Who carries spare glasses in Survival Kit

Bagheera

Bagheera

Joined
Oct 6, 1998
Messages
957
Hi,

A week ago I suddenly became aware that my eyesight at 43 years (for me at least) wasn't what it used to be.

The lenses of my daily glasses developped strange opaque blotches (I had them for 8 months) that looked like scratches but then inside the plastic lens itself.
I returned to my optician and he said he would return them to the lens making company for examination.
Luckily I had some spare glasses that however were just my "pre"-last ones so the "strength" of the lenses was not exactly the same as my latest ones. However I can see through them.

This however set me to think, what would hapen in a survival situation when I inadvertenly loose my glasses? It's nice to have all kinds of survival goodies on you but what use do they have if you can't see strait without your glasses?
I won't say that I'm blind as a bat
rolleyes.gif
but I can't thread a needle without them anymore and a squirrel or rabbit would have a fair chance of not getting zapped by a 22 slug at 25 yards without me carrying glasses on my nose.

Do you have spare glasses in your kits, this qustion natuarly is for the impaired vision group of us
wink.gif

Do you just have the lenses without frame ? or is there some kind of very "packable" frame ?
I once saw on Ebay a kind of rubber/plastic flat eyeglasses frame that probabbly used elestic bands or a piece of string to go around your ears to keep the glasses on your nose.

I wish I could get my hands on such a flat lenses "front frame", anybody knows who sells them or has some?

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera
 
Bagheera,

Good point! I have a couple years on you. At 48 my eyes are going down hill as well the last few years.

I have never had glasses, so I don,t think about them much until I need to read something, but recently I find that I need the non-Rx. reading glasses to see anything close. I have a little folding pair that is always in my pocket, but it wouldn't hurt for me to get an extra half frame pair and stick them in a safe spot in my ruck sack.


Mike
 
Hmm. The spare pair most always goes along on out of town trips, certainly on big trips. The eye place doesn't seem to appreciate how much business they get because I'm hard on glasses, and sometimes the spares don't come back from wherever I've gone.

The spares may or may not be with me for going to work and other day to day stuff. And I'm sitting here trying to remember how often I think of putting them in a pack for a time in the woods. I've been wearing glasses since I was 8. Mostly, I guess I've gotten pretty proficient at improvising something to hold the things on my nose even after things are bent and broke.

Steve
 
I definitely carry spares. One pair is in my large wilderness kit, in a hard case, and another is in a soft sided briefcase I carry.

Once I visited a museum. On the long walk back to the car I wore my prescription sunglasses. I had the the case with the clear pair clipped to the outside of my pocket. I then drove for a couple of hours toward home.

When the sun started to set I reached for the eyeglass case. It wasn't there. I must have dropped the glasses in the parking lot. I was sure glad I had that spare pair in my bag. Otherwise it would have been a long drive in the dark wearing sunglasses.

I started using clip-on sunglasses after that.

I read once that Teddy Roosevelt, who had very poor eyesight, carried something like a dozen pairs of eyeglass during the Spanish - American War. He had one pair in his hat and others sewn into his clothing, as well as in pockets and saddlebags and who knows where else. (For our friends in other countries, TR was the President of USA 1901-1909 and veteran of the war between Spain and USA in 1898.)

If I damage my glasses in a wilderness setting I can use duct tape for repairs as well as a bit of snare wire or a safety pin to replace the screw holding an eyepiece in place. If they're lost or completely crushed I would have to use the spares, if I have my kit with me.

They make sport frames for athletes that have a strap instead of earpieces. There is a similar item for military folks. I just did a search at Brigade Quartermasters and found them: http://www.actiongear.com/

Look for 'combat glasses' with the sunglasses. They are 30 dollars US.

You could buy the cheapest pair of frames your eye doctor has, or even put new lenses into a pair of your old frames, if they are still in good shape.

Glad to hear that I'm not the only old guy who reads this forum.

bill


 
There are three types of common vision problems; myopia (nearsightedness), farsightedness (I can't recall medical term; ? hyperopia?), and presbyopia (lack of ability to focus on near objects after age 40 or so). Everyone gets presbyopia. The most common complaint is 'there isn't enough light to see anymore.'

I have myopia, and have since age 10 or so. I always carry three sets of eyeglasses; bifocal clear lenses, distance prescription sun glasses, and bifocal reading glasses.

Why so many? Well, my myopia is rather severe; while I have a natural pair of reading glasses, I have to hold the page about 8" away to be able to read it with my uncorrected vision. Hence the reading glasses, which allow normal reading distance with the lower part, yet some sharpness of vision at longer distances with the distance (upper) correction; I can almost see the TV with the distance part of my reading bifocals. My clear distance glasses are bifocals as well, but the lower part has a correction for vision at a longer distance, so I can see the tachometer on the dash while (helpful when driving my 911 and making 'square corners' as Piet called them during his recent visit to CA). With the sunglasses, the dash is blurred, but I can live with that in the sunlight (smaller pupil means more depth of field).

Thus, I am forced to carry at least three pairs of glasses all the time; I use hard cases in my leather bag which goes with me everywhere (remember, Piet?). I just switch between them as needed. I further carry an extra pair of distance / dashboard clear lenses in the car. In a pinch, I could get by with these, but reading a map would be a problem, as it would need to be very close, and the glasses wouldn't help; I would have to take them off or look over the top of them.

I have had excellent experience with stainless steel frames, using them for a long time. I now use in addition, the Titanium frame glasses, which are strong but very light, and nylon frames for sunglasses. I have never broken a set of glasses, although I did twist up a pair of stainless ones when I sat on them the morning after being on call as a intern. Fortunately the optical lab was open, and they twisted them right back as good as new.

If you ever need to adjust your plastic / nylon frames or temples in an emergency (the optometrist isn't open, and you sat on them), put about two inches of salt in a saucepan, and heat on low heat. When the salt gets fairly hot, put the area to be adjusted in the salt for several seconds. This should heat up the plastic so that you can bend it, and it will stay bent. You just keep reheating and bending until you get it right.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for the info especially on the "combat glasses" frame sold by Brigade quartermasters that looks like the "plastic" frame I saw only now it has side straps.

Now all I can hope for is to find a GI who has an extra pair, doesn't use them anymore or can get them at a discount price in the GI store.

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera

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I keep a spare pair or two with me pretty much all the time. I wrap them up in this foam paper stuff then put them in a hard side case then put rubber bands around the case to scure it better. I too have had glasses from an early age and Steve said it best about learing how to fix them in a pinch. You can get really creative when it comes to fixing those dang things. Oh yeah BTW get one of those little kit for fixing them. They are handy things to have around.


[This message has been edited by wayfinder15 (edited 09-04-2000).]
 
Back when I used to wear glasses, I always carried a spare pair EVERYWHERE I went. I wore contact lenses for 18 years and I still carried my spare glasses with me. I even had a pair of spares in my locker at work!

Two years ago I splurged (it ain't cheap!)and had the LASIX laser surgery to correct my myopia. They only promise to bring your vision to 20/40 but it usually is better than that.

I had 20/650 vision. I NOW have 20/15 vision. I can't tell you how liberating it is not to deal with contacts and fluids and enzyme pills and glasses! If I hear a strange noise at night, I don't have to scabble around for my glasses and then reach for a pistol! I just reach for the pistol! I can see!

I can't recomend this highly enough. If any one has any questions, let me know!

Vince

PS. I have nothing to do with ANY Lasix surgeons (other than my own) and am not endorsing any one surgeon or establishment!

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Stay sharp and be Safe!
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That which does not kill us only makes us stronger.
F.W. Nietzche
 
Yeah, I have thought of having the surgery as well. There are two reasons why I don't want to have it.

First, you still have to cope with presbyopia, and would need glasses for reading at some point in your life.

Second, I have had a lot of body fluid splashes on my glasses (less so now that I am not an ER MD
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), and figure that they have protected me from a disease or two. A splash onto your eye is considered massive contamination, just as a needle stick. I still see scratches from flying objects, and a few solvent splashes on my glasses as well. Thus, I am willing to put up with some inconvenience to have that protection out there in front of my eyes.

However, I can't argue with the convenience of being to see clearly at a distance.

Walt

PS Bagheera; watch out for those nylon framed military glasses. The GI's refer to them as 'the most effective birth control device ever invented.'
smile.gif
Walt
 
Hi Walt,

"The GI's refer to them as 'the most effective birth control device ever invented.' "

That's what I need then, as I'm already blessed with a beautifull son and daughter as you know, you have seen them a month ago, and I don't want a third one at all.
By the way both women in my live are having their aniversary my daughter became 12 today my wife $& years (classified information as publishing your wifes age works even better then the GI glasses as a birth control
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) tomorrow.

Cheers,

Bagheera



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