Quick Shot Advice on Night Vision and Thermal

Solid advice that pretty much mirrors my experience. Unless you’re going for a purpose built / task specific setup (DMR, etc.) this is how my own gear is laid out.

On the compact units mentioned (RH25, but also NVision NOX 18 & 35) they’re a multipurpose surveillance tool in… https://t.co/O8AAoZfiYC

— NC Scout (@Brushbeater) January 11, 2026

Solid advice that pretty much mirrors my experience. Unless you’re going for a purpose built / task specific setup (DMR, etc.) this is how my own gear is laid out.

On the compact units mentioned (RH25, but also NVision NOX 18 & 35) they’re a multipurpose surveillance tool in addition to a combat role optic. Target building surveillance (points of entry and hidden surveillance devices) and the ability to take pictures are mission critical in addition to target detection.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TO SAY DON’T OWN NIGHT VISION. As Max correctly points out, NODs are mission critical for mobility. Even the best helmet mountable thermals (standalone devices, not counting ECOTI here, btw) currently on the market do not have the refresh rate necessary to move under them. Plus you can’t see through glass. Digital night vision is pure trash and doesn’t even come close to a low end thermal in my experience.

The conversation usually also devolves into ‘what should I buy first’, and if you’re looking for advice on the best investment starting out, these days I’ll always point guys to at least mid-tier thermal (384) for all the reasons I mentioned, closely followed by a PVS-14 as a second investment.

By NC ScoutPublished On: January 11, 2026Categories: Uncategorized0 Comments

About the Author: NC Scout

NC Scout is the nom de guerre of a former Infantry Scout and Sergeant in one of the Army’s best Reconnaissance Units. He has combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He teaches a series of courses focusing on small unit skills rarely if ever taught anywhere else in the prepping and survival field, including his RTO Course which focuses on small unit communications. In his free time he is an avid hunter, bushcrafter, writer, long range shooter, prepper, amateur radio operator and Libertarian activist. He can be contacted at [email protected] or via his blog at brushbeater.wordpress.com .