How to store night vision.

Clean and dry before it goes away

Never seal a wet device in a case. A sealed case does its job both ways: it keeps moisture out, and it keeps trapped moisture in, where it condenses on lenses and finds its way into housings. Wipe the device down, let it dry properly, then stow it. If the environment is humid, add a desiccant sachet to the stowage location and replace it on a schedule rather than when it looks spent.

Lens caps on, stored dark

Image-intensifier tubes age with light exposure. Caps on and a closed, opaque case is the baseline: it protects the objective lens from scratches and keeps the tube in the dark where it belongs. A device left on a bench in daylight, even switched off, is being treated worse than one that spent the night in the rain.

Batteries out for long-term storage

For anything beyond day-to-day rotation, remove the batteries. Cell leakage is slow, silent and ruinous: corrosion in a battery compartment can write off an otherwise healthy device. Store batteries separately, and mark the device so the next user knows it is stowed dry of power.

Watch temperature, especially vehicles

Vehicle cabins and closed load compartments swing far beyond what any electronics should live in. Direct sun through glass will cook a stowed device; sub-zero soaks stress seals and optics coatings. Stable, cool and dry wins: an arms room, not a dashboard.

The case does the rest

Everything above assumes the device sits still while it waits. It should. A case moulded to the device, with no void space and nothing loose against the optics, means transport and storage stop being events the tube has to survive. That is the thinking behind the NODBOX, our hard case for the AN/PVS-31A and 31C: exact fit, designed to keep dust and water out, and light enough that it never gets left behind.

Quick checklist

• Device wiped down and fully dry before stowage
• Lens caps fitted, case closed, stored dark
• Batteries out for long-term storage, stored separately
• Desiccant in place and rotated on schedule
• Stable temperature: never a vehicle cabin
• Exact-fit case so nothing moves in transit