Contacts vs glasses

[Limbohiker]

What do you long term hikers recommend? contacts or glasses? Its a pain to keep taking contacts in and out but glasses are just uncomfortable and unconvienent.

[Footslogger]

I was fortunate enough by the time of my thru to have gotten LASIK. In the years prior to my thru though I wore glasses. Pain in a a$$ in terms of condensation but less hassle than contacts. Nowadays though I'd probably go with the contacts and take a light weight pair of glasses as a backup. With all the advancements on extended wear and disposable contacts they would be my first choice.

'Slogger

[Tin Man]

Obviously it's a personal preference. To me it's the lesser of the hassles. Wearing contacts I have to constantly be on the watch to keep the dirt away from my face and eyes and applying re-wetting drops is a nuisance. Inevitably, dirt gets in and I have to take time out of whatever I am doing immediately for a cleaning. Sure, glasses get fogged and dirty, but there is not the immediacy or hassle to clean as there is with contacts. I now wear glasses and leave the contact hassles at home with all the other hassles of civilization.

[Seeker]

not a 'long distance' hiker by any stretch, but have a lot of experience with free trips to weird countries, courtesy of a distant uncle... i prefer glasses, using safety glass in a flex-corner frame (the hinge can hyperextend without breaking, to a large degree). can even clean them off with your fingers and they don't get scratched... no brainer for me. there's another thread around here somewhere the goes into a similar discussion, if you can find it... i posted on it, as did CynJ, but i don't remember what it was called... sorry.

[theurbansuburban]

how about none at all? I've given this some though, and since my eyes aren't that bad yet I'm thinking about not taking them at all. I wear them normally day to day, but a day with out them doesn't bother me too much. Any one else try this?

[Speer Carrier]

Here's my two cents. Used to wear contacts. I had the throw away type. it was probably just me, but I always managed to have one pop out in the morning when I got up. I'm thinking it was the night air maybe drying my eyes out. I usually found the lens and put it back in, but some times I lost it, couldn't find it and went the rest of the trip seeing out of one eye.

Then I just switched to glasses, but just like someone else said that was a pain also.

I finally bit the bullet, saved my pennies, and had lasik. One of the two or three smartest things i've ever done.


Speer Carrier

[hikerjohnd]

I usually found the lens and put it back in, but some times I lost it, couldn't find it and went the rest of the trip seeing out of one eye.

What about LNT ethics?

[Disney]

I had the same issue before I went out. I chose contacts, but got the extended wear kind, you keep them in for up to 30 days at a time. I had replacements in a bounce box, and changed them once in 4 months. I would say that's the best option. After a VERY short time you forget you have them in. Just don't touch your eyes and there's no problem with infection. I would reccommend telling the eye doctor what you're doing though. My doctor considered himself an outdoorsman and had no problem with giving me free samples of antibiotic eye drops. I kept them with me just in case, although I never used them. Being samples they only weiged an ounce or two. Even if you can't get the samples, it's probably not hard to find a doctor who'll give you a prescription as a preemptive strike.

Hope that helps.

[cutman11]

I agree with Disney, to a point. I have and do wear extended wear lenses for much longer than 4 weeks and have never had a problem. Unfortunately, as I have aged into my 40's, the presbyopia (unable to read without reading glasses) that occurs means that one has to carry the reading glasses for looking at maps, guidebooks, etc. even if you have contacts in. I still think the fogging/condensation hassle of glasses is worse. For any of you who have had Lasik, I have a question: When you get over 40+, do you need reading glasses, or does the correction take your eyes to a point that you can get away without them? I have considered having it done, but at least with my contacts out and glasses off, I can just hold the reading material close to my nose and still be able to read stuff. With the contacts in, I have to use the glasses.

[Teatime]

FYI, I thought about lasik by my doctor told me that I would have to wear glasses to read. He said that I could either wear glasses for distance, which I do now, and take them off to read or get lasik and wear glasses to read and take them off to see distance. He said either way, I will have a pair of glasses. I suppose that if I had contacts, I would have to wear reading glasses as well. It's hell getting old.

[Tin Man]

FYI, I thought about lasik by my doctor told me that I would have to wear glasses to read. He said that I could either wear glasses for distance, which I do now, and take them off to read or get lasik and wear glasses to read and take them off to see distance. He said either way, I will have a pair of glasses. I suppose that if I had contacts, I would have to wear reading glasses as well. It's hell getting old.

I decided against Lasik for this reason. Then my long-distance vision improved! Apparently, this is not uncommon. I still need vision correction, but where would I be if I had gone ahead with Lasik? Eyesight continues to change as you "grow wiser" . It is easy to adjust your changing eyesight with a new glasses or contacts prescription - adjustment after surgery is a little more challenging. At some point you will end up with glasses or contacts again and if you are approaching the "reading glasses" age, around mid-40's, it will be sooner.

[Krewzer]

I tried contacts, but they were just too much trouble with dirty fingers and such. And, I was carrying my glasses anyway. It was just easier to get up in the morning a put them on and not fool with contacts. I must admit I hadn't been wearing contacts very long when I started my thru-hike, so it was a small ordeal getting them in.

Luckily, I don't need a lot of help with distance vision, so I just started using them as reading glasses. It was tuff, trying to hike down steep places and looking through the bottom part of my bifocals. After a few days, my eyes seem too adjust and I didn't really need them during the day anyway.

If you have too have help with both distance and reading, you might consider carrying two pair. It sounds like a lot of trouble, but hey, whatever works for you.

[Skyline]

Extended wear disposables have been working for me for about 15 years. Wear them a week > take out and clean while going lens-less that night > put them back in next AM and wear another week > take out > throw away. Carry a spare set just in case, and a pair of light weight glasses just in case also.

[bfitz]

I wore the extended wear contacts while hiking, and they were great, but eventually I got to where they dry my eyes out after a few hours and I cant leave em in for more than a few hours, other contacts irritate me a lot more these days too. I'd go with the contacts, but keep a cheap pair of glasses on hand for just in case. I'm gonna get the surgery eventually....

[peanuts]

Well on the trail, I use my glasses. You don't have to worry about having clean hands, and yes, eyes do dry out on the trail,so glasses are a better choice....For me

It all comes down to personal choice

[rambunny]

Glasses were my preferance-can't tell you how ,many times they were scratched instead of my eyes. But they fog in some conditions-i used Cat Crap then. HYOH