I put FLIR into the category of drones, surveillance satellites and other high-tech tools. Governments like to use their existence as a propaganda tool to make folks believe that escaping detection is not possible, so don’t even try. The truth is that all of these tech tools have limitations.
Unlike the film “Enemy of the State,” (and other Hollywood movies) satellites can’t be manuevered around like sports cars to hover over a city. That function would be taken by drones, but they are not in common use (yet). FLIR can’t see through glass, and heavy vegetation also hinders it. If you are in thick woods, your blurry heat signature could also be a deer or a large dog.
Once you are located by technical means, yes, it’s hard to escape. But keep in mind that at any time, 99.99% of your operating area will NOT be under such surveillance.
As far as hiding from FLIR, there are home-made ponchos incorporating a space blanket and fiberglass cloth. It blocks and diffuses the heat very effectively, or so I am told. The problem is knowing that you are under FLIR observation. You might take anti-FLIR methods (the poncho, getting into very thick cover, hiding under a barn roof etc) as soon as you detect the sound of a helicopter.
UAVs, you will never hear or see. They operate above visual and audible range.
One of my tools is a pair of “Game Ears” that enhances my hearing. In regards to hiding from a FLIR one could have a bolt hole with some CO2 portable tanks that will fog the air with cold escaping gas, or have a hide with thermo insulated windows, thats two layered glass with an inert gas in the middle, or just a roof of 2” bluboard foam.
On a very funny movie episode of “Tremors” people were trying to hide from some flying nasties that used heat seeking organs to hunt with and they walked along with a mattress over their heads. Not a practice concept but it could work if tested is just a camo colored umbrella that has several layers of mylar space blanket and aluminized insulation bubble wrap sold at places like LOWES.
As far as clothing goes in darkness a dark gray is harder to see than all black. Also should a person have to fight in darkness such as in my neck of the woods in Alaska during the winter I would make some lightweight diversionary type of equipment, mostly just an inflatable figure with some attached chemical heat pouches such as used for heating your hands or toes, tape these to something that resembles a prone person in hiding, activate the heat packs around the chest and face and a drone or other device with a FLIR will look at that while you either achieve your objective or make a safe egress from the area.
Good article. I often go for a walk on clear nights when the moon is more than a sliver, walking the same paths around the property that I follow during the day. I have a 1 LED red key ring/map light that is more than enough for those sections that are pitch black.
And these woods are teeming with life at night, so I suspect (although I have had no way to test it) that a human under a mylar blanket would have no more of a heat sig than any of dozens of deer, possums, coyotes, etc., in the area.