Thermal optics have gained widespread use as the technology continues to advance and become readily available to the hunting market. Many night hunters start out with a thermal weapon sight, a dedicated optic designed to be mounted on a rifle. While these thermal optics are great tools to engage targets, they generally have a narrower field of view, making scanning for animals a bit of a challenge. Pointing a rifle in all directions at night is also cumbersome and dangerous which is why using a handheld or helmet mounted scanner makes identifying targets much safer than depending solely on a weapon sight.

Fortunately, some units are designed to be multi-function such as the RH25 which can be easily used as a handheld scanner, collimated as clip-on with a day scope, run as a standalone thermal weapon sight, or clipped into the dovetail of a helmet. Additionally, many serious night hunters like the adaptability of helmet mounted systems as they give the user the flexibility to scan and perform different tasks hands free.

To help readers wrap their heads around a helmet setup, we got a hold of Ethan Sensenig, a managing owner at Arkayne Co. Ethan’s passion for night hunting and teaching is one of the reasons why Arkayne Co. has such a strong following on their YouTube channel. Ethan is adamant about using both thermal and night vision on his helmet setup. In fact, so many people have reached out to him about how he uses his RICO MICRO that he wrote his own article on the best ways to configure an RH25 with a PVS-14. Let’s look at the reason why:

Ethan Sensenig is a managing owner at Arkayne Co and specializes in predator hunting with dual band systems.

Ethan: The biggest thing that I've had to communicate to customers is the significance of the symbiotic relationship between night vision and thermal together. Getting the data from both is where I get the maximum amount of information at any given point when I'm running around in the dark. If someone is setting up a helmet, their goal should be to have both night vision and thermal on one bridge because where one is weak the other one will be strong.

For context a "bridge" allows two separate monoculars to be used together. The bridge physically connects the two units, aligning them properly so they can be used simultaneously. Some bridges are adjustable, allowing users to customize the inter-pupillary distance (the distance between the centers of the eyes) for a more comfortable and effective viewing experience. Ethan explains why different data sets from different wavelengths is so important:

Ethan: When it's really wet outside and the environment is extremely humid, thermals typically struggle. Obviously with these lower and lower milliKelvin ratings and increased image processing, the better thermals function under harsh conditions. So this technology is improving and we may see a point where we can navigate with a thermal just as well as night vision when it's wet out. But for now, navigating with night vision in wet conditions is a must. But I’ve also had a situation or two where I could not see my hand in front of my face with night vision. Now that's not often, but when I’m in those situations and it's dry out, a thermal is going to show me way more than the night vision can. So having the ability to bounce back and forth between the two is priceless. I'm not really willing to go out into the dark without one of each.

Application plays as much of a role as the environment. Thermal and image intensification have their strengths and weaknesses. For instance, thermals cannot see through glass, and night vision depends on some form of ambient light. Users must understand the benefits of both to make the maximum impact on their hunts.

Ethan: There's obviously different situations where you'll use one over the other. When I'm driving the truck or I'm walking into the set. I'm using night vision more for navigating. It's not showing you those hot bodies, but you're usually not looking for them as much. Sometimes I'll find a coyote or a fox in the field before I even get out of the truck, so having the thermal all the time is useful. As soon as I start calling, I transition away from the night vision and I'm almost solely scanning with the thermal.

He also left us with some advice:

Ethan: If you're a night hunter, the first unit you should be getting is a lower base magnification thermal like an RH25. It's 1X, and hands down my favorite unit! But then from there, if you have the funds to throw at it, jump into a PVS14 which has a wider field of view.

The RH25 can be used as a hand held, mounted on a helmet, used as a clip on, or dedicated weapon sight.