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AtlantaDave
01-01-2014, 14:04
Hello everyone,

I'd like to get some feedback from the fellow "poor sighted" people out there who have thru hiked or section hiked. Glasses or contacts? I switched to contacts a few years ago and love the freedom. Would appreciate any knowledge/experience you guys/gals have on the subject. Appreciate it.

Dave

Hikes in Rain
01-01-2014, 14:32
Contacts, for sure. I'd rather lose my pants than my contacts. No worries about using them out in the woods, either. Just be sure to wash your hands before handling them. I use a little wash basin I made from the bottom half of a gallon milk jug. My cooking kit fits inside it, so it doesn't take up any additional space, and it's practically weightless. I also keep a small pack towel dedicated just for my eyes. Small travel bottles of solutions, and my glasses in a crushproof case from the Dollar Store, for a dollar.

Different Socks
01-01-2014, 14:37
I wore only glasses on the AT, then switched to contacts on the PCT and all other trails later. No problems taking out contacts each night, just don't try it when it is windy!
I'd rather have contacts to be able to protect eyes against sun, esp on the more treeless trails.

AtlantaDave
01-01-2014, 14:40
Contacts, for sure. I'd rather lose my pants than my contacts. No worries about using them out in the woods, either. Just be sure to wash your hands before handling them. I use a little wash basin I made from the bottom half of a gallon milk jug. My cooking kit fits inside it, so it doesn't take up any additional space, and it's practically weightless. I also keep a small pack towel dedicated just for my eyes. Small travel bottles of solutions, and my glasses in a crushproof case from the Dollar Store, for a dollar.
Thanks for the response and advice!

AtlantaDave
01-01-2014, 14:45
I wore only glasses on the AT, then switched to contacts on the PCT and all other trails later. No problems taking out contacts each night, just don't try it when it is windy!
I'd rather have contacts to be able to protect eyes against sun, esp on the more treeless trails.
Thank you. I was thinking that switching back to glasses would be more practical, but dreaded it. I figured I would throw it out there for those who have the experience. Glad I did.

Hikes in Rain
01-01-2014, 14:49
Thanks for the response and advice!

You're most welcome. Here's a couple of links to other posts, that have a lot of good info, too.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?91036-what-to-do-about-eyewear&highlight=contacts

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?91558-Contact-lens-use-on-extended-hikes&highlight=contacts

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?85384-Contacts-Vs-Glasses!&highlight=contacts

Colter
01-01-2014, 14:55
Definitely a personal choice on and off the trail. I prefer glasses but that's just me.

AtlantaDave
01-01-2014, 15:09
Definitely a personal choice on and off the trail. I prefer glasses but that's just me.

Thanks Colter. Any suggestions for defogging etc?

takethisbread
01-01-2014, 16:41
I do contacts only . I only change them every few weeks or so. glasses fog up in rain. it rains a lot on this trail


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ChinMusic
01-01-2014, 16:44
I never could wear contacts. I got Lasik in 2005 and couldn't be happier.

Colter
01-01-2014, 17:24
Thanks Colter. Any suggestions for defogging etc?

I wear a brimmed cap or hat, sometimes with a rain jacket hood to keep the rain off.

Usually when people are getting their lenses fogged up they are either getting sweated up or breathing on them, so I try to avoid both.

My spare glasses, with two pair of clip-on sun-glass lens, cleaning cloth and case weighs 2.4 oz total.

ocourse
01-01-2014, 18:43
I don't like glasses at all because of glare, constant adjusting of my head for best view, pressure on my nose, and rain/fogging. I can see fairly well without correction but I wear contacts into the sleeping bag in case I need to react to some situation. But I am unusual in that I clean my contacts daily - at home I do this at night and take them out, but on the trail I clean them in the morning. It only takes clean hands and a few minutes. I carry several spares. Much better for me than glasses.

Papa D
01-01-2014, 22:49
i only wear glasses - - sometimes this has been a problem - as a whitewater kayaker, it's been really interesting - tight croakies - lots of anti-fog.
as a skiier, I have custom ground inserts for my goggles.
as a backpacker, I'm constantly going to the pack towel or adjusting my visor
I've just never wanted to put anything in my eyes.
of course, I'm only 46. maybe when I grow up ......

handlebar
01-02-2014, 00:49
I've had success, both on and off trail with AirOptix extended wear contacts. They are very comfortable even after wearing overnight for a week. I use re-wetting drops morning and night and take the lenses out only when zeroing in a town where I can practice good hygiene. My lenses are even bifocal.

it's great to see the night sky clearly when cowboy camping. Also, contacts don't fog. Just in case I do carry a pair of glasses.

drifter
01-02-2014, 17:19
Blind as a bat, always wear contacts - never any issues while hiking, just use common sense with hygiene

redseal
01-02-2014, 21:00
For short section hikes (2 to 3 days) I will wear glasses. For longer trips, I will wear the 30 day/night contacts. For me, they are comfortable even when subject to campfire smoke.

Blissful
01-02-2014, 21:28
I never wore contacts, just went with glasses, and they broke on night one. That being said, with long distance hiking, be sure to carry your vision prescription just in case.

Hill Ape
01-03-2014, 01:57
would like to add, carry a current prescription. i always have a xerox copy in my emergency contact ziplock, and was caught once out of date. thought i could simply sweet talk them, all i got back was law blah blah blah, we could lose our license blah blah. to me it felt like extortion to pay for the screening

minda
01-04-2014, 18:29
I wear contacts and bring a spare pair as well as my glasses. I truly despise wearing my glasses on the trail.

Astro
01-04-2014, 20:09
Glasses. Just a lot less hassle. When I am on the AT I like to keep things simple.

MuddyWaters
01-04-2014, 20:23
I wore extended extended wear lenses for about 20 yrs. I actually left them in my eyes for about 6 months on average, and once for over a year.

Eventually, my eyelids got allergic to the deposits on the lenses, and created more deposits quickly. Eyes got itchy and I had to start taking lenses out every day.

At that point, just not worth it. Ive worn glasses since for the last 10 yrs.

In my old age, glasses come in handy for reading stuff too, because I can take them off or look under them. Reading would be hard thru contacts now.

Never any issues on trail. Maybe once per day I rinse off and wash carefully with a dot of soap and water, and put back on.

leaftye
01-05-2014, 20:12
I never could wear contacts. I got Lasik in 2005 and couldn't be happier.

I wish I could wear contacts. I'm eventually going to get eye surgery, primarily to improve my hiking experiences. Poor vision makes it harder to see well at night and in very bright conditions. There are eyeglasses with photochromic lenses, but the frame selection is limited. At least there are affordable options from companies like Zenni, but eyeglasses are still a hassle when they get dirty, scratched, it's humid or raining. Then they can break or the screws can fall out, or get lost. Eyeglasses also catch some glare when used with some headlamps.

Chris10
01-05-2014, 23:04
I normally wear contacts, but wore my glasses instead during a section hike in GA his past summer. Though I brought my contacts, with the expectations I'd wear them, I never did, mainly because I didn't have any issues with the glasses. I also liked the convenience of being able to just "put them on" at night if I needed to use the woods at night. Next time Ill leave the contact, and solution behind (Also no worry about getting dirt, germs in your eyes by wearing glasses).

River Runner
01-06-2014, 02:41
I haven't worn glasses in over 30 years. The last time I ordered a pair "just in case" I couldn't wear my contacts for some reason, wearing the glasses made me extremely dizzy and nauseous. I wear rigid gas permeables (started with "hard" contacts in my teens when that was the only thing available). If you want to make the contacts work for you on the trail, you can. I carry a square Zip-lock container (about 6 x 6 inches or so) with lid that multi-tasks as my sink for contact purposes (cleaning/rinsing), and make sure my eyes are directly over it as I put the contacts in just in case I drop one. Easy enough in a tent, I usually put them in before leaving my sleeping bag. A little harder when I hammock, as I typically kneel on the ground with a trash bag in place as a work surface, and I once lost one to a wind doing that. Carry a spare pair or two. Just make sure your hands are relatively clean, use a bit of hand sanitizer or soap as needed, and rinse your fingers well before handling the contacts.

I also use the same Zip-lock for other tasks - sometime I pack it with food items that I don't want getting crushed in my pack, use it for a quick sponge bath, for collecting water if I am carrying only a platy, or use it as a bowl to hold my freezer bag meals. (Rinsed well between the various uses).

BuckeyeBill
01-07-2014, 07:28
I wore soft contacts for years starting in Jr. High School. About 4 years ago I made the switch to glasses as I needed bifocals to read with. I plan to get single vision extended wear contacts to wear on my thru hike. I will bring extra pairs with me as well as a pair of reading glasses and my bifocal glasses for emergencies. My eye doctor has told me that I wouldn't like bifocal contacts and lasik surgery is too expensive. YMMV HYOH.

Hikes in Rain
01-07-2014, 09:33
BuckeyeBill, Bausch and Lomb make a multi-focal contact that eliminated my need for reading glasses. They're not bifocal contacts; instead, each prescription is layered in concentric rings like a bulls-eye. I tried the "monovision", where they correct one eye for distance and the other for reading. Only time I've ever been motion sick, and i was sitting in the examination chair. Reall bifocal contacts were about as bad; I agree with your doctor. There lenses, on the other hand, approximate the eyes I should have been born with! Best distance vision I've had in decades, and with no visual transition I can look down and read the map or guidebook. If this isn't magic, it'll do until the real thing comes along. http://www.bausch.com/our-products/contact-lenses/contact-lenses-for-presbyopia-multifocal/purevision-multi-focal/