Bit of an unusual question, not sure if contacts and specs count as clothing or kit, but hear me out.
I've been wearing glasses for astigmatism for the past four years. I can see without them fair enough mostly, but to do so to make out any fine detail either up close or afar (such as you would for reading or driving) means squinting to focus, and that means aching eyes and headaches - not fun. The glasses solve this just fine, and for most of the time they don't interfere with what I'm doing.
But going up Cadair Idris this last summer, I could hardly see a thing with them on, they were so misted up with the heat coming off me and then they were so streaked with sweat that got on them. Shooting with glasses on isn't ideal either - they interfere with my eye relief and I'm never sure how to set things up with them on. In the rain specs are a bother as you see nothing but beaded up raindrops on your lenses, and when you come inside after being out in the cold you get 'fog-up'. Taking them off eliminates these problem but it's not ideal as then I'm back to the Mk1 eyeball and if I want to be able to focus on something I have to keep on getting them out of my pack. They can also be a bugger to keep clean, and I've had a few pairs broken (dog sat on one, a windswept door to my face broke the others). They're pricey to replace too, which needs doing every few years with a change of prescription, regardless of me breaking any pairs or not.
'Aha', thinks I, 'contacts will be more practical for this!'. Well I've gotten myself tested for them and gotten a few trial pairs from Boots, but whenever I try to put them in I invariably just end up poking myself in the eyes for an hour and achieving nothing except red and sore eyeballs. This is in the bathroom with a mirror, a clean environment, no time pressure and the ability to wash my hands beforehand. Whilst I'm sure contacts would be a good option once in, I'm thinking that the chances of getting them in when bleary-eyed at 5am in a wood one morning isn't high, and the chances of losing them or getting myself an eye infection is much more likely.
If I add in that contacts can only be worn 12-14hrs of the day, aren't good for swimming or if you get dirt or sand behind them, need another pair carrying for each day and just generally seem to be a big fuss, then I'm leaning back towards glasses, even with all their shortcomings.
As contacts are in a solution I'm guessing they could freeze in their packets in the winter, and as the lens is plastic based I'm guessing they could melt on your eye in an absolute worst case scenario (empty case ejected and hits you in the eye, or get too close to that fire or flaring up stove). That's not something I'm expecting to happen by the way, but still!
Another point is that they don't do soft contacts (at least not easily) in my prescription, (apparently that's too much to be catered for but they have got me lenses that are almost what I need), so although my vision with them is way better than without, it's still not as sharp as with glasses. It may well work fine for 99% of the time, but it would be super irritating to go down the contacts route, get them to work for me, and still not be able to make some things out or be able to read without squinting.
So the question is: those of us with under 20/20 vision, do you use either glasses or contacts and which do you prefer when outdoors? Is it worth persevering with the contacts (I'm trying them for outdoors stuff only really, I'm happy with glasses for day-to-day use) or are they really not practical when sleeping out and living basic? What do you find best to use, any tips or advice?
P.S: laser eye surgery isn't an option
Thanks!
Beardy
I've been wearing glasses for astigmatism for the past four years. I can see without them fair enough mostly, but to do so to make out any fine detail either up close or afar (such as you would for reading or driving) means squinting to focus, and that means aching eyes and headaches - not fun. The glasses solve this just fine, and for most of the time they don't interfere with what I'm doing.
But going up Cadair Idris this last summer, I could hardly see a thing with them on, they were so misted up with the heat coming off me and then they were so streaked with sweat that got on them. Shooting with glasses on isn't ideal either - they interfere with my eye relief and I'm never sure how to set things up with them on. In the rain specs are a bother as you see nothing but beaded up raindrops on your lenses, and when you come inside after being out in the cold you get 'fog-up'. Taking them off eliminates these problem but it's not ideal as then I'm back to the Mk1 eyeball and if I want to be able to focus on something I have to keep on getting them out of my pack. They can also be a bugger to keep clean, and I've had a few pairs broken (dog sat on one, a windswept door to my face broke the others). They're pricey to replace too, which needs doing every few years with a change of prescription, regardless of me breaking any pairs or not.
'Aha', thinks I, 'contacts will be more practical for this!'. Well I've gotten myself tested for them and gotten a few trial pairs from Boots, but whenever I try to put them in I invariably just end up poking myself in the eyes for an hour and achieving nothing except red and sore eyeballs. This is in the bathroom with a mirror, a clean environment, no time pressure and the ability to wash my hands beforehand. Whilst I'm sure contacts would be a good option once in, I'm thinking that the chances of getting them in when bleary-eyed at 5am in a wood one morning isn't high, and the chances of losing them or getting myself an eye infection is much more likely.
If I add in that contacts can only be worn 12-14hrs of the day, aren't good for swimming or if you get dirt or sand behind them, need another pair carrying for each day and just generally seem to be a big fuss, then I'm leaning back towards glasses, even with all their shortcomings.
As contacts are in a solution I'm guessing they could freeze in their packets in the winter, and as the lens is plastic based I'm guessing they could melt on your eye in an absolute worst case scenario (empty case ejected and hits you in the eye, or get too close to that fire or flaring up stove). That's not something I'm expecting to happen by the way, but still!
Another point is that they don't do soft contacts (at least not easily) in my prescription, (apparently that's too much to be catered for but they have got me lenses that are almost what I need), so although my vision with them is way better than without, it's still not as sharp as with glasses. It may well work fine for 99% of the time, but it would be super irritating to go down the contacts route, get them to work for me, and still not be able to make some things out or be able to read without squinting.
So the question is: those of us with under 20/20 vision, do you use either glasses or contacts and which do you prefer when outdoors? Is it worth persevering with the contacts (I'm trying them for outdoors stuff only really, I'm happy with glasses for day-to-day use) or are they really not practical when sleeping out and living basic? What do you find best to use, any tips or advice?
P.S: laser eye surgery isn't an option
Thanks!
Beardy
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So now mostly glasses but I've just got a dome magnifier so I'm going to try the contacts again. Reading glasses, I find, are too much hassle outdoors.
