View Full Version : Glasses for the AT???
goody5534
03-17-2011, 19:46
I currently wear Prada RX'd glasses, but I think there is a good chance I will break these while hiking and at $700 for this pair I am not willing to risk breaking them. What are a realiable Rx-able frames or brand for the trail? Oakley, Maui Jim I would like to combine sunglasses and non if possible???
ShelterLeopard
03-17-2011, 19:49
Just go to your eyedoc and say "I want cheap, tough, hikable sun/ eyeglasses." Problem solved.
I wear my oakleys with no problem. They aren't prescription though.
Bo Knows
03-17-2011, 20:20
i heard about ordering from china for dirt cheap but i didnt have all the info necessary. went to good old target and got a cheap pair and a pair of Rx sunglasses for $200
Mountain Wildman
03-17-2011, 20:23
Pearle Vision or Walmart, Both have a good selection of Regular and sunglasses and transition lenses as well at reasonable prices.
most eye glasses get broken in shelters when you leave them where someone walks on them at night.
Get a good strong heavy hard plastic case to keep them in. Don't scrimp on the weight. Don't keep them where someone will step on them in the dark.
I usually don't sleep in shelters. I sleep in my tent. I have rigged a string in the top of my tent where I can hang my glasses at night. Can't be stepped on. Can always find them even in the dark.
Panzer
Montana Mac
03-17-2011, 20:52
In 09 i lost my very good glasses on the trail to Calf Mountain Shelter. I looked two or three times during daylight and then went out after dark hoping the flashlight beam might have reflected off the lenses - no such luck. :(:(
I could not read my trail guide or map without them. Now when I hike or do outdoor activity I wear/carry a pair of "readers" from Walgreens or CVS.
Pearle Vision or Walmart, Both have a good selection of Regular and sunglasses and transition lenses as well at reasonable prices.
I strongly disagree. Quality optician can beat their pricing and orders a better quality blank. Even after the sale gimmicks. I have had 5-6 frames from Pearl, as I was traveling alot, adjustment etc.
Flexon by Marchon, not the version sold by Pearl. Transition coating, or full polarized for dedicated sunglasses. I have found that if the sun is overhead, I really miss the boxy wrap arounds. Can't beat those for coverage.
Hard case.
I've got Rx Oakley frames which have held up nicely. Got the Transitions lenses which I found to be great in an alpine environment, but not so much so on the AT.
+1 to the Oakley frames. Mine have been great.
Sassafras Lass
03-18-2011, 11:40
ZenniOptical.com
I ordered 2 pair of prescription glasses and 1 pair of prescription sunglasses. Set me back about $115.
The only issue is you need to be very aware of your comfort zone for eyewear and how wide your face is. My pair of flexible wire glasses fit extremely well - my pair of thicker metal glasses? Not so much - but my own fault, because I love how they look and figured a "Medium" style could conform to my very wide face; not so! I had to bend them a bit to get them to fit without giving me a headache. The sunglasses look great but I also picked a frame too narrow for my face; my own fault.
But I would buy from them again in a heartbeat.
My .02. Be careful of glasses that don't leave space between your face and the lens. You'll find fogging is an issue nearly every day. I like the flexible metal frames for durability. Have not yet found sunglasses all that useful as most of my travel has been in the woods. That said, my backup pair of glasses are my sunglasses--helpful when on roadwalks or in town. Second the recommendation on a hard case, tho I've seen home made cases out of bubble wrap or closed cell foam.
Cosmo
max patch
03-18-2011, 12:44
i heard about ordering from china for dirt cheap but i didnt have all the info necessary. went to good old target and got a cheap pair and a pair of Rx sunglasses for $200
http://www.zennioptical.com/
Highly recommended and used my Clark Howard.
I keep a pair of costco readers in my pack. 3 glasses for $20.
Blissful
03-18-2011, 13:10
I've worn my glasses for two AT hikes and the only time I had an issue was on the first night when I forgot to remove them and a glass popped out. Other than that I have never broken them. Glasses are fine in the trail. Put them in a good case at night.
I also didn't have a fogging issue unless it was extremely humid (like during a t-storm) or I was overdressed in the rain
buff_jeff
03-18-2011, 13:59
I sectioned the majority of the trail with one pair of glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses. The sunglasses were the only ones that ending up breaking, and only once.
The last 300 or so miles of the trail I wore contacts and really liked hiking in them. I used to think it'd be difficult to keep things clean and avoid eye infections, but I had no problems. I'd recommend looking into them for the trail.
buff_jeff
03-18-2011, 14:01
Oh, and the glasses I wore weren't particularly sturdy. I think, as others have said, the most common time for glasses to be broken is at night when they aren't on your face. If you get a good, sturdy case you should be good. I doubt you'd have to worry about them breaking while actually hiking.
ashevillain
03-18-2011, 17:21
I've got Rx Oakley frames which have held up nicely. Got the Transitions lenses which I found to be great in an alpine environment, but not so much so on the AT.
Do you have a link?
My everyday pair of glasses is a set of Nike frames. They are made from something called Flexon. Super durable and light. I can literally ball them up in my hand and they will spring back. Been wearing them for two years now and haven't had a problem with screws coming out.
I have a pair of sport goggle type sunglasses for the mountain bike rides. The NIkes are durable enough that I will wear them riding the trails when its too dark for the shades. With one of those stretchy glasses keeper bands of course.
Around $200 for the frames. May be a bit high for a back-up pair, but I had to spread the word on these.
There are a lot of places where you can order glasses online, if you have your prescription handy. Personally I'd get the cheapest, lightest frames available, and keep a spare pair in my bounce box. I'm even thinking of getting those transitions lenses for myself so that I have glasses and sunglasses without having to carry extra.
ShelterLeopard
03-19-2011, 21:34
Carry one of those tiny eyeglass repair kits WITH the mini screwdriver. The weight is next to nothing, and it will seriously save you if your glasses have an issue.
http://www.armygasmasks.com/v/vspfiles/photos/AAAGAS-224-2T.jpg
Got the Transitions lenses which I found to be great in an alpine environment, but not so much so on the AT.
Agree. Going from sunny into the shade makes them next to useless. For my eyesight anyway.
Old Grouse
03-20-2011, 12:55
FWIW, I wore photosensitive lenses for a few years and found them unsatisfactory in two ways. First, they weren't dark enough in really bright conditions (ski slopes or the beach, for example) and second, my eyes became extremely (uncomfortably) sensitive to light. When I switched back it took some time before I could be comfortable in normally bright conditions without sunglasses. I rarely wear sunglasses when hiking. A brimmed cap works well enough for roadwalking.
Get some used plastic frames at a thrift store and then go to an eyeglasses shop and have your script put in - should be able to do this for about $75 total. The AT for the most part is pretty shaded - assuming you are not winter thru-hiking in snow - I don't think you really need sunglasses - just extra weight esp. if you have a hat with a visor - you might have to squint at a few vistas in mid-day, but other than that just skip the shades - especially expensive ones.
just read your post again - Prada glasses, huh? Maui Jim's? Are you sure you don't just want to hang out at the Nantucket Yacht Club all summer or maybe Sea Island. Do you have Gucci rain pants and a Louis Vuitton backpack maybe?
4eyedbuzzard
03-20-2011, 15:12
just read your post again - Prada glasses, huh? Maui Jim's? Are you sure you don't just want to hang out at the Nantucket Yacht Club all summer or maybe Sea Island. Do you have Gucci rain pants and a Louis Vuitton backpack maybe?
I LOVE Sea Island. Where else can you wear a blazer with Bemuda shorts to breakfast and not look out of place :confused: :D
Razorback
03-20-2011, 21:48
Greateyeglasses.com You'll need your prescription in hand as you will fill in the specifics of your refraction, pupillary distance, etc. Quite cheap and if you do lose this pair, it won't cost a small fortune to replace them.
I sectioned the majority of the trail with one pair of glasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses. The sunglasses were the only ones that ending up breaking, and only once.
The last 300 or so miles of the trail I wore contacts and really liked hiking in them. I used to think it'd be difficult to keep things clean and avoid eye infections, but I had no problems. I'd recommend looking into them for the trail.
Contacts?? Extended wear or did you take them out daily?
Awol1970
03-21-2011, 06:24
http://www.zennioptical.com/
Highly recommended and used by Clark Howard.
Clark is my hero. Been listening forever...
I know this isn't for everyone because of finances or eye type, but i had corrective surgery 5 yrs ago. I went from blind as a bat to 20/15 in ten minutes. Best $2400 I've ever spent by far. I took me a whole year to quit reaching for my glasses in the morning.