I question that, though. Using military surplus has been a thing since just after WWII. I’ve worked in higher ed for about 25 years now, and it’s not unusual to see someone with a military looking backpack on campus. I also see people wearing them off campus.

Also, as I’ve pointed out many times, the kind of “Grey Man” approach you espouse isn’t always appropriate. It can actually be counterproductive because it makes you look like an easy target. The “Grey Man” philosophy started in intelligence work, where it’s true that you do indeed want to blend in with the crowd and be very forgettable. The flashy James Bond types don’t last but the bland Bob Smith types do.

But you’re not going to be a spy. You’re not going to be worried about whether the KGB or Stasi notice you or not. You’re going to be worried about the thug who wants to take your stuff. He doesn’t care if the bag it’s in is MOLLE, ALICE, or Hello Kitty.

You don’t avoid those characters by looking like the meek and mild everyday Joe with his head down, that just makes you a more attractive target. Thugs don’t rob people who look like they can handle themselves. They go for the easy targets. The idea that they’d selectively target people who look like they might have combat experience based upon their clothing and accessories because they have “the good stuff” is ludicrous on its face and goes against decades of criminal research.

There are two concepts from biology that are helpful here.

The first is aposematism. This is honestly signalling that you are dangerous and should not be messed with. Examples of this are the poison dart frog and the coral snake. They are brightly colored instead of camouflaged as a warning.

The other is Batesian mimicry. This is where you look like a bad-ass when in fact you aren’t. The canonical example is the milk snake, a non-venomous snake which mimic the color scheme of the venomous coral snake. At least close enough to ward off potential predators.

If you’ve got a salty looking bag on your back and you look observant and alert, are reasonably fit, and have a certain kind of style when it comes to haircuts and facial hair, you’re less likely to be a target.

I know this goes against the received wisdom of the prepper world, but I want to reiterate that the “Grey Man” concept is about spies not attracting attention from government forces or those who would report them to the government.

THIS IS NOT A REALISTIC PREPPING SCENARIO.

A more realistic scenario is that you need to worry about people taking your stuff by force in the chaos after a natural or man-made disaster.