eyeglasses/rain/hat/contacts?

[cupcake]

i start my hike in a month --- i wear glasses (i'm nearsighted) all the time. i sometimes wear daily wear lenses when hiking in the rain/mist or for some sports where i don't want my glasses getting knocked off my face.
i considered making an eye appt. to get extended wear contacts --- the deterent being, time/money, and my poor eyes don't care much for daily wear (maybe because i wear them so infrequently?).
so, if i do hike with my glasses -- what would you all recommend? i can't see with water running down the lenses, and i don't like the crinkle sound of a hood in the rain --- i thought perhaps a hat -- maybe one of those o.r. sombrero hats -- which, could be good for the summer sun too.
any suggestions?
thanks,
d

[Hammock Hanger]

for contacts. I wore the extended wear. It was great cuz I only had to take them out and clean them when I was in town. They were no bother on the trail. I have tried to hike in glasses and hated it. When it rains is bad but when I sweat, which was always, it really sucked. HH

[littledragon]

I think you may find the kind of hat you are describing as quite useful for many things besides rain. I really like having mine around-it stores easily, too.

[gravityman]

My wife and I both wore contacts on the trail. They were not extended wear, and we wore them typically for a number of days (usually between trail towns). The down side was sleeping at night. The eyes don't produce tears when you sleep, so they would get very dry and uncomfortable, which really hindered our night sleeping. But taking them out on trail was even worse. Especially if it is below freezing because you have to wash your hands and can't dry them until you get the contacts out.

We both just got Lasik done. We both are seeing 20/20 or maybe a little better. It was totally worth it!

Anyway, contacts are the best compromise. Glasses are just terrible when you are sweating sweating sweating...

Gravity Man

[Kerosene]

I hike with glasses under a baseball cap, usually in the cooler fall weather but in all sorts of conditions except plus-85 heat. However, I still manage to sweat quite a bit but haven't had the same extent of problems that Hammock Hanger has had to deal with.

[littledragon]

About the dry eyes- my doctor told me to use Refesh Tears at night before sleeping and again first thing in the morning. I have done this and worn the gp lenses for several days without any problem. Maybe that will work for you.

[Hikerman]

I wear the extended wear lenses and keep them in for about a week at a time with out any problems. They are disposable and not too expensive.
I have tried to wear my glasses and they are a real pain in the &%^$#.
A Visor may be a good choice if you do decide on the glasses. It will not make your head sweat as bad and weights almost nill. It will help keep off the rain though.
Hikerman.

[Brushy Sage]

I wore glasses and a Country Gentleman felt hat, with a brim that kept the rain off the glasses. In the rain, I pulled the Frogg Toggs hood up over the hat. It didn't go totally over the front brim, which got wet often but dried very well, so didn't restrict my vision too much. At night I kept the glasses in my hat so I would know where they were the next morning. One morning I was ready to hike off from a shelter and suddenly realized I didn't have my glasses on -- a big problem vision wise. Several of us searched for the glasses -- I totally unpacked my pack to look, and others looked under the shelter floor, etc. Just as I was ready to give up, I spotted them on the ground where I had done the final assembly of my pack. I had forgotten to take the glasses out of my hat when I put it on, and the glasses fell to the ground. They were in good shape -- nobody had stepped on them, so I put them on and hiked up the trail. BTW, the Country Gentleman hat looks like it has been through a war, and I'll be retiring it as soon as I find a replacement.

[TronBlaster]

They have new lenses that you can wear day and night for a month. I got those, and I'll put a fresh pair in each of my six mail drops. I'll have refreshing drops in my pack. I've been wearing them for a couple weeks, at first I wanted to take them out every couple days, but now I can wear them for a week at a time without even rinsing them or using drops.

--Baltimore Andrew
--S->N 4/2/04

[statler]

I never seem to have a problem using daily wear lenses. I'm washing my hands to cook dinner, so I take my contacts out then. With the multi-purpose cleaning solutions available now, cleaning them isn't that big of a deal anymore.

I have learned to keep contacts & saline in my sleeping bag on cold nights.