Perhaps a silly question, re: contacts (for eyes)

I was considering going on an overnight hiking trip but then thought about what will happen when I need to sleep because I wear contacts. I can't exactly wash my hands with soap and water and clean my contacts out in the wilderness and then be able to clean them again in the morning and put them in my eyes. Sleeping with them in is out of the question for me too. What do people do that wear contacts when hiking overnight?

why can't you wash your hands while camping? Purchase some eco-friendly soap - wash your hands (were you planning to eat with filthy mitts???)- try something like this http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39151803

Dax, A friend of mine uses the disposable contacts that you keep in for a week or so, then throw them away. She gets them at Costco and buys several boxes at a time, but I'm sure they are available almost anywhere that sells contacts. I'm pretty sure they stay in all the time, even while sleeping.

I'm with Steve-you have to wash your hands, just to prevent getting sick while cooking, if for no other reason. This is very important-you don't want to be out in the wilderness and get sick because you didn't wash your hands after "going." You could also get someone else sick if you are the one cooking for everyone.

If I can't use soap and water, I use the little handi-wipes like they give you on airplanes. I've also seen baby wipes recommended-they both have alcohol in them.

For soap, I carry Dr. Bronner's, old hippies favorite soap.

My wife wears contacts, even on overnight hikes. She takes them out for sleeping, then rinses them in saline solution before replacing them in the morning.

As others have said, you really have to wash your hands before cooking or eating anyway. When you can't wash with soap and water (for example, on winter trips), a hand sanitizer like Purell works very well. It turns out that most cases of "giardia" in the back country are actually from eating without washing your hands. And most cases where an entire party comes down with digestive problems come from the cook or server neglecting to wash their hands.

But, Barb (my spouse of 40+ years) used to wear contacts. She had problems a couple times getting dirt in her eyes (from blowing dirt in at least one case) and scratched her cornea. That healed, but was very uncomfortable. Later she developed pterigium (sp?), which it turns out many people who spend lots of hours in the outdoors develop, even non-contact users (apparently promoted by lots of UV exposure, which us high altitude wanderers get a lot of). This makes contacts a no-go). So, her advice (and her opthamologist's) is use glasses for backcountry use and where blowing dust, sand, etc may be an issue.

But sterilize your hands in any case - soap and water, hand sanitizer, "baby-wipes", whatever. You really don't want to get stomach ailments when out in the backcountry.

Yes thank you for those replies, but that's the problem with the contacts, you have to wash your hands with soap and water. You can't use some alcohol sanitizer because then THAT is on your hands and you definitely don't want to put your fingers around your eyes with alcohol on them. And what if there is no water around TO wash your hand with camp soap. Obviously, I know how to care for my contacts and my eyes, my questions were just related to what if you can't wash your hands; it's very easy to get dirt, dust, etc. even at home after you wash your hands. Mine are monthly lenses, not weekly. Some people can sleep in them, but not me, they dry up so much on my eye and it's hell in the morning if I accidentally sleep in them.

I would recommend talking to your ophthamologist in that case. As far as I know, no one on this site is an eye doctor or eye surgeon. Personally, in your situation, I would insist on a face to face discussion with a person who has the appropriate diploma on the wall, and get a second and third opinion, including at least one who spends time in the woods.

Or, you may just have to do what Barb and many others I know who spend lots of time in the hills and woods (including many I have spent time with in the Alaska Range and Antarctica) - use glasses during those occasions.

Or maybe spend the big bucks on the laser guy (I hear mixed reviews about whether this works for high altitude or not, even with the latest eye sculpting techniques, so have a loonnnggg talk with eye doctor types who don't have a vested interest in lasers and are outdoor types themselves).

In any case, I think this goes way beyond anything I would trust hearing from someone posting on the internet, unless I could establish their bonafides independently. Your eyes are far too valuable (at least, I consider my eyes far too valuable for internet advice).

Pop 'em out, put them in the case, go to sleep. Then, wake up, take them out of the case, put them back in your eyes.

Geez, this ain't rocket science here...

I find that the disenfectant storage solution (bottle says good for cleaning, rinsing, storage) is adequate to do the job for me.

I rarely wash my hands with soap and water whilst camping. I'll maybe rinse the heavy dirt off them, or, lick them and wipe them clean on my pants or shirt, then I just pop the contacts out and into the little case they go.

Couple of things I try to avoid touching before putting the contacts back in are skeeter repellant, sunscreen and any type of hot sauce or hot peppers.

I tolerate contacts pretty well. But, I always carry a back up pair or two. I use the disposable kind, and, could wear them to bed if need be, but, usually prefer to take them out. Makes sleep more comfy and my eyes aren't all gunky the next morning. Also carry a compass w/ mirror on it for re-installation. I only seem to toss out the disposible lenses when they get uncomfortable to wear or a chip in them.

You could also just carry a little bottle of rewetting solution, or, a bigger bottle of storage solution too for wetting/cleaning your fingers prior to taking them in or out. I usually don't bother and if I need a bit of solution, I just dip the fingers in the storage case.

YMMV. I use B&L soft contacts, btw.

-Brian in SLC

I've been wearing contacts backpacking for years. I use monthly B&L softies, can't sleep in them, and can't tolerate dirty contacts well, so I take the no-rub cleaner solution and an extra set of lenses. I also have a rare little item called a Hydro-Mat (they made them about 10 years ago, a case that you spin the top and it spins the contacts around @ high speed making lots of bubbles to clean them better) To keep them clean w/o any rubbing at all. I have a small towel that I use to *thoroughly* clean my fingertips using a small amount of the contact cleaner- it is soap, after all, and disinfectant- and a lot of friction. I have a sighting compass w/ a mirror for those times I just can't get the lenses in.

That's part of the intrigue of all this backpacking stuff. You have to find ways to make it seem like home (or whatever you want it to seem like) with the things you have. You need to figure out how to solve problems that arise with whatever is at hand. And you need to determine what luxuries you can't do without so you don't have to 'make do', and balance that with how much you want to carry.

You'll find this forum to be full of ingenious and experienced people who will provide you with a seed to start inventing your own solutions.

And you'll realize that hiking into the woods allows you to make your world whatever you want it to be. You can be a weekend camper, a mountain man, a frontier explorer, a casual nature photographer, on and on.

I had to pipe in here with no real value to add. I just become amazed, though, at the ideas and helpfulness I see here all the time.

Blackbeard

Oh yeah, I was a contact wearer for years, and all of the above ideas are great ones. I hadn't heard of the little spinner gizmo for a long time, but remember when it was almost the only kind of appliance of its kind. Wasn't that supposed to be used with those little enzyme tablets?

My eyes were extremely sensitive to everything when I wore contacts. I had allergies really bad, and was even allergic to the allergy drops the opthamologist kept giving me.

I would use the camping soap, along with taking a separate small bottle of water to rinse with, and look for some sort of lint-free towel to always use for drying my fingers with. Keep it all separated in a plastic bag so the towel never gets soiled in any way.

I almost forgot why I was reading this thread and what made me respond. Gosh I'm getting old.

B.