Talyn
SAINT
Here's how to maintain a solid personal safety plan while embracing the freedom of being unnoticed.
Social Camouflage: Blending In to Safely CCW
Social Camouflage: Blending In to Safely CCW
- Thread starter Talyn
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Social Camouflage: Blending In to Safely CCW
HansGruber
Ronin
Applies to guys, too.
Sure, I have firearms advertising hats; I’ll wear them at the range, or at a gun show…but not to the restaurant after. I have some 511/LAPG pants, but…I mainly only wear them at the range…and I won’t likely get more. TBH, Duluth Trading Co’s Firehose Flex pants (with Ballroom!) work just as well, and don’t scream operator wannabe.
There are no firearms/2A related stickers on my vehicles. Nope—no “Insured by HK” or “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading” stickers.
Same for my home. I have one neighbor I shoot with from time to time that knows I’m more than a “casual” gun guy (most people around here are; a lot of hunters…but it ends there).
Sure, I have firearms advertising hats; I’ll wear them at the range, or at a gun show…but not to the restaurant after. I have some 511/LAPG pants, but…I mainly only wear them at the range…and I won’t likely get more. TBH, Duluth Trading Co’s Firehose Flex pants (with Ballroom!) work just as well, and don’t scream operator wannabe.
There are no firearms/2A related stickers on my vehicles. Nope—no “Insured by HK” or “Keep Honking, I’m Reloading” stickers.
Same for my home. I have one neighbor I shoot with from time to time that knows I’m more than a “casual” gun guy (most people around here are; a lot of hunters…but it ends there).
Sld1959
Ronin
This is what I have talked about for years. Knowledge is power in many ways, things like stickers on your car, any kinds of stickers, firearm related, those little stick families. Everything tells something to somebody, certain brands of clothing, hats etc, and yes.. open carry. It's all knowledge that to the right person/predator, can be used agsinst you.
Like Hans, very very few people outside my family know I have firearms, even that I hunt. Fewer still know I carry a firearm.
I am happy blending in, looking unassuming and sliding through the mass of humanity unnoticed.
Like Hans, very very few people outside my family know I have firearms, even that I hunt. Fewer still know I carry a firearm.
I am happy blending in, looking unassuming and sliding through the mass of humanity unnoticed.
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Keystone19250
SAINT
Agreed. I don’t even tell women I date that I carry for at least 6 or more dates and then I usually ask them how they feel about firearms before I do.
I had one lady I dated for two months and finally one evening at a local restaurant we were talking hobbies and I mentioned I enjoy target shooting, well she went off on a tirade about how guns are evil and she would NEVER be involved with someone who is a gun “nut”
We sat in silence for a few minutes then I excused myself to use the bathroom and made sure she saw my holstered evil gun when I stood up, the look on her face was pure horror, I used the bathroom in my apartment when I got home.
I never found out how she got home.
michael.ed
Master Class
For some time, I have been getting the ‘Grayman Briefing’ in my email. I am attaching the link to the first one I got, and if you are interested, you can go to their website and peruse the rest. My personal opinion is that they are ‘right on’.
Sld1959
Ronin
Thank God I don't have to dip my toes in that pool. After 40 years I shudder to think of such things.
Keystone19250
SAINT
Divorce is a wonderful thing.
Keystone19250
SAINT
Don’t be sad we are still friends and continue to together support our adult boys.
T_Cactus
Operator
We
I trust she had the decency to pay for the meal and leave a generous tip when she finally figured out you weren’t returning ,,,,,,
I trust she had the decency to pay for the meal and leave a generous tip when she finally figured out you weren’t returning ,,,,,,
KillerFord1977
SAINT
Duluth firehouse & ballroom pants are the bomb !
My everyday wear if not in work clothes
Same here.
KillerFord1977
SAINT
I like my stickers.
Keeps me from constantly giving the bird, honking at folks reading their phone, spilling their coffee and swerving into my lane all at the same time, while driving 15mph under the speed limit oblivious
Keystone19250
SAINT
She made an awful scene in the restaurant when I mentioned target shooting, even the waiter came over to ask her to calm down. I lost no sleep over leaving her sitting there.We
I trust she had the decency to pay for the meal and leave a generous tip when she finally figured out you weren’t returning ,,,,,,
TEXASforLIFE
SAINT
KillerFord1977
SAINT
When the perp says “lets dance” as he pulls out a knife, i got it covered"Ballroom" or ball room? Is that like stating pocket pool
The Suited Shootist on FB and YouTube offers a deep-dive and like-minded member-base discussions on just this topic. A lot of the headlining stuff has to do with current men's fashion in the business-casual and even formal sense, but the scope of the discussion spans the gamut, and branches out into everything from leisure and beach-wear to sportswear.
I found his sobering mea-culpa/"origin story" worth the 20-minute run-time:
When I came into the gun world, I made a conscious decision for legal concealed carry - as-such, I try my absolute best to stay abreast of legal changes in both my state as well as in the states I travel through/to, and I try to obey all legal signage prohibiting concealed carry. However, for me, concealment goes deeper, as there are many in my professional and social circles -even family- who would be uncomfortable or even irrationally upset with my decision for armed self-defense.
I found his sobering mea-culpa/"origin story" worth the 20-minute run-time:
When I came into the gun world, I made a conscious decision for legal concealed carry - as-such, I try my absolute best to stay abreast of legal changes in both my state as well as in the states I travel through/to, and I try to obey all legal signage prohibiting concealed carry. However, for me, concealment goes deeper, as there are many in my professional and social circles -even family- who would be uncomfortable or even irrationally upset with my decision for armed self-defense.
The Night Rider
Professional
The older I get the more I find that I’d rather not invite random strangers into my world. And I’ve also been around long enough to figure out that one of the best ways to invite people in is to have a shirt or a hat or a sticker on my car with a logo on it that they disagree with.
Several years ago someone followed me down the main drag screaming at the top of their lungs because they didn’t like a bumper sticker I had on my car.
I also made the mistake of telling a (I thought) close friend at church that I had a permit only to find out later that he told half the church because he “Felt like they should know” I also had the wonderful experience of having another friend turn to a person who wasn’t in my circle and say "Chuck's" carrying a gun right now.” in the middle of some random conversation.
I’ve come to a place in my life where I just don’t need the drama and I choose not to present myself to the world in a way that seems to invite it. If I don’t know you well, you don’t need to know the intimate details of my life.
The odds are that no one is ever going to follow me home and burglarize my home because I have an NRA bumper sticker on my car but I wouldn’t put it past someone to slash all 4 of my tires in a parking lot because of it.
Several years ago someone followed me down the main drag screaming at the top of their lungs because they didn’t like a bumper sticker I had on my car.
I also made the mistake of telling a (I thought) close friend at church that I had a permit only to find out later that he told half the church because he “Felt like they should know” I also had the wonderful experience of having another friend turn to a person who wasn’t in my circle and say "Chuck's" carrying a gun right now.” in the middle of some random conversation.
I’ve come to a place in my life where I just don’t need the drama and I choose not to present myself to the world in a way that seems to invite it. If I don’t know you well, you don’t need to know the intimate details of my life.
The odds are that no one is ever going to follow me home and burglarize my home because I have an NRA bumper sticker on my car but I wouldn’t put it past someone to slash all 4 of my tires in a parking lot because of it.
wmg1299
Professional
The article makes some good points. My introduction to EDC was slightly different because I was a LEO when I started. This was years before the recent animosity toward police, but I still followed the fairly common practice of only telling close friends and family that I was a police officer. Our usual trick was to tell casual acquaintances that, "I work for the city", if the topic of employment ever came up, and we almost never never directly told anyone that we were armed while off-duty.
We were originally mandated, then just strongly encouraged, to carry off-duty because we were sworn to intervene in life-threatening emergencies to the best of our abilities. We all made a concentrated effort to hide the fact that we were armed and never put any gun stickers on our vehicles or wore gun t-shirts outside of the range. My agency even forbid open-carrying while off-duty. The practice worked well and I still follow it to this day.
We were originally mandated, then just strongly encouraged, to carry off-duty because we were sworn to intervene in life-threatening emergencies to the best of our abilities. We all made a concentrated effort to hide the fact that we were armed and never put any gun stickers on our vehicles or wore gun t-shirts outside of the range. My agency even forbid open-carrying while off-duty. The practice worked well and I still follow it to this day.