I just got a PVS 14  looking for options on mounting them on my head of course..  I had a ACH from my time in the army but cant find it...   I was in the 82nd airborne went to Iraq and Afghanistan spent plenty of time with NVG on my head...BUT that was 12 years ago..   so need to know what is new and the way to go now..  I don't need a helmet that can stop a bullet just want something comfortable and light weight on my head.   I know most stuff first spear makes is amazing so that is why I went to that first..  A buddy of my suggested a Crye watch cap..  I have a Rino Horn already so I don't see any need to go with something ells  unless it is just way way better and I just don't see that with the horns out there..

Comfortable and light weight.  OK, I'd look at the Crye Night Cap, or an OpsCore bump helmet.   Use them both and like em a lot.  A rigid bump helmet will be most comfortable; the nylon Night Cap the lightest.  

Look for a Rhino II mount to go with your J-arm.  Huge improvement over what you used to wear.

First Spear makes good kit, but the VAS shroud is not among them.  But the OpsCore VAS Shroud is what I'd get to go with a Night Cap.

Check out some of the vendors here to see what's out there.  Lots has changed in 12 years.

I've had a nightcap since they were first available, rarely do I ever wear a helmet unless I'm at work.  As long as I have a -14 I will be using the nightcap.

Ops-Core Night cap is light weight, packable by folding up nicely that can fit in your back pocket and when adjusted correctly will be very stable using a single tube NOD. A small pouch in the rear to hold spare a few spare batteries helps balance out the weight. I made mine convertable using velcro I can add a IR light pointing up for illuminating rooms and added a Princeton Tech light on cable run pocket on the right for admin purposes.

Single tube set up .   For now will upgrade to wp before I add on another tube.


Edit my original post i may have maid it looks like I had a twin tube setup..

I run a dual tube anvis on mine and its perfectly stable. Just get the counterweight right.

My Nightcap holds Mod3s fine with an EOD bag in the back. Energizer Hardcase on top and you're done.

Ops core bump, dont look back

I put a TNVC Mohawk on my NightCap and it work great.  My OpsCore has fitment issues and does not interface well with the Wilcox G11 so it has never left the box it came in.

Nightcap is fine with lightweight binos too with a proper counterweight. But is almost unnoticeable with a Rhino II, lightweight mono and a plastic J-arm, even without any counterweight and in my opinion preferably so.

I have three different helmets that have all been great. The ops core bump and team wendy are being sold now that I run the ops core skull mount which is the BOMB. I run mod 3's but for a pvs 14 I'd probably go with the nightcap (which I haven't tried yet but believe to be good to go) Let me know if you want the ops core bump or team wendy, I'll make you a good deal.

I've been bad about taking pics but will do next time I'm out.  I don't think it's cumbersome at all (for hunting).  A little more velcro on the back of the NightCap would make it just about perfect.

What about the Wilcox L4?



https://tnvc.com/shop/wilcox-l4-nvg-skull-lock-lite-head-mount/

Email sent for more info

Great mount but your going to need to buy a dove tail arm so add in another 150-200.

Wow props to Mike Sierra for getting all that stuff on there, but if you want to go that route, I'd mod the thing a little to make it more accommodating.  I removed the elastic in back and added 2 adjustable 1" webbing straps, spaced so it acts like molle webbing.  You now have a proper base to add a battery C/W pouch.  This also tightens up the whole unit, so the -14 (and C/W) ride better on your head.   The harness didn't really fit me right so I re-rigged that as well, although that will vary from head to head.  The chin cup didn't hit me right so changed the geometry (opened it up a bit).  I did this mod both for myself and a buddy and it has worked much better in the field.  We run OpsCore VAS shrouds, Rhino II's, -14's, and Batt C/W pouches.  They ride amazingly well for non-rigid caps.  The C/W pouch is key in this app.  

On the OpsCore bump, man that sucks, but I'd take it to a local para rigger, tac gear maker, gunsmith, etc. to see if something can be done to make it work with your kit.  I'd be curious to see if it worked with a Rhino II.  If not, then I'd get it mod'd to work with a metal shroud, which I think would be better in the long run.  I would not return it based on OpsCore's past performance.  Although if that's changed I would be happy to stand corrected.

On the set up, you can buy anything you want, but other than for cool factor points, you're really just as well served with a GI Rhino II, J-arm, and VAS shroud.

I ordered a crye night cap and Vas shroud from TNVC..  figured we would start there and see how I like it..  I alredy have a Rino mount and j arm..  

Thanks for the input guys..  

Feel free to keep the convo going I am learning

If you have a Rhino II I'd say your set, if not upgrading is defiantly worth the very worth it.

I will have to check..  I have one I got from  got from uncle Sam 12 years ago and one that came with the kit I got.  I will take a look.  Will it just say Rhino 2 on it ?  Lol. What is the difference?


Nevermind found an old thread

Pretty sure the Rhino 2 didn't exist 12 years ago

I bought a kit from a guy that was 2 or 3 years old.  So I thought that might have had the Rhino 2 in it.  But alas nope.

The Rhino II is definitely worth the upgrade.  By a large margin.  With a good vertical adjustment you can really dial it in, especially when you are rocking a Night Cap vs a helmet.  The vertical adjustment drops the device directly in front of your eye, which allows you to adjust it so you are looking straight through your eye, straight through the device (and straight through a RDS).  With a legacy Rhino, depending on helmet set up, you might end up tilting the device in order to get a good view through it, which means you have to move your head in order to line it up, which forces you to look off-center with your eyes.  This doesn't sound like a big deal, however, if you want the ability to shoot passive through your MNVD, then looking through the center of your eyes/device/RDS is important.  Even if this is not important to you, looking through the center of your eyes, though the device, without canting your head will be less fatiguing on a long mission.

ok so after a few outings with the watch cap and USGI J arm and Rhino mount the slop in the j arm and Rhino is starting to get on my nerves...  

Will the Rhino 2 fix this ...  there are some used ones on Ebay for like 50 bucks

Or are we talking getting some other mounting system ?

To some degree yes, the interface is tighter, but if you have any sloppyness in the J-arm itself, in the pivoting mechanism for example, then it's not going to fix that. Then either a DIY fix, bungees, new J-arm or a Norotos DDA / Wilcox arm setup.