At the very start of Game of Thrones Ned executes a member of the Nights Watch for desertion.
Are there any ways the Nights Watch are identified other then the clothes they wear. If a member of the Nights Watch deserted, changed clothes and then went to anywhere the people had no knowledge of who they where would there be any way of identifying them as a deserter of the Nights Watch?
Also as members of the Nights Watch do travel south of the wall (recruiting, raising funds and generally reminding the people they exist) then could a deserter simply not claim to be carrying out Watch Business until they had an opportunity to become less Watchman looking?
