In this article you will learn the basics of spying and tailing to gain information from your enemies.

Using some easy to get objects and skills you can begin your journey to becoming a master spy.

Step 1: Gather Equipment

The equipment you need will depend on your mission and surroundings. I created a basic list of some good spy gear:

>Camera phone, small film camera (like the one shown), or a little digital camera
>Monocular or some small binoculars, the more powerful they are the more detail, but less powerful gives you a bigger field of view.
>Notepad and pen- to write down addresses, license numbers, and any other observations
>A small mirror- can be easily obtained from a makeup thing that girls use, just pry it off.
>A watch- to log the times of events
>A Swiss Army Knife- just useful to have
>Spy shades- mine look goofy, but I've seen some better ones, there's also another Instructables on how to make a pair.
>If you are on a dangerous mission you may want to bring along a larger knife, but one that will still fit in your pocket, if you are entering gang territory or some very dangerous place then you should bring a concealable handgun.

Step 2: Start a Tail

When following someone the main object is to not get noticed and gather information.
It's best to follow someone in a slightly crowded place, that way there are people to hide you, if you try to follow someone on a deserted dirt road it would be very suspicious.
Stay at least 50ft away if you are on foot, if you are following someone by car, it is best to stay 2 cars behind them and try to be in a different lane.

>Use quick disguises like a hat, shades, or a jacket.
>Create a surveillance log, write the time in the left margin and write the events to the side.
>Remember stay close enough to the target to make sure he doesn't give you the slip, but far enough away that he won't realize you're there, make notes whenever you have a spare moment.
>After tailing for a while go over these questions: Is there anything the target did that surprised you?
Could you guess what was being said when the target talked to people? Did the target realize you were tailing him? Did you learn anything new about the target?
>NEVER make eye contact with your target.
>Wear sunglasses only if it's sunny out!
>Be prepared to change your appearance.
>If the target stops suddenly, you should not stop suddenly, too! Your target may be testing to see if you're following him. If you stop suddenly, you'll confirm his suspicions! So, keep moving and resume your tail later, after some quick changes.
>Take cover when necessary (but only when it looks natural)! Move into a crowd, turn away, or cover your face (without being obvious) if you think he's looking your way.

Step 3: Follow the Rabbit.

"Follow the Rabbit" is the name for a special spy tailing method involving a team of two people who work together to keep a target under watch. The directly behind the target is called the eye because he is closest to the target and keeps him in view. The person behind the eye is the tail.

>Decide who will be the eye and who will be the tail.
>This works best if you and your partner learn hand signs that can be used between the two of you. For example: Touch your right ear when the target is in sight, and left if he stops. Etc....
>If an enemy notices the same person over and over again, it seems unusual, and he gets suspicious. He will then become more cautious and more difficult to track, so professional spies use up to four people to tail someone and switch periodically to remain unnoticed.

Step 4: Using Your Spy Gadgets.

There are many different tools you can use to assist you in your spy missions.
I have this 110mm film camera, its the smallest film camera i could find (thats affordable) i think the best thing to use is a camera phone, since most people have one and it wouldn't be suspicious at all if you pulled it out.
Always make sure the camera lens is open or you'll just get a black picture.
I like to hold my camera as shown, you cant see it at all from the back.
Taking pictures is easiest in a car because they wont be able to see you, and you can use high quality zoom stuff in your car.
Mirrors are a great tool for looking around corners, and behind you, like with the spy shades shown, you can notice the mirrored part. You can use these to detect a tail behind you.
I added the fast Ferrari for people that are extremely rich and can be the fictional James Bond type spy.

I hope you'll enjoyed this instructable, *this is my first so please don't be that harsh on me lol*