Hunting with glasses?

[Tim in Wa.]

I've worn glasses since I was 16,I'm 58 now.It sucks,I've never really gotten used to them.Rain drops are like looking through a prizm,smuges and dust cause glare,when it's cold your breath or walking in a way place instantly blinds you because they fog up.
On the other hand it beats the alternative,you aren't much good if you can't see

 

[gbflyer]

So I had good long run without glasses, almost 69 years, but now my right eye (dominant) has gotten fuzzy at distance. Never had to use glasses hunting and I'm not sure how that's going to go (archery). What's the general consensus about wearing glasses while bow hunting elk? Mesh face cover, contacts or does it really matter? Who wears them and who leaves them in the truck? Thanks.

Right there with you brother. I wear them for distance. Living in SE AK we have lots of moisture. So they are wet from rain or steamed up from the hike. I seem to have super sensitive eyes. I have not tried contact lenses yet but I’m going to. Zenni is a good place to get glasses. I must have half a dozen pair around here. I can even find one or two myself when my wife is out of town

 

[Blockcaver]

Worn glasses since I was 12. I bow hunt everything in North America...arrowed around 40 elk and a whole pile of other critters. You definitely need to wear a cap/hat with a brim to shade the glasses from the sun (minimizes refection off the lenses) and keep the majority of the rain and snow off your lenses as well. Glasses aren't a major issue to stopping success, but you are at a bit of disadvantage for lateral vision, fogging, glare, bino use etc. Good luck with them.

 

[Stalker69]

I wear glasses with no problems as far as shooting. Archery, rifle ,pistol. Binoculars no problem, spotting scope is the only problem I have. I have to remove my glasses to use one, other wise the field of view is so small. It sucks bad enough I quit buying spotting scopes trying to find one that worked. But I am fine just using binos really.

 

[SoDaky]

Was chatting with a friend last nite and this subject came up. He brought up a positive on glasses.Reminded me that over the decades we have hunted together,both of us have had at least one incident that glasses prevented a serious eye injury.
Food for thought.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Was chatting with a friend last nite and this subject came up. He brought up a positive on glasses.Reminded me that over the decades we have hunted together,both of us have had at least one incident that glasses prevented a serious eye injury.
Food for thought.

Ya, anybody else read the thread about common backcountry injuries? Seemed like half the posts were about catching sticks in the eye, knock on wood but that's never happened to me once busting through all kinds of nastiness. Can imagine a stick in the eye could be an even worse ordeal if you were wearing contacts, think I will stick to the glasses...anyone found an anti-fog solution that actually works?

 

[fwafwow]

I've been wearing contacts for ~35 years and not too long ago switched to the monovision approach (left eye corrected for reading, right for distance) and I love it - in general, and hunting. I can read the yardage markers on my bow site, but also see to aim at a deer. I have noticed some degradation of vision in low light, but that could be coincidental and tied more to age (I'm about to turn 50).

I do carry backup glasses wherever I go, including hunting, but I also carry enough daily use contacts that if I have any issue with one (wrinkle, dirt or it otherwise feels uncomfortable), then I just toss it and pick another. I do admit that putting cold contacts in my eyes sort of sucked, so I put a pair in my bag to keep them warm for the morning.

 

[fwafwow]

Got daily contacts for hunting. Not as good as lasik, but that spooks me.

+1 on being spooked by Lasik. I've had a detached retina, and after one scare about losing my vision, I'm personally not willing to take on even a tiny risk of a bad result.

 

[Fulker250]

If I am hunting from home or an indoor camp I will put contacts in. They take me what feels like forever to get in but are worth it not dealing with glasses fogging in the cold. When tent hunting I still wear glasses and just have to keep my face in covered to prevent fogging. Wish I could find something to prevent lenses fogging

 

[SoDaky]

I've tried Cat Crap and a couple other smear ons with limited results.I just use care in selecting face masks and try to breath through my nose in adverse conditions.Hard to describe and hard to do if climbing but it's sort of a thought process really.
When coyote hunting or otherwise active in winter weather a piece of moleskin or lueko tape on your nose(so it extends just beyond your nose tip)will keep your breath away from the glasses and prevent fogging.Admittedly you look like an area 51 specimen but at least you can see while remaining warm and active.
(also keeps my previously frozen nose from freezing again in minus zero weather.)

 

[4dcfries]

just got mine as I am in the same boat..65 and now needing to see better at distance. I ordered a pair though sportrx that are not progressive. they are the native hardtop ultra. I wanted a clear view to my peep and a bridge that would support the frame without interfering with the peep. Very light weight. These are for elk and antelope mostly. I will wear them with a band so I can take them off when glassing for extended periods. I shopped hard for these...hope they do the trick.

 

[Scoony]

I have only been wearing glasses for the past 15 years. Took me a while to figure out what binos I could use with glasses. The eye cups on Vortex Diamondbacks allow me to use the binos while wearing glasses while other brands required me to remove my glasses.

There is one thing that I have recently realized. I have been having problems getting a clear sight picture on handguns. I wear tri-focals and have realized that I need to tilt my head back slightly for a crisp clear view of the front sight. I am shooting handguns much better now that I am training myself to tilt my head back a little.