High Sierra Topix

I wear prescription glasses and have a pair of prescription sunglasses (polarized) that I carry most times. Last time in the sierra I used a Walgreens pair of wrap around sunglasses, the geeky kind that fit over my normal glasses. Worked well. Advantage is that I can "store" them on the bill of my hat when I'm looking through the viewfinder

I don't wear glasses but I recently watched a man lose his to severe wind. It was really gusting and after being blown over several times he was having a hard time remaining on his feet. When a gust blew his glasses off of his face he was essentially blind and helpless. Fortunately we came along and were able to locate his glasses. Even if he'd had a spare in his pack getting to it in that wind without losing items would have been a challenge. You could argue that a strap might have been a good idea for him on that particular day.

Contacts: I have changed my contacts in the backcountry. It isn't a big deal and decent hygiene is not that hard to accomplish even with an ultralight pack.

Deleted by LMB.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Disposable soft contacts.