Glasses or contacts

“Ok i just got my eyes checked t'day and now im wondering whether or not to get contacts. I've been wearing glasses since elementary school and i don't mind them that much. But the advantages of contacts seem pretty good. I play football, bike, CAMP!, and some other sports and sometimes glasses can be a pain, falling off, slidding of my head, getting dirty etc... So what do ya'll think?”

“I'd say, if you like the sensation of a finger in your eye, contacts are the way to go...”

“I don't even know mine are in, you can't feel properly fitting contacts. In my case, I'm so blind that if I were to lose / break my glasses in in the backcountry I'd be in real trouble trying to get out. With contacts I can carry a couple extra pairs, they're so light I can't even weigh them on my food scale.”

“I preferred contacts, but got rid of them (and my glasses) a year ago when I had Lasik surgery. Now I'm seeing 20-15!!”

“I went back to glasses and never looked back. Contacts are a pain in the butt (imo) compared to putting on and taking off glasses, and you don't even have to wash your hands and to the disinfecting crap.”

“wanderer-i have the same problem, it sounds like, as you, im horribly nearsighted and that is one of my concerns, losing or breaking my glasses.”

“I have had both glasses and contacts. I love the contacts and can actually see better with them on. Unfortunatley they aren't in the budget right now. If you can get them do. I would love to have the surgery...but that is on the "one day" list.”

“contacts are great in the woods. You'll never get fogged in again. I hated that. I went back and got contacts specifically because of that. I'll never wear glasses on the trail again unless I forgot my contacts and it was all I had.

No more fog
sunglasses....any kind anytime
ooops I broke them?!
the screw fell out and now the lense wont stay in. Doh
Goggles in the winter

No way man I wore glasses for over 30 years. now I only put'em on once and a while”

“If you can wear them in comfort, go for it. There are so many advantages to them. I'd suggest seeing an eye person that is flexible with you trying different types. The masked marauder tried different ones til he got it right, with no extra charge.

Myself, I've been wearing glasses for over 30 years, and tried contacts twice. It drove me nuts knowing there was something on my eyes even when I could not feel them.

They're not for everybody but many swear by them. Give them a try. That's the only way you'll know.”

“contact lenses - no question - no debate”

“Glasses are good eye protection.

Contacts are for vain people.”

“Or people who get in fights a lot and don't want to get their glasses broken.”

“the backup singer in "your so vain" was Mick Jagger”

“I've been wearing specs for most of my life. It sucks: Sweat, fogging up, lenses falling out etc. I wish I could wear contacts. Vanity got NOTHING to do with it. Come to think about it, I've been told I look damn good in glasses.”

“hmmm, for vain people?

or perhaps, for people who are blind without either glasses or contacts and who need to be able to see while doing activities where wearing glasses is not an option....?”

“hmmm, for vain people?

or perhaps, for people who are blind without either glasses or contacts and who need to be able to see while doing activities where wearing glasses is not an option....?"
Twinkle Toes
07:08:57 PM
02/06/03

Yeah, everyone, but those fifty people.”

“you're funny, bacpac! Glad to hear you're eyes are well protected!”

“or he's just yanking your chain......like he does all to well, and wears them also”

“I'm vain; I wear contacts.

lol

I find them to actually be easier than glasses. Put them in in the AM take them out in the PM. No worries throughout the day.

Just talked to my eye doc today about contacts that can be worn for several days in a row w/out removing. Perfect for hiking trips. Got an appt scheduled for tomorrow to get me some. :-)”

“I worked with a girl who was adamant that contacts were less hassle than glasses, and as someone who had once wanted to get rid of my glasses and then experienced contacts firsthand I had to disagree.

As someone who once used contacts while hiking for years, I can't stand them in the backcountry. While it's true that glasses can fog up while hiking...when it's hot and humid and you're perspiring something fierce, and in the winter when you exhale and the breath hits the lenses. But that doesn't happen very often. How about having to remove your contacts every night, clean them and store in fluid for the next day, only to have to try to put them back in the eye the next morning without a mirror...all the while doing so after having to clean and disinfect the hands prior to doing so. Then sleeping with them in, I'd wake up the next day with irritated eyes, foggy with sleep crap on the lenses, and sometimes so dry that the contacts literally folded up on my eye from me blinking. Ever try to unfold a contact that has stuck together from being too dry...it aint easy.

Glasses *are* less of a hassle. Broke or lose your glasses?...What a klutz, it's your fault you not responsible enough and let that happen! Screw fell out?... now how often does that happen??? What about contacts falling out...it happens! And dirt getting in your eye? And the irritation tha comes with having them in all day sucks! Both sides have "What if...?" scenarios, ya know!

We all justify what we believe to be better, to each his own, but there ain't no way no how anybody is gonna get me to believe glasses are more of a hassel than glasses. I hated glasses once, got contacts and still wear them, but will never use them backpacking again.”

“buddur - i think contacts are less of a hassle than glasses in the backcountry.

so there.”

“DON'T MAKE ME ME WRITE A LONGER POST, WOMAN!!! Until you and everyone else sees, understands and believes my point of view, I will keep on posting longer more volumous rants regarding this personal opinion.”

“i promise to believe you if you promise to skip the gm concert next friday.... ;-)”

“Are you ignoring the offer, Mr. BuddurMan?”

“If I ignore it, will it will go away?

That's a tough decision. However, I'm not allowed to go to Pitt unless I get approval, so with that in mind, I'm hesitant about hitting the show. And I'm afraid to ask because of the activity...concerts are frowned upon for some reason unbenounced to me. However, some of my good friends from OH will be there, though...and it is my favorite band, ya know?

Drats!!!”

“Contacts are a bigger pain, but glasses fog up, fall off your face, can break easy, and when you put sunglasses over them you look kinda dorky.”

“wow, it seems i've created quite a controversy”

“I had glasses, contacts, and all. Did not like the glasses. Contacts always hurt my eye as soon as got a little dust around me. Well, so I did the lasic (sp?). I am totally happy. You can see right away much better, and it gets better with time.

Think about it, it maybe even cheaper in the longrun (if i think about all the disposipal contacts I used)”

“I wear contacts always when hiking but always bring glasses just in case...hope to get that lasik surgery one day when I can afford to drop 750 per eye...I HAVE to wear sunglasses most of the time when outside cause my eyes are very light sensitive and they are right when they say, putting sunglasses over glasses just does not cut it. Get both, and decide from there.”

“I've been thinking about lasik, I think you can get it for $300 an eye here in Columbus. It really works eh? Do they take you under to do it? Do they do one eye at a time or both? How long does it take to recover?”

“Can I do it...Till I need glasses...
Can I play my fiddle , can I twiddle my fiddle dee dee....

Am I the only one here that does not wear either? :)”

“SnowDude did the Lasik surgery before we did the JMT, and he loves it! 20 seconds on each eye (he was so excited about it he wanted me to watch the video they gave him . . . gag!) He doesn't even need reading glasses anymore.

I started wearing glasses when I turned 40, and its been getting worse every year. My arms aren't long enough. I get dizzy if I walk around with glasses, and I don't carry a purse. I can't read topos anymore, so I have to go to topozone.com and print the enlarged version of the maps and tape the pieces together. I carry glasses when I bp, but its always buried in my pack.

By the end of the night (like right now) my vision is blurry, even with glasses. Can't wait to get my eyes checked again.”

“Glasses add character!!!! I was a dead ringing for Ernie from My three sons when growing up.”

“I used to wear contacts but stopped about 6 years ago because I was working in a manufacturing co., so I just opted for (sort of) safety glasses. I really miss contacts, and will go back to them soon. I wore contacts from 1985 to late '97, with no problems except the time one tore and it took forever to fish out a .5 mm dia. piece. No biggie, didn't hurt, just annoying.”

“When I wore glasses I couldn't wear contacts, my eyes are too dry. I don't have enough tears and have to use fake ones. :D

I started wearing glasses at 18mos, got rid of them at age 20, spent a few years bouncing around between reading glasses and bifocals, then finally just quit wearing any.

Now I have the same problem as SnowNymph, my arms aren't long enough. I got some pretty little glasses for $5 and they work fine.

And Pennsy, you've got pretty eyes behind those glasses! :)

I don't know how to link to a pic, or I'd send the "eye exam" my boss sent to all of us - it's cute!”

“Howitzer, try touching your eyeball. If it's really difficult for you to keep yer eye open, and you can't do it for more than a second, contacts will be a challenge. Practice until you can gently put yer finger in your eye for seconds at a time.”

“I always wear my contacts in the woods even on my 8day hike...Ihave 2 week disposable..just pack some solution.. if I could I would definally get the laser surgery!”

“On FYOA, I plan to pack my glasses and wear my contacts.

I play paintball. That has me wearing gogles in the middle of combate. It sucks major A when your glasses fog up as you are getting shot at. Contacts rule.

I get 20/20 vision all over, with glasses you only get where the lenses are.

Its tough to break a contact lens. Not like siting on a pare of glasses.

Yes contacts tare and you ahve to put your finger in your eye, but it is worth it.


It took me two weeks to get my eye ajusted to contacts. Putting them in atfirst was hell. But now its cake.”

“I'm with Martyb up there. I had contacts since I was 15 and at 40 something got Lasik surgery. The contacts were the hard kind and for years I battled dust, sweat and all kinds of stuff landing in my eyes over the years. With running, skiing, backpacking, swimming, and on and on....it's been great! My vision is 20-15 now and I don't have to stick those plastic discs in my eyes every morning. You can get two basic types of correction; one that over-corrects one eye and under-correct the other so you can see up close (like for a dentist) or you can get both corrected for long distance. They say you might need reading glasses when you hit the 50's, but, hey, you would anyway and you still have your long vision.”

“Yeah, aero!

A bit more about the procedure....

After an appointment or two to check your vision and other stuff, like the thickness of the outer membrane of your eyeball (note the jargon), you show up and they give you a valium to help you relax. Then you sit around for a while to wait for the valium to take effect. This is important because they want you to be relaxed so that you can be still during the procedure. For me, they were running a little ahead of schedule, so my valium hadn't really kicked in. No problem - I had watched them do my wife's eyes a year earlier and was not nervous.

They lay you down on a table, put some drops in your eyes to numb them, then a technician pushes a bunch of buttons, turns some dials (more jargon), etc. Then the surgeon comes in. I paid an extra 100 bucks to have the older guy with 10,000 procedures under his belt. We had heard he was an arrogant jerk, but who cares, if he knows what he's doing? Turns out, he was a very jolly guy, chatting with me through the whole thing.

So the surgeon tells you to stare at a red dot and hold still. A machine is passed over your eye - this is the thing that slices open a flap so the other machine can grind/burn off some of your inner eyeball (more jargon) to shape it right so you can see better. It was painless, but kind of gross, knowing what they were doing. Then the grinding/burning thingee (jargon) is moved into place, and starts making a bunch of noise. You smell the burning tissue, like during dental work or if you singe your hair. This is kind of gross, too. Lasts only about a half minute. Then the doc puts the flap back over your inner eyeball and moves to eye #2.

When you're done with that, in you go to a darkened room for a couple minutes. For both my wife and I, it was amazing to sit there, look up, and be able to read the time on the clock! The doc comes in, looks at your eyes through one of those eye inspector machine thingees (jargon) to see if the flap is staying in the right spot.

Then it's some more drops, here's your souvenir fanny pack with plastic eye patches to put on at night (so you won't rub your eyes by accident), artificial tears, thank you very much goodbye!

Then you get to read all the license plates on the road on the way home (somebody has to drive you).

Get home, go to bed, sleep as much as possible for the next 24 hours (closed eyes help the healing), then back to work a couple days later. That's it!”

“Dorks”

“Thanks for the description Martyb, I have astigmatism and I'm not sure if it would be cheap or easy for them to do at lasik. My contacts always cost more ($100 a lense) so I assumed that surgery would cost more. Maybe it won't, I'm gonna check into lasik. Too bad they don't have a patient referal program where you get paid for referring people. Later!”

“Ohio, Just a few years ago they were telling people with certain vision problems that Lasik couldn't help them. Now it seems like the techniques are like computer power - changing and improving very rapidly. I've told people at my office who have been told Lasik is not right for them to go back to their doctor every year or so because the answer will likely change.”

“That was exactly my experience marty. It took about 30 sec. per eye and I was out of there. It was definitely worth the price.”

“Yeah aero - in fact, my vision is so good now, I can see what you're doing right this very minute. It looks like, yes, I think this is right: you're reading something on TT!”

“I have an eye that is shaped more of like an oval which is a form of astigmatism. if they are griding pieces of your eyes off to make it rounder, it might work.”

“You may be right, Ohio - go check it out!”

“Yikes! I'd better get to work!
Actaully, I'm looking at This!”

“You might like this one too....”

“thats for all the info everyone, id talk more but im at school..”