Hunting with glasses?

[Mtnhunter1]

Question for the folks that wear eye glasses while hunting. How do you put up with the constant fogging up of the lenses?

Earlier this year I had some kind of critter decide to attack the surface of my eyes. This resulted in me damn near loosing my vision! Thankfully, the Docs and Specialists have me on the road to recovery but my vision may never totally recover. With my newly required Doctor prescribed glasses, I now have roughly 90% vision in my right eye and 60% vision out of the left. It sucks, but it is what it is and I'll deal with what I have to work with.

My wife, god bless her, with my new specs acquired, she decided that we needed to go roam eastern Montana again. We just returned home from that trip! I can honestly question how all of you glasses wearers put up with them?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Mtnhunter1

 

[MThuntr]

I don't have glasses but multiple hunting partners do. Some seem to just put up with it and others wear contacts when hunted. One went as far as to get Lasik and mentions how glad he is that he doesn't wear contacts or glasses.

 

[rideold]

There are some lens cleaners that will help with the fogging. Sometimes spitting on them and then wiping them off helps a lot. Just have to be careful if there is grit on them or you'll scratch the lenses. I can't wear glasses except for basic around the house kind of stuff anymore but I wore them for 30 years before this. I would push them down my nose a bit when I stopped working hard so they got plenty of air around them. That helps some. Keeping a lens cleaning cloth handy is helpful. In the end it just happens so you learn to manage it. Glad you still can see! I can't function without my contacts so I carry an extra pair when I'm hunting just in case. When I wore glasses I never traveled out of town without a spare pair either. Figure if I depend on them then I better have a backup!

 

[marshman]

Anti fogging wipes like used for ski goggles, it helps quite a bit.

 

[daltrix99]

Bring the lens wipes or a microfiber cloth and keep them in your bino harness. Also while hiking I'll push my glasses forward a bit so there is space between them and my face - this relieves some fogging. Also I highly recommend some kind of strap like chums or anything you can pick up that keeps them on your head at all times.

All this being said, I hope to get Lasik sooner than later! I find the glasses significantly inconvenient for looking through binos and scopes, sometimes the frames intrude while looking through my peep sight, and yes the fogging. Not to mention I think I look like a goober wearing them but that might not be the glasses.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I've worn glasses since I was about 7 or 8 years old. Fogging up is really not a problem unless you wear a full facemask for warmth, I never do. All my binos have always had fold down eye cups so that is no a problem either. Even my spotting scope has one.
My glasses have saved me from having a poke in the eye when walking through the thick stuff several times.
I would be totally helpless without my glasses so I always have a spare set in the truck. My glasses are the first thing I put on in the morning and the last thing I take off at night.

 

[madtom]

I try to have a microfiber cloth with me to clear them when they fog (usually only an issue when it's precipitating or I'm really exerting myself). I usually take them off while glassing - either slide them up on my head or have the strings on the frame and let them hang on my neck.

A lot of it comes down to just being used to the inconvenience...I've worn glasses for almost 20 years, so the annoying parts seem normal to me.

 

[Irrelevant]

Go earlier in the year!

I've never actually had an issue with fogging, it's the rain/snow that drives me crazy. If I do get fogging I can usually just slide them a little further away from my face and it clears right up.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Banging around in the warmer weather last week and I thought that my new specs would not be THAT BAD. Then the cold front hit and I thought that wearing these things REALLY SUCKS!

Walking out in the dark via headlamp during a driving snow storm was damn near dangerous.

 

[KipCarson]

I started wearing glasses in high school and it did not take me too long to realize that glasses and hunting don’t jive that well. Fogging up in the cold, covered in sweat in the heat, very very annoying. Contacts work great, if you can wear them. At first they can be a serious pain in the tail but once you get used to them they are the best thing for an active outdoor lifestyle. I only use glasses now late in the evening around the house. I remember having some lens cleaning products that helped with the fogging but I don’t remember what those products were since I have not regularly worn glasses in 15 years.

I had some stuff happened with my eyes two years ago that almost cost me my vision in my right eye, it hit while I was elk hunting in Colorado. My eye was a little cloudy when I left home and I did not think it was a big deal, by the time I got up there and it was opening day I could barely see enough to shoot my bow at 20 yards, ended up spending opening day going to Pueblo to the ER. It was herpes zoster disciform disease that messed up my eye, the whole right side of my face was broke out in something like shingles and also caused Bell’s palsy. Roughest week I have ever spent in the mountains, every day was a grind just to make myself not go home. Needless to say I take eyecare extremely serious now. Heck of a wake up call for a young person.

 

[LopeHunter]

I attach the eyeglasses to a cord and presume I will scratch them so will be tossed post-hunt. I tuck them into my shirt or jacket or into a case but leave the cord around my neck. I put them on when need to read something and usually when shoot though can see to shoot a scope and iron sights though a bit less crisp. Mine get wet if moisture but no problem with fogging. I use the alcohol wipes to clean the glasses. Maybe that helps reduce fogging.

 

[pabearhunter]

Anti fog wipes.

 

[Bambistew]

RainX, and carry dry cloths. Fogging sucks, but its manageable for me.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Bring the lens wipes or a microfiber cloth and keep them in your bino harness. Also while hiking I'll push my glasses forward a bit so there is space between them and my face - this relieves some fogging. Also I highly recommend some kind of strap like chums or anything you can pick up that keeps them on your head at all times.

All this being said, I hope to get Lasik sooner than later! I find the glasses significantly inconvenient for looking through binos and scopes, sometimes the frames intrude while looking through my peep sight, and yes the fogging. Not to mention I think I look like a goober wearing them but that might not be the glasses.

This is basically the exact response I was going to write. Glasses are a pain in the ass, and if my eyes would tolerate contacts (chronic dry eyes) I’d wear them. Looking into LASIK soon.

As far as keeping a microfiber cloth handy, I like the big, fluffy, washcloth-style ones. You can get a lot of use out of them before having to wash them, and they seem to get stuff off of lenses a lot better than the small, thin cloths. In the field I just keep it in a chest pocket.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Again, thank you all for your tips.

I was hoping for a surefire tip for the fogging but will try the rain-x type wipes and puffy micro fiber cloths. I have two eye appointments early next week and will be bringing up this question with both of the Docs.

Also, a second pair of dumb looking glasses for backup is a very good idea!

The return trip to the rig of our last hike had us walking at an angle to the wind that would cause my right lens to fog at every breath! What a pain in the ass that was as that is now my GOOD eye!

My hat is off to all of you that have been wearing glasses while out and about in our great out-of-doors!

Here is a pic of me sporting my very nerdy new specs. My wife snapped this with her phone as I was bitching about the lens fogging issue. She dared me to post it here on the WWWeb! Dare excepted Honey, you should know that at the back side of 50's, there are not many things that will em-bare-ass me anymore!View attachment 118534View attachment 118534

 

[fmnjr]

Really sorry you're having the problems with your eyes, but you look, and seem, like a bad ass that can handle all circumstances going your way.

Like others have said, micro fiber wipes are great! Been using them for years and keep them handy at work, in the truck, at home, etc.

I've spent so much $$ on glasses it just sickens me. Some good, some bad, some in between, some great....whatever.

Right now I'm wearing 2.5 eyephorics, ie, they weight 2.5 grams and therefore don't give you the kinds of problems big frames and lenses do.

They are ok but now I've gotten to a point in life where I'm like, WTF Maynard, let's see what else is out there and have been investigating premium multi-focal lenses for a couple years.

Therefore, I've got an appt to see an eye Doc here to discuss getting IOLs.

Because I've got medicare now and employer insurance getting IOLs won't cost me a dime, if I decide to go through with it.

It seems like a workable solution for me, maybe not for others, we'll see what happens when my appt comes around.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

Really sorry you're having the problems with your eyes, but you look, and seem, like a bad ass that can handle all circumstances going your way.

Your BAD ASS comment made my wife laugh!!!

She says that since I can't see critters I am now a very poor hunting guide,,,,I'm just a glorified OLD PACK MULE now!!

 

[BAKPAKR]

When I am hunting in the rain, I try to always have a soft cotton bandana in a zip lock bag to clean off my glasses. The microfiber cleaning cloth seems to just smear the water around.

 

[Mtnhunter1]

When I am hunting in the rain, I try to always have a soft cotton bandana in a zip lock bag to clean off my glasses. The microfiber cleaning cloth seems to just smear the water around.

Thank You Sir.....any tips to help with the lens fogging?

 

[fmnjr]

Sometimes spitting on them and then wiping them off helps a lot.

This really works, used the same idea many times to keep my dive googles free of fogging. Also, my optician orders some kind of fogging treatment for my lenses. Can't remember what it is but you should check into it. It's Optifog or Opticote, something light that. My glasses don't fog.