Adventures are tantalizing. They bring about emotions and anticipation that you didn’t know existed. While the destination or goal is the end, the journey to get there is what’s most exciting. The hard work, research, exploration, and due diligence culminate in the result. It’s why we start them—and sometimes never finish—because of the journey. And that’s where we start, at the beginning of a new adventure.

Superpowers

Night Vision—or the ability to see in the dark—is the only superpower you can buy. And it’s an incredible feeling. They say seeing is believing and trust me, I’m a believer. This journey started because of a friend—Ryan. Ryan is my shooting buddy. We’ve shot matches together, completed training, and in general, talked about all things gun-related. It was his idea to investigate night vision, specifically Night Vision Goggles (NVG). But his obsession was infectious. I caught the night vision bug. But why?

The shooting hobby is expensive. The bills add up whether it’s the gun, ammunition, training, or all the “cool guy” gear that’s available. Night Vision, however, is on a whole other level. It’s not just the NVG that’s expensive, it’s the addition of mounting hardware, a helmet, Infrared (IR) lights and lasers, a rifle to use, batteries, chargers, and more. It’s a complete system, not an individual component. But it’s awesome. It is a legitimate tactical advantage. It is why so much of the technology behind Night Vision is protected by ITAR (The International Traffic in Arms Regulations). Our enemies cannot have this. But if it’s so expensive, why bother?

Preparedness

The idea of preparedness isn’t new. If anything, it has a negative connotation. During the dark “end-of-the-world” days of 2012, Doomsday Prepping was all the rage. These people, called preppers, were not the shining example of society at its best. Even worse, TV shows on the subject picked the worst of the lot (because normal people who happen to focus on preparedness don’t generate great ratings). Because of this, people didn’t openly talk about preparedness. So, for nearly a decade, most people went on with their lives (you know, because the world didn’t end). Then 2020 happened. Bureaucratic-induced panic reverberated across the nation. Suddenly grocery store shelves were barren, corporate buildings were left empty, and people were forced to subject themselves to masks and social distancing out of an “abundance of caution” for fear of contracting and spreading the virus. Then there was the summer of civil unrest following the public death of George Floyd. Literal neighborhoods were burnt down in the name of protest. This led to the scarcity of ammunition and soaring gun prices that only recently began to settle.

But this was only in the United States. In some places, people were arrested and sentenced to jail for breaking COVID-19 regulations. Many were not allowed to speak. But then the worst happened, war. If you haven’t watched the news recently, then you might be unaware of the growing tensions across the globe. Of course, there was the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but now there seems to be an imminent conflict with Iran through proxy groups such as the Houthi. What started as attacks on Israel has potential worldwide ramifications (as I write this, pro-Palestine groups are protesting on college campuses across the country). Oh, and every day tensions grow between China and Taiwan—guess who the United States supports.

With everything that has gone on since 2020, people are willing and actively accepting the idea of preparedness. They don’t want to be left needing supplies when grocery store shelves are empty or be an unfortunate bystander when a protest goes violent. All this discussion is to say, that preparedness is finally in style. And I’ve identified Night Vision as a key component of my preparedness.

TNVC

The Tactical Night Vision Company, or TNVC, is a leader in the world of Night Vision. They offer excellent customer service, thoughtful products, and training. While they aren’t a manufacturer of Night Vision (they leave that to L3 Harris and Elbit) they assemble, test, and leverage their years of experience to offer a dependable product that will last. More importantly, TNVC will warranty and service their products far longer than any other in the industry.

Training and their reputation are what drew Ryan and me to them. While TNVC offers classes titled Night Fighter 101 & 201, they also offer something called “Try Before You Buy.” The Night Fighter classes focus on the fundamentals of night vision operation and use while learning to move, shoot, and problem-solve. These classes require prerequisites and the confidence to perform in a mainly foreign environment to many civilians. “Try Before You Buy,” on the other hand, is for entry-level students to learn about and be exposed to night vision in a sterile environment. This is what we were looking for. So, we signed up. This is where we learned about superpowers.

What’s Next

This first article was designed to introduce the regular gun owner and freedom lover to Night Vision while rationalizing my thought process behind it. Learning, acquiring, and training with Night Vision is a journey. It is one that I am excited about. It encompasses much more than the NV unit itself. So much is affected by it, including ancillary gear, training habits, and weapon setup. But the world is trending to a place where having such gear, knowledge, and skill as a civilian is paramount. Hopefully, this knowledge will never be needed outside of good fun during training and night shoots. But preparedness means just that—be prepared. Any day could be the worst day. Those in Ukraine didn’t expect a Russian Invasion. In February 2020, we didn’t expect the world to shut down the following month. Things happen quickly and, in many cases, with uncertainty.

The next article in this series will be a look into Try Before You Buy (this is a bad name; it should be called Intro to Night Vision). This will be a sort of After-Action Report going over the details of the class. Here we learned the basics of the equipment, the various types, its history, and the terminology. Then we went outside into the dark and experienced various forms of Night Vision. Let the journey begin.