Glasses

[elkguide]

Lasik and PRK are two different procedures. They say that PRK can be easier on the healing of the eye BUT it also has way more side effects. I have had no issues since my Lasik and it's been over 20 years. I was fortunate to go to a very experienced surgeon and he didn't correct my eyes to 20/15 but left me at 20/25 which also left my far sightedness (up close reading) OK.

Now that I am beginning to get a LOT of miles on this body and eyes, I am going to have to admit that I am going to have to use "cheaters" to see up close soon. My eyes have also begun to change a little as to distance clarity but my optometrist says that it is just part of the "maturing" process. Any thing that has happened to my eyes would have happened with or without Lasik.

So if I do have to have my eyes corrected in the next few years, I won't hesitate to have them corrected by Lasik again. As I have told many that have asked, if Lasik had only lasted for 10 years, it would have been worth it to have not needed contacts or glasses for that time.

 

[oldgoat]

I haven't been stopped from doing much with my Oakley frames, some of the models have a hook like part where the side piece meets the frame, avoid those, get the ones that meet smoothly. Stay away from the super cheap eye glass shops,.

 

[wyosteve]

Chukar, I had PRK done in Jan. 1997. I'm still 20/15 in right eye and 20/20 in left eye. No problems of any kind and just recently had to start using a pair of minimal readers. As mentioned, you will need readers as you age no matter what correction system one uses. BTW, I had my PRK done in Toronto because as someone said, they had done about 10,000 corrections at that time.

 

[5MilesBack]

I had Lasik in 1999, was fine until I tore my right retina in 2001 and then the vision went to crap in that eye. Left eye was good until 2009 when that retina detached, so had surgery to repair it. So that changed my vision in left eye. I didn't start archery until 2007 but sure wish I had started when I was younger when I could actually get solid 20/15 corrected vision. I was consistently stacking arrows out to whatever distance I wanted to shoot without correction.

But after my vision deteriorated I had to start wearing contacts again. Well, putting a convex lens over a now flattened surface because of Lasik isn't ideal. Vision changes with every blink, temperature change, wind, humidity level, barometric pressure.......etc, etc. Overall it's not bad, but when I'm trying to focus on a tiny bullseye at 100 yards or even 20 yards and it's blurring......it's a pain. I don't hold very long when I shoot because I know it's going to just get worse the longer I hold. But I can still stack some arrows even with a blur, but not as good as I used to when I could see.

So having said that......I hate glasses even worse, even with more consistent vision. I have worn the Night & Day contacts when backpacking in, but they aren't as clear as the Oasis for me, so I prefer the Oasis and just take them out every night. It's a hassle, but what else can you do? IMO glasses aren't even an option. Gosh I hate glasses. But this last year at 51, my close vision went to crap. So now have to take readers with me everywhere. Luckily with my 32 1/2" draw the pins are still far enough away that I don't need a verifier or clarifier lens in my peep. I'd stick with the contacts, but that's me.

 

[IdahoElk]

What does Lasik surgery cost?

 

[kicker338]

I had Lasik in 1999, was fine until I tore my right retina in 2001 and then the vision went to crap in that eye. Left eye was good until 2009 when that retina detached, so had surgery to repair it. So that changed my vision in left eye. I didn't start archery until 2007 but sure wish I had started when I was younger when I could actually get solid 20/15 corrected vision. I was consistently stacking arrows out to whatever distance I wanted to shoot without correction.

But after my vision deteriorated I had to start wearing contacts again. Well, putting a convex lens over a now flattened surface because of Lasik isn't ideal. Vision changes with every blink, temperature change, wind, humidity level, barometric pressure.......etc, etc. Overall it's not bad, but when I'm trying to focus on a tiny bullseye at 100 yards or even 20 yards and it's blurring......it's a pain. I don't hold very long when I shoot because I know it's going to just get worse the longer I hold. But I can still stack some arrows even with a blur, but not as good as I used to when I could see.

So having said that......I hate glasses even worse, even with more consistent vision. I have worn the Night & Day contacts when backpacking in, but they aren't as clear as the Oasis for me, so I prefer the Oasis and just take them out every night. It's a hassle, but what else can you do? IMO glasses aren't even an option. Gosh I hate glasses. But this last year at 51, my close vision went to crap. So now have to take readers with me everywhere. Luckily with my 32 1/2" draw the pins are still far enough away that I don't need a verifier or clarifier lens in my peep. I'd stick with the contacts, but that's me.

Hear ya lowed and clear on the glasses, hate them but cant hunt without them. I've had retina tears and segury in both eyes and fight floaters all the time. I can blink them away most of the time when using binos. and some what when shooting my bow but same as you, cant hold on target too long or the floaters start messing things up. Have to battle it to with my rifle, I use a 3x9 scope but same thing, can't hold too long. Pretty much had to give up on my varmit gun, a 22 250 with a bosh&lomp 6x24 scope. It is a benchrest model with fine cross hairs and they disappear within a few seconds of trying to aim

 

[blackdawg]

The Rudy project and oakley models look good, any particular models that work for the outdoorsman better than others? Some of the Rudy project glasses seem to allow much better peripheral vision, if you have brands or models chime in please ! Did a quick overnighter last night, I think that I would probably just continue to use both for a while, but I do want to try a pair of glasses that are designed more for sports/outdoors than the regular frames I have kept around. It's been a while since I wore sports glasses, had them when I was a little kid, they were about 5 pounds , 2 inches thick and came in the color black,,,just about couldn't destroy them. ha ha

 

[LandYacht]

I have the Rydons. I use the photochromic black and brown lenses. I find the brown is really good for outdoorsy type activities be it hunting or scouting. I use the black for everything else.

Had the Arpoon before the Rydon and liked them too, but the frame cuts off a bit of that peripheral vision you alluded to.


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[Yellowknife]

What does Lasik surgery cost?

Cost me about $5000 done in Alaska a year ago. It can be had cheaper in places I'm sure, but Lasik is not the place to be bargain hunting.

I'll repeat what the others have said. If you are a good candidate for it, it's the best thing ever. My eyes got too sensitive over the years for contacts, and wearing glasses in lousy weather is the pits. Lack of visibility with fogged, frosted, or rain covered glasses has made for some nervous situations over the years. Also discovered that being able to properly use binos and spotters, as well as having real peripheral vision helped my game spotting ability.

 

[LandYacht]

Mine was just over $1k when all said and done.


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[arri1942]

I am an optometrist. Transitions (photochromic) makes a lens called vantage that also polarizes as it tints. Also there is a product/coating called optifog that prevents lens fogging. There are a multitude of good frame options to go with that lens combination. I prefer progressive (no line bifocals) that are called digital progressives (newer technology) that have a lot less peripheral distortion than conventional progressive lenses. Hope that helps.


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[blackdawg]

Are the Rudy Project frames one of the options? Any other brands options that could be viewed online? This is very helpful information, exactly the information that I seek, thank you Arri !!

 

[willidru]

I needed glasses/contacts for distance a few years back, not a heavy correction and only use for hunting and driving at night (sometimes). Like going from non-HD to HD TV change was unbelievable for hunting. I found out contacts didn't work for me. I tried some contacts on a 7 day DIY hunt in northern Ca. and day 3 I thought I lost one, it folded in half and rolled up in the back of my eye. Had to have my wife pull it out 4 days later, not fun. Same thing happened at a sporting clay shoot in Reno I was in later in the year. This was the end of contacts for me.

My optometrist said I was a good candidate for lasik, but he noted that my reading vision could deteriorate faster after getting lasik.

For my everyday outdoors I wear a pair of polarized Costa 580g Rx, I have a pair of Pilla's that are good shooting glasses and a pair oakley's for with transitions for dark days.

Wet lenses, fogging and eye relief are the biggest issues with glasses.

 

[Titan]

Oakley also makes prescription sunglasses. Something like $400+ I think.

I couldn't get contacts to work, so I am using glasses. I ended up getting my prescription and buying some glasses from Zenni online. I spent $200 or so a few years ago on some glasses from a local place. I was always afraid of losing or breaking them.

I picked up about 8 pairs from Zenni for $7.95 a piece. I can't tell the difference between those and my $200 pair. I also got a couple pairs of polarized sunglasses for about $30 each. I take 3-4 pairs with me hunting and don't worry about what happens to them. Basically disposable at that price point.

 

[arri1942]

Are the Rudy Project frames one of the options? Any other brands options that could be viewed online? This is very helpful information, exactly the information that I seek, thank you Arri !!

Yes, rudy project is an option. I wouldn't limit myself to that though. I am partial to Oakley. They make great ophthalmic frames that are very durable. Timberland also has some good ones as does wiley x and revision if you want more safety/ballistic/tactical profile the latter 2. There are many great options. The best thing to do is go to a few optical shops and try frames on. Let them know that durability and using while hunting are big musts and you can mention the products I mentioned previously. The fogging was always an issue until optifog came along. Good luck.


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[luke moffat]

I did my Lasik in 2011. Used a pre-tax account to pay for it. Total cost was roughly $4K. But I like to think it was really only $2800 out of my pocket due to using pre-tax money.

Still best money I have ever spent. My only regret was I didn't get it done sooner.

 

[BroodBuster]

I was teaching a class when one of my contacts ripped in half. I spent the rest of the day teaching while crying out of one eye. A week later I got Lasik done.

If I had to start all of my hunting purchases over from scratch the first thing I'd invest in is Lasik!

 

[blackdawg]

Thanks guys, I have learned very much and will have a discussion tomorrow a.m. about the options to keep these old eyes at their best.

 

[5MilesBack]

Back before I had the Lasik done I was wearing gas perm lenses which gave me fantastic vision because they are rigid. But I was pretty darn blind without them. At $100/ea back then I didn't carry around spares. So I was up in BC alone standing in the middle of this river fly fishing. I turned my head and blinked at the wrong time and one of my contacts popped out and into the river.....gone. Not good. If I had lost the other one, I literally wouldn't have made it out of BC. So I left and came home. Two weeks later another one popped out in the produce aisle and landed on an apple. Looked into Lasik the week after that, and had it a couple months later.

 

[elkguide]

A loonnnnggggggg time ago, I paid $1100 to have it done.

Best purchase I have made for everything that I do.