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  1. #1
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    Default care for glasses

    I am planning a 2017 sobo thru-hike and am dependent on my glasses for vision; basically blind without them. I'd appreciate any advice about care and cleaning of glasses from hikers that also need them. When sweating, they become not just fogged over, but nearly opaque with smudges.
    humor is the gadfly on the corpse of tragedy

  2. #2
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    #1: Get an eye-glass retainer so that the glasses don't slide down your face as you sweat.
    #2: Wear a bandana or something else on your forehead to prevent sweat from getting on your glasses.

    As for fog, I haven't hiked in enough varied conditions where fog has become a problem.
    One obvious answer, if you can swing it, is to use contacts instead of glasses.

    Otherwise, the only thing I can think of is to make sure you have a style of glasses that permits a maximum amount of air to get between your face and glasses to minimize the humidity buildup between your face and glasses.

  3. #3
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    If you are that blind w/o your glasses, make sure to bring one of those small repair kits in case your frame looses a screw, etc. In addition, maybe bring one of those armored eyeglass cases to keep your specs from getting crushed while sleeping.

  4. #4
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    Carry some . You won't regret it
    I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.

  5. #5

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    Bring a spare pair of eyeglasses.

    "To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by daddytwosticks View Post
    If you are that blind w/o your glasses, make sure to bring one of those small repair kits in case your frame looses a screw, etc. In addition, maybe bring one of those armored eyeglass cases to keep your specs from getting crushed while sleeping.
    And bring a spare pair of glasses in case something happens to them. My husband is like the OP, can't see anything without his glasses. He always carries a spare. We always hike together, so if he did lose his glasses, I could lead him down the trail. If you're hiking alone, you could be in serious trouble without a backup.

  7. #7

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    +1 for Cat Crap. I carry Rx sunglasses as well as regular Rx glasses. My lightweight crushproof case was recycled from the plastic case of a cooling bandana at Lowe's.
    http://m.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Synthetic...-Towel/4754512

    I use a small piece of closed cell foam to stop my glasses from rattling, and have plenty room for a cleaning cloth and eyeglass repair kit as well. The cooling bandana works well too....
    Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt, and the forest and field in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul.--Fred Bear

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    I'm not so blind that I can't hike without my glasses, but I can't read well without them. I'm thinking about getting a very small, low profile pair of reading glasses fold in half and store in a small container. They're expensive though. I don't hike with my glasses on, since I don't have much trouble seeing at distance (not enough to matter, anyhow). Just a suggestion, something you might think about.

    Quote Originally Posted by greensleep View Post
    I am planning a 2017 sobo thru-hike and am dependent on my glasses for vision; basically blind without them. I'd appreciate any advice about care and cleaning of glasses from hikers that also need them. When sweating, they become not just fogged over, but nearly opaque with smudges.




  9. #9

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    I wear my glasses, or prescription sunglasses, no problems.

    1. Never ever ever touch the lenses


    2. Use a drop of soap and little water and wash once per day. Drip dry wearing.

    If you can see your feet, you don't need to worry about something happening to glasses. It would be an inconvenience, not a catastrophe.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 08-16-2016 at 18:08.

  10. #10
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    Get a cheap pair, so that you can clean frequently without fear of scratching them. I plan on bringing prescription sunglasses as my spares. as well.
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  11. #11

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    I hike with a small microfiber towel (weighs between 1 and 2 ounces) and one of its many uses is to clean my glasses, along with water. Many tents have an interior pocket somewhere inside the tent and my glasses are all I ever put in there at night. I wear my glasses during all waking hours, like you probably do, so I never bother bringing a hard case for them. They're either on my face or in that pocket in my tent. If you stay in a lot of shelters perhaps a hard case is a good idea.
    Life Member: ATC, ALDHA, Superior Hiking Trail Association

  12. #12

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    Get sturdy, bullet proof frames. I had a pair of wire rim frames and one day one of the lens fell out, bounced off a rock and disappeared. I then had to hike with the world seriously out of focus from the north end of the Smokies (I was almost to Davenport gap when this happened) to Erwin, TN before I could get them replaced. Hiking was okay, I could still tell a stick from a snake, but not being able to watch TV after paying for a motel room was a disappointment.

    I only have trouble with fogging in the winter and have a face wrap on. A rimmed cap (baseball) is (usually) all that is needed when it's raining. If the rain is coming in sideways with gale force winds, your better off without glasses, not matter how bad your eyes are.
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  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by map man View Post
    so I never bother bringing a hard case for them. They're either on my face or in that pocket in my tent. If you stay in a lot of shelters perhaps a hard case is a good idea.
    I usually put my glasses inside one of my boots when staying at shelters. That way I won't roll over them and know where they are.
    Follow slogoen on Instagram.

  14. #14

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    My friend had the same issue, he was planning a lot of solo hiking when retired so he had laser surgery and then didn't need glasses except for close up. After years of winter hiking we were up on summit after his surgery. He commented that it was nice to finally see a view off a winter summit as previously he never got a views as his glasses would be fogged. Cat Crap is better than nothing but not by much for winter fogging.

    I live near the Canadian border and not sure if its till this way but previously folks could get laser eye surgery in Canada for half the cost as the US. Generally a local eye doctor can do the after check ups so its only one trip north.

  15. #15

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    My glasses might have fogged up one day out of sixty. Generally if I was moving, I created enough of a breeze to defog them. I wore a bucket hat in light rain, used an umbrella in heavier rain.

    Carried two dedicated lens cleaning cloths. Ran a bit of string across the top of my tent as a clothesline, hung the glasses from it while I slept. CVS sells some lightweight disposable cleaning wipes, which I used sparingly. Made it two months without so much as a scratched lens.

    My glasses are expensive thick bifocals, I never get coatings on the my glasses. I'm convinced that the "anti-scratch" coating is nothing more than an easily scratched coating that forces you to replace them more often. Carried a pair of prescription sunglasses in a plastic case as backup. They came in very handy in the first month until the leaves came in, but rarely used them after that. I carried a copy of the lens prescription, in the event of major failure.

  16. #16

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    I sweat and heat up pretty quickly. My glasses become completely fogged and terrible on most long inclines or really hot days, no matter what I've tried
    So I use disposable contacts when I have a hot/hard day of hiking ahead. I use my phone camera as a mirror and a few pairs of disposables weighs almost nothing. Then I get rid of them as soon as I'm in camp

  17. #17
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    wiper glasses.jpgI found these for less than $10.
    I'm not lost. I'm exploring.

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Feral Bill View Post
    Get a cheap pair, so that you can clean frequently without fear of scratching them. I plan on bringing prescription sunglasses as my spares. as well.
    Good, inexpensive source of quality prescription eyeglasses. I don't work for them. I have bought from Zenni twice and saved a lot of $$$. Get the lens coating. Well worth the $5 extra.

    www.zennioptical.com



    Last edited by atraildreamer; 08-17-2016 at 11:02.

    "To make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." - T.S. Eliot

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by Feral Bill View Post
    Get a cheap pair, so that you can clean frequently without fear of scratching them. I plan on bringing prescription sunglasses as my spares. as well.
    The trick to not scratching glasses, is to never wipe the lenses, ever, never. Especially not dry. Wash under water, use a little soap, rinse clean. Blot dry with soft tissue lightly if needed. .Never wipe. Lenses stay like new forever.
    Wiping dirt across lens, whether on lens or dirty cloth, or crude paper towel with abrasive material in it, is what damages the coatings and lens.

    Because they give you a free little microfiber cleaning cloth, doesn't mean you have to be stupid and actually use it. Use one more than once, your just rubbing dirt back against coatings.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 08-17-2016 at 11:11.

  20. #20
    CDT - 2013, PCT - 2009, AT - 1300 miles done burger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    The trick to not scratching glasses, is to never wipe the lenses, ever, never. Especially not dry. Wash under water, use a little soap, rinse clean. Blot dry with soft tissue lightly if needed. .Never wipe. Lenses stay like new forever.
    Wiping dirt across lens, whether on lens or dirty cloth, or crude paper towel with abrasive material in it, is what damages the coatings and lens.

    Because they give you a free little microfiber cleaning cloth, doesn't mean you have to be stupid and actually use it. Use one more than once, your just rubbing dirt back against coatings.
    You don't need soap to clean your glasses. I wore prescription sunglasses all day every day on my PCT and CDT thru-hikes. I used a little microfiber glasses cloth to clean the glasses every few days. When I remembered, I tossed the cloth in with my laundry, and it was like new. So long as you wash it now and then, your glasses cloth should absorb any oil or whatever that gets on your glasses. And I've used the little microfiber cloth to clean my current pair of glasses every day for the few years I've had these glasses--no scratches whatsoever. The glasses look like now. Wiping the lenses is fine if you make sure to remove any grit first (like by running under water or lightly brushing with the cloth before giving a firm wipe).

    More generally, if the OP's glasses are continually getting covered in sweat, maybe they don't fit right? Or maybe the OP just needs to wear a hat to keep sweat from dripping down? I always wear a hat when hiking (a very light ballcap made of synthetic fabric can actually keep you cooler by wicking moisture off your head. Also, you can dip it in streams/ponds to further help with cooling), and I have never ever had issues with sweat dripping down my face onto my glasses. And that's not just when hiking--I run distances up to marathons (wearing a hat), and have never had issues with sweat getting onto my glasses while running.

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