So, I've absorbed a lot of the knowledge here on the forum but I could use a clear-headed appraisal of what makes the most sense for me moving forward with my next purchase. Use case is short term SHTF with an emphasis on avoiding (run, hide, fight in that order - wife an kid along for the ride). Thought process is to hunker down in daylight, move at night. Get someplace defensible each evening and stay on the move to safety or until things de-escalate. Once out of the city it's largely farmland, so large open spaces and then various wooded areas.
EDITED TO ADD: Where I am we've had blackouts lasting days and weeks (once each) in the last decade or so. We've also had a tornado touchdown very close to the metropolitan centre of town. Both situations could easily turn into medium scale unrest easily enough over time. I also live central to the city, so I'm fighting traffic no matter which way I go. The presumption should be that I get my ass moving ASAP and hope to clear any trouble before it starts. If I can't and the vehicle isn't getting me any further then I am looking to get off the lines of communication and hope to wait and trouble out. I am not expecting the zombie apocalypse, just a bit of breakdown in civil control that settles after a few days.
Rather than focusing on the specifics of actual pieces of kit I'd like to focus the discussion on classes of product so that it's a more philosophical discussion.
I presently have a middle of the road monocular with a lightweight setup (Crye Skullcap) as well as a bump helmet, and a short range aiming and illumination solution for my SBR, along with a choice of red dots at 2.26" mounting heights. So, I'm presently one-eyed at night and have the ability to aim actively and passively out to the effective range of an SBR (give or take). SBR, mid-length and SPR options are available to me. SBR or mid-length make the most sense to me, with a preference for small and light (SBR). Wife is
unaided [EDIT - had "blind" in there and didn't mean that literally!] and will have to stay close as I navigate in the dark.
Here are the possible directions for me to go with some pro/con - what are your thoughts as to the best course of action, and why?
- Get a second monocular. Allows me to be binocular when needed, also means I can share with wifey given my setup. Can either go binocular and guide wife or split up and both move less effectively. Offers a degree of redundancy. Does not significantly assist with detection at range.
- Sell PVS-14 and get binocular NVG. Makes navigation easier for me, wife will have to stay close, does not significantly assist with detection at range.
- Get a helmet mountable/handheld thermal. Gives me multispectral observation, should extend detection range and can be shared but utility for navigation is low. Helpful when hunkered down for observation.
- Get a COTI type thermal. Benefits to detection but not to navigation. Sharable but quite limited compared to dedicated handheld unit.
- Get a thermal spotter. Great for longer range detection (weather dependant) but no benefit to navigation or wife. Limited utility in close vegetation.
Given a limited budget where only one of these is feasible for the time being, which would you do, and why?