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jlore
06-29-2011, 14:37
hikers that ware glasses, do you carry an extra pair in case your glasses break, or does that rarely happen? also do glasses warers also ware some kind of hat either baseball cap or bucket type hat for when it rains to help keep water off of lenses. i'm trying to plan for a LT e2e this summer. thanks!

Beachcomber
06-29-2011, 14:45
hikers that ware glasses, do you carry an extra pair in case your glasses break, or does that rarely happen? also do glasses warers also ware some kind of hat either baseball cap or bucket type hat for when it rains to help keep water off of lenses. i'm trying to plan for a LT e2e this summer. thanks!

I WEAR glasses, can do OK without them for distant vision, so concluded it wasn't worth the weight of carrying a spare pair. Baseball cap was very helpful in keeping rain off. Also, dry TP is essential for cleaning lenses. After a couple of days of rain and sweat, my formerly reliable shirt-tail no longer did the trick.

Spokes
06-29-2011, 15:12
I carry a light weight plastic case to keep my glasses in when I bed down- don't want to risk stepping or rolling over on them in the middle of the night. My nylon runners hat is more to keep my PreCip rain hood from falling down over my eyes in the rain.

Slo-go'en
06-29-2011, 15:13
Well, I lost a lens out of my glasses this spring just before coming out to Davenport Gap. Hiked all the way to Erwin with the world out of focus. Thankfully, I ran into 10-K and his wife on the trail doing a little SOBO, then were able to get me to a Lens Crafters in Johnson City when I arrived in Erwin.

I should have known better as I had been having trouble with lens falling out of those frames for some time, but just hadn't getten around to replacing them. I've seen enough lost eye glasses at shelters or left at trail heads to know people do loose or miss place thier glasses from time to time. To carry a spare pair is something you need to decide if its worth it or not. Depends on how dependant you are on them. Being near sighted, I didn't need them to read and could see well enough to hike, but not to drive.

Baseball cap or other head gear to keep the rain off your glasses is a very good idea, but sometimes even that isn't enough and your better off without them, no matter how poorly you see without them. I carry a microfiber lens cleaning cloth with me to keep the lens clean. Once other glass wearers saw me using my cloth, they were asking to borrow it each time I pulled it out!

Ender
06-29-2011, 15:31
On both my AT and PCT hike I started with glasses, and ended up sending them home. I just made the switch to using contacts every day, and that worked out great for me. It was a pain in the mornings putting them in, but I carried a little extra contact solution and a clean cloth to wash my fingers, and never had any problems. And they work so much better in the rain than glasses.

tiptoe
06-29-2011, 15:34
I don't carry an extra pair (I don't own an extra pair), but I do carry a little eyeglass repair kit (tiny screwdriver, extra screws). That actually came in handy when I lent it to another hiker for a quick repair of his glasses. As for rain, I really dislike hats, and I see well enough without them to get around. They tend to fog up in the heat as well, so I often just remove them for a while.

Panzer1
06-29-2011, 15:37
FYI
glasses get broken on the AT because when hikers stay in shelters they leave their glasses on the floor where they get walked on in the middle of the night by someone going to the bathroom.

put your glasses in a hard and heavy case. And don't scrimp on the weight.

I always sleep in a tent and hang my glasses from the ceiling on a clothes line. They can't get walked on or laid down on. I can immediately find them.

Panzer

mmais68569
06-29-2011, 15:43
I wear glasses but do good with distance so I carry mine most of the time. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods & bought a rigid plastic case for them. That way I did not worry about them being broken Glasses & case are only 4 OZ. some may say that is a lot but then they probably do not have to have glasses.

Mike (Mr. Mean)

Smooth & Wasabi
06-29-2011, 15:43
I just can't wear my glasses doing anything active they stay fogged up no matter what. Luckily I can hike well enough without them. I will take my contacts hiking occasionally and definately on overnight ski or snowshoe trips where seeing well is more important. If you really need vision correction to function and can't for whatever reason do contacts I guess it might make sense to have a spare.

chiefiepoo
06-29-2011, 15:51
Plan A; rugged and flexible FLEXON autoflex frames for the last 20 years. Never a break. Will survive a "must have rolled on them in my sleep".
Plan B; back up pair of old prescription
Plan C; 1oz repair kit on hand
Plan D; remember that a blind man, Bill Irwin, did the AT end to end.

ChinMusic
06-29-2011, 16:00
First question: Can you see well enough to navigate a trail without glasses. If the answer is "no", bring a spare.

I used to wear glasses (not anymore....Lasek) and dropped mine while cleaning them and couldn't find em. I quickly realized I was totally screwed unless I found em. Luckily a fellow hiker came along and found em for me. I learned my lesson.

daddytwosticks
06-29-2011, 16:04
No spare pair. They are either on me or tucked into my shoe/boot at night or in the side pocket of my tent. I wear a BB cap to keep the rain off the lenses. I hate it when they fog up...drives me crazy. Been meaning to buy/apply some type of anti-fog before a wet hike. Does this suiff actually work? :)

solobip
06-29-2011, 17:36
I don't carry a spare pair but I have learned to use either Cat Crap or Sea Vision anti-fogging agents or hell I have even used RainX on my glasses. Makes a hugh difference. No fogging, rain runs off and they are really clear. RainX lasts about a week, Cat Crap can be reapplied easy on the trai, it is like a wax, it comes is a small plastice can, about the size of a quarter. Hat are always nice, but they don't help with the fogging.

solobip
06-29-2011, 17:40
Cat Crap at Campmor not the real stuff :confused: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___83081

nitegaunt
06-29-2011, 18:49
I had a similar experience to one of the comments above. When I was about 18 I went on one of my first trips on the AT. The first day out I lost a lens from my glasses while rock hopping across a fast running creek near Grayson Highlands. I had to do the rest of the trip very out of focus. Luckily the friend I was with also wore a similar prescription so we would share the glasses whenever someone needed to go get water or firewood. It was one of my first hard learned lessons on the AT. Since then I started wearing contacts. Now when I hike I always bring both contacts and glasses. Glasses are good for sunny days and contacts are much better for rain. Plus, if you have both with you then you always have a backup. Of course, you could have two pairs of contacts or two pairs of glasses as well.

58starter
06-29-2011, 19:25
I wear one pair of glasses and carry a second pair. One pair is regular and the 2nd pair are sunglasses. Never had any problems as I take care of them in camp to make sure they are safe.

atraildreamer
06-29-2011, 20:01
No spare pair. They are either on me or tucked into my shoe/boot at night or in the side pocket of my tent. I wear a BB cap to keep the rain off the lenses. I hate it when they fog up...drives me crazy. Been meaning to buy/apply some type of anti-fog before a wet hike. Does this suiff actually work? :)

I used to spray my glasses with Snap Silicone Spray. It worked fine, but I don't think they make it anymore. I have seen silicone impregnated cleaning cloths that work pretty well.

Johnny Thunder
06-29-2011, 20:42
i've carried a spare pair...will probably stop now that my future western hikes will require prescription sun glasses (which will be good enough to get me to the next town if i break or lose my un-tinted pair).

on trips where i didn't have a spare i was just diligent about where i put my glasses. even going so far as to hang them from a hook in a shelter.

i just got a pair of new lenses/frames over here in korea. the dude (in pretty good english) explained that if i paid 10,000 won (about $9.50) more per frame i'd get lenses that were "afraid of water." sure enough it's like rainex for my glasses. pretty amazing stuff.

Cookerhiker
06-29-2011, 20:56
I rarely bring a second pair but I should, especially after last April's experience. Hiking the AT from Duncannon to Harpers Ferry, my lens popped out on my first night in Darlington Shelter. Managed to get it back in but I had to be very careful the rest of the hike. It popped out a few more times.

Then right after that AT hike, I was hiking the Allegheny Trail and the frame snapped at the corner. At first I thought a screw had popped out but the wire frame simply broke apart. One more use for duct tape! I looked pretty strange for the next few days.

So I should have learned my lesson and when I hike the Colorado Trail this summer, I'll bring an extra pair.

Re. rain, I just deal with it. My eyesight is extremely poor so I can't go without them. My hood extends out a ways and when necessary, I keep wiping them off with a bandana.

RWBlue
06-29-2011, 22:49
Basically had the same experience. I came up with the same solution.

map man
06-30-2011, 00:36
I just bring one pair of glasses, wear them all the time, and put them in a pocket built into my tarptent when I sleep at night. I wear a hat with a brim and have never had a problem with glasses fogging up while I hike, even in the rain -- don't know why. I've worn drill mount (frameless) glasses for over twenty years so I don't have to worry about a lens popping out. Some people shy away from this style of glasses for fear they are fragile but I've never broken anything on any of the pairs I've had in all these years -- I think I am by nature very careful with my stuff. I've spent every night on any trail in a tent and not a shelter so don't have any experience with what to do with my glasses in a shelter.

moytoy
06-30-2011, 05:14
Great thread for a new glasses wearer like me. I learned something new from each poster here.

yari
06-30-2011, 07:13
I am so myopic I can't function without my glasses. I always carry a spare pair and a copy of my prescription.

wythekari
06-30-2011, 12:01
I only use mine for reading (maps/phone/etc...) so no need to wear them on trail. If I am doing alot of map reading I'll have them in a shirt pocket otherwise I have them in a hard case, usually in a pack pocket - it protects them and makes them easier to find when I need them.

ChinMusic
06-30-2011, 12:10
I only use mine for reading (maps/phone/etc...) so no need to wear them on trail. If I am doing alot of map reading I'll have them in a shirt pocket otherwise I have them in a hard case, usually in a pack pocket - it protects them and makes them easier to find when I need them.

I need readers too for maps/phone/splinters. I usu bring 350s for max magnification. That power is not good for much reading (175 better for that) but great for magnification. Since I can hike just fine without em, only one set. They are easy to replace at any dollar store.

ChinMusic
06-30-2011, 12:11
I only use mine for reading (maps/phone/etc...) so no need to wear them on trail. If I am doing alot of map reading I'll have them in a shirt pocket otherwise I have them in a hard case, usually in a pack pocket - it protects them and makes them easier to find when I need them.

I need readers too for maps/phone/splinters. I usu bring 350s for max magnification. That power is not good for much reading (175 better for that) but great for magnification. Since I can hike just fine without em, only one set. They are easy to replace at any dollar store.

Rick500
06-30-2011, 13:29
I wear glasses, but my vision is not too bad without them. I'm very slightly nearsighted, and just need glasses to see clearly far away. So nothing too bad is going to happen if I lose or break my glasses (other than I won't be able to see the views as well).

That said, I wear my glasses hiking, and also carry prescription sunglasses. Both with very lightweight lenses and frames. I don't carry a case; I usually wear the pair I'm not using around my neck with a neoprene strap that fits over the ends of the arms. (I learned the hard way not to stash them in my pocket...scratched them up really badly. Wasn't thinking.)

tigerpaw
06-30-2011, 13:49
I wear a bucket hat to keep the rain off and the sun off of my neck. I use Croakies to keep them on when I start to sweat, and also treat them with Rain-X. My contacts bug me too much, especially when I can't take an a.m. shower first.

mark schofield
07-03-2011, 06:46
I use/need inexpensive reading glasses. So walking durring the day is no problem unless I want to stop and take some pictures. And durring the evening for cooking, mp3, ect. So I carry a spare inside the center hole of my roll of toilet paper in a ziplock bag. Keeps them protected in a place I access once a day.

gunner76
07-04-2011, 11:39
On a day hike I do not carry a spare. On overnights I will. I can see distants fine, its the up close trying to read I need them for.

Papa D
07-04-2011, 13:51
On hikes over 100 miles i typically bounce a little box with a cell charger, spare glasses and other little junk I might want. I have repaired my glasses a couple of times on the trail - one time, I had to resort to duct tape when they were stepped on in a shelter by someone else but it is pretty rare - I wouldn't bother with a spare pair.

johnnyjohnson2043
07-04-2011, 14:54
I brought a pair of prescription sunglasses in a lightweight case for my ten day hike earlier this year. I eventually decided that they were more weight than they were worth since I wasn't actually using them so I threw them in my drop box the first chance I got. My drop box also included an extra pair of glasses. Luckily my sight isn't that bad so I can see okay without them. As for the hat, I fell in love with my lightweight OR Revel Cap. It kept the hair out of my eyes and the water off my glasses. One thing to note here, though, is that, since I can see well enough without my glasses I often went without them when it was raining. It was just more comfortable that way.

vamelungeon
07-04-2011, 18:06
I've worn glasses for 40 years and must wear them all the time. I've been very near sighted since about 11 or 12 years old, and after I passed 40 I had to get bifocals for reading. In all that time I've only had one pair of glasses that had a problem with lenses popping out. I have had screws work loose though. I've had so few problems with my glasses that I have never carried spares. It sounds to me that never taking them off except to sleep might actually be beneficial in keeping them safe. I also usually inspect them when I remove them to go to sleep. If something happened to my glasses while hiking I would be in trouble, but I've just never had any problems with my glasses.

Librarygeek
07-05-2011, 07:11
I am so myopic I can't function without my glasses. I always carry a spare pair and a copy of my prescription.

This is what I'll have to do. I'm not sure if I'll have had cataract surgery by the time I attempt my thru, so I'm already going to struggle with vision issues.

mudhead
07-05-2011, 13:07
Spare. Hard case. I have broken Flexon frames, but any other would also have broken. Losing one lens is an experience that one can only experience, not describe.

makoboy
07-05-2011, 13:34
I used to wear contacts, but didnt like the idea of sticking my finger in my eye at the end of the day. Just didnt feel like I ever got them clean enough.

I now wear oakley frames with transition lenses (not as expensive as you would think with a vision plan), coated with cat-crap. They wont fog, work as sunglasses, and I can run w/o them falling off. At night they go in the gear pocket of my tent. For a back-up I bring one set of contacts and a small bottle of solution.

Gaiter
07-05-2011, 14:23
i can't wear contacts, and i don't even try to get up with out putting my glasses on, i'm blind as a bat...
i used just be really careful about wear i set my glasses at night, often in my boots
but my new appytrails tent has given me a new habit, it has one of those velcro cable ties for holding the poles together
i found it makes a great glasses holder at night, even if i change tents in the future, i'm probably going to keep using the velcro cable tie for my glasses...
11752

b.c.
07-05-2011, 14:58
My glasses are for reading - and so I don't wear them often on the trail (and my eyesight improves while hiking like this!). I love maps and guidebooks and books in general and so I bring a back up pair because, using my glasses off and on, have lost them and have rolled them into my tent while packing up (and unwilling to unpack). Before I had a spare pair of glasses I would bring a magnifying glass as back up.

Auntie Mame
07-10-2011, 20:19
Just putting in a word for 24 hr contact lenses: I wear glasses for EVERYTHING, and am extremely nearsighted, need bifocals, the whole catastrophe. When I got to hike half the AT a few years back, I discovered contact lenses called "Night and Day". They are wicked thin, and very gas-permeable, so they do not add to eye dryness. I was able to wear them for days at a time, without night time removal. I could not believe how well those worked for me. I would clean them when we were in town, then go right back to using them for my trail eyes. They solved a lot of problems for me. I got a super tiny pair of dime store readers that made night time reading pleasant. I sent my glasses home after a few weeks, and just carried a spare pair of lenses. They are not terribly expensive, and come in packs of three pairs. I really know how frustrating it is to figure out the spectacle situation. Its a relief when its all set. Have a great hike!

j_parker
07-13-2011, 14:36
Being the 50+ type in age, I had to pick-up reading glasses a few years back. When out in the woods, I have found bi-focal safety glasses to be more durable than normal glasses so I don't carry a spare anymore. Actually, I guess I do because I have a pair of clear and a smoked pair for bright sun. The lenses certainly will not bust, and the newer safety glasses do have "some" style to them. They are not as ugly as the old high school shop glasses.

I wear these (http://www.amazon.com/RX-300-READING-GLASSES-POLYCARBONATE-DIOPTER/dp/B000HJMR82/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1310582051&sr=1-2)

Plodderman
07-14-2011, 10:23
I wear glasses also and usaully wear a hat most of the time. I have never taken a extra pair and have not had aproblem yet. I do hate when they fog up during rain storms but that is only every once in a while.

Plodderman
07-14-2011, 10:24
I wear glasses also and usaully wear a hat most of the time.  I have never taken a extra pair and have not had aproblem yet.  I do hate when they fog up during rain storms but that is only every once in a while.

Feral Nature
07-14-2011, 14:17
I wear my contacts when outside doing chores in the heat. Otherwise, my glasses are just covered in sweat and keep sliding off plus I am always knocking myself in the head and my glasses go flying. I imagine I will take both contacts and glasses with me. My vision is 20/200 without correction and I don't want to take any chances!

theycallmej
07-17-2011, 22:12
That proves everything-- you're a nearsighted, bitter old fool.


I've worn glasses for 40 years and must wear them all the time. I've been very near sighted since about 11 or 12 years old, and after I passed 40 I had to get bifocals for reading. In all that time I've only had one pair of glasses that had a problem with lenses popping out. I have had screws work loose though. I've had so few problems with my glasses that I have never carried spares. It sounds to me that never taking them off except to sleep might actually be beneficial in keeping them safe. I also usually inspect them when I remove them to go to sleep. If something happened to my glasses while hiking I would be in trouble, but I've just never had any problems with my glasses.

vamelungeon
07-17-2011, 22:41
That proves everything-- you're a nearsighted, bitter old fool.
ROFLMAO!!! I just might be! At least I'm not YOU. ;-)

Wombat Farm
07-17-2011, 23:00
Unless you lose the pair or a lense literally falls out and is gone forever...duct tape! Much better than carrying an extra pair. But...if you don't have another pair, I would highly suggest one of those rope/string things for river crossings. My glasses fell off and into a raging part of the river in the Pemi in the Pres range years ago. I could not see them at all in the water. Luckily a forest ranger came along and was able to find them for me. I now where contacts (has nothing to do with that incident though) and it is SO SO much easier...especially when it's raining (I used to just take my glasses off in the rain and deal with the reduction in sight since I don't wear hats - too warm). Good luck, the LT is the most beautiful section of the AT in my opinion. :cool:

Ironbelly
07-24-2011, 12:59
I wear contacts normally while hiking, but have my old pair of gasmask glasses from the military as backup. The are pretty much indestructible, and can be cinched on however tight you want.