Spy Tools

Night vision equipment has come on a long way since the 70's when it weighed a ton and did not much more than the naked eye. On top of that it cost a packet and was so easily damaged as to be only marginally viable anyway. Definitely only suited to very specialist applications in the military sphere. Nowadays it's easily affordable and has a wide variety of civilian uses. It's ideal for checking out those funny noises in the garden at night, for watching wildlife at night, and even for, dare we say it, clandestine uses. There's no reason to worry about durability any more as most night vision equipment now comes with a degree of armour protection - but like any precision optics they should be cared for and not mistreated.

Bushnell
Bushnell are a long established company producing high quality optics. They have been well known for making rifle scopes for many years, and their night vision scopes are superb. The different technologies in use are explained on the bushnell website.

The cautionary tale of Trevor Lawson
If you're going to use night vision equipment, let the terrible experience of Trevor Lawson be a warning. Trevor, a wildlife expert, was out one night with his night vision binoculars looking for Barn Owls. Also out that night was Anthony Burns and his mate, who were also looking for wildlife. The wildlife they were looking for was foxes, and they were using a powerful red filtered light and a high velocity rifle. They were just about to pack in for the night when the light picked up a pair of huge red eyes and Mr Burns planted an expanding bullet smack into the foxes chest. Of course, it wasn't a fox, it was Trevor Lawson. Trevor amazingly survived, though he now has only one lung, and Anthony Burns ended up being prosecuted for grevious bodily harm. He was acquitted by the jury, but his life has been devastated and he still faces having to defend a civil action. So if you're going to use night vision equipment, and people turn up in a truck and start shining bright lights at you, shout and make yourself known. Better still, let the landowner know what you're up to before you start.