Snipers have to manage their tracks, scent, shadow, glare and countless other things to remain hidden from enemies. "There are a million things that go into being a sniper, and you have to be good at all of them," Sipes explained.
Here's just a few of the many things snipers have to think about.
"If you are facing east in the morning, the sun is going to be coming at you, so you need to do something with your scope to prevent glare," Elgort told BI. To combat this problem, snipers build cat eyes.
"We use natural vegetation, we use wraps, netting, whatever to block the optics from any observation but allow us to see through it," Sipes said, noting that other considerations include whether or not he is silhouetting himself against something else. A shadow could give away his position, exposing him to the enemy.
As for scents, he said that snipers avoid scented soaps, smoking, any type of cologne, deodorant, etc.
In colder climates, a sniper can eat snow to hide their breath, but it only works for a short time. "You would have to continuously eat snow, and then you have to pee," Smith said, bringing up another potential consideration.
Snipers also have to think about bodily excretions. Sometimes when nature calls, a sniper will use bags with sponges to soak up their business. They can also bury it in the earth. Other times, they just have to hold it.