Best hiking sunglasses?

[jjo]

Don't know the brands (or I'd start a poll), but what sunglasses do you guys think are best for general hiking ? and why? What features are important? Is Polarized a good thing? Of course, your favorite brand/style..I'm dazzled (confused)by the many offerings @ Campmor, etc. Thanks guys. This will be a big help for my next 2 hiking trips and after.. Thanks...

 

[nartreb]

Hiking does not require specialized sunglasses (glacier travel excepted). Get something comfortable, that blocks light from most angles, and that you can live with the thought of accidentally dropping down a ravine.

Personally, I use those disposable bits of plastic you get at the opthamologist after a glaucoma test. They weigh nothing and take little space (store it rolled in a film canister), and don't break. (They do scratch, but they're replacable.) The clincher for me, though, is that they fit underneath my prescription glasses.
Since I almost never bother wearing sunglasses, prescription sunglasses were just not worth it. One more thing to lose, break, or just take up space in my bag.

If you do buy "real" shades, consider polarized ones, which make a big difference in cutting "surface glare", the reflected light from snow or from the road (once you buy them, you'll want to wear them driving too).

 

[Pucknuts61]

I picked up a pair of the Bolle glacier glasses (not the goggles) from Campmor. The original purpose was for winter hiking as it has the protective sides for peripheral vision but I found I like them so much, I've used them all summer too. Not sure of the UV protection though even though it says 100%, but I would recommend them as I haven't had any problems.
Bill


http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=39176874

 

[lumberzac]

I like Polarized sunglasses, but then again I use the same pair of sunglasses for fishing as well.

 

[keepin' on]

... and that you can live with the thought of accidentally dropping down a ravine.

HUP! HUP! I can't tell you how many pairs of sunglasses i have dropped/stepped on/left at camp/dropped in fire (i know, why would I wear sunglasses at night? I truely am not even close to being that cool)

For me it is the CVS brand El Cheapo Deluxe of the week!

I have polarized driving shades and love them. If you are only a little more responsible than me you might try polarized on the trail, but for now, I can not afford to loose a $100 pair of shades everytime I hike!

 

[Rugger]

I use B & L aviators with wrap arounds for two reasons. They never fall off and I've found that I don't take care of cheap ones so they last a month before i sit on them, because i pay alot (or Xmas present) I take better care and they last me 5-7 years.

Sorry, i meant Ray-ban aviators.

 

[Tom Rankin]

HUP! HUP! I can't tell you how many pairs of sunglasses i have dropped/stepped on/left at camp/dropped in fire (i know, why would I wear sunglasses at night? I truely am not even close to being that cool)

For me it is the CVS brand El Cheapo Deluxe of the week!

I have polarized driving shades and love them. If you are only a little more responsible than me you might try polarized on the trail, but for now, I can not afford to loose a $100 pair of shades everytime I hike!

Me neither! The dollar store is where I get all my eye wear. I'm always scratching, bending, or destroying shades. Too expensive to do anything else.

 

[jbrown]

I got a pair of el-cheapo polarized fishing sunglasses from wal-mart, I think the brand name is Renegade? Cost me $15. I wear them everywhere now, they're great and even look cool, a little like Gargoyles. I used them for my winter hike of Marcy this year.

That's me second from the right in the picture wearing the sunglasses.

 

[Periwinkle]

I'd second the "the El Cheapo Deluxe". I switched to cheap sunglasses after twice chasing my prescription sunglasses that had been ripped off by high winds. Fortunately, my eyesight isn't that bad: I was able to still carry the prescription glasses for summit viewing, but put them back in the pack after checking out the VFTT.

 

[woodstrider]

sunglasses

I don't like recommending a specfic brand- but I do have light sensitive eyes and I like a pair od sunglasses that offer alot of protection.
I have a favorate pair that comes with side shields (that are removable) and these do me great service if I am out on a sunny and windy day. They also have anti-reflective coating on the inside and double- gradient mirror coating on the outside. If I am in higher elevations, this works excellently.

Of course, you got to go with what the budget allows

 

[Johnnycakes]

jjo,

The suggestions for el cheapo sunglasses are good suggesitons.

If you're going to pay for a high end pair of sunglasses, I would recommend a pair that comes with 2-4 sets of lenses for different light conditions. On one hand, it's just more crap to carry with you, but if you really haven't used sunglasses much before, it may be difficult to predict how dark you will like the lenses. As an example, I rarely use the darkest set of lenses on my sunglasses, but instead usually opt for the orange tinted lenses that block 57% of visible light. The darkest lenses can be too dark in thick brush or on cloudy days.

I purchased, and really like the Natvie Eyeware Dash XP. The sunglasses come with 4 sets of lenses, blocking from 80-90% of visible light to 2% of visible light. All lenses block 100% of UV. The darkest set of lenses are polarized. The sunglasses are comfortable, and the XP versioin has a slightly extended side wrap that blocks a good bit of the light from the side.

All of the higher end sunglasses are good products. Let comfort/fit be your guide, but make sure they look good too! Make sure your eyelashes don't hit the lenses. I would recommend trying the sunglasses on with a hat as well. Often, a hat will push down on the frames behind your ears, and some frames are definitely more comfortable than others in that situation.

If you do buy an expensive pair, don't forget a set of croakies, suiters, etc.

John

 

[spaddock]

Last summer I stupidly wore my really nice Oakley's on Street & Nye. I put them on top of my hat then while jogging up the trail I flipped my hat off. The hat had a string, the sunglasses did not!

Now I've been using a pair from MEC. $25 and you can swap in different lenses. The lenses are only $6 CDN. The frames are plastic and indestructible, and if i get scratches I can live with paying another $6.


-Shayne

 

[dave.m]

After years of using snobby high priced sunglasses, I've been using some cheap glasses lately that have been great for hiking.

For the past 3 years, I've using BluBlocker (yes, the ones from the old tv adds). They are carried at most Walgreens and cost about $15 for non-polarized lenses.

1) Plastic lenses are better for sweat hog sports since they are less prone to fogging than glass lenses. Actually, glass lense sunglasses are more rare now than the 70s and 80s (Vuarnet).

2) I like the yellow/amber color for most days in New England when you get haze, clouds but still get UV danger. The yellow/amber lense adds contrast in low light. This is especially good for skiing and hiking in the woods.

3) These yellow lenses DON'T work so well for super bright conditions like being on the water or in open snow fields.

4) Polarized lenses are great and very much worth getting imo.

 

[Brownie]

only the best..

Well I guess I am nearly alone for a plug to use "only the best" sunglasses.
I still own my genuine original Varnet glass lenses, cat-eye, tortoise shell frame model from 30 years ago. Its my "spare".

I spend enough time indoors during the week at my job and so when I get out I want to enjoy the glorious sunshine to the fullest extent, but Oh those UV rays are quite harmful these days.
Slather the on the sunscreen and cover my eyes!

For color: I choose to see the world through "rose colored", best all purpose for snow, beach, mountaintops and woodsie places.
I use glass lenses too UV coatings have superior scratch resistance, but be careful!

Best non-breakable frames are grilamid type plastics which don't freeze to your face in winter and don't melt on the dashboard in summer.

Best deals for quality sunglasses has to be Campmor which carries a huge selection of discontinued styles, at a fraction of the normal triple figure price.
Campmor

If you are ready to spen $15 for "cheapies" then splurge a bit more for under $30 and get premium sunglasses, but most important, don't forget the neck leash!
(why are so many of you loosing these )

My current pair:
Serrengeti Drivers, mirrored finish, rose lenses, UV A&B block 95%
Cost: $29.00 (regular $130)
Seeing the world more clearly: priceless

Jeff

 

[jjo]

Great info guys, Thanks. Started a poll on this yesterday but its disappeared. Moderator is checking. Seems most agree polarized is a good thing...

 

[Raymond]

Plus, the leaves on the blueberry bushes in the autumn look fantastic when you're wearing polarizing lenses.

I like the cheap ones, too. I wear eyeglasses, and I don't care for clip-ons. The kind that go behind the eyeglass lenses are my favorites; they curve around to the side and block the light there, too, but I can't find them anywhere anymore. Yeah, I tried Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart — nuthin'.

 

[Neil]

This may seem weird but I think my sunglasses are too dark. This Thursday the sun was directly overhead and the trail was slightly overgrown by foliage and in order to see where I was putting my feet I had to remove my sunglasses. Perhaps a sun visor would have been the ticket.
Incidentally, some sunglasses are illegal for driving (here in Quebec at least) if they block out too high a percentage of vivible light.

With the cheapos make sure they filter UV light.

 

[DougPaul]

This may seem weird but I think my sunglasses are too dark. This Thursday the sun was directly overhead and the trail was slightly overgrown by foliage and in order to see where I was putting my feet I had to remove my sunglasses. Perhaps a sun visor would have been the ticket.

I normally wear glasses and just use inexpensive clip-on sunglasses. (It's hard to find decent clip-ons...) If the sunglasses are in direct sunlight, light scatters off them and I cannot see into the shadows. A baseball cap (or any hat with a sufficient brim) cures the problem. I generally wear the hat when I am out in the sun anyhow.

Doug

 

[jjo]

Thanks

Thanks to all! Good ideas. Consensus seems to be get the "El Cheapos". (In my +30 years of hiking, that's all I've ever used). Maybe I'll go one level higher and get the polarized (big spender). Thank, guys!! Jerry

 

[ADK Rick]

Generally no sunglasses

I generally dont take sunglasses at all. I find that I rarely wear them and I just lose/break them. Just another thing to keep track of. If I went winter climbing it would be another story.

If I did take sunglasses, however, it would be cheap cheap cheap all the way.

ADK Rick