Contact Lenses

freu1chr

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
157
Location
Jordan, Minnesota
I wear contacts and can not shoot with glasses on. I am wondering what you guys do when you hunt late season in November to keep your contacts from freezing in your pack if you pack in a few miles and tent in the wilderness.
 
I use a pullover jacket when it’s cold. Contacts go in the zipper chest pocket. I figure if the contacts freeze there I won’t need them anyway.
 
As others have said, keep them on your body or in your bag at night. Saline should freeze at lower temps than plain water, but i see you're from Minnesota, you're probably talking about a magnitude of cold i'm not familiar with.
 
I don't like the hygiene of using a contact case or while backpacking, so I use dailies. My silk underwear that I sleep in has a breast pocket
 
I store them on my eyes, then use about 1/4 bottle of solution to lubricate everything in the morning. Shouldn't do it but have never had good luck putting in and taking out contacts camping, hard to get clean hands for that type of thing camping.
 
I had lasik surgery about ten years ago and it worked great for a couple of years for both eyes. I noticed that my right eye vision was starting to get a little blurry. Turns out my right eye vision got a little worse while my left stayed 20/20. Doesn't really matter with my daily activities and I weld for a living but to shot my bow I have to put a contact in my right eye. Kind of a pain in the butt when you want to practice in the evenings.
 
I store them on my eyes, then use about 1/4 bottle of solution to lubricate everything in the morning. Shouldn't do it but have never had good luck putting in and taking out contacts camping, hard to get clean hands for that type of thing camping.

There are several CL products FDA approved for sleeping in them for a week to 30 days. So you dont have to feel like you're doing something wrong. I'd still recommend trying this out at home before you do it in the field. Some eyes cant tolerate it very long even if the FDA is okay with it.

I use daily disposable lenses so I just pop in a fresh pair every day since my eyes cant tolerate extended wear.
 
My back up lens go in the zipper pocket chest pocket of my shirt. I will often take them out at night and then put the case in by sleeping back with me, if it's really cold I just sleep with them in, mine are rated for sleeping for 30 days per @beginnerhunter. If you are thinking of going that route talk to your optometrist and give it a try at home, the worst thing you can do is sleep in your contacts for the first time out west where it's super dry and at high altitude where your eyes are getting less oxygen.
 
As others have said, keep them on your body or in your bag at night. Saline should freeze at lower temps than plain water, but i see you're from Minnesota, you're probably talking about a magnitude of cold i'm not familiar with.
This is what I did last week and it worked perfect. Keep your bottle of solution in your bag also.
 
I had the same issue as you, always wore contacts and had a hard time being consistent shooting with glasses on. For me, I found contacts to be more of a pain in the butt to deal with in the field, so I stopped wearing them and learned to make the necessary adjustments in my shooting while wearing glasses.
 
I have an awful habit of wearing mine at home for too long...like weeks. So I plan on putting a new pair in Friday morning when I go in, and refreshing as needed with solution. Will take two extra pairs.

I know...I gotta change my habit.
 
Daily's, but rock them for 2-4 days with a couple of drops of solution in the mornings.
 
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This isn’t completely on topic, but the inconvenience of contacts was the major reason I had laser eye surgery (PRK as I wasn’t a LASIK candidate). Literally the best $3k I ever spent.

Ditto that. Had lasik last year and it was a game changer.
 
My back up lens go in the zipper pocket chest pocket of my shirt. I will often take them out at night and then put the case in by sleeping back with me, if it's really cold I just sleep with them in, mine are rated for sleeping for 30 days per @beginnerhunter.

I think mine are rated for about a week of continuous wear. I usually bring two pairs - one that I wear from the start and a second brand new pair that I swap into if the first ones start to bug me. If I do need to switch, I try to at least give my eyes a rest overnight. I always bring my glasses in a hard case for backup.
 

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