I’m planning to do the JMT next summer. Starting to sort out my gear list and came up with a question. I wear glasses and figure my little clip-ons wouldn’t be enough protection on snowy passes. Anyone else wear glasses and what do you do for sunglasses at high altitude and/or on snow?
Thanks for any advice.
Doug
Try Native sunglasses. About $100+, lifetime warranty, compatible to fit with perscription lenses on several models. They all have great wrap to protect from all sides, and they’re all polarized. I loved mine on the JMT this year.
Cap’n
When I hiked part of the PCT in 2004, I used a pair of sunglasses I got at Walgreens for $20. They’re big and not exactly fashionable, but they protect from all sides, fit over my glasses, they have a polarized version and the price was right. I can’t remember the brand name, but I’ve seen them in every Walgreens I’ve been in.
After 900 miles they were pretty scratched up but I was rough on them.
Have fun!
Jenny
You asked a good question that I have not seen here before.
Whether you wear glasses or not, you need different sunglasses for hiking in the Sierras that most other places. The sun is very bright and gets reflected from all that granite. Extra dark lenses that wrap around more than usual are definitely needed.
Turtle Walking
Yep, I think they’re called solarshields, and come in two types - polarized and nonpolarized. If you get to the store in the early spring, the choice is better. My only problem is finding a case they fit in - I wrecked one pair by sticking them in the top pocket of my pack unprotected.
V8
V8
Thanks for the good info. Those are both helpful ideas. I might check them both out and see how much I really want to spend.
Doug
I had cheapo sunglasses (UV protection, Polarized). Try Chiles brand, at REI. Also, wear a natural weave sunhat, with venhilation but enough to block the overhead light.
Tha Wookie
I bought a pair of perscription sun glasses from WalMart optical for about $100. There are several franchise optical shops (Pearl Vision etc) who advertize cheap perscription glasses. The frames on the cheap glasses are not the fashon statement of the year but they are not that bad either and certainly OK for backcounty travel. If you are out there to make a fashon statment then you are there for a different reason than I am.
GrumpyGord
I’ve heard the sunlight at higher altitudes is harmful to your eyes even without snow, water, or shiny granite underfoot. What altitude have you heard that this starts to be a concern? Thanks.
Doug
I used Julbo glacier glasses on Mt. Rainier in June. There is no way that I could have hiked in the high altitude/snow without them. The UV rays are very strong and would damage the eyes. Without glacier glasses, my hike would have been over. Julbo has many styles.
Ladybug
I completed my ten-day JMT at the end of July with plenty of sunshine, granite and snow. My normal prescription sunglasses worked fine for me. Black Diamond sells prescription glacier glasses if you want the highest level of protection.
Idahomtman
Like You I wear glasses and would suggest a visit to a good optometrist rather than a sports store. You can get them made to fit with perhaps larger lenses than you would normally wear and with a large choice of grades that go very dark under sunlight. I’ve had good experience with Zeiss lenses and also Kodak who claimed the fastest darkening lenses. On a long trip overlenses are going to annoy you.
Fencer
I recently bought some cheap big sunglasses at REI called Peppers. They fit over my prescription glasses, are comfortable to wear, and made to block light from above, below and on the sides. See here…
http://www.rei.com/product/47971103.htm
Doug