Contact Wearers

[ArrowForester]

lLooks like me and "banishd" were typing at the same time. Two sides of the coin obviously. So be sure to discuss it with your doc and think it over. Maybe try a short nap or two to test the waters. Definitely try it at home if you decide to go for extended wear/overnight.

 

[Gerard Marcaurele]

I wear contacts that must be made of unobtanium, and they are 6 month pairs, so I’m usually stuck with one pair at a time with no hope of having a backup unless I want to spend over $900 out of pocket.

I haven’t backpack hunted yet, but here is what I do when I am camping at our deer camp:

1) put something warm in a hand warmer or jacket
2) put contacts a little ways away from that warmth source
3) seal it off as best I can to prevent cold air drafts
4) when I take them out in the morning they are warmer than I am.

My plan for backpacking is roughly the same. I plan to boil water and put it in my nalgene and wrap that up in my puffy with my contacts, or out the bottle and contacts in my sleeping bag if temps look like they’ll dip into the freezing range.

As for keeping hands clean, the best I’ve found is to baby wipe as best you can and carry a small chamois cloth and wipe hard enough to remove anything else with just clean water.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

When I used to wear contacts, I would hunt with the kind that you can keep in your eye for a week or two straight. Wake up in the morning, put a re-wetting drop in each eye, and I was good to go. I usually carried a spare pair in a case. The spears and re-wetting drops would go in my sleeping bag with me on colder nights to keep from freezing.

That said, I had lasik done in 2011 and it was a complete game-changer for hunting.

 

[5MilesBack]

The best thing about the gas perms is that if you get something in your eye, you can just pop the lens out, put it in your mouth to clean it off, and pop it back in. Ya, ya, germs etc........never had an issue doing that for 18 years of wearing them. Only time that became a problem was in Mexico one night eating the jalapeno's and carrots in the juice bowl. Popped the lens into my mouth and back into my eye so fast, that I didn't even have time to think about that. Couldn't open my eye for over 10 minutes. Don't do that.

 

[live2huntelk]

What temperature does contact solution freeze?

What is the freezing point of saline solution?

www.backcountryplanet.com

I keep a small bottle of solution and contact case in a ziplock bag and keep it inside my sleeping bag. I use wet wipes to clean my fingers before putting them in or taking them out. I also put a drop or two of solution on the contact while on my finger before putting in the eye ...helps with eye lubrication and the contact to adhere to the eye and not fold over while putting in the eye. I am use to taking them in and out without a mirror....something you get use to.

 

[GunsAreFun]

Keep the solution in the sleeping bag at night or wrap it up in extra clothes. It will be fine.

 

[DBird]

Daily wear with extra lenses and spare glasses are the way to go. You don’t want the chance of an eye infection popping up if you leave the lenses in too long. Clean your hands before touching them.

 

[Brewski]

Daily lenses. I use either rubber gloves and stretch the finger tips to put contacts in or alcohol wipes to clean my fingers. Also might want to bring wetting drops to moisten contacts prior to removal, a dry contact from hours of glassing can tear your cornea, happened to me last season. And bring backup pair of glasses.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin Dill]

I wear RGPs.
My biggest issue is keeping fingers clean enough during a backpack hunt.
I've had the solution gel. Both in the bottle and the case with contacts in.
A couple minutes in hands or bag will thaw but I now keep them in my bag with me and no issues.
I also pack a small mirror in case they slip to a corner of my eye etc.

Basically this aligns with my thinking. I'm a stickler for keeping my hands and contacts clean. I've seen eye infections get out of control and THAT would be hunt stopper. Trying to figure out the best way to stay clean while prepping the lenses and inserting them is definitely an issue on a 14 day hunt.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I wore RGP's for years and loved the crystal clear 20/15 vision I got from them. I used to keep the contact case inside my base layer bottoms while I slept, and kept the solution bottle in my bag. Ice cold lenses aren't a lot of fun. But at least the RGP's are a heck of a lot easier to deal with than soft lenses. Once you're up and you put them in, you should be good to go.

I went RGP exactly because of the better clarity they offered. I tried soft lenses and they were markedly less clear for me.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I slept with contacts in on a solo backpack trip once. Ended up damaging my eye and having to leave early due to seeing two sets of crosshairs when looking through my scope. Would recommend to everyone to never sleep with any type of contacts, even if they say you can.

I'm not going to sleep in contacts. I know it can be done, but I've seen and felt the results. Nope.

 

[5MilesBack]

I went RGP exactly because of the better clarity they offered. I tried soft lenses and they were markedly less clear for me.

The only problem with them is that they reshape the surface of your eye, and it takes literally about 6 weeks of not wearing them for your eyes to go back to their original shape. When I had Lasik I had to wear a soft lens for that long before having the surgery, and your vision changes every day as they revert back to their original. So they're great as long as you keep wearing them.

 

[CX5Ranch]

I've never had it freeze but put it in a good case and inside sleeping bag.

For sure have clean water handy to wash your fingertips. Little pieces of Lint and dust can cause havoc at 430 am.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin Dill]

I've been a bit remiss in not getting back to this thread. I really appreciate the ideas and experiences y'all have expressed here. That's why I like 'sliders.

I've been experimenting with different care regimens to see what might work best on a long remote hunt. For me and the lenses I chose (RGP) they'll need to be removed and cleaned daily. Basically it looks like there's no shortcut. Remove and clean at the end of the day. Keep them protected (from freezing) at night. Insert in the morning. For hand cleanliness I'll probably just bring some type of hand wipes, as long as they're compatible with lenses. A main concern for me is keeping the morning routine 1) simple, 2) relatively dry, and 3) quick. It will be cold and dark at 5:30 am.

I don't own an extra set of contacts and these will have to get me through. I will be bringing rx glasses which are current and will get used when my lenses are out. Incidentally, I went with an Oakley curved frame which might be the best thing I ever did for glasses.

 

[Rokwiia]

I agree with those above who recommend getting some daily wears just for hunting. Pop out the old ones and in with a fresh, clean pair. That's what I do.

The last thing you need is to get eye irritation or an infection from all that is involved in cleaning lenses in an environment not conducive to doing so. The daily wears take up little space so put them in your sleeping bag at night and you're good to go.

 

[timmymac24]

I just finished using a two week supply of daily wear contacts my eye doc gave me to try. I don't prefer them over the old school Accuvue lenses I use but they work for a hunting trip. I could get two days out of a pair but didn't and will not sleep with them in. I am OCD about clean hands and lenses too easy for some people to get infected eyes and if you're on a trip it could be a disaster. You guys reading this thread that had Lasik did it force use to need "readers/cheaters" after the procdure? Just curious...

 

[WyoElk]

Anyone use finger cots? I know a lot of guys use them to cover their barrel but since it’s next to impossible to keep clean hands I’ve wondered if they would work for the business end of your fingers. Easily disposable

 

[Trial153]

I been mulling over lasix, my dr told me he didnt think my eye where bad enough to warent it and it would force me into reading glasses. I am still thinking it maybe worth it just to ditch contacts

 

[camping1601]

I been mulling over lasix, my dr told me he didnt think my eye where bad enough to warent it and it would force me into reading glasses. I am still thinking it maybe worth it just to ditch contacts

That's pretty much where I was at five years ago. I'm a couple years away from needing reading glasses so I think when I need them anyway I'll go for the Lasik.
I spend every weekend in the woods and I'm so tired of dealing with contacts.

 

[camping1601]

I've been a bit remiss in not getting back to this thread. I really appreciate the ideas and experiences y'all have expressed here. That's why I like 'sliders.

I've been experimenting with different care regimens to see what might work best on a long remote hunt. For me and the lenses I chose (RGP) they'll need to be removed and cleaned daily. Basically it looks like there's no shortcut. Remove and clean at the end of the day. Keep them protected (from freezing) at night. Insert in the morning. For hand cleanliness I'll probably just bring some type of hand wipes, as long as they're compatible with lenses. A main concern for me is keeping the morning routine 1) simple, 2) relatively dry, and 3) quick. It will be cold and dark at 5:30 am.

I don't own an extra set of contacts and these will have to get me through. I will be bringing rx glasses which are current and will get used when my lenses are out. Incidentally, I went with an Oakley curved frame which might be the best thing I ever did for glasses.

I'll use a wet one as well as soap and just rinse really well. Like I said earlier, I'll dry my fingers over my canister stove while rubbing them together to knockoff the fuzzies from the wet ones.