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Thread: Glasses

  1. #1
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    Default Glasses

    Looking for possible recommendations for bringing glasses on the trail. I think I would want something other than the thinner more delicate frames. Normally wear single day use contacts but they may not be best due to weight and general cleanliness on the trail.

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    For my attempt at the AT a couple years ago, I had my prescription lenses mounted in a sturdy frame (birth control glasses) and carried a pair, as backup, that I would normally wear at home.
    humor is the gadfly on the corpse of tragedy

  3. #3
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    I use old school wire rimed glasses . Never felt like I needed something HD . I bet contacts would b fine

    thom

  4. #4

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    I got tired of breaking wire rim glasses. The worst was when a lens popped out coming down the hill to Davenport Gap. I had to hike with the world out of focus all the way to Ewin before I could replace them. Except not being able to watch TV at a motel in Hot Springs, it actually wasn't that bad.

    Anyway, I got a pair of sturdy black plastic frames like I had back in High School which suddenly became back in fashion a few years ago. I look like a nerd, but hay, I am one.
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  5. #5

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    I considered two strategies last year on my PCT hike. For me, wearing contacts everyday was a no go, too much work and chance of contamination is high. I am dependent on corrective lenses for both distance and reading and would be in big trouble if I had to get myself off the trail without any corrective lenses. I wear no-line progressive bifocals.

    Strategy 1. Bring two pair of cheap glasses
    Strategy 2. Bring glasses for daily wear plus one set of contacts and a pair of readers as my emergency backup.

    I ended using strategy 2 last year. I lost one of the nose pads from the frames on the hike, which was inconvenient and uncomfortable, but otherwise no issues. I never put in the contacts or used the readers. Don't think my hands were ever clean enough to handle the contacts anyway.

    This year, I will use strategy 1, bring two identical cheap pair of wire rim glasses I got from Zenni for $60 each.

  6. #6

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    There's a good chance you will see these glasses on CBS starting at 4pm EST today!They're heavy duty.
    https://www.dawgnation.com/football/...rn-in-kentucky

  7. #7

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    Consider a smaller size lens/frame with adequate ventilation, so they don't fog up. Depends on your face shape of course, but you don't want the frame touching your cheeks. Have a dedicated spot to store them in your tent, and a dedicated cleaning cloth, and a few emergency cleaning packets. Kept the spare pair in a cheap hard plastic case. I'm fairly blind, so my glasses are really important to me, and easily the most expensive piece of gear I own. It pays, for me at least, to take care of them.

    Once the leaves came in in the spring, I never/rarely really needed sunglasses on the AT, at least, not for any long stretches.

  8. #8
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    I like the memory metal frames. They are pretty much indestructible. The are typically Titanium spring metal alloys. You can damn near tie the frames in a knot without breaking them or popping out the lenses. Many come with magnetic clip on sunglasses as well. Flexon and Aspex are two brands I know of. If you have to wear glasses all the time, it's nice to have high quality eye wear. For anti-fogging, get a product called "Cat Crap". And just an FYI, if you get sunglasses, polarized lenses will cut glare and increase contrast, but they are a big problem with modern digital electronic displays like cell phones, digital displays, auto/aircraft instruments, etc. Think twice before going polarized in the digital age.
    Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 12-07-2019 at 15:51.

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    I never gave much thought to my glasses until I saw this thread. Never had much of a problem except for a blowing, misty rain that can get on the lenses. It can be a pain to wipe them while hiking. The frames are super light and have survived a lot of time on the trail. While sleeping I will keep them in a special place: one of my boots.
    Simple is good.

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    I have a pair of titanium frame glasses, not because I’m a gram weinee, but because I was the kid always breaking my plastic frames.

    i started the trail with just them last year. Somewhere in VA I tripped and did a full frontal and full facial landing. The glasses did not break. I would be bad without them. The next time that I had a signal I called the optometrist and ordered another pair. My wife sent them to me in a resupply box.

    I carry them in my pack in a hard sided case.
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    Registered User soilman's Avatar
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    I never gave it a second thought and wore my regular glasses. They were plastic and metal and apparently quite fashionable. Sitting at the lunch counter in Andover I was approached by a local. He asked if I was from Germany because of the style of my eye glasses.
    More walking, less talking.

  12. #12

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    FWIW, having seen a fair number of people struggle with contact lenses in prolonged backcountry hikes and agree with 4eyedbuzzard. I have used titanium frames for years and found are definitely worth the investment. These frames are nearly indestructible and perfect for the long distance hiking environment. Since I would prefer to seeing well versus not, I hike with with both Rx sunglasses and clear lenses, using a hard shell case for for each. I keep a ball cap with me, using the bill of the hat to help mitigate the effects of mist/drizzle/rain on glasses. I will sometimes take an umbrella with me and rig it up for "no-hands" use to help with rain effect mitigation on both eyewear and head/torso.

  13. #13
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    I don't know if they're still around but there was something called combat frames. Anyway, what would athletes use? I had a pair and I even had an accident when my staff popped back and hit me in the face but they never broke.

  14. #14
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    FWIW If you are getting a new pair:

    You may wish to consider doing without the anti reflective coating option. New formulations may be better, but I had some that did not react well to getting DEET on them.

    Also good to have a recent prescription before you go. In the USA you cannot get a new pair if your script is older than 2 years (I think, pretty sure). Crazy.

    Finally, since you are constantly looking at your feet on the Trail, best to feel comfortable in your glasses if they are progressive/trifocal lenses. I just could not deal with them.

    YMMV.

  15. #15

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    Titanium wire frames are the way to go. Another suggestion--look for cable temples that wrap around your ears. With cable temples your glasses won't be slipping down your nose or sliding off your head at the least opportune time. If you can't find a frame that comes with cable temples, search for "cable temple tips" that you can use to modify the temples yourself.

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    I'm using my regular glasses, which are Titanium wire frames w/o hinges, and plastic optics.
    https://www.silhouette.com/at/de/opt...ssence/do/7000
    While they are called indestructible, they will deform when, say, stepping on it and its difficult do reshape them to a correct fit in the outdoors.
    For cleaning the optics I've learned to use water&soap once a day to get rid of oily smears, and to use the one clean spare T-shirt to dry it up.
    For longer hiking trips in foreign country I'll carry my old "John Lennon"-style glasses as spares.

    In the old days of motorcycle travelling I've used contacts but developed an eye infection due to poor or nonexistant hygiene, so I skipped the contacts for good.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    ...

    Also good to have a recent prescription before you go. In the USA you cannot get a new pair if your script is older than 2 years (I think, pretty sure). Crazy.

    ...
    I have to wonder out loud if that is true? I ordered a pair off the internet, (May have been I Zenni.) I just typed in the measurements, the actual prescription was not needed.

    Might be policy at a brick and mortar shop. My prescription changes ever year. My insurance for instance will allow one free lenses change within 60 days if I show the eyeglass shop my vision has changed. Places on the internet you only get what they give you for a warranty and may not take insurance.
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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Alligator View Post
    I have to wonder out loud if that is true? I ordered a pair off the internet, (May have been I Zenni.) I just typed in the measurements, the actual prescription was not needed.

    Might be policy at a brick and mortar shop. My prescription changes ever year. My insurance for instance will allow one free lenses change within 60 days if I show the eyeglass shop my vision has changed. Places on the internet you only get what they give you for a warranty and may not take insurance.
    According to my Optometrist age of the Rx is not an absolute. In an emergency, broken frames, cracked lens, etc, new glasses can be made using data found in the lens of the old pair or with a call to the Opometrist or MD who filled or prescribed them. If that's not an option for whatever reason, "cheater glasses" sold at many drugstores and other outlets can sometimes fit the need until an eye exam can be arranged, which if one is wearing glasses over 2-years old is not a terrible idea overall.

  19. #19

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    In the USA, the FTC requires doctors to give you your glasses or contacts prescription after an eye exam. There is no charge to provide a written prescription, only a charge for the exam. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busi...-eyeglass-rule

    There is no law that requires a new prescription every 2 years, but its not illegal for a retailer to require an exam if your prescription is more than 2 years old. According to the FTC, that is left to the judgement and policy of the retailer.

  20. #20
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nanatuk View Post
    In the USA, the FTC requires doctors to give you your glasses or contacts prescription after an eye exam. There is no charge to provide a written prescription, only a charge for the exam. https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/busi...-eyeglass-rule

    There is no law that requires a new prescription every 2 years, but its not illegal for a retailer to require an exam if your prescription is more than 2 years old. According to the FTC, that is left to the judgement and policy of the retailer.
    The prescription expiration laws are all State laws, not Federal law. Almost all states have them, and the time periods vary but they are typically 1 or 2 years. These state laws prevent the glasses or contact lens provider/retailer from selling you glasses/lenses because they would then be filling an expired prescription which is an illegal act - that's where the law comes into play.

    Most of these laws were passed as the result of a Federal law requiring your prescription info to be provided to you by the examining optometrist. This cut into their "captive audience" profits (especially due to mail order/online contact lens sales), so the doctors, many of whom also operated retail frame and lens operations, all lobbied their state reps and got state laws passed protecting their profits by making the prescriptions expire. Note that there is no law forcing anyone who is required to wear glasses to operate a motor vehicle to get an optometrist's eye exam regularly (only usually a crude vision test at DMV) - you could be driving legally with 10 or 20 year old prescription glasses provided you can see okay with them. It's not about vision - it's about protecting optometrist's profits.

    Now, whether it's good practice to see an eye doctor on a regular interval just for the general health aspect of it is another topic. There are plenty of good reasons to see an eye doctor to screen for macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, etc., but people with perfect vision should also do this. Glasses wearers alone shouldn't be forced by law to support an industry when they know their vision and corrective prescription hasn't changed.
    Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 12-11-2019 at 19:02.

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