Glasses or Contacts?

imported
#1

Who used them? which is more resonable for the trail?

Eyeware

#2

I wore glasses last year, with the usual fogging problems in
cool, damp weather.
Lots of others used contacts, with the usual problems with
dirt/sand, and carrying cleaning supplies.

I’m going with glasses again this year, as they’re photogray.
Carry an old pair for backup in an aluminum case(~3 oz. tot).
If I had contacts I wouldn’t hesitate to use them. Take a
spare pair, or glasses, too.

Scamp

Scamp

#3

On my 2001 AT hike I wore glasses. Just figured that contacts would be hard to handle and keep clean. In late 2001 I splurged and got LASIK. So for my through this year it’s sunglasses only ! 8)

Footslogger

#4

I had the same exact question. I went to the eye doctor today, and he prescribed me some of those contacts that you can leave in your eyes for a week at a time. I figure that way I will only take them out when I get to town, or have a chance to clean myself up. I just think that contacts would give a lot more freedom than glasses.

tank

#5

I hike with the extended-wear contacts, and only take them out in town. I carry contact solution and my glasses in my pack. Every time I go to town----either to stay the night or just for lunch----I clean the contacts out. I only take them out at night when I’m in town, never on the trail because my hands are never clean enough to stick my finger in my eye.

I recommend ALWAYS having an extra set of contacts with you in your pack, and then put extra sets in your resupply boxes or your bounce box. You can throw away the old contacts and put in a new set about once per month.

yogi

yogi

#6

Ditto what Yogi said.

Ganj

#7

I will be wearing glasses for my thru-hike. I had to stop once at Edmands Col in the White Mountains to clean a lens (some sand blew in my eye). Fortunately, I had alcohol wipes for my hands. But when I took the contact out, a strong gust of wind just took it right out of my hand. I had neglected to bring glasses for this trip (yes, stupid), and my hiking partners and I spent 10 minutes crawling on the ground looking for the damn thing.

After that, I decided that I would just deal with glasses. That’s 5oz of cleaning fluid I no longer have to carry! :tongue Maybe I’ll put a pair of contacts in a bounce box, but they are definitely staying off the trail!

boot

#8

I would say it depends on what kind of contacts it is that you wear. If daily wear, I’d take glasses instead.

I was very worried when I started last year and wished I had gotten a lasik treatment. But I had been wearing disposable contacts for several years. I tried to always carry at least 3 pair and had more mailed to me from time to time. Normally I take mine out at night since my eyes get very dry while I sleep. I always kept a tiny bottle of eyedrops, made for contact lens wearers, near me as I slept. Whenever I woke up at night and had to go take of business or whenever I woke up in the morning, I’d place a few drops in my eyes and be good to go. Never had any problems with them. I did carry a pair of glasses in case I did have problems. Since I was rarely out of a town for more than 5, often never more 3 days, I would wait till I arrived in town and could clean my heands really well before I changed or removed them.

If you haven’t tried disposables maybe you should consider them. They are thinner and a bit harder to handle. But when you lose one it is no big deal. Just pop in a new one. After a week remove and throw away. I used for 2 weeks since I remove each night so my eyes can breathe (didn’t on the trail of course).

Rerun

#9

You can take this for what its worth. Several of the optometrists I have spoken with over the past couple of years strongly urge to wait five to ten more years before jumping into Lasik treatments. Truth is that they do not know what the long term effects of it has been and have seen many people develop problems over time.

Ganj

#10

Having had the procedure myself…I’d completely recommend! I’m also an optician who sells glasses and contacts every day and have seen lots of people happy with the procedure. A lot depends on the surgeon. Don’t go to the $499 per eye place. Pick a reputable surgeon. I haven’t developed any problems and I had it done in ‘97. I’ve also seen very few people with problems and the problems weren’t something that developed, it was a complication from the surgery (cheap place, not a good candidate, bad follow up care).
If you don’t want to go the Lasik way, there’s a new cl out that you can wear for 30 days, the Ciba night and day lens, they come in a six pack…just enough for a thru hike!
Gotta’ go…

Bramble

#11

For a long-distance hike, the disposable extended wear (one to two weeks) works well. But you should carry an inexpensive pair of glasses, as well as a couple PAIRS of extra lenses, just in case.

Glasses in case you get an infection and can’t wear lenses for awhile.

Spare contacts in case one falls out or gets torn. OR your maildrop or bounce box gets lost.

The kind I use (AcuVue) recommend a complete night without ANY lenses in, whenever you switch from the old “used” pair to a new pair, to let your eyes “rest.” Perfect for trail town stopovers, which is also when you might need those glasses if you’re blind as a bat like me.

Resupply maildrops and/or a bounce box ought to satisfy your replacement lens needs. IMO contacts really beat the hell out of wearing glasses on the Trail. YMMV. If you go with disposable contacts, you don’t need to be concerned with any kind of cleaning solutions or apparatus–just a tiny bottle of rewetting drops.

Skyline

#12

I wear my daily wear every trip, and take them out every night. Sometimes, my hand could be cleaner. But usually, I am able to clean them. On some days, I’ve slept w/them in. It is a pain to carry the fluid, but I can’t stand hiking w/my glasses on. I made a cool fleece glasses case, very easy!

THA WOOKIE

#13

This was a big concern of mine, but I did as the others above, I had my optometrist start during the winter and order me several different extended wear brands. I have (an) astigmitism is both eyes, so need special contacts. In the end, I went with the two week variety, came in a 6 month supply, put a new pair in each drop. I changed them in town as well, but on the trail they were absolutely seamless, I never handled them, never had to. The difference I discovered (that you wouldn’t know at home) is that when you’re living outside all the time, it’s a lot more humid than inside air (duh) and my eyes NEVER dried out like at home. In fact, that’s another thing I miss about the Trail, I had no eye strain (I’m an accountant, my eyes get a work out), my eyes were moist and happy. It was wonderful…

Since I was hardly handling them the small bit of solution I carried lasted a LOT longer, although I had small travel bottles in a few drops.

I actually sent home my glasses after a time and just made sure I didn’t throw out the old pair of contacts when I made the switch. That may not have been a good idea, since I am quite blind, but I got tired of the glasses knocking around my pack lid for no reason. I virtually never wore them.

Bluebearee