Eyeglasses

[LMBSGV]

Deleted by LMB.

[LMBSGV]

I also have polycarbonate progressive lenses with a little UV blockage and metal frames. I always care a spare pair, which are my last year's glasses. I have to get a new pair every year since my eyesight changes enough to require them. The optometrist at Kaiser is really good at tweaking the progressive values. The lenses aren't polarized or transitions. I've never had a problem at high elevations or with snow glare. I don't have a strap since I've never had a problem with them falling off.

My wife has a pair of progressives she wears except when hiking. For hiking, she has a pair with transition lenses that are not progressive. She found progressives made it difficult to see well enough while hiking.

[Flux]

Wear glasses and also have prescription polarized shades which are on my face if I am outdoors and the sun is shining. I carry a semi-hard case and keep whatever pair I am not wearing in there. I am nearsighted and have an astigmatism. I can get by without glasses pretty well, but fishing without polarized shades is just plain silly.

I have only had one issue with glasses in the backcountry. We were hiking to purple and ram lakes and got a late start. It was cold and there was snow and it got dark right as we hit the pass. I took off my shades and put them in the cargo pocket of shorts and put on my regular glasses. I hoisted my pack poorly and it broke my shades in my pocket,snapping both hinges. I had a moment of grief and then dismissed it. The next day I did a bangup job of duct taping them together the next day. They fit a bit loose, but having my fishing shades is pretty key.

Since then I don't play around. Shades back in the case and stowed in the backpack.

[cherron]

I cannot read a map or anything without reading glasses. I have a slight prescription for distance, so no big deal there. I prefer sunglasses with a 'cheater' reading lens. I have seen them calls 'sun readers.' My first pair were purchased at Macy's, but lost those jumping into a big creek - forgot I was wearing them! I then found a polaried version at LLBean and they have served me well. I think they were around $60, but now I see REI sells them also. The Macy's ones were the least expensive and I used them for years. No headstrap, but I removed rubber covers off a pair of old glasses and placed them on the new ones, keeps them from slipping off. I bring dollar store readers for reading at night.

[oldhikerQ]

I wear a pair of prescription sunglasses during the day with a strap. Tried transition lenses, but they didn't get dark enough for me. Also experienced some problems with the transition lenses when walking from sun to deep shadows. In addition, I carry a pair with regular lenses for evenings, as well as reading glasses for maps. Hazards of advanced middle age, I suppose.

[Scouter9]

My eyes have degraded to the point where I can't hike, and certainly can't drive, without corrected vision. I really prefer contact lenses to glasses, for the peripheral vision and the ability to use whatever sunglasses I do (or don't) want at the time. So, for backpacking, I haul in a supply of daily disposables and my spare set of glasses ride in the pack. I clean my hands in the morning, pop in contacts, using only the saline in the lens pack, and have a great day. In the evening, I pop'em out, let them dry and toss the flakes into the ziplock the lenses came from. Glasses work great for midnight strolls or early morning roll outs, but the contacts give me the freedom and vision I like.

My eye doctor usually comps me 10 days worth, every year when we do the check up and discuss the treks planned.

[robow8]

I will be making a visit to the eye doctors soon and more than likely will be leaving with a pair of glasses, my first. I was just wondering what the bespectacled people here use and what they would recommend, especially for use in the great outdoors.

[longri]

Disposable soft contacts.

[rlown]

If you go with glasses, I'd look to Crizal lenses just for the scratch resistance and make sure you get UV protection either in a coating or whatever they do for that.

Since i'm pretty blind, I actually carry 3 pair when I go out. One pair stays in the truck and two pair go with me. I had the unfortunate experience where I took off my glasses to tie a fishing knot and instead of putting them on my daypack like i usually do, I put them on the grass. I was a bit tired after an all day fish fest. I stepped back and heard a soft crunch.

Second pair became very important at that moment.

You might consider the lenses that change to shades. Note that up there, they will almost always be shades. I think OR has those. I've never tried them.

[oldranger]

I take two pair. My standard pair are transition lenses made of polycarbonate. For fishing and driving on sunny days I use transitions polarized driving lenses in polycarbonate. They do not get clear when it gets dark but let enough light through that I often forget to change in the evening. They are great for driving as they cut any glare on the windshield and still darken. They do create a problem reading electronic screens, though. Polycarbonate is more subject to scratching than glass but is a little tougher and much lighter.

Now that this thread has been merged I see that I have repeated myself. Do that often must be getting old!

Mike