Cryptozoology has done alot to try to find Bigfoot. Bigfoot, being as elusive as it is, may do a lot of its movement under the darkness of night. To find him,  Bigfoot Hunters will need the proper equipment to be able to search the woods even when there is no available sunlight. Night vision devices will allow you to continue your search into the darkness of night.

There are many different variations and versions of night vision equipment. I don’t want to go into too much detail here about how they work, but I will provide a general explanation to get you started. If you want to learn more,  try "Googling" around the Internet using the night vision terms on this page.

There are two basic types of Night Vision Devices:

Active Night Vision Goggles (NVG)

Active goggles send infrared light to an object to produce an image from the light reflected back from the object. These goggles often require an image enhancer to amplify the light. Many home video cameras produce an image this way. Although the military has steered away from this design (since the enemy may be able to detect the emitted infrared light), this design should work well for Bigfoot Hunting as long as Bigfoot's vision is not capable of detecting this emitted light.

Passive Night Vision Goggles (PNG)

Passive goggles capture light in the area, and amplify it using an image intensifier employing the photoelectric effect. As a photon collides with a detector plate, the metal ejects electrons that are amplified into an electron cascade that lights up a phosphor screen. These devices display a picture with a greenish tint. Green was chosen since the human eye can easily discern most shades of green. Using the color Green also allows the eye to readjust more quickly than with other colors when the goggles are removed.

There are also designs that incorporate a combination of both active and passive design elements to produce very clear images.

Types of Night Vision Devices (NVD)

There are a few different types of Night Vision Devices. Some are listed below:

1. Scopes and Monoculars: Scopes are normally hand held or mounted on a rifle, scopes are monocular and are good for when you want to get a better look at a specific object and then return to normal viewing conditions.
2. Goggles and Binoculars: Goggles can be hand held or worn on the head. Goggles are binocular and may have a single lens or stereo lens, depending on the make/model. Goggles work well for long term viewing or walking around in the dark.
3. Digital Cameras and Camcorders: Cameras equipped with night-vision technology send the image or video to a monitor for viewing or can be sent to a VCR for recording. When continuous night-vision capability is desired in a location such as monitoring an area in the forest, this type of device can be used. Many new camcorders have this type of night vision built in.

Night Vision has gone through a series of improvements, or "Generations" since its original development. In conversation, the word Generation is often shortened to "Gen" (pronounced Jenn). The Gen's are as follows:

Gen 0 Night Vision: Gen 0 Night Vision, the original night-vision system, was created for World War 2 and The Korean War. It uses active infrared. These are still useful for Bigfoot Hunting and should be considerably cheaper than newer models.

Gen 1 Night Vision

Gen 1 Night Vision Devices moved away from active infrared, and shifted to passive infrared. These devices use ambient light from the stars and moon to supplement the reflected infrared light in the environment. They did not require a projected infrared light source. They also do not work well on cloudy nights. These also will be cheaper and work well enough for Bigfoot Hunting.

Gen 2 Night Vision

Gen 2 Night Vision brought major improvements in image-intensifier tubes. Gen-2 devices increased resolution and performance and are considerably more reliable. Gen-2 allowed the ability to see in extremely low light conditions, such as cloudy and moonless nights. This increase in sensitivity resulted from the addition of a micro channel plate (MCP) to the image-intensifier tube. Since the MCP increases the number of electrons instead of accelerating the original ones, the images are significantly less distorted and brighter.

Gen 3 Night Vision

Generation 3 is what is currently being used by the U.S. military. These devices have better resolution and sensitivity than Gen-2. This is achieved by making the photo cathode out of gallium arsenide, which is extremely efficient at converting photons to electrons. The MCP is also coated with an ion barrier, greatly increasing the life of the tube.

Gen 4 Night Vision

Generation 4 or “film less and gated" demonstrates additional improvement in both low- and high-level light environments. The ion barrier was removed from the MCP reducing the background noise and enhancing the signal to noise ratio. The removal of the ion film allows more electrons to reach the amplification stage resulting in significantly less distorted and brighter images. An automatic gated power supply system was adding allowing the photo cathode voltage to switch on and off rapidly, enabling the device to instantly respond to a fluctuation in lighting conditions. This advance allows the user to quickly move from high-light to low-light environments with minimal adjustment.

The prices for night vision devices vary largely depending on functionality. Generation 1 devices go for as little as $200, while few Generation 3 devices can be obtained for less than $1000. Some devices built around finely manufactured image intensifier tubes are as expensive as $6,000. Many bargain night-vision devices use Generation-0 or Generation-1 technology, and may disappoint you if you are expecting the high sensitivity of professional grade devices. Generation-2, Generation-3 and Generation 4 devices can be very expensive, but should last a long time if properly maintained.

Night Vision Without Night Vision

There are a few other ways to improve your natural night vision (that is, without any devices). When going from a bright area to a dark area, close your eyes and give them some time to adjust before going out into the dark. Your eyes will eventually adjust to the dark and you will be able to see better.

When trying to get a glimpse of something in the dark,  focus your vision to the right or left of the object. Your peripheral visionworks better at night than looking directly at it.