Foggy glasses

[Remix]

This weekend was really nice-- except for my fogging glasses. I felt the tip of my nose growing cold, and pulled my balaclava over it. Then my glasses would immediately fog. And they would take way too long to unfog. Tried a little saliva on them, but that did not work. With the dew point, it was the most annoying thing. Yah I had ski goggles, but they do the same thing, so I left them in the pack.

I have not had success in the past with any type of anti-fog. (One kind ruined the anti-reflectant on the inside of the glasses).

Is there a better solution than putting moleskin on your nose?

-Anybody ever use prescription goggles for paddle ball? Do they fog?
-Prescription mountaineering glasses- do they have a flap to protect your nose?
-Does anyone know where to get a nose guard flap you can tie around your head?

 

[Mad Townie]

Remix, I've been trying for years to find the answer to your questions. No success. The only thing that seems to work is plenty of cold, dry air circulation inside the glasses or goggles--like hiking into a 70 mph wind on a -15 day.

Think about what's actually going on: warm, moist air from your breath is hitting a cold surface and the water vapor is condensing. Double lens goggles use the idea of a warmer inside surface, vents let the moist air out. I have yet to find a mask design that protects all your facial skin yet still allows good circulation.

So if you find an answer, post it!

 

[DougPaul]

I wear glasses out in the cold all the time...

I use plastic lenses--don't know if glass lenses are better or worse.

The glasses are a cold impermiable surface and you emit warm moist air (both from your skin and by exhaling). To prevent fogging you can either keep the glasses warm or the warm moist air away from them.

Generally keeping good air circulation around and behind the lenses is sufficient. Exhaling downward will also help. When you start needing face protection, you have to leave the edges of the glasses free to allow adequate air circulation. The glasses will, of course, help to protect your eyes.

When you start needing goggles, things become more difficult: now you have 3 surfaces to keep clear... Get good quality goggles with a double glass (actually plastic...) and good ventilation. It also helps to pre-warm your glasses by putting them in an inside pocket for a few minutes before putting the goggles on.

Anti-fog treatments can help, but only so much.

Doug

 

[Paul_Bear]

The only solution that has worked for me is contact lenses. I don't use them for anything other than winter hiking/climbing. For day hikes they work fine, overnight trips are less fun but still workable (need to keep your chemicals from freezing).

 

[flypn]

The only solution that I have found is to wear a good (usually more expensive) balaclava. something like the OR gorilla mask works great, as its got large openings for the nostrils and mouth, but you still have to be moving away from exhaled air in order to get your glasses away from the warm air. theres always LASIK, eh?

cheers

 

[David Metsky]

Contact lenses, it's the only thing that works for me. I've tried all the other proposed solutions and had limited success with them.

-dave-

 

[bobandgeri]

I wear contacts, but had issues with sunglasses and goggles on Sunday. As described above if you exhale your breath freezes instantly.

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Think about what's actually going on: warm, moist air from your breath is hitting a cold surface and the water vapor is condensing

Sometimes, but not usually. Again, this is an area I have a lot of experience in Thousanda and thousands of days outside doing physical exhertion in the cold.... 26 years of winter bicycle commuting.

I have found that the breath condencing on the glasses is only a problem on very cold (-20F or colder) windless days. IT doesn't happen too often.

There are lots of different causes for fogging glasses, which depend on temperature, humidity and dress.

The most common, is not the breath, but sweat. The face around the eyes sweats, giving moisture which then condenses on teh inside of the glasses. One frequently hears "I put on a balaclava, and soon after my glasses started fogging." The face has less area to give off heat, and concentrates it around the eyes. If you don'T think this is the cause, the next time it happens, touch the skin hear the eyes and feel how moist it is.

Here are some things I do that work to varying degrees. Sliding the glasses down the nose a bit, removing the glasses and wiping the eyses with fresh snow, taking off my hat, turning the head to get airflow, and sometime I just take them off and walk without them.

There are other causes of fogging glasses in warmer, more humid temperatures

 

[daxs]

When someone finds a solution to the glasses fogging let me know. Lasik and contacts unfortunately are not options for me. I find that my glasses tend to fog when I am overheating. Taking off a layer or opening my jacket so its not funneling the warm air up onto my face helps, wearing a baseball cap versus a snug fitting hat seems to help -I guess I am losing heat thru my head to cool myself down. Also watching how I exhale blowing down and out helps. I also slow down my pace to cool off which sometimes help. The anti fogging agents do not seem to be effective. I sometime resort to methods used to prevent my dive mask from fogging - good, old fashioned spit.

 

[DougPaul]

When someone finds a solution to the glasses fogging let me know.

Hike only in summer?

Sounds like you use a similar set of tactics as I do (see my earlier post, this thread). They aren't 100%, but at least for me, they are generally good enough. Occasionally I can only see out of one eye or a part of a lens, but it works until they clear. Or as a last resort, until I clean them--I keep a clean paper towel in my shell pocket for such purpose.

For me, it is not enough of a problem for me to worry about it.

Oh yes--another technique--orient your head to help the wind clear them.

Doug

 

[Pete_Hickey]

Hike only in summer?

Glasses can fog in the summer too. You just won't have ice building up on them in the summer.

 

[DougPaul]

Glasses can fog in the summer too. You just won't have ice building up on them in the summer.

OK, I was afraid that someone would mention that. How about summer in the desert?

(And yes, still possible on a cold night. Do I have to add "at temps above 100F, humidity below 10%, and no rain"?)

Doug

 

[Remix]

Beako

I am going to try one of these beko nose guards. It seems to be open at the bottom, so moist exhalation will not get near the glasses. And it seems likely to prevent frostbite on the nose without having to use the balaclava and make the fogging worse.

I forgot to mention that the fogging occurred with a Serius balaclava, which has cutouts for mouth and nose.

If this fails then I guess its a trip to the eye doctor for contact lenses. I guess I would use disposables on a hiking trip and keep the longer lasting kind at home.

 

[Mike P.]

Contacts are the only way to go. For fogging glacier glasses I'm using the old diving mask trick at the moment which while messy has been fairly effecitve....

 

[Neil]

Fogged glasses were the curse of my winter outdoor activities for decades. There is nothing you can do except wipe the fog off regularly with a bare finger and live with the smearing that results.

Then I got contacts which has completely changed my existance. I had given up on contacts after trying unsuccessfully years ago. Then I tried another sort which have worked fine for me.
And I have regretted not wearing them on fall and spring hikes when I thought it was too warm for fogging.