Glasses wearers

[jcarter5826]

Today in a muddy cave in nidderdale i really struggled with my glasses getting seriously messed up.  What do people do.  Someone recommended prescription swimming goggles.  Thoughts.

 

[mulucaver]

contact lenses are the best answer. licking the lenses stops specs from steaming up (and also cleans off the mud)

 

[kay]

Prescription swimming goggles would still get muddy, and they seem to be less tough than glasses. I wear glasses, and they get muddy, but not enough to affect my vision too much. I use an old pair, so the fact it's not my current prescription probably bothers me more than the mud. I just cope with sub-optimal vision, and take my glasses off if I want a good look at something close (the pay-off for glasses in teenager-hood is excellent close vision at a time when my contemporaries have severe difficulty threading a needle or removing a splinter).

Before I started caving, I used to wear hard contact lenses, and I would never wear those in a cave - too much chance of getting a small bit of grit in the eye, and while popping them in your mouth cleans them nicely, you then have to procure a clean finger to get them back into your eye. Soft lenses may be easier, but I've never tried those.

 

[adrian paniwnyk]

I use one day disposable soft contact lenses. Before that wearing glasses, particularly when digging, I had too many cases of scratched/broken lenses and generally not seeing very much due steamed up lenses , particularly when trying to follow speedy cavers. I use Ciba Vision Aqua Comfort Plus, using these I don't seem to have a problem with them popping out as they seem to stick to the eye pretty tight.

 

[Subpopulus Hibernia]

I'm terribly short sighted and can't see a thing without my glasses. I wore an old pair of glasses for a good while but I went down a pot one day, and while negotiating a tricky series of pitches my glasses steamed up and I could hardly see a thing, which made things very difficult. They also slid off my face while I was half way through a squeeze and I managed to catch them in my mouth before they fell off down a crack in boulders.

I've worn contacts ever since and not looked back. The only issue I ever had was that one dried out on me and fell out of my eye, but the mind quickly gets used to having a blurry double vision.

 

[Inferus]

I'm terribly short sighted and can't see a thing without my glasses. I wore an old pair of glasses for a good while but I went down a pot one day, and while negotiating a tricky series of pitches my glasses steamed up and I could hardly see a thing, which made things very difficult. They also slid off my face while I was half way through a squeeze and I managed to catch them in my mouth before they fell off down a crack in boulders.

I've worn contacts ever since and not looked back. The only issue I ever had was that one dried out on me and fell out of my eye, but the mind quickly gets used to having a blurry double vision.

Never worn glasses underground, used them whilst walking a couple of times and rain, steaming up or sliding down my nose were enough to convince me it would be more hassle than it's worth! I've used 30 day soft lenses ever since, never had a problem underground - although I'm careful not to put muddy hands near my eyes and try and squint or close eyes if faced with overly wet conditions (ducks etc) - I believe you can get problems and infections through swimming with contacts, recent news to me! After 15 or so years of caving I've never had a problem, nor one falling out (that is usually reserved for work and home when I'm more likely to rub near my eye).


As said above, goggles (designed for swimming) will get just as muddy - you could rinse them in a stream like you could your glasses - probably not ideal but it's caving, everything is more awkward. If you need to wear glasses and don't fancy contacts then buy a second pair, use your prescription and go online to get a cheap second pair (or use a buy-one-get-? offer with various high street options).
If your glasses get muddy pushing them back up your nose then use a neoprene retainer or such-like which might help reduce contact with muddy fingers.

 

[glyders]

I'm in the 'wear your last pair and lick them when they get dirty or steamy' camp.
Not to be recommending in places like Cowsh Avens though...

 

[glyders]

... and I do, on reflection, realise how dodgy "lick them when they get dirty or steamy" sounds!

 

[damian]

Daily disposible contacts are the best!!!

I spent a long time resisting my optician trying to sell me them and eventually gave in .... caving became a totally different sport. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

If you really don't want them, though, the only solution I used to have was to carry toilet paper sheets in a resealable plastic bag.

 

[Alex]

It was a very misty cave though, even I could not see at one point and I don't wear glasses or contacts!

 

[jcarter5826]

Hi Alex!  Its John.  Check ur facebook. 

 

[alanw]

Prescription swim goggles for me. The same pair have lasted for 20 years, and I can still see well enough despite the change in prescription. I'm short sighted and presbyopia set in years ago, so I can just lift them out of the way if I need to read a survey.

I repaired the strap a few years ago with bicycle inner tube and brass eyelets.

They are much more durable than spectacles.

If they do get muddy, it's only the outside, not the inside.

A quick wipe with spit and a rinse in the nearest stream helps keep them mist free.

I used to use contact lenses many years ago, but stopped once I started dating an optician. Daily disposables weren't on the market then.

 

[jcarter5826]

Cheers everyone.  I really struggled to the point that not seeing much seriously affected my performance.  Daily disposables looks the way to go. 

 

[nickwilliams]

I've worn glasses since I was three. I wear them all the time and my eyesight is such that I cannot do without them. When I first got into caving at university I converted to soft contact lenses and as Damian says, they were absolutely marvellous. However, what with late nights in the pub, staying in less than salubrious accommodation and all, I frequently found I had to remove them without the opportunity to properly wash my hands. As a result, I used to get regular eye infections, and eventually I gave up using the lenses. This was before the days of disposable single use lenses.

A few years later, disposable lenses became cheaper and more common so I thought I'd have another go. I went to see an optician who gave my eyes a very thorough examination, the upshot of which was that he told me he could see the effects of the previous eye infections and recommended that I should never use contact lenses again.

I think the technology has moved on but I'd still recommend anyone thinking of trying contacts to ensure they get their eyes thoroughly examined by a properly qualified clinical optician (not just by someone who is only qualified to dispense glasses and lenses), both before they start using lenses and regularly thereafter.

I find the use of a glasses restraining strap makes a surprising difference to how clean my glasses stay while digging.

 

[jcarter5826]

Cheers Nick.  I shall investigate [emoji6]

 

[DavidCofNinjadom]

As Nick says, a glasses restraining strap is a really good option. I've started using one ever since I nearly lost my glasses descending a very wet pitch!! You can pick them up on amazon really cheap!

 

[MJenkinson]

I wear disposable contacts all the time. I make sure I keep a spare couple of spare sets in the car and a couple of sets in my caving personal bag, along with some wipes for my hands.  I can put them in without a mirror so that's OK, but no doubt if you have to replace then underground it won't be in "optician approved" conditions. I've never had any issues with infections.....yet.

I cave with a guy who wears his glasses all the time with no strap (including through sumps!) - no idea how he does it but he seems fine.

I'd try contacts personally (after a check up), then maybe take them off and revert to glasses after the trip? Having some water with you to wash your hands is always a good idea.

 

[crickleymal]

A spot of washing up liquid on glasses can keep them mist free. It works on my motorbike helmet. Having smaller lenses in the glasses may also help as the air has more chance to circulate.

 

[Addy]

I'm now fairly long sighted - it happens as you 'gain experience' (= get older!  )

I've several pairs of dirt cheap 'readers' (<?5) from a well known auction site etc. Something like 1 or 2 dioptre do the trick for me. If they get trashed it's no big deal although I have yet to trash a pair.

Not sure what's available or how suitable that might be for those who suffer fromshort sight...

Chiz

 

[CatM]

I'm severely short sighted and use daily disposable contacts; I would recommend these over monthlies because of minimised risk of infection, in case you get any dodgy water or mud, etc in your eyes. I always remove mine pretty soon after any trip and revert back to glasses. Incidentally, I do the same for swimming; you're generally advised against going in water with contacts, but by wearing goggles and removing them straight after, I figure the risk is sufficiently minimised. Good hand hygiene will fairly obviously reduce any infection risks too, but an optician will tell you all about that.

I've worn glasses a couple of times on expeditions or when I've forgotten my lenses; they're manageable if you really don't want lenses but they can get muddy and/or steam up which is a pain. I recall hearing a story about one of the ex-members of our club who once fell down a pitch in Ireby (either Rope or Well, I think) because his glasses had steamed up and he didn't see it and just walked off the edge... thankfully he was mostly fine!