outside, currently hunting is getting nuked with more and more restrictions, no mountains, extremely high population density (even higher than India). Man I should move to a better country because if anything happens over here there will be no place to hide and fight from the shadow

[@rameylewis7730]

As a police officer you have reminded me that more and more people are using night vision and I need to proceed more cautiously while engaging armed and dangerous subjects. We engage subjects in rural and urban areas and the environments in both are difficult to traverse safely. Our uniform patches, badges, and gadgets could easily give us away. Thanks for the heads up and reminders. Your 37 minute video was over in a flash. Great stuff!!!

[@alexhutton155]

I keep hearing these cartel guys have setups as such.

[@zach3096]

In reality, he gets these 7 thousand A PIECE scopes and goggles because the company sends them out so he can talk about them, making you want to go out and buy them. Come on man, this is basic shit. I assure you that no criminal is using NVGs or thermal lmao

[@jsmith5443]

​@@zach3096we don't know. There are criminals with a whole lot more money.

[@zach3096]

@@jsmith5443 yeah, but I bet the first time we see an organized crime/gang involving night vision goggles and infrared here in America, it will be on big news

[@bigchooch4434]

@@jsmith5443 violent criminals don't tend to be the brightest minds society has to offer.

[@Denzlercs]

Camouflage is all about becoming the environment around you. Shape, silhouette and shadow are the most important things outside of IR vision. Clothing detergents/lint from washers and dryers can make you stick out like a sore thumb in IR in night vision devices. Color isn’t even as important if you blend in with the environment to the one you are concealing yourself from. Some animals are color blind to certain colors/being in the shade of a sunrise/sunsets o that you don’t stand out as much. It becomes about shading, silhouette and movement. Smell is another thing. Even soap/detergents stand out to an animal or a human who has been in the wild long enough. I’m not sure about the newer G.I. utilities but the Cold War era rip-stop utilities, brand new, before they are washed used to be designed to mask your IR signature. Light/noise discipline is CRITICAL!!!

[@LeadFarmer_84]

"Don't stare at your enemy." Yes! I have heard this before. I have anecdotally experienced this with deer and think there's some truth to it. Completely unexplainable, but there just seems to be something to it.

[@GarandThumb]

It’s interesting isn’t it

[@LeadFarmer_84]

@@GarandThumb this is getting into some crazy "woo woo" stuff as Joe Rogan would say, but it's like there's some connection between human/animal psyche that science has yet to understand, but will probably prove one day.

[@MB-jg4tr]

Directed energy is. We're all biological energy antennas.

[@karllambert2350]

Walk into a crowded room and I can tell who is looking at me vs those who aren't. Instinct is a thing .

[@Aggrobiscuit]

I've tested this on people that didn't know I was watching them, and yeah the chances are good you'll get a short stare in your direction. Sometimes with a slight puzzled look. What seems to affect it most is whether the person is alone or with others. With others, they'll be distracted and oblivious. Solo people have their spidey senses out. Sorry if it sounds a little serial killer lmao, but even the government has tested this stuff, no meme. Men That Stare At Goats was based on actual experiments.

[@thomasdouglas9562]

One thing on camo on the skin, especially the face. I don't recall it being mentioned, but if you're using different shades of camo, use the darker shades on the parts that stick out the most and the lighter shades on the recessed portions. It tends to flatten out the overall appearance of the face and makes it a bit harder to pick out from the surrounding area.

[@PartTimeGoblinSlayer]

Yep, that's how the US Army taught me too.👍 Personally though, I hate face paint with a passion so if I can get mesh or some kind of camo screen to hang in front of my face or wear as a mask that would be my preference, but the great thing about paint is you can customize it on the go if needed so it has it's perks.

[@erikhoryza9068]

@@PartTimeGoblinSlayer tools for the arsenal 💡🧠

[@davidtennien39]

Yea thats the way I was trained as well. Man I remember weeks after being in the field still finding camo in your ears.

[@thomasdouglas9562]

@@davidtennien39 shaving cream helped getting the camo out of the hard to reach areas. It was never %100 effective, but it definitely helped.

[@davidtennien39]

@@thomasdouglas9562 yes I remember that.

[@OmarAbdi69]

Im living in Somalia, and I've just gotta thank you guys a ton. Your advice has saved me from many bad situations here. By sheer luck, I found this series a few weeks before war erupted in my town, and you've saved my life with this info. Your many videos have helped me escape terrorists and rival clans on multiple occasions, and I'd really like to give yall a huge thanks.

[@billyandrew]

Be both a warrior and a gardener...the two aren't incompatible. Defend your garden, because it will feed your body and soul. Gardeners, many might be surprised to learn, can be callous, killing off pests without compunction, eradicating the weak specimens for the benefit of the others, putting in the hours, in all weathers and a fine eye for details regarding anything remotely out of place, out of kilter, be that weather, soil condition, plant formation, unwanted visitors, etc. I, personally, think vets, at the least, should consider gardening, as a productive hobby, if nothing else. It's cathartic for everyone, regardless of background. Overall, interesting and informative. 👏👏👏 Obliged for the upload!

[@aerowrench6787]

Perhaps this is just obvious common knowledge now, but I found out pretty quickly that black is basically like High vis yellow under NODs. Painting your black rifle and covering your black helmet is just as critical for visible light as it is for IR/night vision. Learned a lot from this video. Thanks as always.

[@GarandThumb]

Something with black dye makes it stand out rn

[@OctaneGroup]

Black also absorbs heat so you would think it’s worse under thermal as well

[@constantk8780]

@@OctaneGroup to be precise, black converts the visible spectrum into heat. It does not absorb heat.

[@BionicBurke]

Has a lot to do with how black reflects IR. A really good black will not reflect at all and there lies the problem. Not only is black not found in nature on the visible spectrum but under IR it becomes an unnatural void. That void draws the eye because it is a massive bit of contrast in a sea of green fuzz.

[@aerowrench6787]

@@OctaneGroup I’ll have to check that. I’m just starting to learn thermal. Just from what I’ve seen, the color of an object doesn’t play as big of role as the material it’s made out of. My friend with his black sweater and me with a tan sweater looked pretty much the same.

[@luken.1109]

A channel called S2 Underground drives a little deeper into thermal evasion from the air. Drones are the standard in modern combat now. Overcoming their capabilities is crucial.

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

One of the best channels on KZbin. Securityguy42 is great too

[@bracoop2]

It’s the most terrifying thing in modern conflict imo.

[@Nordheide]

Great tip, thanks! Was wondering how to hide from fucking drones. Insane how many are used in Ukraine. Little scary aswell. I’m active duty in an airborne infantry unit, we use drones ourselves, but no one ever tought us how to escape them.

[@luken.1109]

@@Nordheide It is curious the lack of sop on this subject. There was little to no literature on the subject when I was in, over 10 years ago now, and I'm surprised that there's seemingly no further tactic development as far as what is taught to the average infantryman.

[@Nordheide]

@@luken.1109 exactly my thoughts.

[@Jay_Mac1775]

I will admit full stop. I am not in shape at the time of typing this, it both feels weird and not weird still watching topics like this despite not being in “ warrior shape” I would rather learn this as I get fit and mess up now. Idk just a random 11:30 pm thought. Love how well you break stuff down like this!

[@anifan-lj7cv]

Having worked with drones, the best thing I can say is to remember to camouflage for above as well, and to test your hide site camo by getting out and actually looking at in, including with thermals. We found a bunker with thermals that was practically invisible to the naked eye, but it was clear as day with thermals.

[@WannabeSuperSoldier]

16:00 There's a greater lesson here. In order to become an expert woodsman you need to be in the woods often. Find hobbies other than LARPing (still LARP), go hunting, tracking (animals and human), hiking, practice bushcraft, run a trap line, camp often etc. Case Study: Carlos Hathcock is renowned as one of the most proficient snipers in US history. He certainly learned a lot from his time in the Marines, but his woodsmanship comes from his childhood, where he had to hunt to feed his family. He spent his entire youth in the woods, so he was no stranger to it when he was in the Marines.

[@shall2117]

I lost 120 lbs

[@wolfram2272]

@@shall2117 extremely based

[@y0h0p38]

@@shall2117 Yo good shit bro

[@shall2117]

Thanks man, I’m from a liberal state and never had a strong male role model in my life. Thanks to GarandThumb and many others I have found what was missing in my life. I am a lot happier.

[@JimmyTwo-Times]

Hold up though. Probably don't track humans as a hobby...

[@wilsongulick4608]

I grew up in the woods and I'll point out something that I noticed. When I was 16 or 17 I could run through the woods as described this mountain-dude. We'd race through the woods. I never realized what a learned skill that was until I went to college and then went back to the woods and attempted it with friends. A couple years away from that kind of thing and I was NOT as good at it as I had been before. And it's not just memory of being better than I was because it turns out that this is a skill that comes back pretty fast. In that regard it's a bit like riding a bike. If you haven't done it in a long time your first few yards are a bit wobbly until you remember what you're doing but this doesn't really take long. Being quiet in the woods is no different. My junior year in college a bunch of us went out in the woods to go shooting and I was actually annoyed with how loud everyone else was just walking at one point and then even MORE annoyed with how loud I was. Sure, I was better than them but I wasn't really stealthy by any stretch of the imagination. Not like I was growing up. Again, something that comes back pretty fast. The point being; the skills are perishable and if you're playing dangerous games your opponents are not going to give you a do-over. You need to practice this and do so regularly if you want to maintain the skill levels required to use such a skillset in a dangerous environment.

[@Lotusutra1]

It's like in the old Kung Fu series where one of Cane's challenges was to walk over rice paper without damaging it. 🙂

[@TheFIoridaMan]

I cant STAND being in the woods with people that cant be quite lmao. Club feet, heavy breathing, noisy clothing, drives me insane

[@survivalteamzero1741]

@@TheFIoridaMan Amen. I train in wilderness survival, past year I've been slowly teaching my friend survival skills, but it's incredible how some people won't budge on their ways. He has to have his phone on loud when in the forest or wild camping. Because he has "kids" his gf is at home. But somehow he needs to have his phone on loud still. Worst of all, his gf calls him up half the time for no reason at all when he's out in the forest. Insanity

[@joem3999]

In logging we called it "getting your brush legs".

[@nobama3468]

as young teen we used to play a game of racing down the river canyon's of western Oregon. So fun, just dont break a leg, nobody was catching us.

[@HumanThePerson]

I still find myself rewatching this for a refresher every couple of weeks

[@rfailing1]

Sitting on a bleacher with my basic training platoon Ft Dix NJ Jan 1966. We were in a "class" about camo. In front of us was a large field with scrubby random weed growth with lots of open space, and our instructor told us we were being observed by a nearby "enemy" unit. None of us saw a thing. Until roughly 15 guys got up some as close as 20 yards. Just to show us what's possible to do if you know how. Thinking most probably going to Nam, that was one more moment that dictated "better friggin pay attention!".

[@ralphralpherson9441]

Wow, cool! Finally a video where I can chime in some helpful commentary. I worked extensively with thermal and Gen III and IV night vision from 2008-2013 with a technical equipment supplier firm which sold to Law Enforcement, Industrial and Military. We had a line of thermal cameras and two lines of nightvision and I learned a ton about the technology. The sensor on a thermal is called a microbolometer and even 10 years ago they were getting scary-advanced as to detect less than a degree F of temperature difference. We always discussed how thermal on a drone would be a gamechanger. But with our units, the sensitivity was the impressive part. In other words, police could look into a recently abandoned car with our unit and if said car was say, involved in a crime, and the suspects bailed out, even 15 minutes later the unit would still see the thermal "butt prints" from the occupants and know exactly how many people they were looking for. Sometimes it could even pick up the trail if they had touched anything or sat anywhere for a period of time. We also had a "law enforcement only" night-vision which could read license plates at 1500 yards with only star light. So the tech is advanced and getting cheaper by the day. But there are Achilles' heels for each tech. Also there are also "never do this" items for each. For example, both night vision AND thermal can pick up eye-shine extremely well, so wearing eye-protection can totally deaden the reflection of your eyes to thermal. Also, like Garand said, smoking a cigarette is like painting yourself with a target. Opening your mouth on a cold night is another way to get spotted real easy by thermal. The best things I can chime in would be to remember that many consumer grade "cheap" night-vision/IR units are using IR illuminators, so if you have legit IR nightvision (aka "doorkickers" PVS 14) you'll see people basically shining a big fucking flashlight into the field to look for you. So hopefully your enemies are idiots and bought IR illuminated nightvision units. If you are up against thermal, keep in mind even a basic glass window TOTALLY defeats thermal. Thermal cannot "see through" windows, plywood, earth, plexiglass etc... so Garand gives great advice here to stay low and mind your maneuvers, but something like a riot shield would be pretty good at defeating thermal (not airborne, but like someone with a scope). Even though it's night time, it's still a good idea to crouch/crawl and creep up to berms and hills to maintain ZERO direct line of sight on your enemy. Use the environment to your advantage. Also, don't hop out of a warm car and walk through a snowdrift. You'll glow like Rudolph's nose. However if you can get your outer garments close to ambient temp, and wear something that reflects your heat back inward and the outer shell remains near ambient, you are going to be harder to spot. Thermal is scary tech... you can't exactly just stop metabolizing energy. One cool thing about thermal is that rain really screws with it. Moving about in heavy rain might be a good idea.

[@82hellas]

This is a great comment! Thank you for your knowledge.

[@lordjohnson48]

Thanks man, great read.

[@jfk767none4]

There is no such thing as Gen 4 night vision.

[@derekgrant9553]

@@jfk767none4 Thank you. "I wOrKeD eXtEnSiVeLy" then says gen 4 night vision lol

[@Temnis]

Using rain as a cover against thermal cameras is a great advice.

[@kinnonlindsey2502]

I've got 8 years in the Marine Corps (6 Infantry, 2 years as an Engineer Equipment Operator). A lot of the stuff that you're going into is really helpful as a refresher. It is also scary how relevant it is becoming.

[@GarandThumb]

Big facts

[@josephk1342]

Relevant to what?

[@gullyactual1898]

@@josephk1342 Wouldn’t you like to know, Fed boi?

[@Murchad99]

@@gullyactual1898 Apparently relevant to fringe pseudo-militia incels spit-polishing their "guns" to reruns of Red Dawn from their basement bunker, who think everyone else is a Fed out to get them. You stay frosty, Cletus. There's several legitimate possible answers to the question "relevant to what", maybe Garand will share them. I'll just have to hope they aren't the "cuz muh civil war!" that Gully here was implying.

[@pieterwillembotha6719]

@Brian Beatty The Selous Scouts were able to literally live off of the land. Apparently, boiling the rotted meat of a baboon is still edible.

[@sojournsojourntraveler1203]

Old farmer here / I Use Thermal to spot predictors of livestock, Some folks think it does not work on a cold foggy night .(Wrong) Camera on stock told me there was something moving in, got to it. Spotted a cougar about 100 yards out , discouraged it . Food for thought wireless switch distractions . Periscopes . Great video keep them coming .

[@chivenyc]

I've been watching a lot of videos from Ukraine/Russia war, from both points of view. Thermals, night vision, camo, drones, suppressors are now a must, and we (public/military) must prepare/train accordingly. It got me to completely re-evaluate my gear. I should sign up for SERE til I still can.

[@ethanmayo399]

One thing to keep in mind when you’re evading in mountainous terrain is to maintain position at the military crest of a hill. The military crest is 2/3 up the hill, and it provides you with an advantage over anyone that may be hunting you because you won’t be silhouetted when they’re observing you from the bottom of the mountain or the top of the mountain. Also if they’re running at you from the bottom of the hill it’s easy to move over the crest of a hill and run downhill. Likewise, if they’re coming at you from the top of the hill you already have a 1/3 advantage to run down the hill.

[@weirdshibainu]

Thanks. Great information

[@MitchCarroll]

That's not really what the military crest is. The military crest is basically just the highest you can walk on the hill without any part of your body creating a silhouette above the top, as seen from the direction of the enemy. It's not necessarily ⅔ of the way up. In fact, if it ever is, it's likely a coincidence. Basically, just make sure you can't see over the top of the hill yourself, and that if you draw a line from any potential enemy observer to your position, and then keep on going, that the line hits dirt, and not just sky. You can eyeball it, or you can plan it in advance on a map. It also doesn't really have anything to do with maneuvering; just observation and concealment. The fact that the enemy needs to move up hill to get to you doesn't matter when he can just toss mortars and such at you. Hell, within 1 click on the map, they can probably just shoot you with direct fire (slant range doesn't really matter for aiming a rifle or machine gun; you just set your sights for the horizontal distance).

[@ethanmayo399]

@@MitchCarroll OPFOR isn’t gonna launch mortars at you if you’re in a SERE environment. Their goal is to capture you; that’s what I was addressing.

[@MitchCarroll]

@@ethanmayo399 who said anything about SERE? Beginning of the video, he said pretty explicitly that we're talking about a militia/asymmetric warfare situation here. The example was Ukraine, not downed aircrew.

[@forestjones705]

@@MitchCarroll I’m with you kind of . Your kind of being obnoxious making your point so it makes people just want to disagree lol. And no it’s not that you can’t see over the hill . 2/3 is the general measurement because you might be way lower than being able to see over the hill but off the moon is beaming from the other side and it’s high enough it will still tag you . That’s why they say 2/3 . Because in general that’s an always safe spot . They use a general measurement so that every one in your unit isn’t using different points as well . Also it’s known so that maybe friendly see you that’s a point of figuring out who you are if there is no radio contact . If they are all at 2/3 up the hill moving as we move then that helps them not fire . But I agree with a lot of the rest of what you said especially your response to this other genius saying they would rather capture you then Kill you lol 100% not true they will definitely lob mortars at anything . Luckily the soldiers we fought were really not great at lobbing mortars but I mean you don’t have to be great for them to be deadly .

[@armoryknight]

One thing on thermal to remember is that is line of sight but thermal can not see through windows. Glass blocks thermal. Please dont forget to check windows with night vision or your own eyes.

[@NotYourAverageASMR]

SWIR

[@VictorianTimeTraveler]

Your job in the military was the exact same as my Dad's. This whole video is like a refresher course of everything he told me. :)

[@g_dub]

Awesome!

[@SlurryNoises]

Washington is underrated. I absolutely love this state for its natural beauty. That calm harp/piano music goes well with it, too!

[@g54b95]

Two comments. Thermal camouflage: I was first exposed to the concept of thermal camouflage in Predator, where Dutch found himself coated in river mud and the Predator couldn't see him and moved on. Staring at things: I am a window tinter, so all of my vehicles are always very tinted. I also wear sunglasses when I'm outdoors during the day. It never fails to amaze me how often I can be in my vehicle, wearing sunglasses and behind dark tinted windows, and look at someone (even without turning my head) and they know you are looking at them and meet your gaze. Dogs, too. They always know. And I'm the same way...I can sense when someone is looking at me. I think it's fascinating that this is actually something that is taught in both hunting and survival training. Excellent content as always, MIke.

[@Ureyeuh]

Just a quick note: you cannot see more detail in the periphery of your vision, as most of your ability to see fine details comes from the center of your gaze (the favea). However, you CAN see better in low lighting with your periphery due to the number of rods vs. cones in your eyes as you get farther from the center of your gaze. So, better low light vision = periphery, better detail = center of gaze/favea.

[@Rhinosaurfish]

One thing to note on that is movement is more noticeable in our peripheral vision, as maybe a hunter instinct we lock on to movement in the corner of our eye. Example working in a warehouse and you are casually talking with a co worker when suddenly you spot a flash, you couldn't ID what it was, but you know from experience, it's a mouse or rat. So maybe that's what he was trying to get at.

[@kiq4767]

Duuuuuuuuuude. I noticed years ago that I could only see the light bellow a closed door if I used my peripheral vision, I though I had damaged my binocular vision for staring too much at the sun or something lol, thanks for pointing that out. Also only this week I got the feeling that my desk lamp was dying, but as I stared at it I couldn't notice anything; instead only when using my peripheral vision I can easily make up it flashing slightly as in a dying mercury vapor light-bulb. I set up a simple arduino LED that I can control the ON-OFF frequency with a potentiometer, and I can clearly see the flashing much earlier with the peripheral vision as opposed to the central vision. Crazy stuff.

[@50shadesofcerakote]

@@kiq4767 Same dude. Ive noticed it for years but jut chalked it up to my eyes being shit, seeing as how Ive worn glasses since the second grade haha

[@snorman1911]

@@kiq4767 yep, peripheral vision also has a lower persistence so you can see flickering better. Back in the old days with tube CRT monitors mostly running at 60 hz, if you looked off to the side you could notice the flickering a lot more. It took much higher refresh rates before the flickering wasn't apparent even to peripheral vision.

[@austinkrohnod]

@@snorman1911 You're right on. Peripheral vision has a lower threshold for response than central, but resolution is worse. Also has a separate neuro pathway. Magnocellular vs. parvocellular. Your periphery is the "where" or alert system and your central is the "what" or identification system. Faster signal, low threshold for trigger, but poor resolution.

[@SamMtnMan]

In regards to noise in the woods, just go and try it. If there is land or an area that isn’t traveled much, just try walking around. You will need to be extremely self conscious about the noise you produce. I have hunted in the Appalachians most of my life and 100% agree that it is experienced based. When I was a kid I was always annoyed at how much noise I made and how little my dad did. Now that Im an adult and more experienced, my dad makes way more noise in the woods than me. The biggest things I have learned to help with noise are as follows. Look ahead 15-20ft and immediately below you so you can plan where your steps will be. Stepping on a stick and making a loud ass snap doesn’t help whether hunting or evading. If you are in a situation requiring any sort of sound reduction, treat it as if you are constantly stalking an animal. Avoid areas where the sun is excessively shining rays through trees. This is especially important in evenings and mornings. Use your peripheral vision rather than turning your head. If you have to turn it then do a slow and steady movement. Lastly when it comes to smell, think as a buck would. Wind moves from west to east most of the time so bucks like to bed on east facing slopes to smell anything coming in from the west. As per another commenter, they said staying 2/3 up a slope is recommended. Combining this with the scent info would give a buck the advantage to to bail out of an area whether spotting or smelling a threat. Ik some of this is common sense but many people would over look these simple tips. Hope I helped contribute some useful info for some folks. 🤙 Edit: Thanks for the likes yall!!

[@watch7966]

A fellow Appalachian I see...

[@gmfb521]

Common sense to some but helpful to me, thanks👍

[@zacharyfloydjohnson]

Sometimez depending on the moisture of the leafs on the ground it helps to kind of drag your foot while stepping (not sure how to explain it) rather than just taking a normal step. This is advice for semi/damp leaves. Dry ones you're on you own lol everyone has their own technique

[@watch7966]

@@zacharyfloydjohnson Mountain walking.

[@ghfjdksla2]

Good points. Also to add - when the ground is covered in dry, crunchy leaf litter, making noise is unavoidable. The way to deal with that is to take light steps in groups of 2 - 4 steps, with a long pause in between. That way you sound like a deer or squirrel. Nothing is more telltale than the steady pace of a human walking.

[@coldwarrior78]

Excellent video. Career Army here. Two things which I have found give away a position are movement and shine/ reflection more than anything else. Build your position for comfort so you won't keep moving around. Viciously police shine, reflection and especially light.

[@ferociousfil5747]

A good habit to take is walk into the area of operation and have a RV point where you sit and listen, let your eyes adjust and “feel” your environment. Once accustomed, you will detect noise, movement and your “spidey” sense will kick in. It’s important to listen to the wildlife. If you walk into an area and all is silent, something is there.

[@afloridaman2091]

For THERMAL I've found it helpful to also consider Constant, Conduction, Convection, Radiation, . For example, burlap has a thermal constant similar to grass (heats and cools at the same rate), is good at blocking conduction, allows some heat to blow off via convection, is poor at blocking radiation (in one layer). A survival blanket 2.0 on the other hand has an unnatural thermal constant and doesn't warm up like grass or rock. It'll heat up quickly on contact, hold in hot air, but it's amazing at blocking thermal radiation. Burlap-mylar-burlab works decent when larping on a budget.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

An umbrella is shockingly effective. The space between you and the surface keeps its temp constant.

[@afloridaman2091]

@@huwhitecavebeast1972 what do you cover the top of the umbrella with?

[@tiberiumnp8030]

Anything that makes you warm, e.g. insulates, by definition blocks thermal radiation.

[@brownsmock739]

Has anyone every actually tested it? I see people talking about umbrellas and burlap and Mylar and I just think “have they actually tested this under thermal”?

[@mattnsac]

@@brownsmock739 Theres a channel on YT that has and mylar is garbage. He tests with multiple thermal devices from super cheap to high end and mylar doesnt work without a lot of extra stuff. Ideally, you want a material that never touches you and has emissivity similar to the ground. Stuff like mylar looks like a black hole under thermal if its not touching anything so its as noticeable as a hot body against a cool backround, just in reverse.

[@Britcarjunkie]

And another thing... When it comes to reading maps at night: if you need to use light, make note of what type of map you have color-wise, because a red light or a white LED light can render red marks on a map invisible to the naked eye.

[@PartTimeGoblinSlayer]

But also be aware of your light discipline. White light travels pretty far.

[@fiercepawns2113]

Small white light, block out the majority of the lens with tape and make a pin prick for light. Avoid using in open unless under a shelter.

[@pedrodominguez3811]

@@fiercepawns2113 we did that exact thing in my unit (SF). Also use a poncho or your shirt to cover while reading the map, that way you wont be seen

[@capitalismsucks9590]

Use red light more than white at night. White is too bright, and will ruin your natural night vision (rhodopsin) red light doesn’t do that AS much. Don’t use red pen either? Think about what tools you grab to fit your kit.

[@fiercepawns2113]

@@capitalismsucks9590 red light can also make contours on maps less easy to see. Not helpful if you're actually navigating. Your nav torch should be a pin prick white light.

[@UrbTac-7]

Great teaching I really appreciate the time and effort you put in these videos ! Merry christmas!

[@grabarcnr]

If you can see their eyes, they can see yours. I found a lot of this invaluable, if not inspirational. Gets you thinking about things you didn't even imagine. You're going to also want to take note of thermal retention. Your gear needs not not be in the open all day. In order to keep your heat signature down, you need to keep your thermal gear away from the sun.

[@Tam0de]

"It's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war," Damn, never heard of it before but it makes perfect sense. Always good to be skilled & prepared since you never know when you'll be forced to use them.

[@leftfordead8336]

I refuse to believe you never heard that before, do you live under a rock dawg?

[@Tam0de]

@@leftfordead8336 Better believe it. Would you also not believe me if i told you i haven't held a real gun ever in my life, let alone fire an actual round? I'm from a country with strict gun laws (which i like since gun violence is very rare here). And as such, i haven't been around gun or war-related quotes like others. I watch channels like Garand Thumb because it satisfies the itch of owning a rifle & firing one. Tell you what, I've heard of a similar (almost, but not quite) quote before though, tell me if it counts: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog" 😂

[@Tam0de]

@@leftfordead8336 You can also say I'd be the 'gardener' if a war ever breaks out where I'm from 😂

[@leftfordead8336]

@@Tam0de Ahh fair enough but I will point out strict gun laws are inherently the antithesis of personal freedom and responsibility and if you are an avid fan of these things you should not support those laws where you live

[@sectorseven07]

As someone who spends a healthy amount of time larping in the woods in full kit, this is a great video. Mostly because every time GT puts something out everyone starts to do it, so hopefully more people will larp in the woods in kit with me.

[@ThePatriotParadox]

I'm right there with ya, like to have climbing harness and sit in trees as well

[@Nocturnal-nonsense]

Thank you for your expert knowledge 🙏 one tip/technique that also stuck with me from my time in the RAF was in regards to evading a force that's tracking you. Walk in a stream. Running water will allow you to walk without leaving footprints, as the moving water will erase whatever prints you may leave in the stream or river bed. It can also provide nose cover. Be careful not to leave traces on the ground as you exit the water. Of corse, staying dry and warm is important. This method was about evading capture if you are unarmed ect

[@jebbkinney8516]

I'd love to hear the whole story about your mountain man encounter in a video some day. Reminds me of the book "The Ridge Runner" based on a man living off the land in North Idaho during WWII

[@TheWesman45]

I love the gear and gun reviews, but I'm really liking this new trend of practical advice. In a weird way, it's making me want to buy thermal more then just a review would.

[@mikehawkswollen5819]

Fear and gun? You mean gear and fun

[@Rob-mi4jp]

Can we get an entire channel of just mountain recce and this stuff, I could watch this all day

[@grizz865]

Same

[@pepper8048]

Yea, I have a new favorite channel.

[@FacitOmniaVoluntas.]

As a European I can only watch in awe. This will always just be a fantasy to me unless I manage to make the move to the US (fingers crossed).

[@ambushedimagination1931]

Keep spreading this info. We as a people need it. It behooves you to learn absolutely every single thing you possibly can about how to stay alive. Make more Videos

[@LordAsagard]

When I was going threw basic, our instructors did a quick 10min demo of "why things are seen/heard at night". They showed us Walking, smoking and talking and the amount you could see and hear was wild. Has stuck with me ever since and now I show that same stuff to new guys. Simple knowledge thats worth so much

[@CrowBag]

Ours was the same. Everyone took light discipline seriously after it too. 🇬🇧

[@Stilich0]

Smoking a cig in the field is like lighting a flare and screaming “here I am”!

[@austinellis634]

After growing up in the woods, hiking, and hunting regularly, the basic levels of camouflage to the visible spectrum come easy. However watching this showed me how insane the detection ability of thermal is and how you are clearly outpaced if you don’t have it.

[@martinhromocuk8631]

Sadly for most people its too expensive. People today often have to decide if they want to eat or heat their homes. Thermal is fairly tail for most of us.

[@grahamlopez3742]

If you think finding thermal optics is hard, try finding reputable thermal camouflage lol that fibrotex doesn't even have an option to buy on their website

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Now the visible spectrum seems like easy mode. I have the pulsar thermion 2 xp50 pro, and other thermal and NVG. The higher quality weapon mounted ones are impossible to hide from unless you have dedicated anti-thermal camo. I actually think hunting with them is straight up unsportsmanlike, it is too OP, the critters only chance is your bad aim. I don't understand how people congratulate themselves on a hog hunt or whatever using thermal. Thermals are for hunting people imo.

[@Raao1]

The thermal and night vision in field examples makes this video unique. Please do more on thermal - comparing other methods of camo (thermal blankets, etc).

[@survivalteamzero1741]

Great video. Never seen this video or channel before, from my extensive training in wilderness survival, there's a huge amount of information in this video, that I can relate too. When I go into new environments, I often enter an also mediative state prior to going into the environment. It's about heightening your senses and awareness to the localized environment. Cheers from UK

[@williamflowers9435]

If 25 minutes isn’t enough time… I’m sure no one would complain about a 6 hour video😉

[@AnUprightAnimal]

Agreed. I could easily sit through a six hour video on topics like this

[@martinhromocuk8631]

@@AnUprightAnimal well only few people would watch it in one take. Most would watch by 30min.

[@Night-Owl-]

I'd watch 6 hours of this stuff. Granted I'd want some "adhd breaks" in it.. 😅

[@Abolish_The_ATF]

I love watching this stuff. I like to put it on my tv or laptop while cleaning my weapons, or shopping online

[@iamsodisappointedinyou5983]

@@Abolish_The_ATF lol you sound like a true American

[@Centermass762]

The part about not staring directly at someone seems ridiculous but that "being watched" feeling is real. It seems like a dumb concept until you experience it.

[@ekscalybur]

Your brain is getting shitloads more information than your conscious mind is able to deal with, so much so that the reality you think you're sitting in is more accurately described as a very close approximation. If someone is eyeballing you hard, by definition its possible your eyes have swept over those eyes at least a few times unless you're laser focused in a single direction. A successful species that spent 100s of thousands of years as NOT the apex predator would inevitably develop a means to get alerted before you methodically process the incoming information and make decisions. Because the ones that don't get eaten by the lions. It's why subliminal advertising is so effective that its banned. Your brain is processing information you didn't even realized it perceived.

[@TheDollarSportsman]

Plus it’s fun to try out on people. Next time you’re at a red light, pick someone who is standing on the sidewalk waiting for a cross light and stare at them with the intent to get them to notice you. Then watch as they uncannily turn straight to you just as the light turns 😎

[@John_Connor556]

It’s a real intangible feeling 💯

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

It is absolutely real. I sometimes stare at people just to get them to turn around. It's funny. Especially if they can't see you. I can feel it, other people can feel it, it is a real thing.

[@constantk8780]

@Brian Beatty you missed the point. You can certainly tell when someone is staring at the back of your head, for example. Thats the point.

[@robertleal348]

Absolutely love the content that this channel puts out, but this video was by far my favorite! Thank you for sharing this info with so many of us that haven't had the honor of being trained formally on this stuff!

[@ShannonVannatter]

Thank you so much! I have very little experience with NVS and Thermal, but I have been going out and practicing as much as I can over the last few months. There is so much to learn...but I'm a firm believer in getting out and trying.

[@Clockwork0nions]

We used the thermal/IR fusion NODs before I got out of the Army at Bragg. Those things were straight up cheat codes for fighting at night. Also use RIT dye to dye your old UCP uniforms you may have. I know for a fact the dark brown one does not increase your IR glow under NODs 😊

[@josephfigueroa3527]

What about green?

[@Clockwork0nions]

@@josephfigueroa3527 Never used the green dye.

[@mediocresupport4682]

crye material also lowers IR or NVG visibilty or both. i know for a fact mylar reduces heat signature for IR device

[@Soulseeker223]

For those that may not have worked with vehicle mounted thermals, I’ve had the privilege of working with them while I was attached to a recon troop. I was able to spot hull down recon vehicles at over 19km and infantry at 10km+. It’s crazy how powerful those things are

[@nightsarmament]

The thermal systems we used mounted to HMMWVs were incredibly capable, and that was nearly 10 years ago. I can only imagine the stuff getting rolled out to recon units now.

[@legoboy7825]

@@nightsarmament from what I've heard, old thermals were more of a blob of heat, now we can see individual features and hair and such. We have a pretty good thermal system in our vehicle though.

[@a.k.9681]

New Flir thermals are very clear and see a lot.

[@anthonyshaw9383]

New vehicle mounted thermals are amazing. You can see tire tracks on pavement for a few minutes. At 200 meters you can tell who you are looking at if you know them. 600 meters you can count lug nuts on cars. Thats about as far as I could see from the where I was at.

[@richardmartin3127]

Magnificent presentation,often your delivery, reflects many personal encounters I have had. Great work, keep it live guys.

[@chuckplainview4085]

Good idea to keep a few ponchos in a few different colors to go over your rig. If you live where it snows and you don't have a white poncho you're gonna hate yourself when you have limited access to forecasting and it snows. Your ranger green, coyote brown, or multicam rig from head to toe won't do you any favors with even a dusting of snow on the ground. Pack DOZENS of pairs of socks, multiple sets of long johns and thermal undershirts. You can have all the gear in the world but that don't mean jack if the only time you can stay warm is when you lay down for the night.

[@uploadkitty]

Being in the national guard, these are the types of detailed individual skills that either don't get discussed or just glossed over in training. 100% ideas I'm going to be practicing in the field

[@the50blessings88]

Bc you’re in the national guard not an infantry assault force

[@uploadkitty]

@@the50blessings88 I'm in the infantry in the national guard, but because of the limited training time there's a lot of going back over the basics to make sure everyone stays proficient with them. Can't lose a whole training day to an anti thermal/IR class when we have to get those reps in.

[@CopeAndSeeth]

@@jordanwerzinski1574 >ask me how I know. Nah I'll pass lol

[@uploadkitty]

@Dan Trebune that's fair

[@General_Tso762]

@Dan Trebune I signed up for the guard when I was a teen. Went to the same basic training active soldiers did and it was a joke. My father (82nd airborne vet) had me better trained at 13 years old than these active duty guys. Sitting on a base doesn't make you a veteran, it makes you fat and complacent.

[@rdsmith334]

As a sub from WAAAAAY back, this is easily one of the best videos you’ve put out. Top 3 at a minimum. Less gun/gear stuff, more TTPs.

[@Quadrenaro]

My hunting camo is usually some sort of shroud that helps break up my outline. My face is the most visible and will stick out like a sore thumb if not covered. A simple trick I do is in the morning, I take a burnt log and rub the charcoal left on it in my hands. I cover most of my face in a light soot coating, then apply darker stripes. Really basic, but it's readily available, natural, and helps conceal sent. Alot of old firepits have some soot left in them that you can reapply as needed.

[@habu027]

Great video. I would only add that when camouflaging yourself, make sure your natural veg is "height appropriate." That is, if the light, straight grass is 4-6' high or so, then put that above your waist. Don't grab a bunch of dark green veg from the ground and put it up top. Match the height of your camo to the height of your surroundings.

[@alexanderelkorek]

I enjoyed the story about chasing mountain man who was stealing food. I knew a few mountain guys from Wyoming that knew their neck of the woods like the backs of their hands. I saw all the old blazes that their fathers and grandfathers cut into the trees. The blazes were significantly grown over. They had been there for decades. They knew every deer trail, draw and feature of the land.

[@gilesgardner3456]

In my mind I was picturing Mick Dodge, makes the story 10x better. lol

[@Woodland_Warrior]

So thankful for this type of content as it is becoming increasingly relevant not only on the modern battlefield but also here at home. This is a great series, thanks for the valuable insight!

[@Valorius]

It's always been relevant for hunters.

[@NoNo_IStay]

@@Valorius and the 2 legged deer with thermals and NV? That relevant for Clyde too? Good reason for the over-under

[@Valorius]

@@NoNo_IStay I was in the infantry, I know how to deal with two-legged Critters as well.

[@NoNo_IStay]

@@Valorius yeah. Not the same.

[@peteraugust5295]

I love the american concept of differentiating between "home" and "the battlefield". It must be such a simple life for you guys haha

[@brasscross5476]

The color grading and the overall production quality blow me away every time, litteraly watching xour videos to soothe my eyes

[@alonsoe.rodriguez100]

Garand we appreciate your diligent approach to training others. God bless!

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

An added note about fabric and NV/ IR: The more synthetic the blend of material, the more it'll brighten/ reflect under those systems, natural Cotton and Wool are much more dim than Polyester and Nylon materials. Nylon straps and bare hook/ loop squares glow fairly substantially under NV/ IR, you can use ash or dirt to dull them down. Rain shells also glow like crazy due to their material composition. There are only a few manufacturers that have NIR compliant dyes on the market, many aftermarket products use contract- compliant dyes and materials, but aren't NIR dyes in large. Wash your stuff before use. Use detergents with no brighteners to remove residual optical brightener from your new clothing and gear. Plastic also reflects pretty substantially, all those buckles and clips are indicators, so dull them down with proper rattle-can action or camo paint. Tape the tabs of zippers too, they jingle and make noise. Certain outdoor use camo spraypaints are better than others, some will light up hard. The Military uses Aervoe brand camo spraypaint in part, Rustoleum outdoor also works well. A good way to defeat IR on Drones is to use a Mylar blanket as an over tarp to cover the OP/ LP/ Hide and put some natural foliage (like leaf fall or some small light branches with leaves on them) or camo netting over it. You do NOT want the Mylar to contact your body (unless for practical emergency blanket use to combat weather injuries and such), but it works very well in a tarp covering application.

[@Sophistry0001]

Could you rattle can one side of the mylar blanket before you throw some shrubs on top for a little better optical break up?

[@Gnolomweb]

lovely info. ty. no offence, but can you give some qualitative sources who collaborate? Once again. Love the well of info... but, you know... internet. Stay Salty my friend.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

@@Sophistry0001 That I do not know in minutiae and would be something to experiment with, but I do know that between the canopy cover of trees and shrubs along with netting and loose foliage cover, it works very very well.

[@DJTheMetalheadMercenary]

@@Gnolomweb What do you mean collaborate? which point in context are you referring to? Insofar as the spraypaint, and the minutiae of details regarding clothing and dyes, that comes directly from Military standards and contracted manufacturing/ providers. Other information regarding Mylar IR protection comes from them as well, on top of direct application results courtesy of military operations in Ukraine and several other locations. Also, S2 Underground talks about it for additional context.

[@Gnolomweb]

@@DJTheMetalheadMercenary ty. claims I'd like to see "co lab" = 1. The more synthetic the blend of material, the more it'll brighten/ reflect under those systems, natural Cotton and Wool are much more dim than Polyester and Nylon materials. 2. You do NOT want the Mylar to contact your body It'd love to see video sources. You don't have to do anything -- I can do my own research... But I'd love the help in researching. I've been outfiting my drone to follow my sig / follow me when my read on the foldout chestphone thing.... I replaced the cam with a thermo ... shit looks fun at night in my swampy 5 acre back yard with airsoft tangos

[@shawnhardesty2289]

This is some of the best content right now in the 2A sphere. This is what we should be focusing on in the bigger scope of things.

[@iceboundmartel]

Many civilians have likely never heard of IRR camos, this is a great video man, seriously informative and took me back to basic with your shape shine silhouette etc

[@Lappmogel]

About night vision, you can read notes etc with them on but some inks are basically invisible while others work. So you might want to see if your pen is IR compliant.

[@FastPaull]

This is why i'm thankful i've lived at the foot of the Appalachian mountains my entire life. I spent most of my childhood wandering the mountains and playing in the woods with my friends. Once we got older and started playing paintball, but more tactical like airsoft. We learned a lot about moving through brush and being sneaky in the woods.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Yup, WV represent!

[@2Mile0]

Ever see any boogers?

[@michaelthacker6121]

Facts! Mountains and old coal mine sites for sure.

[@Lowlyking2001]

I'm still convinced that airsoft and paintball is one of the best ways to train. Really teaches you to use cover and concealment while also training everything else. Same with sim rounds, although those are spendy.

[@squidy4082]

Must be nice

[@jordanking2488]

Favorite part of this channel is that often times I’m reminded how insignificant I am compared to a BTR with a thermal

[@Denzlercs]

I was always told that red light didn’t reduce your personal night vision so you can retain your night vision.

[@Slide8918]

Yeah red light is less harsh on the eyes, especially in dark environments, but it's still best to conceal the light as best possible since due to technology red light shows up really well in night vision, as GT said in the video.

[@tjey379]

Thanks for another great lesson in the series and now I can see how a well equiped and fairly trained small force can be a big problem for anyone.