Crucial: Camouflage for Preppers

The most avid and experienced of hunters and soldiers will tell you that having the proper camouflage for the job is almost as important as your choice of rifle.  If you stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of a woodland setting, you not only place yourself at risk of being seen by unfriendly eyes, but you'll also scare away the meat sources on which your sustenance depends.
On the flip-side of that coin, sometimes preppers go for the 'tacti-cool' look.  While there are certain aspects of having head-to-toe MOLLE webbing that are good, the problem is that it will also make you stand out ...especially in an urban environment where people are watching.  Nothing says, 'Hey, I'm dressed suspiciously, so please arrest me, mug me, and take my stuff', like wearing the latest in tactical vests and pouches on your Condor chest-rig.

Too Much Tactical

In an SHTF situation, there will be widespread distress, mayhem, and worst of all, anarchy.  Thomas Hobbes once wrote about anarchy in his work, Leviathan:

"In such condition there is no place for industry, because the fruit thereof is uncertain, and consequently, not culture of the earth, no navigation, nor the use of commodities that may be imported by sea, no commodious building, no instruments of moving and removing such things as require much force, no knowledge of the face of the earth, no account of time, no arts, no letters, no society, and which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

 Many new preppers believe this to be a time to gird themselves in their most awesome tactical (ahem... airsoft) gear and hit the streets.  But in a world where life is 'nasty, brutish, and short', I would say that this is a very, very bad idea.
Wearing tactical gear will cause you to stick out in an urban environment, while making you look like a combatant at a distance in a rural/woodland environment.  Not only will you become a target in the eyes of plundering thugs ...but you will also look like a criminal or insurgent to operating police and military.  Especially when the military is attempting to quell dissent and reestablish order, they won't take too kindly to insurgents.  If you look like an insurgent, then you'll be pegged as one ...guaranteed.  Then it's only a matter of waiting to be vaporized by any one of the military's many munitions.  Perhaps the worst part is the fact that they wasted their resources, rounds, and time on you, and didn't blow up the roving packs of lawless looters that they were gunning for in the first place.
Do yourself and everyone else a favor... just look like a peaceful person, and not like an operator from Call of Duty.

Camo ...Done Right.

In an urban environment, you don't want to stick out.  This means that you want to look like just another civilian, trying to survive like everybody else.  However, you don't want to look vulnerable, so you might benefit from dressing in rip-stop cargo pants, and rugged button-down shirts, primarily colored in earth tones.  You want to look smart but not threatening.

In the woods, earth tones are very, very important.  Again, you don't want to look like a combatant in the riflescope of a military recon team, so the key is to dress like a lowly hunter in search of food to put on the table at the homestead.  

For this reason, you should definitely wear camouflage.  Consider wearing patterns from Mossy Oak or RealTree.  Also, some military camouflage patterns aren't bad to wear, especially if the military is not currently employing them.  For instance, you should not wear ACU style camo (as this is currently being worn by soldiers actively being deployed), but the older BDU should be suitable, especially in a woodland environment.  Many hunters wear this type of camo as well, so you should not look too suspicious.

If you absolutely do not want to be seen, then you should wear ghillie type material over your camouflage clothing.  Online and store-bought ghillie suits are grossly overpriced and often ineffective. We recommend simply making your own ghillie-style poncho or covering, while keeping your chest area uncovered (it won't snag while you are stalking from a ground position).  Making your own is simple and it is easy to learn, as there are hundreds of tutorials that can easily be found online.  

Not only will making your own ghillie covering be cheaper, but it offers superior camouflage against unfriendly eyes, as well as unsuspecting game.

For covering your skin, you can find cloves and face covers in hunting stores that will do the job just fine.  If you're short on those resources, a little mud and dirt can go a long way.

If You Want To Be Seen

Sometimes, you absolutely, positively want to be seen.  It would be a smart idea to carry a blaze orange bandana (or some other type of cover) in a closed pocket at all times.  The key to effective and smart camo is the ability to be seen ...only when you want to.  

Also, carrying a blaze orange poncho could cover you entirely, while having the capacity to roll up and be stored in a very small space.  

Most of the time, we don't want to be noticed when out in the wild.  But there are certain times, especially when there is an emergency, when attracting attention may just save your life.