Top 10 Optics for Observation Posts

[Music] the main goal of any observation post is of course observation and being able to see more than an adversary can is a huge advantage as such there are various force multipliers that we can use to increase our observation capabilities so let's get right to it with the most helpful optics that you can use to improve your observation post number one is binoculars one of the most useful pieces of gear that one can own is a good pair of binoculars binoculars might not be as cool to buy or play with as with a new rifle but the use of binoculars and warfare almost goes back to the first use of firearms themselves and when it comes to capabilities for your observation post a good set of binoculars bring a lot to the table a decent pair of binoculars will offer a balance of good magnification and good field of view though smaller binoculars are quite common and trendy these days binoculars with a large objective lens will perform much better in low light conditions which makes filming through them easier and also reduces eye strain binoculars that are light in weight will also reduce fatigue which is very important manning an observation post is fatiguing enough as is so any opportunity to increase comfort and increase alertness is a welcome feature to any choice of optic number two are night vision devices as many ordinary people are finding out night vision devices are a substantial force multiplier and a very welcome addition to any observation operation without a night vision device or the adapters required to use it with other optics observation posts are severely limited in the united states the events that would require one to even occupy an observation post will most likely be at night civil unrest rioting looting or other significant actions will most likely take place during the night time so if you don't have a night vision device your observations are really mostly limited to periods of light obviously night vision devices are expensive and right now the demand is very high but for the price of a nicely built ar one can easily buy a gen 3 white phosphor pbs 14 and all of the adapters needed to fix it to other optics seriously increasing your capabilities number three is the spotting scope the spotting scope is a mainstay of the observation post offering the magnification of a telescope but the portability of binoculars spotting scopes are a fantastic addition to really any observation post there are a few things to consider however almost all spotting scopes have serious magnification so much magnification that most of the time some kind of tripod is needed in order to keep them stable enough to actually use them also their field of view is very small especially when compared to binoculars this is fine for the intended task which is spotting targets at extreme ranges but for scanning an entire sector spotting scopes are perhaps not the best tool however spotting scopes can also be easier to use with cameras especially in the dark due to most spotting scopes having an enormous objective lens number four are periscopes though perhaps an unusual and not well known type of optic trench periscopes are a substantial force multiplier for static reconnaissance operations especially in urban environments in fact we have considered writing an entire hour-long episode specifically dedicated to these extremely underrated tools old-school soviet-made trench periscopes are highly effective in their intended role which is to get a view from around an object without exposing your head looking around corners out from the sides of windows up into attics or over fences or from behind barricades trench periscopes offer serious capabilities for the static observer granted there are not a lot of places in which you can buy one of these useful tools in fact there are no decent modern equivalents there are some companies that do indeed make modern versions of the trench periscope for sniper teams deployed overseas but some teams have been observed ditching the 600 modern periscope for the old school soviet ones so if you have the need to observe activity without exposing your head from a static position and you are able to get a hold of an 80 year old piece of gear a trench periscope could be an invaluable addition to your observation post sort of along the same lines as the periscope is the endoscope depending on the industry these can also be called bore scopes or inspection cameras but generally speaking all of these devices have the same construction a tiny camera on the end of a very long probe or cable which is in turn connected to a handheld screen to view what the camera is seeing obviously the main use of these devices is to get a view into tight spaces but an endoscope's flexible cable can see around corners up into attic spaces over the tops of fences much like a periscope can the difference being that the camera is limited by the size of the cable but endoscopes have the ability to record video or pictures however since pretty much all endoscopes run on battery power this could be a limiting factor if you do not bring enough batteries number six is rangefinders rangefinders are an exceptionally useful tool not just for shooting applications but for mapping as well rangefinders make filling out a range card a breeze if you are in a static position and if you are semi-mobile in which you might be moving constantly between several different observation posts having a simple rangefinder would be very handy one thing to consider is shooting a range through a window which is unreliable at best one might get lucky and have a rangefinder that works through glass in some conditions but all in all rangefinders work best in remote environments without so much reflectivity number seven is thermal optics much like night vision devices thermal optics are a very significant force multiplier especially for static reconnaissance operations though every observation post would benefit from some sort of thermal device these gadgets work best out in a remote location where the heat of vehicles or the body heat of a person can be more significantly contrasted against a colder environment thermal optics can work efficiently in the urban environment as well but there are some things to remember for one thermal optics are completely thwarted by glass so good luck using a thermal optic if your field of view is through a window also in the urban environment lots of things are hot so picking out what you're looking for in the urban world is not as easy as in a natural environment number eight is game cameras game cameras are a highly underrated tool particularly for long term surveillance and recently technological developments have improved the quality and reduced the cost of most game cameras just a few years ago a good game camera used to cost hundreds of dollars but nowadays you can get a pretty decent one online for less than 50 bucks most game cameras are either low glow or no glow designs meaning that the infrared flash that triggers when an animal or a person trips the camera either emits a faint red glow from the led lights which is the low glow variant or it emits no light at all being completely invisible to the unaided human eye obviously no glow cameras are preferred for surveillance operations because it wouldn't be a smart idea for the red glow of leds to alert someone to the presence of your game camera someone who might then be inclined to steal it number nine are dslrs though it might not be necessary for every observation mission having a camera with a powerful lens and a good image sensor would be very handy to have for documenting what you see the human eye can be deceived quite easily but taking an image will allow experts to see what you saw and analyze it in even greater depth also the casual observer might see things that they don't recognize so taking a photo of the observed object will allow for much easier identification of what exactly was observed also cameras provide less of a visual signature which is very helpful in the urban environment for instance a person walking around with a large pair of binoculars or spotting scopes slung around their neck might draw unwanted attention but a normal dslr camera will largely go unnoticed in the urban landscape and since there are so many amateur photographers in the world today behavior that would normally be strange such as being in certain locations would seem less nefarious with a camera in hand as opposed to a pair of binoculars and number 10 is adapters tripods and improvisation tools while not strictly a specific optic not having the correct adapters can make an observation mission useless observation posts particularly the ones that normal citizens might set up during some kind of civil unrest are not usually perfect positions most observation posts in the urban environment will most likely be less than ideal this means that you might be jammed into a tight spot that's really uncomfortable and offers a really poor field of view and that might be the best you can do as such having the supplies to improve your position will be very very important depending on how inconvenient your observation post is you might have to construct elaborate supports in order to get the most out of your optics if you can't get your head in a position to get a good view through a spotting scope or a periscope maybe throwing on a gopro and using an app to view what the camera sees might be a good option of course being careful and mindful of electronic surveillance having a solid tripod might offer some relief from the fatigue of holding up a heavy set of binoculars and having a short length of paracord might be handy to string up a place to rest your optics having a small assortment of zip ties could be handy for making sure that any cables are tucked out of the way and not a hazard and a small collection of various fasteners could be handy in the construction of various supports for your optics it might not seem like much but having an extra zip tie or an extra screw might mean the difference between an effective surveillance mission and one that is extremely uncomfortable and fatiguing and again considering that most of us are not super special delta ranger seals making sure that your choice of optics is not fatiguing is a huge requirement especially if you have to stay up all night monitoring a riot or a clearance operation and still have to go to work the next day it might not sound like much but having the right mounts accessories tripods and other stabilizing tools for your optics can significantly boost your capabilities [Music] foreign