hiking with prescription sunglasses

[John H Swanson]

I'm looking at options for prescrition sunglasses for hiking and would like to hear about other hikers' expereinces.

When I've hiked with sunglasses I routinely found them too dark on shaded trails. So I have looked for glasses with less tint. I usually have luck with low cost polarized fishing glasses, but still find I need to take them during daytime off at times (less than optimal)

Now I am looking to get prescrition glasses for hiking and would like to have performance of low tint sunglasses. I still want UVA UVB protection and I'm not sure if I cant get all I want at the same time. Some glass stores say tinted lenses but they have no UVA or UVB. If I could get a slightly lower tint (rating 3?) then it might be suitable for sunny and shady conditions. Of course not a full sunny day on snow.

I was thinking about transition sunglasses but I'm not sure if the transition point would result in them getting less tinted to my liking when hiking in the shade. A long time ago, I know there were issues in getting clearer when cold. I hear that is less of an issue now.... I would be looking to use them year-round so cold weather performance can't be ignored completely.

Any experience out there? thanks.

 

[TomK]

My prescription transition sunglasses are about a year or so old, and they sometimes get a bit darker than I would like, especially in the cold weather, so while they may have improved some over the years, I don't think they have it solved.

You might talk to the optician at a "mom and pop" place (ie: not one of the chain opticians) and tell them what you want. Many years ago I wanted to get prescription sunglasses that were extra dark and such a place was able to dye the lenses darker than they would otherwise be, so maybe they could make them with less tint as well. I don't remember it being especially more expensive than it otherwise would have been.

TomK

 

[Paul_Bear]

I just bring two pairs of prescription glasses. Clear ones for in the forest or cloudy days and a set of medium dark sunglasses for above treeline travel. This also gives you something of a backup in case something happens to the ones you're wearing.

 

[Peakbagr]

John,
Stay away from Transitions. I had two pairs and until they fix the cold weather darkening, won't get another. Out hiking and with the dog in the cold weather, I wondered why it was so dark out when wearing them. The replacements, a year later did the same thing and it finally dawned on me that the cloudy weather wasn't just coincidental. DUH.... I asked the optician and she told me it's the Transitions formulation reacting to the cold. She said that given the amount of time I spend outdoors, to stay away from transitions. When very cold, always seemed the sun was starting to go down.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

My world is falling apart. I've been hiking with transition lenses for years and loved them. Now thanks to this thread I find they're no good. I fear I won't sleep tonight worrying about it. What can I do?

 

[jrbren]

I just bring two pairs of prescription glasses. Clear ones for in the forest or cloudy days and a set of medium dark sunglasses for above treeline travel. This also gives you something of a backup in case something happens to the ones you're wearing.

This is what I do. (for hiking and non hiking, like driving).

My biggest concern with hiking & wearing prescription glasses is my sun glasses need to have side shields on them for travelling on snow (hiking above treeline in winter, glacier travel, skiing). I have found that challenging to find through the years. In my most recent trips I used the duct tape trick for the side shields.

 

[John H Swanson]

Thank you all for the comments.

I spoke with some retailers and one (Costco) told me that their version of transition lenses does not go completely clear only a much lighter tint. So I realize that there are multiple manufacturers of the tranition lenses one of which is the brand Transition. Like Bandaids.

I don't doubt the issues with them not clearing in as I saw a hiking companion face the choice of skiing the logging road out of White Cap peak in fading light with very dark lenses or blind without them. I'm wondering if the varying performnce reported might be because of different manufacturers. So I'd appreciate more detail of the brand of lenses people have - if known. Especially Edn'Lauky as yours appear to be okay. And people who have lenses that are not Tranisition brand that have issues.

I'm still thinking I can get away with a non-adjusting lense with just a lower tint. I'm thinking it would be just enough to make the sunny trail comfortable as some people are on the same trail without sunglasses at all. And it would not require removing the glasses on the shady trail which I need to do now. Does anyone have experience with buying lower tinted prescription sun glasses? and how did it go?

thanks again.

Concerning the side shields I have pretty good luck with a sport sunglasses that wrap around the face and was considering that type of sunglass. When purchasing these glasses some models have too much gap or too much contact with my upper cheaks and I find test fitting essentiual (so I need in person selection vs. on-line purchase)

 

[1SlowHiker]

Slightly off topic: What do all you guys that hike with glasses do to keep them fogging up in the winter? I have tried at least 4 different anti fogging solutions but nothing seems to work for long in the winter. I am considering getting contacts just for hiking. Are there any issues with hiking in the cold with contacts.

 

[JCarter]

My limited experience w/transitions lenses isn't that they go dark in the cold, it's that they are wicked slow to clear when it's cold. So, you hike up the mountain, hit the bright open summit, turn around and when you go back into the trees you are suddenly blind.

The cure is either patience (your eyes will adjust somewhat, and the lenses will eventually lighten up), or a 2nd pair of non-transition clear glasses. I usually don't bother carrying the 2nd pair, but I probably should. Since you're now in the shelter of the trees, sometimes the best thing to do is just take them off and tuck them inside your jacket for a couple of minutes to warm them up.

 

[JCarter]

Fogging: liner gloves with a soft microfleece sort of surface you can run over them in & out when it gets bad. Or a bandana. I'd love another idea, but the coatings don't seem to work. Lasik might be the only real solution.

 

[Peakbagr]

John, I switched back to tinted sunglasses a couple of years ago. When it's sunny or enough sun to be bright, they work fine. If I'm going out early or coming back near dark, I carry my regular glasses in light weight case. The optician told me that there were problems with the Transitions lenses in the cold and recommended I stay away from them until the formulation is fixed.

 

[Mike P.]

Slightly off topic: What do all you guys that hike with glasses do to keep them fogging up in the winter? I have tried at least 4 different anti fogging solutions but nothing seems to work for long in the winter. I am considering getting contacts just for hiking. Are there any issues with hiking in the cold with contacts.

About the only time I wear my contacts now are for hikes over two miles when I know I will be sweating. Wet glasses are a problem too. Only issue I've had with winter hiking has been in weather at or below zero. Rarely, but it has happened that it feels like my eye may freeze when sweat is running down my eyelids. (yeah, I know, don't sweat in the cold, that would mean being fuzed with my couch until April.) Never actually had an issue and wearing googles below zero would not be unbearable. Usually out on exposed summits, never really an issue in the woods.

As far as anything to keep googles or glasses from fogging up, spit has been the best but still not great which is why I usually don't wear the googles.

Lasix may be the best cure, but you still will have sunglasses and fogging when you wear those. Not ready to have Lasix myself as the contacts over all have been fine for me. Glasses just walking around town in the winter when I start sweating has be walking blind, either with foggy glasses or without glasses. ( I don't walk in front of the big fast blurs)

 

[Paul_Bear]

Slightly off topic: What do all you guys that hike with glasses do to keep them fogging up in the winter? I have tried at least 4 different anti fogging solutions but nothing seems to work for long in the winter. I am considering getting contacts just for hiking. Are there any issues with hiking in the cold with contacts.

Contacts are by far the best solution I've found for winter hikes. I wear glasses all the time, except for winter hikes where I use the contacts. I carry a case with spare lens solution for the contacts in a pouch around my neck so it doesn't freeze ... and eyeglasses in the pack as backup in case of problems with the contacts (haven't had any problems while hiking, but I do switch to glasses once in camp when backpacking).

Of course this doesn't solve the fogging problem for sunglasses or goggles. I use a cotton bandana to clean them, but it's hardly the perfect solution.

 

[SteveR]

In 45 years of wearing glasses and goggles for outdoor activities, the best anti-fog product I've found so far (and I feel as though I've tried everything) is called FOGTECH. REI sells it or find it on Amazon...

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

So I'd appreciate more detail of the brand of lenses people have - if known. Especially Edn'Lauky as yours appear to be okay.

I believe the glasses I have now are the Transition brand but most of my prior glasses have been other brands. I simply have not had a problem with the glasses when the day passes to twilight or night. In really bad weather above the treeline I have found it a bit difficult to read the GPS screen but it was never impossible. Generally speaking, if they are not fogging up I don't think much about them one way or another. The principle problem I've had with the glasses is fogging in really cold weather and in those cases I have taken them off. I can see well enough without them to hike without any problem except for map and GPS reading when I would have to put them back on. When goggles were required I sometimes wore the glasses under the goggles and sometimes wore the goggles without glasses.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

I spoke with some retailers and one (Costco) told me that their version of transition lenses does not go completely clear only a much lighter tint. So I realize that there are multiple manufacturers of the transition lenses one of which is the brand Transition. Like Bandaids.

I don't doubt the issues with them not clearing in as I saw a hiking companion face the choice of skiing the logging road out of White Cap peak in fading light with very dark lenses or blind without them. I'm wondering if the varying performnce reported might be because of different manufacturers. So I'd appreciate more detail of the brand of lenses people have - if known. And people who have lenses that are not Tranisition brand that have issues.

Does anyone have experience with buying lower tinted prescription sun glasses? and how did it go?

Concerning the side shields I have pretty good luck with a sport sunglasses that wrap around the face and was considering that type of sunglass. When purchasing these glasses some models have too much gap or too much contact with my upper cheaks and I find test fitting essentiual (so I need in person selection vs. on-line purchase)

I have transition lenses made by Crizal, which my optometrist said was a good brand. The issue as someone else has pointed out is not that they get too dark, but that it takes too long in the cold for them to brighten. They also don't work while driving or inside.

For hiking I use non-transition lenses. I find clip-on sunglasses the best solution for me. They are easy to put on and take off, easy to store, and of course lightweight. (I also use them driving.) I get polarized ones that reduce glare from places like LensCrafters rather than the cheapo ones in drugstores.

 

[peakbagger]

My brother used transition type lenses for years on his glasses. He was haven't some eye issues one summer and had switched to clear glasses and had a tough time getting used to him. His eye doctor told him that one trade off with auto darkening lens is the eye gets lazy and doesn't respond as well or as quickly after using auto darkening lenses. I think he eventually got used to it but it took awhile.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

This morning I was in the area so I stopped in my eyeglass place and asked them to look up my file. I found that I do have Transitions lenses but it's more complicated than that. Transitions offers four varieties. Transitions signature claims optimal balance between outdoor darkness and indoor clarity. Clearest indoors with the fastest fade back. Transitions XTRActive superior darkness outdoors, activation behind the windshield of a car. Transitions Drivewear Polarized glasses that change from light yellow to dark red brown. and Transitions Vantage (which I have) virtually clear indoors then darken and progressively polarize outdoors. It might be worth your while to actually stop in an eyeglass store and ask about the options.

 

[John H Swanson]

This morning I was in the area so I stopped in my eyeglass place and asked them to look up my file. I found that I do have Transitions lenses but it's more complicated than that. Transitions offers four varieties. Transitions signature claims optimal balance between outdoor darkness and indoor clarity. Clearest indoors with the fastest fade back. Transitions XTRActive superior darkness outdoors, activation behind the windshield of a car. Transitions Drivewear Polarized glasses that change from light yellow to dark red brown. and Transitions Vantage (which I have) virtually clear indoors then darken and progressively polarize outdoors. It might be worth your while to actually stop in an eyeglass store and ask about the options.

First thanks for taking the time to look into it and reporting it all here.

as you can imagine I've stopped into a number of eyeglass stores and I can report that most of the people that work there don't have all the information I need. In fact some people think they sell transition lenses but upon further inquiry based on your information they learn that the technology is by another company.

My current thought is to go with lightly tinted lenses that offers UVA and UVB protection but not polarization. I wouldn't have the transition feature but it would cover both shady forest and sunny days without intense sun. And reasonable cost sport type frames that wrap well are available.

Decision is not made yet ...

 

[madmattd]

I've worn transitions for 10 years or so now, and haven't had a major complaint (other than they don't work while driving). In fact, I've been very happy with them overall. Yes, they can be slow to lighten at times (this seems to have improved in my last pair or two), and yes it might look a little silly sometimes for them to be darkened on a cloudy day, but I don't find myself squinting like I used to and I hardly notice it anymore. Fogging issues seem to be rare. Finding goggles that fit comfortably over them for those days above treeline when you want them is tougher, but I've managed. They do make it harder to read the GPS screen, luckily I don't need glasses to read up-close so I can pull them off/down, I just need them to keep myself from walking into things