Thanks for joining us here at Night Chenanigans where I share with you esoteric night vision related products and my review of said items. Today we take a look at arguably one of the best non-helmet options for wearing night vision on your head. The 4D Tactical SOF Cap is the most comfortable setup I have tried.
4D Tactical SOF Cap
There are times when you dont want a helmet jsut to wear night vision on your head. The infamous skullcrusher carries that moniker because it does crush the skull. They are obsolete headborne systems from the gulf war era. While there are other "skull crushers" i found the Crye Nightcap to be great for the price, size and weight. However lately Ive been noticing a hot spot on my forehead even with using light weight goggles.
My friend, Gary, bought the 4D Tactical SOF Cap last January at SHOT Show. I tried it briefly for a few minutes and while I did not immediately see the benefits, I remember him telling me its the best he has ever worn and it doesnt even need the chin strap. So during the Thanksgiving holiday I decided to buy one as a Xmas present to myself.
The first thing that you will notice about the 4D Tactical SOF Cap, when you put it on your head, is how the rear section goes down behind and under the occipital bone of your head.
The SOF Cap uses a Galvion BATLSKIN fit band to help tighten it on your head. You can see the dial in the photo below. My only criticism is that there is no easy way to release the tension. Other systems have a quick release. This one you have to spin the wheel the other direction to loosen the head strap. For clarity, the head strap wraps around your head. Im not talking about a chinstrap.
The headstrap slides through a loop around the edge of the SOF Cap. The ends have velcro. You can adjust the position of the headstrap ends for larger or smaller heads. Adjustment takes mere seconds, unlike other systems like the Tracer Tactical Head Harness. Even the Crye Nightcap can take a minute or more and often people with large heads cannot fit the Crye Nightcap.
The SOF Cap anchors to the head that I have not needed to use any counterweight. I dont even need the battery pack if I want to be even more slick.
The design of the SOF Cap is similar to the Crey Nightcap. There is a channel on the right side for routing battery pack cables. However often battery pack cables are long for use on helmets so I often need to tuck the excess cable and route it through some of the velcro straps.
The SOF Cap has plenty of velcro for attaching strobes and like the Crye Nightcap, it has adjustment straps that cross over the top and one for pulling the front of the cap back.
I really appreciate the integrated battery pack mounting area at the back o fthe SOF Cap. The Crye Nightcap looks and funtions like a baseball cap. You cannot mount a battery pack unless you buy their battery pack pouch. Not the case with the 4D Tactical SOF Cap. They even integrated straps that cross over to help keep the battery pack from getting ripped off. I think the straps could have been sewn a little bit higher so it lays down the middle of the L3 PVS-31A battery pack.
Another feature that sets the 4D Tactical SOF Cap apart from other non-helmet options has to do with what 4D Tactical is known for, they make helmet pads. The SOF Cap has custom pads designed specifically for it. There is a ring cushion that goes all around the rim of the SOF Cap. There are pads in the front and back as well as the top. Making the SOF Cap very comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. Just know that the crown pad is separate. It came with the chin strap.
On the side of the SOF Cap are loops for mounting a custom Galvion BATLSKIN 4-point chinstrap.
The chinstrap attaches using velcro strips. Slide one under the loop of the SOF Cap and fold it over with the other velcro strip. This locks it in place and makes it easy to install or remove. I tuck the end of the top velcro strip back down into the loop. this makes it secure but i find using a flat head screw driver helps to push it back out to remove the chin strap.
Not many night vision caps have bungees but the 4D Tactical SOF Cap does. Bungees are great for minimizing wobble and while they can act as a form of retention, you are better off using a lanyard to secure your NODs in case the mount fails.
Wearing And Using The 4D Tactical SOF Cap
I found in have to adjust the NVG mount as high as possible for my PVS-31A. If I use a low profile dovetail, like an RNVG, I dont have to adjust the mount as high.
Unfortunately the SOF Cap, or any cap for that matter does not work well with GPNVG style quads. It is the design of the bridge and position of the dovetail, it positions the goggles very low and too close to the face.
Due to how low the edge of the SOF Cap sits on my head, it somewhat interferes with my ear pro. I can wear the earpro under the SOF Cap but it sits weird now. If I strap the ear pro over the cap, then the tops of the ear cups dont seal properly. I will probably wear ear plugs if I am using the cap and firing unsuppressed.
4D Tactical offers a TNVC mohawk but I really have not found that I need it. It just adds unecessary bulk to the SOF Cap.
Final Thoughts On The 4D Tactical SOF Cap
Yes the SOF cap is expensive. It is $395 right now without any accessories. The TNVC Mohawk is $85 while the chinstrap and crown pad is another $95. Considering I use night vision a lot and I dont always want to lug a helmet when I am travelling I don't mind paying more for comfort. If you are thinking of getting the SOF Cap, skip the mohawk. The chinstrap is not that useful for me as the cap feels very secure. Maybe if I was riding a adventure E-bike or off roading with a side by side I might want the extra security but the crown pad is worth the upgrade. I wish they just sold the crown cap separately or just included it with the basic setup. I would like to see loop velcro on the left side for mounting a simple admin light but I can just wear a simple headlamp around my neck if I really need light.
For more information go to 4D Tactical's website.
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