winter eye protection?

Goggles or eyeglasses.. pro's and con's... thx.. used goggles last year for short hike and kept fogging up, they ended up cracking towards end of trip, time for something new... thx..ps i did use that cream stuff i was sold at campmor, didn't really work..

I use a pair of "wrap around" sunglasses on bright days, and a pair of clear shooting glasses on cloudy/stormy days. Both glasses and goggles will fog if you're walking into the wind (breath condenses on them). IMO, glasses are easier to wipe clear.

eye protection

The cream stuff, and all that anti fog stuff works only when the temp. inside your goggles is above freezing. The stuff actually does not "prevent" fog, it only prevents miniature droplets from forming - the water is still there, but instead of droplets, it's a thin film - invisible as long as it's liquid. Once it freezes, it's over.

If your goggles clracked, either they weren't made for the temperatures, or you broke them.

1. When winds are low (so you don't really need glasses for wind protection, but wear them only because of the sunlight): get sunglasses - PLASTIC RIM & FRAME - you don't want a piece of metal against your skin. Most people will recommend dark glasses, due to brighter sunlight caused by snow reflection, and dry air - but it depends on the day. I have 2 pairs: "glacier glasses" - dark, and regular sunglasses (not so dark)

2. When winds are high (more than 20-30mph), and depending on your direction of travel, use regular ski-goggles. The stronger the wind, the less fogging up - the air will blast through the vents to air-out the inside.

Biggest mistake made with goggles, resulting in fogging up: when you wear a face mask, neck tube pulled up over your mouth and nose, etc - this causes some of your moist and warm breath to route up around your nose, and a part of it gets blown up inside your goggles. I do 2 things to prevent this: use a mask with an opening for the mouth so the air goes straight out, or keep the face mask off my face. If it's really cold and windy, you may be SOL, so you'll have to experiment with layouts of the face mask to keep it from happening. Note: it's the air sneaking around under your mask that gets in there.

the wall.........

thx, but excuse me but what's "sol"? I'm not hip with computer language..i did realize that my face was to protected that i was heating up the goggles.

sol=sh*t out of luck

As a winter bike commuter, I deal with cold mornings every winter, the "cat crap" as it's marketed under is one form of anti-fog treatment. It works for a bit, and has to be reapplied often, IME, and as mentioned above, when above freezing.

I have experimented with both ski goggles and my regular sunglasses with something called a head gaitor. It's basically a long tube that can be used to make either as close-fitting to a balaclava or can be opened wider when it gets warm. I never block my nose so when I breathe, the moist air dissipates rather than wind up fogging your glasses. And of course, stopping at stop lights is always a problem so I try to alter my commute to get stop signs rather than stop lights.

I can't say I like either better, it really depends on the day, but in general, I find it better to deal with my regular sunglasses than the goggles which restricts my peripheral vision. Not a big factor when hiking though. The one time when it was about 4°F when I biked in, I used the goggles. That was the only morning I was real afraid of getting frostbite so I took no chances and wore the goggles, two layers of pants and about 7 layers of clothes!!!!

Jay

Not good

I can tell you one thing NOT to do.

More than once, in anticipation of wanting my goggles at the ready when I reached windy treeline, I have put them on my forehead. Over a nice breathable hat/balaclava or two, while climbing mind you. Bad idea, icy goggles, cannot see as far as my own feet.

I read this thread with anticipation, as some 50 winter peaks later I haven't resolved how to protect my face and eyes while still being able to look where I'm going.

I've found two ways to fog up goggles. The first is by exhaling inside the goggles. I usually wear a wool balaclava and can exhale right through the fabric. I'll raise the front to cover all skin including my nose and butt the fabric up to the goggle seal, but avoid overlapping the seal over the balaclava.

The second way is to place the goggles over my forehead when I don't need them. Moisture from my hat gets inside and condenses on the inner surface after I put them back over my eyes. If I need to take them off for a while, I hold them in my hand or put them in their storage bag.

coldfeet: In my eMail to you I neglected to note that I also use Smith double goggles. When above treeline in wind, that's the way to go. In sun and less wind, I use my Julbo's. (sorry about that omission, but good catch!)

As others have said, if you are using goggles, once they are on, keep them on.

The stuff that you are thinking of is called Cat Crap. I've had relatively good luck with it, but nothing is perfect.

thx

Thx for ideas, didn't think about turning the fleece around, glad i didn't throw away the cat crap (some name), only way to know is experiment with different variables.. appreciate the feedback and now i know what SOL stands for!

in addition to the above tips, I put Rain-X on my goggles (outside). It's found in autoparts stores and is for car windshields. On goggles, it helps to keep ice from sticking too badly (works for windshields too).

Jim

jbreen, Love you avatar.. I really miss Calvin and Hobbes... *sob* *sob*.....

I've heard about the Rain-X thing but haven't tried it yet though. I really prefer to wear my glasses unless it's absolutely frigid when cycling. Haven't been on any winter trips where it has been super cold, just a bunch of snowshoeing and skiing in and around southern NY/NJ and the catskills.

Jay

Can you use Rain-X on plastic goggles? I thought they used to warn you to keep it off plastic parts.

BTW, Rain-X works great on car wind shields. Ice pops right off treated windows.

Another Rain-X question: Is it usable on the inside, too? How about on eyeglasses inside the goggles? (Still haven't found a solution for that one. )

Mad Townie said:

How about on eyeglasses inside the goggles? (Still haven't found a solution for that one. )

Click to expand...

One word: contacts. Only time I wear mine is in winter.

Black Diamond sells prescription goggles over the 'Net. Other equipment manufacturers might also -- I haven't looked. Your optician/optometrist might also sell prescription goggles like mine does. Yes, they're pricey; that way you won't lose them.

As for the cold skin v. fogged lens conundrum, I find that the goggles help keep my face so warm that I can wear slightly less face-protecting headgear than I might otherwise. YMMV, so experiment with layers as suggested above. I use a fleece balaclava, not tucked under the goggles, to avoid fogging. In severe conditions, I add a very thin balaclava that basically protects my nose and lips in the gap of the other balaclava. This second one is so thin that it allows me to exhale away from the lens but keeps Jack Frost mostly at bay.