eye wear

[Guest ochretoe]

I wear contacts most of the time. I am leagally blind without corrective lenses. I have a couple of pairs of glasses but nothing that I feel is long term quality. Does anyone have any recomendations of types of eyewear for prepping?

[Troutburger]

Lasik worked for me. 8 years 20/20 vision. Couldn't see past the end of my nose before.

[Guest ochretoe]

Lasik worked for me. 8 years 20/20 vision. Couldn't see past the end of my nose before.

I'm not a canidate for lasik. My eyes are deformed, not just an astigmatism.

[Romad7]

Something that is near indestructible like prescription safety glasses or tactical goggle type eyewear. I forgot the brand but there was a guy that I was deployed with that had them. Not cheap but they'll do the trick. Wiley-X, that's it. You can get Oakleys in prescription as well, again not cheap but supposedly good quality.

Military gas mask inserts with the rubber strap would work too.

Edited August 14, 2012 by Romad7

[BrasilNuts]

I just left the Optometrist office 15 minutes ago, getting frames for my daughter, and I was looking at the Wiley-X while I was there.

I need to get a pair Rx glasses for competitive shooting because my contacts just aren't working out for me.

Anyway, I just looked at the Wiley-X for a minute, but they felt good and really weren't too bad price wise.

I found them online with clear lenses for less than $100.

[UncleJak]

I've never thought about this, but if my glasses go, I'm screwed. I have a crazy eye condition that usually affects 80 year old women. Without my glasses I can see about 2 feet max. I generally avoid doctors, but I may need to make an exception to check into some better frames...Thanks to the OP for "opening my eyes" to this...

[jtmaze]

Be careful buying frames with clear lens and trying to put prescription lens' in them. I know you can't do this with Ray-bans.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

[Romad7]

Be careful buying frames with clear lens and trying to put prescription lens' in them. I know you can't do this with Ray-bans.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

True, I am pretty sure Oakley and Wiley-X sell prescription lenses though. I also have safety glasses with prescription lenses that clip inside, military issue but I think they are available from a civilian maker.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Perscription safety glasses are the way to go. Frames and lenses meeting safety requirements are tough and last long.

Easily available from most glasses stores, even Walmart's.

[BrasilNuts]

Be careful buying frames with clear lens and trying to put prescription lens' in them. I know you can't do this with Ray-bans.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

The Wiley-X I quoted were with Rx lenses.

Perscription safety glasses are the way to go. Frames and lenses meeting safety requirements are tough and last long.

Easily available from most glasses stores, even Walmart's.

True.

I got a pair form Walmart in 2006, I put them through more hell in the past six years than most people would in a lifetime.

I can still use them, but they are on their last legs.

[Makiaveli]

Even if the frames last, your eyes will likely change and you will need new lenses. I would suggest talking to your optometrist about your long term needs to get an idea of what is going to happen. One possibility is buying the generic crap from the pharmacy. As you get worse, you can use them to try to compensate.

[Caster]

What do combat soldiers get for corrective lenses? THey sure look dorky but they should be tough as nails.

[TMF]

What do combat soldiers get for corrective lenses? THey sure look dorky but they should be tough as nails.

BCG's are out; Oakleys are in.

[peejman]

I also wear contacts most of the time.... ~20/400 without them. I have a pair of prescription safety glasses that I wear around the house. While not exactly stylish, they're pretty durable.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Titanium frames tend to be rugged. Dunno if all equally rugged but have seen some you can about twist double and they spring back to shape. Have seen/had stainless safety glass frames and a long time ago some stainless athletic glasses with the big ugly pink rubber nosepiece that were strong to a point but after that point could break often at the welds.

Wish glasses stores would keep the same styles for years. Every time i need another set, gotta start from scratch and find whatever is least ugly of what is available. Can be hard to find titanium frames because I have a freakishly large head and often they don't sell wide titanium frames. Also for whatever reason it's hard to find titanium frames with big lenses. Since I only have one eye left I like to wear big lenses for just a little extra protection against accident. The Dr suggested that years ago and it wasn't such a bad idea.

[Seabeejason]

I have had to wear corrective lenses and contacts since I was 8 years old. I just scheduled a Lasik surgery for September 7th and the consultation is on September 6th. They are going to map out my eyes and see if I am a viable candidate and to determine how much reshaping they'll have to do on the cornea.

I was always told I was a "good candidate" for Lasik. Guess we'll find out soon. If it doesn't work out I will be going y'all in finding some tough eye glasses. I am hoping I get to have the surgery. I am literally legally blind without my contact lenses or glasses.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Seabeejason

[Jamie Jackson]

Great suggestions already.

I keep my "old" glasses for spares. I have a set in each vehicle and at work.

Another option for inexpensive, yet quality eyeglasses is Zenni Optical. Just make sure you get a copy of your prescription from your Optometrist with the pupillary distance on it.

Edited August 23, 2012 by prag

[Jamie Jackson]

=743&frm_type[0]=728&frm_shape[0]=722&frm_shape[1]=725"]http://www.zennioptical.com/#/?prescription_type=bifocal&gender[0]=743&frm_type[0]=728&frm_shape[0]=722&frm_shape[1]=725

Sorry...link posting issues on my part...

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I have had to wear corrective lenses and contacts since I was 8 years old. I just scheduled a Lasik surgery for September 7th and the consultation is on September 6th. They are going to map out my eyes and see if I am a viable candidate and to determine how much reshaping they'll have to do on the cornea.

I was always told I was a "good candidate" for Lasik. Guess we'll find out soon. If it doesn't work out I will be going y'all in finding some tough eye glasses. I am hoping I get to have the surgery. I am literally legally blind without my contact lenses or glasses.

I had a weak right eye from birth, legally blind from cornea and lens damage, but it worked good enough to avoid running into people coming from the right. Wasn't painful anyway. So it degraded over time and the cornea got bad enough about age 50 so it would hurt. And the retina kept getting worse so the eye got less useful even to avoid running into stuff. Had to take lots of medicine eyedrops to manage the pain. Wasn't a good candidate for cornea transplant and finally had the eye removed last year after 10plus years pain. Which hurt for awhile but less than the constant pain of the bad cornea.

My eye dr seems competent and he performs a lot of lasik and cataract operations. He was telling me people who had lasik can't be cornea donors after they die because the lasik weakens the integrity of the corneas too much. Dunno but if so that can be significant weakening. Just sayin a bad cornea is serious annoyance and look up the percentages of lasik that don't work out quite right. The odds of failed lasik are not big but the odds are not nil either.

From my experience i wouldn't get lasik unless it was absolutely necessary because it would be a bummer if it weakened the cornea enough to cause problems a decade or three in the future. My cornea was fine for many years until its "natural weakness" from birth damage caught up with it in old age. Better to wear glasses and put up with bad vision if possible. Not telling you what to do, just another ignorant internet opinion.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Lester Weevils

[Guest ochretoe]

I agree with you laster. I don't know if I would have the surgery even if I could. Maybe I would change my mind if it was an option. I just want to have a sturdy pair of glasses for day and night if needed. In the next year or two I will not be able the wear contact at all. I figure I should plan ahead a bit. At least both of my kids have great eyes and they can take care of me when I'm old.

Just a side story. Before I got contacts I loved to coon hunt. I had a big redbone hound and when we went out I never paid much attention to where we were at because I couldn't see much at all. I would take a compass reading and head in. When were done I would tell Old Leroy it was time to go and he would walk me back to the truck. He never left from right in front of me and he always hunted close and would come if called. I guess he knew I had problems. Now I have a Mt. Cur that does kinda the same thing. When I say got to the truck she leads me back. At least now I can see good enough to drive. Back in the day I had to wait on my brother to finnish hunting before we could go home.

[Dennis1209]

Lasik worked for me. 8 years 20/20 vision. Couldn't see past the end of my nose before.

Not to scare or deter anyone but... I looked into it awhile back for myself. My research found that people getting Lasik surgery had about a 2% irreversible failure rate and either became worse off vision wise or blinded by errors in the procedure.

All-in-all, the odds and benefits are with you, unless you're like me and always fall into that 2% group.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I agree with you laster. I don't know if I would have the surgery even if I could. Maybe I would change my mind if it was an option. I just want to have a sturdy pair of glasses for day and night if needed. In the next year or two I will not be able the wear contact at all. I figure I should plan ahead a bit. At least both of my kids have great eyes and they can take care of me when I'm old.

Do glasses (if the lenses are thick and heavy enough) correct your vision as good as contacts, or do contacts do a better job than is possible with only lenses?

Dunno if they are still made (am guessing they are) but the stainless steel athletic glasses I played football with years ago might be pretty good for hunting and outdoors. Probably stay on your head if you run into a tree limb or whatever. They had the "curly tails" on the glasses legs that wrap around the back of your ears, which IMO are more comfortable than conventional plastic end pieces, and keep em on your head about as good as straps. The length of the legs has to be a pretty good fit before the "curly tail" ends are comfortable, and if your head is hard to fit, then it can be difficult to get legs the correct length to allow the "curly tails".

The worst "appearance" part of the athletic glasses was a big oversized pink rubber nose piece. It works real well to keep your face from getting cut up if you are doing athletics and somebody smashes you in the face. But real ugly and "odd looking". Maybe out hunting that style wouldn't look as odd as military frag goggles with prescription lenses though. I always felt self-conscious wearing that set of glasses out shopping or to work because the big rubber center piece makes em look so weird.

When I go looking at industrial safety glasses frames at the local stores, they don't look exceptionally strong and the lenses don't look especially big. I'd definitely use over-the-glasses goggles or a full face shield working with tools. There is too much space around the edges of most safety glasses for things to get into the eye.

Maybe too neurotic, but when you are down to one eye, just one unfortunate accident is enough to go permanently blind. No spare. I have titanium frames with the most shatterproof lenses, and wear polycarbonate over-the-glasses goggles or full face shield working with tools. Goggles when shooting, because full face shield would look too nerdy. I use those big wraparound polycarbonate "Ray Charles" glasses over the prescription glasses. A lot of the expensive fashionable shooting glasses, meant for people who don't wear glasses, look entirely too flimsy and too-small lenses in my opinion. Too much space for a piece of brass or a ricochet to enter from the side and hit your eye. Wraparound shooting glasses over shatterproof prescription glasses is "double protection". But if your prescription requires real thick lenses, you probably need fairly small lenses because big lenses and thick lenses might be too heavy even with polycarbonate lenses.

There are military three-layer lens fragmentation goggles I keep meaning to get a set. They would probably look stupid wearing them at the range, but they are supposed to be proof against even some bullets so it might be better to look like a nerd than go blind if a gun blows up in yer face. You can get those big enough to fit over glasses, or get some that will accomodate prescription lenses. Wearing goggles over glasses, it doesn't seem likely that one would lose the glasses unless the goggles got whacked bad enough to tear em off your head. Wear prescription military goggles out shopping at walmart, now you will definitely look a bit odd.

Just a side story. Before I got contacts I loved to coon hunt. I had a big redbone hound and when we went out I never paid much attention to where we were at because I couldn't see much at all. I would take a compass reading and head in. When were done I would tell Old Leroy it was time to go and he would walk me back to the truck. He never left from right in front of me and he always hunted close and would come if called. I guess he knew I had problems. Now I have a Mt. Cur that does kinda the same thing. When I say got to the truck she leads me back. At least now I can see good enough to drive. Back in the day I had to wait on my brother to finnish hunting before we could go home.

You have some good dawgs there. I'm not a good dog trainer but love dogs. Never went coon hunting. My nervous coon hound is a sweet fella and am pretty sure he could do a good job treeing coons, but he wouldn't ever slow down and lead me around. He'd be gone following his own interests leaving me to my own devices. Anyway, he'd never lead me back to the truck unless after a couple of days he might get bored and hungry.

Not to scare or deter anyone but... I looked into it awhile back for myself. My research found that people getting Lasik surgery had about a 2% irreversible failure rate and either became worse off vision wise or blinded by errors in the procedure.

All-in-all, the odds and benefits are with you, unless you're like me and always fall into that 2% group.

Yep, ya pays yer money and takes yer chances. When I had cataract operations there really wasn't much choice but to take the risk, but some of those don't work out either. My dr took care to describe how it was possible for it to get all screwed up, and for his own protection had me sign a zillion forms that I understood the risks. Hopefully the doctors go to the same amount of trouble explaining the risks to LASIK patients. If LASIK patients get that scary spiel and still sign on the dotted line then its their own biz.

My bad eye, the cornea didn't start getting into bad trouble until I got a cataract operation on it. Because it was a "sick eye" it did need the operation, because the lens was completely dark and if ferinstance cancer had developed in the eye the doctor wouldn't have ever known about it, not being able to see into the bad eye. And being completely blind with the cataract rather than merely having very bad vision in the eye, wasn't much of a risk. He did a good job and the cataract operation wasn't painful and healed up nicely, but the cornea started getting sick after the operation, and the doctor admitted he was "afraid that would happen." Just saying, maybe the cornea would have started hurting all the time even if I hadn't had the operation. Messing with an eye if you can get along without messing with an eye, just seems risky, even if the odds might be 98-to-2 in your favor.

[Wyldk2]

Had lasik a few years ago ( 1998) and have had no problems out of it. But the technology has improved greatly over the years so if anyone's on the fence about getting it, i would greatly

advise you at least look into it. I did have prescrition sunglasses before this, but they were expensive, yet comparative to Oakleys. Rudy Project. Think they are made in Italy and have carbon

fiber and aluminum frames. At least it offers another option to those who don't qualify for lasik and yet can't wear contacts all the time.

[Guest jmoe816]

http://www.zenniopti...rm_shape[1]=725

Sorry...link posting issues on my part...

I also use this site. My main glasses now are from there, but I have also ordered a few extra pairs and have them stashed around in certain places (car, B.o.B. etc)

[Seabeejason]

I decided to research the complications of Lasik last night. And after doing all that research I have decided to just stick with glasses and contacts. Apparently, there are a lot more life long complications that can occur that the docs do not bother to tell you about. Things like permanent severe dry eye, severely impaired night vision, and lots of other things that can diminish quality of life. I also read that Lasik patients will usually end up back in glasses eventually and that it is a lot harder to operate on a cataracts patient and correct their eyes if they have had Lasik. I even read that some folks have even committed suicide due to their permanent eye problems they received as a result of Lasik.

No thanks. I can get by just fine without Lasik.