Best way to cover your face without a mask or balaclava?

[IndependentCitizen]

Sounds dumb, but I've been on quite a few demonstrations, and only ever needed to cover my face twice, however. On both occasions, the scarf, or what ever I was wearing would fall down, and it'd become a nuisance.

I dislike masks, they're not as useful as say a scarf. And balaclavas are out of the question.

What's the best technique in keeping it up tight, but enough for you to breath properly?

[Ocean Seal]

The scarf is fairly useful though. Just place it high up above your nose wrap it around a few times until its near the bottom of your neck and try to tie it around tight. Make sure that you're wearing a hoodie otherwise there's no point.

[Ele'ill]

Bandanna a hat and hood, or a t-shirt

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[Sasha]

Cut the sleeve of an t-shirt and wear it around your neck under your clothes.
During the protest wear an cap or hoodie (sunglasses are optional but advisable) from the start and when the shit hits the fan pull up the t-shirt sleeve up to cover your lower face.

[IndependentCitizen]

Cut the sleeve of an t-shirt and wear it around your neck under your clothes.
During the protest wear an cap or hoodie (sunglasses are optional but advisable) from the start and when the shit hits the fan pull up the t-shirt sleeve up to cover your lower face.

I would cover my eyes, but wearing glasses makes that a night mare :( (for the record, I have 2 sets of glasses, and carry the 2nd pair always on demos.

Thanks for the links, comrades!

[psgchisolm]

Facepaint? Bandanna wrap it around your face like a gangsta. Good ole helmets work as well. make sure you get the ones with the darkened visor.

[Sasha]

Just go for the sleeve then. I prefer them at demos that aren't an guaranteed riot over balaclavas too.

And for people wondering, if you go for the balaclava, don't go for the stupid thick army dump ones you see in bad gangster movies. At any motorcycle store you can buy thin cotton ones for under your helmet. These are the ones you need, if you want/need you can sewn the nose bridge shut for ultimate cover, note though that that does impair your vision though.

[Sasha]

ddon't use full motorcycle helmets, yes I know they are all the rage in Italy and greece but at least dutch cops have a nasty habit of dragging you across the tarmac with them.

[PhoenixAsh]

in the "old" days we just had the thick ones. That was a bother and they are mostly form wool so everything sticks in it...and you sweat like hell. So we prefered scarfs over the woolen mask.

The thin balaclava's are better.

Also...do not use the polyesther half-face ski masks if you are going to do some serious trouble. They do not breath, and when sprays get in there they heat up nice and well and can react with your skin.

Find cheap gear preferably since you might come in a situation where everything went to shit and you need to quickly ditch everything. Its just posessions...but it sucks when they were expensive.

[psgchisolm]

http://www.uscav.com/productinfo.aspx?productid=17074&tabid=1&catid=3092

use the imperialists equipment against them.:thumbup1: That website has alot of good stuff. Some of it you need a military ID for but not a lot. Most of it you can get no problem.

[Sasha]

I would cover my eyes, but wearing glasses makes that a night mare :( (for the record, I have 2 sets of glasses, and carry the 2nd pair always on demos.


oh, and if you wear glasses (or diving goggles or a gasmask against teargas/pepperspray), put a small drop of washing liquid on the inside, it prevents them fogging up.

[PhoenixAsh]

and if you do not have that...you can always use spit....preferably the snotty spit (the greener the cleaner).

It may sound disgusting...but divers use it to keep their glasses from fogging up and it works really well.

[Rss]

Like psgchisolm said, military surplus stores have excellent stuff for this. They usually have multifunction head wraps at least, they are tight enough to stay where they are supposed to stay, but still comfortable.

[Sasha]

But like hindsight points out, the last thing you want in riot situations is that you are financialy attached to your incriminating stuff. I have had times I could have avoided arrest if i just had ditched that nice gasmask, on the other hand I have had countless situations I avoided arrest by ditching my 2 euro balaclava or t-shirt sleeve or got caught with only a spare t-shirt on me and let loose.

[PhoenixAsh]

The first time I went to a demo seriously I was something like...15-16? Its really embarassing when I look back at it :-)

So I had something of the shiny kit syndrome...I guess...and bought all kind of fancy stuff. Spend my complete allowance on a scarf, hoody, boots, goggles, face mask, bag pack, army pants Che T-shirt...looked all spiffy and stuff. Two hours later I had to run like hell, dump most of the stuff and lost out on about a $100 (there was some other stuff which I will not post here). Which for me was at that time 2 months work.

Not to mention all the times when I bought fancy gear, ...because well...sometimes you just don't learn that fast :-), and got padded down at the bus or train station and send packing again or was detained on some bullshit charge (I did not know my rights back then...which brings me to another point: instead of spending money on gear...spend money and time on researching what they can and can not do!!!!!!).

I favor the urban guerilla style: make due with what you have or what doesn't cost that much.

A riot kit should not cost you anyting above €15.

* tshirt/bandana/scarf/cheap balaclava
* goggles/protection glasses
* babyshampoo
* 3 water bottles
* cheap small bag pack (not calculated in the €15)
* towel...must be washed a few times before hand!!
* cheap first aid stuff
* spoon / toothbrush
* extra pair of sturdy long socks
* bar of soap

Things to wear:

Hoody/coat with hood
Army pants/cheap work pants
T-shirt or two. (..one with long sleeves the other one over it)
Heavy boots/army boots/boots with toe protection (no metal plates!!!!)
Socks
Belt with heavy buckle


There...you are now legal, armed and usefull....and except for the clothes everything can be ditched.



Under no circumstances when you are planning to actively participate in riots do you take your own phone (if you need one ...get a disposable one which has no number stored except those of other disposable phones or your lawyer), camera or video equipment.

Not in the least because that stuff is expensive, but also because when you do get arrested everything will be used against not only you....but also is used to identfy others.

I am not sure if you should take identity cards or not...I usually opt for not. But that can get you fined and/or arrested all the same....and may lead to confiscation of equipment or photo/video evidence. In Holland this is not a big deal...but that may vary from country to country.

IF you suffer from disease or may need special medical attention / medication carry a card which states that what you need and why. For medics and police.


DO NOT WEAR CHAINS AROUND YOUR NECK, WATCHES, WRIST JEWELRY, EARRINGS, TIES
If you have detachable piercings...detach them.

Police and fascists love to latch on to those...and they can severely damage you.

[hatzel]

I'm surprised nobody's suggested this timeless technique yet:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f70/DJRYB13/PermanentMarkerBurglars.jpg

Presumably that's something to do with people making serious posts, rather than just spamming, but now that all the bases have been covered when it comes to...you know...answering the question, making sensible suggestions, I felt the time was ripe to lighten the mood just a little. If anybody tries the above technique, tell me how it goes, okay? :)

[Revolutionair]

Face covering is for the kids.

This is how we did it in our time:

http://www.signsfunny.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/old-anarchists.jpg

[thriller]

I prefer the ninja t-shirt mask. I like it cuz I live in Wisconsin and gets cold at demos quite a bit, so it keeps me warm. Otherwise I just do the gangsta red bandana with sun glasses or goggles.

[IndependentCitizen]

Cheers, comrades for all your input :D I've made some mask with sleeves, and got one that fits really snuggly, and isn't loose enough to come off AND allows me to breath.

Luckily for me, I know how to prevent fogging up of glasses :) I might actually try to make something that allows me to wear both at the same time. It has been really sunny recently here in England, so I'm sure I can get away with it.

Personally, hindsight. I wouldn't go for waterbottles. http://www.socomtactical.net/images/water_bladder_o.jpg these allow you to drink whilst running without taking your ruck sack off. And can carry a lot of water.

[PhoenixAsh]

Perfect! Where can you get those??
:-)



...water bottle + babyshampoo was for washing your eyes aswell.

[IndependentCitizen]

Most military surplus, or mountain biking shops should sell them. They're not too expensive, £20 over here can get you a 2litre.

EDIT: The best thing about the water bladder is the fact the valve system limits to the amount you can drink per gulp. Which is so helpful, if you're dehydrated - the last thing you want to do is gulp down water, you need to take small sips in order to fully re-hydrate yourself.

[Ele'ill]

I usually bring a water bottle that has the pull top to double as an eye flush.

[Triple A]

A hoodie with sunglasses and a scarf like:
http://www.simplyislam.com/images/pages/50643a.jpg

You can find them easily, they are cheap and wont draw as much attention as other things sugested here.

[Ele'ill]

A hoodie with sunglasses and a scarf like:
http://www.simplyislam.com/images/pages/50643a.jpg

You can find them easily, they are cheap and wont draw as much attention as other things sugested here.

That would stand out in most of the blocs I've marched in.

[Bardo]

At the risk of sounding stupid, why would you have to cover your face?

[PhoenixAsh]

At the risk of sounding stupid, why would you have to cover your face?


because of facial recognition

Police can and sometimes will target you outside the demo's. Its also when you are considered to do something illegal to prevent them from recognizing you. To prevent them tying you to specific events or acts. etc.

[IndependentCitizen]

At the risk of sounding stupid, why would you have to cover your face?

Police have 'forward surveillance teams' where they collect photos of people, then store them on a database. If your face pops up in an area where there's trouble, you'll be pinned.

Not only that, for anti-fascism, I'd rather not be recognised by fascists.

[Quail]

Hiking shops usually do face coverings for walking which are pretty good, although they're basically just a more expensive version of the cut off t-shirt. You should also be mindful of the shoes and bag you take. If they're easily identifiable, they can be used in tracking you down.

[IndependentCitizen]

Hiking shops usually do face coverings for walking which are pretty good, although they're basically just a more expensive version of the cut off t-shirt. You should also be mindful of the shoes and bag you take. If they're easily identifiable, they can be used in tracking you down.

I have a very old pair of nike trainers that still fit me, and they have no pattern on the bottom. Riding BMX brakeless has its benefits :P

Thanks for the comments, comrades. Much appreciated.

[Ele'ill]

I generally make a point to not wear the same clothing combinations at the more lively demonstrations, shoes included. Having a bag with you is handy however it draws a lot of attention so if you're going to bring a bag make sure you practice your police encounter routine before hand where you exercise your rights correctly. Keep it simple and very short.

[Rooster]

Fire gets rid of a lot of evidence.

[IndependentCitizen]

Fire gets rid of a lot of evidence.

It's a bit hard setting coppers on fire.

[Rooster]

It's a bit hard setting coppers on fire.

Ah ha, I wasn't suggesting that.

Anyway, if you just wanted to cover your face then get a scarf, cut out two eye holes and maybe a mouth hole, tie it around your face then pull up your hood. Ta da! Sunglasses are optional.

[Ele'ill]

http://images.partyamerica.com/images/products/en_us/detail/175836_dt.jpg