For those of you interested in either: (a) seeing first-hand what the hype is about by playing with nearly $10K worth of night vision gear for a few hundred dollars; or (b) getting your feet wet with the technology and options before taking the big plunge with a huge purchase, renting is the way to go.
I had a great experience with NightVisionRentals.com. Phil hooked me up with a Pulsar Core thermal, to be used as a handheld or attached to a scope (with ALL of the attachment accessories), and the "Infantry Package." The Infantry Package included a PVS-14, a helmet with the attachments, and an AR-DBAL. He also sent extra batteries, which is a plus for the Pulsar and DBAL, which use expensive CR123 batteries. The gear came overnight via FedEx with a prepaid return sticker. Could not have been easier.
Our AO was a mixture of open fields (1000+ yards line of sight) and other areas of thick vegetation. There was no moon due to heavy cloud cover - essentially pitch black darkness. We ended up using the PVS-14/DBAL attached to an AR, primarily because I apparently put the Pulsar into standby mode instead of turning it off, which killed the batteries. Next time, I won't take a chance and will remove the batteries when not in use. When it was powered, the Core cut through the darkness to highlight critters like they were on fire. The PVS-14 probably prevented 3 broken ankles and kept us oriented. Someone commented that it was like renting superpowers.
Be warned: it is addictive. Several in my group are now in the market for night vision.
