Contacts or Glasses on the trail

[TickPicker]

comments......................:jump

[Hikerhead]

Contacts.......

[Fiddleback]

Contacts...(would hate to think about doing otherwise)

FB

[HikerHobo]

Extended wear contacts. Wear them day and night. Carry extra contacts, solution and glasses as backup....

Dirty hands are the only real problem if you have to handle the contacts.
Soaps and cleansers can be a problem if clean water is not available for rinsing.

[SavageLlama]

Neither.

I had laser surgery. :D

[Frosty]

I wear glasses. Bifocals with photogrey (sun darkening) tint. A pain when raining or in high heat and humidity, but I have an astigmatism and contacts no longer work for me. Laser surgery someday, perhaps, but not this year.

[Downunda]

I wore glasses and found that I had to remove them in high humidity (which made hiking difficult). Rain wasn't such a problem as I wore a baseball cap

I don't have contacts but would certainly consider getting them for another thru-hike.

[Tha Wookie]

:eek: Invariably, my glasses slide down my nose when I hike.


Therefore, I always use my contacts.

As was said, I highly suggest keeping your hands clean, and using a "no rub" solution. Use a smaller "travel size" bottle for the solution. usually you can get one for free when you buy more contacts if you ask.


Also, consider getting a little bottle of the contact eye-drop solution. It can really help flush out salt from a day of sweating. The guy how gave me that tip called it "orgasm for the eye". I wouldn't go that far, but it's good stuff when you need it.

[The Hog]

I use extended wear contacts, carry an extra pair (no glasses as backup). However, I think SavageLlama is on to something. An opthamologist friend of mine said that in the long run, laser surgery is best and CHEAPEST. Now, if I could just get over the thought that a small fraction of those surgeries don't turn out so well...

[Peaks]

Most posts have advocated contacts. However, it's really about using what ever you are comfortable with. If you typically wear glasses, then use glasses on the trail. If you use contacts, then use contacts on the trail.

[hiker5]

I've been hearing lately that the older RK surgery is recommended by some over the laser surgery. It was more of an issue of the method rather than the tool. As it was explained to me in the laser surgery they cut a "flap" from the surface of your eye and then let the flap return to cover the same part of your eye and heal back into place. I think with the RK surgery they would abrade the surface of your eye and let that heal. The advantage of RK being that you did not have the danger of the flap shifting or folding as it healed.

So do we have any medical professionals who could chime in on which corrective surgery they recommend and why? Or if they want to be on the safe side and not give any advice, perhaps they could more clearly explain the differences in these procedures than I could.