Avoid wearing any chains, necklaces, bracelets, and anything else hanging. Wear only clothes! If you can, try to get a ghillie suit if you are in a high grass or forested area so that you can hide.
Try to wear clothing that conceals all of your skin, as skin shows up when a light is shone upon it. If you’re indoors, try to wear socks. Shoes are too heavy and make noise, and bear feet can stick to smooth surfaces (and therefore make noise).
Walk next to the wall where the floor is less likely to squeak, especially on stairs. Avoid the wall opposite the door in every room so that a glance into the room won’t spot you. If someone comes walking toward you, freeze and don’t move for a while, and you probably won’t be spotted. Be aware of the background when outside. Avoid sky or grass and stick around mixed shadow and light, buildings, and trees. Stay low as much as possible and avoid wide open spaces. If you have to get to the other side, and there is no coverage straight across, go around and make big circular detours. Inside your house, know where everything is. Know where the floorboard squeaks are and map them. Know which doors never get closed and slip behind them for a quick and temporary hiding spot. Know the best hiding spot in every room and all possible escape routes.
Use the balls of your feet whenever you walk, run, or jump. This will help silence your feet. It is best to go with socks, but if you need shoes on, then carefully and slowly walk in shoes that don’t make a lot of noise. Support your weight on the handrail when walking up or down the stairs. If you are walking on a squeaky floor, grab furniture or handrails to support yourself, as it helps you to make less noise.
At night, use shadows to your advantage.
A good time to move is when there’s background noise. If some people are talking, then that’s an excellent time to move because they would probably be paying close attention to the conversation, not so much for things around them (like you sneaking around). If someone hears a noise they will wait to hear another sound. If you don’t move for a while, they may think they were hearing things and will probably forget about it.
An alternative to this: Set up a noise maker in a nearby room. Try taking a clear string and tying it to something in the closet. Make sure it is a long string. After you have secured the knot, close the closet door as far as it can go. Get into position in your hiding place. Make sure you have a firm grip on the string. If your target is about to find you, give the string a quick but strong jerk. Whatever it was tied to should topple over, making a loud noise. Your target will run to the noise, and then, seeing no one is there, will probably get discouraged and leave the room. Just make sure your target doesn’t see the string!
