Anyone else need glasses?

[Joben]

Hello everyone,
I'm a real tenderfoot.
But I'm looking to get into camping and backpacking.

I would like to ask you guys about a subject that's crossed my mind from time to time...

I have really really terrible vision;
So nearsighted I can't count fingers at a few paces.
Now glasses or contacts can fix that right up to 20/20 so I'm not normally impaired.

But I worry a bit about my normal glasses with the thin metal frames. If something happened to them way out in the woods...honestly, I think I would rather break my arm.

How do you guys handle this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mentor]

I'm in the same boat. Without glasses, the woods look like an abstract painting to me.

When I'm out for a day hike, I wear a retention strap. On longer trips, I throw a spare pair in my pack, just for peace of mind. So far, I haven't had a need for my spares, but this is one item of gear that I consider truly essential.

All the best,

- Mike

 

[MVF]

Make sure they fit properly
Find some kind of leash or tether that you can stand to wear
Bring a spare (your old pair) in a hard case
If it's bending you're worried about, get some of those "memory metal" ones

I hate to say don't worry so much, but I've been wearing glasses for 50 years and never had it come up a problem. Of course, now that I'm older and wiser I use some combination of the above!

 

[MVF]

I type too slow!

 

[ejes]

I'm in the same boat. In my 30 years of wearing glasses, I've only broken them beyond a point that I could rig them together and wear them until I got new ones once. Typically, I keep a set of old glasses since my prescription doesn't change much from year to year. I keep a nice set for everyday, but for more piece of mind, I go to a bargain optical place that you can get 2 pair of eye glasses for $99. They aren't the latest styles and you don't get all the coating, etc. for that price, they can get me by for sure. I keep a pair in my kit and another pair in my pick up. They usually last me 3 or 4 years as far as prescription goes because my eyes don't change that much now.

It is good to have a cheapo set of glasses anyway. I wear them when when I go out in the bush, work in the yard or shop, workout, etc. That way I don't risk ruining my good set. One of the cheapo bargain sets I have have rubbery frames. They are really ugly; I think they are New Balance, but they are made to bang around. These were $50 total.

 

[Shotgun]

I'm near sighted too but I can still see reasonably well without my glasses. I can see shapes but not detail so I don't carry a spare but I do have some "repair" equipment. I used to work making glasses and I can tell you that you can crank on a GOOD pair of frames a lot and they won't break. The good ones are made to bend back and forth a little so I don't worry about the frames. I worry about the lenses popping out. To that end the simplest solution would be to carry a repair kit. However, I have a hard time threading a new screw without my glasses under ideal conditions so I actually don't carry a repair kit in my gear. What I carry is so simple you'll poop yourself. I have 3 sheets of Write in the Rain paper in my wallet and to one of those I put two staples through. Staples are the quickest and easiest screw replacement you can find. To the frames you can use duct tape and if your glasses like to fall off, like mine do when I sweat, just get a pair of Chums or tie them off with some cord to keep them on your noggin'.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

HEY FOUR EYES! I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!!!

This knot works beautifully for attaching your glasses to your head. No need to buy a restraining band.

Like Mentor, when on longer trips, I carry a spare pair (usually old ones from the previous prescription - still good enough in a pinch) in my FAK. Actually the ones in my FAK are quite old - makes me look like Buddy Holly, if any of you kids know who that is.

Oh, and BTW, I find the best replacement for a missing screw is a safety pin.

 

[redpoint]

You mention contacts. I have bad vision too [-3.5], but it's bloody brilliant with contacts ... so incredibly good - tack sharp. I wear contacts in the backcountry and while climbing. On a climbing trip in the mountains, I'd be screwed if I lost my ability to see. Really screwed, like come rescue me screwed. I wear lenses designed to be worn for a month straight ... now I never wear them this way in civilization, but I can easily wear them for a few days without any discomfort [day and night]. I back them up with another pair of contacts - just in case. I usually bring a small bottle of fluid to store them if I decide to yank them for a night. I do not use glasses b/c I need to wear sunglasses on glaciers etc and I have no interest in Rx Sunglasses. You could carry your glasses for back-up or for night in a good-quality hardcase. What I would like to do is buy a pair of sunglass frames and insert Rx polycarbonate lenses with a photochromatic lens [dark in sun, clear in dark]. Expensive, but a guaranteed 'get-you-home' system. Do NOT let this hold you back - lots of ways to get out there ...

 

[Idaho Jarhead]

I had horrible vision for most of my life. But a couple of years ago I bit the bullet and had Lasik surgery. Best money I ever invested and it has already paid for itself by not having to buy contacts/supplies and glasses. Most insurance companies consider it elective surgery, so won't pay for it. But if you call your provider you may be able to get a discount based on their referral. If you can find a way to budget it in I highly recommend it.

 

[BlackHills]

Like most of the others I usually carry a spare set with me. You could buy a set with heavier frames for use outdoors if you're really concerned about the durability of the ones you have now. I found out about Zenni Optical though threads on Gadgets and Gear and have a couple of pair I've ordered from them....they're great quality and extremely inexpensive.

 

[bkduckworth]

I'm with redpoint. I've had great luck with 30 day contacts (night and day). I usually back them up with glasses in a hard case.

Good Luck,

Brandon

 

[Skunk Ape]

Ive also had glasses since about 12 ,always been outdoors,Scouting, hunting etc.., got contacts in highschool wearing them ever since. Diving, snorkleing, surfing no problem. I always carry my glasses and lens carrier in a hard case with me. Have'nt bit the bullet on Lasik yet, would like to.

 

[tirod3]

If I could afford Lasik, I'd have done it 20 years ago. It's the best solution out there, and the military has done it for free for some deploying troops. Not having to have corrective lenses is the best solution.

Next is carrying a spare pair, which is another military answer. You always get two pair issued, one to wear, one as backup. For my last pair, I did buy titanium frames that can't break - so the optician told me. He was readjusting them after he had resoldered a joint my 14 year old smacked while we were wrestling around. Choose the construction carefully to minimize stuff like that, and you won't have to geek around with a ball of duct tape on them.

The most durable frames seem to be high impact polymers, like nylon. Of course, in some circles they prevent creating new relationships, which is why they're called BCG's - Birth Control Goggles. If style is still important, consider them carefully. Being able to see is important in the field; that tall dark and exotic look might be a carnivore.

Like others, when hunting or just out and about, I never think about backups, but it is a good idea, especially for those of us who approach being legally blind and are accused of driving that way.

 

[mikeal]

Like most of the others I usually carry a spare set with me. You could buy a set with heavier frames for use outdoors if you're really concerned about the durability of the ones you have now. I found out about Zinni Optical though threads on Gadgets and Gear and have a couple of pair I've ordered from them....they're great quality and extremely inexpensive.

Are these guys for real? I just paid $200 (with insurance) for a pair of glasses. I paid $85 for the anti-reflective coating that this place offers for $4.95.

(Sorry for the threadjack...)

 

[BlackHills]

Are these guys for real? I just paid $200 (with insurance) for a pair of glasses. I paid $85 for the anti-reflective coating that this place offers for $4.95.

(Sorry for the threadjack...)

They're very much for real. There are several people on BF who have ordered from them and are happy. I have two pair from them and a friend of mine also ordered two pair after seeing mine, both of us have zero complaints about the glasses. I can't tell any difference in the prescription from the ones I paid $300+ for. It took less than two weeks to get them from the time I ordered.

ETA: Here's an old thread about them.

 

[moonwilson]

I wear plastic-rimmed glasses and I carry a spare. I get my glasses for about $20 a pair, including scratch-proofing, case etc. in Korea. With the exact same frames that you'd pay big $$$ for here. They do the eye exam for free. I'll never buy glasses in the United States again- there is a total ripoff racket going on here. Every time I go there, I take several friends' glasses with me to pick up new pairs for them on the cheap. They can take your old glasses, get your prescription from them, and make new ones.

 

[Charlie Mike]

they're called BCG's - Birth Control Goggles. If style is still important, consider them carefully.

I wear glasses as well. I won't get Lasik because I like wearing glasses. I always have eye protection

 

[Shann]

Its a good idea to have a spare pair. I used to have "rec specs" that I wore when I played ball. They looked dorky, but could be used in an emergency. The tether is a good idea too.

I have flexon thin metal frames. They are really flexible and lightweight. I don't know how I could break them although I suppose I could if I tried, they are much tougher than the older metal frames that I used to wear.

 

[moonwilson]

I still have my "BC" glasses from when I was in the Navy. Whenever I wanna make the wife laugh, I'll put them on. I don't think it's possible to look good wearing those things.

They're called "Birth Control" glasses, because no woman will ever sleep with somebody wearing them. Supposedly, they will stop shot from a 12 ga. But the rest of your face wouldn't be pretty.

 

[marcangel]

I've lived with glasses for thirty years and last year I "graduated" to progressive lenses. I've also been shooting, hunting, fishing and boating since I was in utero. Although I don't like wearing them, I do indoors and out for not only vision correction, but eye protection as well. I ALWAYS have a spare available and use presciption polarized glasses outside. Lasik is not really an option for me because my work consists primarily of sitting in a dark room, staring at computer monitors and talking to myself (or shoving large metal objects into people). One of the potential side effects of Lasik is "halos" with night vision.

Like some have said, one of the great advantages of glasses in you have some eye protection all the time, and so far that has saved me from:

1) A formaldahyde splash in the face.
2) "Blowback" shrapnel from shooting steel targets.
3) A white marlin bill to the eye.
4) An acid splash from a battery in the bilge in heavy weather.
5) Numerous human blood splashes

And the list goes on...

Outside, wear a lanyard. I bought a pair of "wraparound" safety lenses for shooting, and if you have the resources, I would do that, and carry my regular glasses as a spare in a hard case.