Contacts or Glasses??

Hey guys, new guy here. I kno a lot of people have to wear em. How do u guys do it?? Nothing seems to work for me. This will be my 3rd season. 1st year was with glasses. Irritating. Sliding everywhere, constant wiping, pain in da @$$ in rain. 2nd was with contacts. Irritating and difficult to manage on multiday or overnighters. Cant just run out the door and get laser surgery, although this is a great reason to. Your take anyone??

Welcome Will...

Interesting question. and one that may yield different answers for many reasons.

I personally have chosen glasses over contacts. I too can not afford laser surgery. I've needed glasses since the 4th grade. I've tried contacts 3 separate times in my life - each time they were abandoned. In high school, I lacked the discipline to care for the lenses. Later, in my 20s, my over active lifestyle made them a bother. Finally, I discovered that because I worked in dusty, dirty and above all, outside environments, glasses just seemed more sensible. One thing that I have not been able to be completely happy with though - the sunglasses situation.

If your glasses are slipping around, it is possible they are just not fitted properly. I bike, run, climb, kayak, etc., and my glasses stay put. Not fancy sport classes either, just regular wire-framed (OK I admit, bifocal) glasses.
Tip: Thin polycarbonate lenses make your glasses MUCH lighter than with glass or even regular plastic lenses. Heavy lenses will cause your glasses to slip more too.

Glasses used to have sprung wire arms, just like glacier glasses, back in the old days. You can still find these antique eye glasses in flea markets and such places for next to nothing and just have some plastic lenses put in. Perhaps some manufacturers still make spring arms or a pair of cheap sports/glacier glasses with your own Rx put in.

Other than that, try heating plastic frames (with a hair dryer) and bending the front frame to bring in the arms, or the arms themselves, so that they are more snug on your head.

For rain, try some of that stuff that motorcyclists use on their visors (Rain Off?). Also, if it isn't too hot, a baseball cap would keep off a lot of rain?

I wear daily contacts for adventuring, with glasses as a backup. Due to the type of eyesight correction I need, my peripheral vision is much better with contacts. I tried three different brands of contacts before I found the ones that were right for me. A good vision care center will give you a complimentary pair to check for proper fit, you wear them a few days and go back in for a check.

It took me a while to learn how to care for contacts properly. Whether adventuring or not, my contacts would get loaded with protein deposits and be uncomfortable to say the least.

There are several types and brands of protein remover products, I use tablets once a week in my lens case overnight. This has made all the difference in the world to me in terms of comfort. Properly cleaned I can't even tell I'm wearing contacts.

As far as care in the back-country, It's not hard, but you do have to carry saline (or make your own at camp) and a lens case of course, unless you have extended wear lenses and sleep in them.

Another reason I wear contacts is so I can use my specialty polarized sunglasses with interchangeable lenses, I like those way better than my prescription sunglasses.

I too like polycarbonate lenses in my prescription glasses, they are much lighter. I also prefer polarized sunglasses and only the wrap around type.

To keep lenses from fogging try one of several anti fogging products, most work well but are not 100%. I like to carry a few lens cleaning wipe singles, the good ones contain an anti-fogger. The wipes are very small and weigh next to nothing.

For fit I make my eye care center fit my glass frames properly, I don't walk out until I'm happy. Go back if in a few days if your not happy after wearing them some, make them earn your business! Also try Croakies or some other brand of retention strap to hold your glasses in place, I mean the kind that can be worn loose or snug by adjusting them, I keep a pair on my sunglasses.

Wearing a hat or cap will cut way down on glare and reduce the damage from UV rays to your eyes.

Another trick I use sometimes when backpacking is to wear a rear view mirror like the kind bicyclists clip to their glasses or cap. You would be surprised at what goes on when your back is turned, (critters mostly). You can also keep an eye on what things look like from the opposite direction, this is helpful for navigation.

I may get laser surgery one day for now I'm just thankful for corrective lenses.

I just wish I could get lenses that let me see through the thick fog we have in the mountains here, sometimes it is present 24 hrs. a day.

I personally wear glasses because contacts just irritate the hell out of my eyes. I always take a small bottle of cleaner and some type of microfiber rag to clean them with