The Motherboard Guide to Spy Kits

via Flickr

By now you’ve maybe heard about one Ryan Fogle, an American detained recently by the Russian Federal Security Service. The FSB claims Fogle is a spy. The giveaway? All the goofball shit Fogle had on his person. To wit: two fluffy, Austin Powers-y wigs (blonde and black), sunglasses, piles of cash, a map of Moscow, compass, flashlight, an old cellphone, SIM cards, pocket knife, pepper gas canister, keyholder, alkaline batteries, a notebook, RFID shield, and a lighter. 

The things Ryan Fogle carried

And that’s all well and good. Often it’s archaic gadgets–not today’s shiny new gadgets–that are best suited for cruising below the radar, or evade the gaze of CCTV cameras. But it would’ve been way fucking cooler, if entirely impractical, if Fogle toted around the following items, crowdsourced by Motherboard contributors 568, 771, and 420. 

1. Black turtleneck sweater

via

2. Fake mustache / facial hair

via

3. Eye patch (bonus points for fake ‘stache)

via

4. Small-fry drone with mounted imager

via

5. Chutes and Ladders (diversion is crucial)

via

6. 3D-printed gum (in case of panic attack)

via

7. Google glasses

via

Reach Brian at brian@motherboard.tv. @thebanderson