24 Hour On The Run Challenge

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This year’s Undepend Challenge was different in many ways. It was only a 24 hour challenge, it was in Denmark and it took place in a densely populated forest in October. Although we didn’t bring much equipment, there wasn’t a defined limit to how much you could bring, but the task was clear: Stay undetected for 24 hours while hiking 10 km from A to B. Basically it was just hide and seek for adults, but it turned out to be way more exciting than I expected. I’m a big fan of playing as an adult. Creativity and learning flourishes in the company of play.

The first 500 meters were super tense. We were in a parking lot with twenty other cars next to a railway station. If someone was sitting in their car waiting they could have easily spotted us if we had begun crossing the rails right away. Instead we waited next to our car in cover of some trees until we were sure there was no one around. 

We slowly moved towards the open area surrounding the station building, checking out every corner from a distance before stepping into the open area of the train station.

We just walked casually to the other side while crossing both railroad tracks until we were about 50 meters in. No looking over our shoulders to see what was behind us, no flickering head movement, just steady walking with nothing to attract people’s attention. Then we slowly moved off track. 

At this point someone could potentially have spotted us without us knowing about it, but like in a real life situation acting casually is likely to cause them to glance over you without paying attention to you. If you resemble the locals that is. As weird as it sounds the situation felt very real. Also being spotted this early on would have stopped the whole game before it even got started. So a lot was at stake.

In a scenario where you are caught behind enemy lines or you are on the run, there are certain procedures you should initiate when crossing a border (or in our case a railway crossing next to a train station): Ideally you should stay hidden for 24 hours while keeping the area under observation before trying to cross it. Take note of the terrain, obstacles, border patrols etc. and make a plan for crossing it. Once you’ve made it safely to the other side you should stay hidden and contact your own government before approaching the local authorities.

We disappeared into the forest after making it across the railway crossing. We found a narrow path near the main forest road where we could walk undisturbed between some brush while maintaining a clear view of what was ahead. The advantage of walking along a path in a real life situation is that your tracks may be more easily covered up by others if you are being tracked. Beware of track traps however. Muddy ground will give you away so you may want to walk on the grassy edge of it rather than stepping on the path itself. Had it been a war zone we would probably have chosen not to walk on a path however due to the risk of booby traps.

Any military trained person will tell you to consider the 7Ss of camouflage (Some have more, others have less). We didn’t go full ghili suit however. We wore simple outdoor clothing in different shades of green, but other than that we stayed aware of them. The only thing camo was my buddy’s backpack. 

The 7Ss of camouflage are: Shine, Silhouette, Shadow, Shade, Shape, Sound, Speed. See below for further explanation.

The next action we saw happened after walking in silence through dense vegetation for about an hour. We had stopped regularly to listen for nearby people and other activity. Normal people in groups are so loud that they will give away their location long before you risk bumping into them. It’s different with hunters, horse riders and foragers. They may appear right in front of you with no warning. And that’s exactly what happened to us next. Four times in a row. 

We approached an intersection of a forest road which we had to cross diagonally in order to get to point B. Hiking in stealth mode is way more exhausting than regular hiking and after a while you begin lowering your guards. We kept about 10 or 20 meters distance between us most of the time. 

I was in front so I snuck closer to the road to check if it was clear. I was quite exposed and I stood about three meters away from the road when I heard a car approaching in high speed. I dropped to the ground and with only little cover from some roadside grass I kept my face down. I could see my buddy still moving but I was unable to warn him. He was about 5 meters behind me when he also sees the car. From under the shade of my hat I spot two foresters inside a pickup truck. They were both staring straight ahead with zero situational awareness. 

My heart was pounding as the car drove off into the forest. Had one of them looked to the side they would have spotted a grown man lying on the side of the road face down with his backpack on. Luckily for us they didn’t. I got up and went back to my buddy. I took about five steps before hearing two voices. I signaled to my buddy again. We both crouched down underneath a big tree which didn’t provide us with any cover except it kept us in the shade. This time my buddy was closer to them but he kept his face inward towards his backpack and just sat there without moving. It was quite amusing listening to their conversation as they passed right by us. I’m often amazed by how little people notice.

I’ve often had people pass close by me in the forest without seeing me simply because I didn’t move. This was no exception. They just wandered off discussing some nerdy subject. At no point did they look to the side or stop talking. We went on to check out the road again to find a safe place to cross it. Unfortunately there was a swamp on the opposite side of the road so we needed to cross it diagonally. Suddenly the car came back. We had some better cover this time so we just waited it out.

I was about to walk onto the road for the third time when I saw a horse rider passing by 10 meters away. How much traffic could there be? This was getting frustrating.

We decided that we would need to take a chance and run to the other side once the coast was clear. We would be very exposed once we walked onto the road so we wanted to minimize the time spent there. Normally you want to move in slowmotion if you’re trying to remain unseen.

As the horse rider disappeared we checked one last time and then we did it, we ran as fast as we could without making too much noise but once we got clear of the swamp we realized the forest fenced.  We had to quickly take our backpacks off and throw them under the fence before rolling underneath it ourselves. There was no one in sight as we moved to safety once again thrilled by the experience.

We moved on through hilly terrain, dense brush and big clearings. We moved super silently now. In fact we moved so silently that we ended up surprising a mama fallow deer and her baby. We were within 10 meters away from them before they finally noticed us and took off. There’s something very rewarding about moving through nature in silence. It gives you a chance to listen.

We reached point B right before sunset. It was a public campground so we were prepared to pause our challenge for the night. You are not allowed to camp outside designated areas in Denmark and the public campsites are fairly crowded. We still wanted to continue our challenge however so we set up camp in an elevated spot on the outskirts of the campsite. With no campfire to give us away we were out of sight. 

I had brought a folding knife, a tarp and some paracord. With this equipment it took me no more than ten minutes to build a lean-to-shelter. I wouldn’t even be able to put up a tent faster than that.

The night was freezing cold but a campfire would have given away our location plus legislation prohibited it.

Instead we snuck down to the nearby primitive campsite where we built a fire for cooking. We had dinner and spent the rest of the evening there telling stories.

At bedtime I brought a couple of hot stones with me back to my shelter to stay warm but at 3:20 the stones were as cold as the night.

Without a fire in front of my shelter it was too cold for me to lie down. I had only brought warm clothing and a thin woolen blanket. I walked the couple of hundred meters back to the campfire to look for more hot rocks but only one of them was still a bit warm. I tugged it under my jacket and sat down in my shelter.

I ended up sleeping like this on and off until dawn. On a night like this getting up early is easy, but it was well worth the hassle. To be honest I appreciate experiences like this one. It’s like a workout or winter bathing for your body, you feel cleansed afterwards. You also appreciate the comfort of your daily life more afterwards.

We cleared our camp early practicing “Leave No Trace” before heading back home. Did you know that professional trackers and hunter forces will scan your campsite and analyze every little thing you leave behind from cigarette buds and leftover food to your method of fire making? Every choice you make will tell them something about you, and they are most likely going find something no matter how hard you try to cover up your tracks. Practicing LNT may slow them down, but it will also tell them something about you. If no one is actively looking for you however practicing LNT may help you stay undetected altogether. 

Regardless of your motives it is still good manners to leave nature in the same condition as you found it. Don’t underestimate the impact you have on your surroundings.

The 7Ss of camouflage are:

Shine: Any object with a smooth surface may reflect light, so keep it in your pack or cover it up. It doesn’t have to be sunglasses or jewelry. A simple, flat plastic surface like a mobile cover can give you away.

Silhouette: Don’t walk on ridges but stay low and consider your backdrop. Break up your silhouette so you aren’t easily recognized as a human being. Especially your face will instinctively draw attention to your person. So if you are not wearing facial camouflage, wear a scarf or a hat to break up the shape of your silhouette. Crouch or lie down with your face hidden if you make a close encounter.

Shadow: Staying hidden is no use if you’re casting a long shadow that gives you away, so avoid direct sunlight.

Shade: Similar to your silhouette being very distinct on a mountain top, the color of your clothing can be very distinct on the wrong backdrop. Seek to walk along backdrops that match the colors and shades of your clothing.

Shape: If possible you should seek to break up the shape of your body using either camouflage, real vegetation or other materials. Crouch or lie down with your face hidden if you make a close encounter.

Sound: Keep quiet and make sure your gear isn’t making noises. Consider how and where you place your feet when walking and avoid breaking branches. Stop regularly and listen to your surroundings. You can often hear people long before you see them.

Speed: (Movement) My buddy always says: “You see the movement before you see the animal “. It’s a hunter’s insight and it means that instinctively we are programmed to react to movement because its a danger signal. So move in slow motion unless you are in imminent danger. Avoid dangling equipment and sudden movements.