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NotHere
location:
NorthSouth Ontario
Gender: Male
 |  | How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
< on 9/13/2003 3:37 AM >
|  | | | When I'm walking around campus, I always try and move as silently as possible. However, I've noticed that since I'm listening for my footsteps, they seem painfully obvious. With noise floor of a few db, I can run up and down stairs without making any noticable sound. Granted, since I don't do any exploration that requires stealth (for now), it's a moot point for me, but how do you guys know when you're being quiet enough? I know I shouldn't be wearing dress boots for this, but I like wearing them.
Also, for those of you who do live missions, how do you guys deal with squeaky doors? Some of the ones around campus are fairly loud, which makes people entering/leaving the lecture halfway through farily annoying. In a live mission, I'd imagine that it could be the difference between getting away and getting caught. Do you carry around a bottle of WD40 or something?
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uem-Tux
   
Iron Wok Jan
location:
Montreal
Gender: Male
UE Geek
| |  |  | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 1 on 9/13/2003 3:54 AM >
|  | | | Just go around...
In all seriousness, I was already thinking "WD 40" before I read that part of your post. That seems like a great idea. Of course, to know that a door was squeaky, you'd have to already have opened it, and aerosol spray cans make noise too... it's an interesting logistics problem.
I'd say, if you're going to carry hinge lube around, carry wd40, a can of sewing machine oil, and some white grease. With a kit like that, you'd be ready for anything.
Urban Exploration Montreal
Why are you the way that you are? |
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MacGyver
location:
St Paul, Minnesota
Gender: Male
"Someone go find me a paperclip, a D-cell battery, and a cheese grater"
| | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 2 on 9/13/2003 4:17 AM >
| | | | A lot of squeaky doors can be made quieter if not silent by lifting up on the knob/handle as you move it. This takes some of the pressure off of the mating parts of the hinge, and causes less binding, which is what makes the squeak.
WD40 is awesome stuff, but pretty impractical for a "what if" item to be carrying.
I just toured the ass-end of my college's [very active tonight] bowling alley. No need to be quiet back there! Try using other sound for cover, like a passing truck or a lightning storm if that works out. If all else fails and security is searching the room you're in, toss something across the room to divert attention as you open the door. Maybe they'd be distraced enough not to notice someone escaping through ye old squeaky door.
Like a fiend with his dope / a drunkard his wine / a man will have lust for the lure of the mine
"If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent." |
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Haggis
Gender: Male
| | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 3 on 9/13/2003 5:59 AM >
|  | | | They make WD-40 cans small enough to fit in the pocket. In a store like Wal-Mart, they are usually encased in a cardboard container and hung from a rack in sporting goods isles. Also, check automotive and the hardware department. It is a bit bigger than a large tube of lipstick. Some 3 inches long I believe. If I remember correctly, it was around 1.50 USD.
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outage
location:
Melbourne, Australia
Gender: Male
| | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 4 on 9/13/2003 7:08 AM >
| | | | If you were worried about the sound of the aerosol spray, I'm sure you could use machine oil or find some sort of WD40 analog that comes as a liquid and not an aerosol.
The only flaw is that lubing the hinges relies on you being on the side of the door on which the hinges are exposed. As most internal doors open inwards, and assuming that you'd be opening doors into rooms from a hall or whatever the majority of the time, there would only be a limited scope for this technique.
You could still lift the door as Karzy described, though.
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Macsbug
Noble Donor
location:
St. Paul, MN
Gender: Male
Safety First!
| |  | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 5 on 9/14/2003 12:09 AM >
| | | | Yes, lifting the door can help a lot. Also, depending on where in the hinge the squeak is coming from, pushing down can sometimes be helpfull too, but not as often...
"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it." |
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nakigara
location:
ca desert
Gender: Male
| |  | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 6 on 9/14/2003 3:49 AM >
| | | | i know ive seen WD-40 in gallon-sized paint-thinner style cans. If your unable to find those, you could probabally get a little capped dropper bottle (like eyedrop bottles) and just jet a bunch of canned WD-40 into it. Im pretty sure its the same stuff, youd just be loosing some of the propellants.
though, a little can of 3in1 oil would probabally be about as effective, and would save you a bit of effort.
also, in my experience(not sneaking, just fixing my own doors/hinges) it usually takes a bit of working the hinge during/after oiling before it stops squeeking. of course, the hinge is squeeking during the working.
but it may lessen the squeeking when you do open it, especially if you saturate it, and wait for it to penetrate the hinge.
yogurt and beer. mmmm...... |
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DarkTreader
Gender: Male
| | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 7 on 9/15/2003 7:31 AM >
| | | | If you have one nearby, usually the Dollar Tree has cans of WD-40 that'll fit in your pocket for (you guessed it folks) $1.00!
I just unloaded about 7 boxes of them from the one I work at, so... yeah =P Just check their hardware section.
footsteps light, flashlights bright
-~ DT
[last edit 9/15/2003 2:31 AM by DarkTreader - edited 1 times]
Losers go home... winners go home and fuck the prom queen |
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Ca53
location:
Seattle
Gender: Male
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 9 on 10/14/2003 3:09 AM >
| | | | I have actually used a small can of WD-40 on a mission, and for us, it worked great. We had checked the door on a scouting mission, and although it was unlocked, it was squeaky as hell. I just hit all three hinges with a 3-4 second blast, and made sure to coat the whole hinge. Wait about 30-45 seconds, and lift the handle while SLOWLY opening the door. Like I said, I have only done this once, but it worked great.
~Team 107~ |
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sneaker98
location:
London, Ontario
Gender: Male
Gwar.
| | | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 10 on 10/14/2003 3:41 AM >
| | | | Forget being quiet with doors, try with large boards covering up windows! Damn city of London must've just boarded up all the abandoned houses for halloween because in the 4 that i went to tonight, 3 were completely inaccessable. Fresh boards all over... and im doubly mad because my camera decided it wasnt gonna catch on the film inside, therefore of the 12 pictures i took, none made it till i found out the problem. Arghh!
But actually on topic, i find im a lot quieter walking then most other people, even in the hiking shoes i always wear. Its always handy...
A large, bear shaped animal, possibly a bear, has been spotted looking for food or possibly employment. |
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DSM2nr203
location:
Saratoga Springs, NY
Gender: Male
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 11 on 10/14/2003 5:36 AM >
| | | | I heard somewhere that putting a pair of socks on over your shoes works, anyone tried this?
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Ca53
location:
Seattle
Gender: Male
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 12 on 10/14/2003 5:53 AM >
| | | | I haven't heard that, but I can imagine that it would cut your traction by alot. I think I'll stick to boots (and being quiet)
~Team 107~ |
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Pazrul
location:
Seattle, WA
Gender: Male
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 13 on 10/16/2003 7:07 PM >
|  | | | Unless people are listening for the sound of footsteps, just moving a little slower is all it takes to hide your sound, regardless of your footwear. I've been quiet in boots, but my Converse work better for me. Of course, the footwear you actually walk in all the time will be the most comfortable and the easiest to make quiet. If you normally wear sneakers, then the larger sole of most boots could make you louder.
Does anyone know the best way to walk on gravel quietly?
"One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star."
~Team107~ |
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sneaker98
location:
London, Ontario
Gender: Male
Gwar.
| | | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 14 on 10/17/2003 12:45 AM >
| | | | Actually, i think its more of how u walk and not necessarily how quickly. See before when i was tryin to be quiet, id sorta roll on the edges of the shoes so that its not smackin on the ground at once. Then i just got used to it, i just do it normally now. Sounds kinda weird, dunno if i described it right...
the best way for gravel walkin is to look for thin spots and just move REAL slow. if its a gravel road or something, try to be walking at the very edge.
A large, bear shaped animal, possibly a bear, has been spotted looking for food or possibly employment. |
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Jester
location:
Vancouver,B.C. Canada
Gender: Male
Always just out of sight...
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 15 on 10/17/2003 3:39 AM >
| | | | All the various methods have been discussed in the other stealth/moving silently threads many times...
quickly... depending on your school of thought, a heel first, roll to the toe or a toes first, roll to the heel will both work on gravel. The first is taken from ninjitsu techniques and second borrowed from the native indian. Either way, you should practice...
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. |
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DSM2nr203
location:
Saratoga Springs, NY
Gender: Male
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 16 on 10/17/2003 5:37 AM >
| | | | What works good for me is just stepping with the front of your foot(from the arch forward) and using the rest of your foot like a shock absorber, never bringing your heel to the ground. That way its easier to adujst your way on sqeauky board without making to much noise. I used to use this all the time when I wanted to sneak out of the house or go downstairs for something without waking my parents up, so now its just become second nature to be able to walk on the front half of my foot.
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Jester
location:
Vancouver,B.C. Canada
Gender: Male
Always just out of sight...
| | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 17 on 10/17/2003 5:45 AM >
| | | | DSM2nr203:
I was giving the advice as it related to the walking on gravel question.
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. |
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RadEd
| | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 18 on 10/17/2003 4:32 PM >
| | | | for gravel, I plant my whole foot lightly, then slowly shift weight. Keep my balance, so I don't shift any of the rocks.
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sneaker98
location:
London, Ontario
Gender: Male
Gwar.
| | | | Re: How quiet is quiet enough? And squeaky doors.
<Reply # 19 on 10/17/2003 7:55 PM >
| | | | ohh i get what u mean, DSM. I do then when runnin really fast, its called "on the balls of your feet" or something along those lines..
A large, bear shaped animal, possibly a bear, has been spotted looking for food or possibly employment. |
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