Hunting with glasses

[JBrandon]

I'd like some advice from experienced hunters - I'm hunting in winter, and need to wear glasses to see sights and target, but unless the breeze is right, my glasses are likely to get fogged by my breath, especially when I wear face covering.
Suggestions?

 

[BillyC]

I wear a total face mask and I’ve found that cutting the eyes, nose and mouth holes bigger allows me to position the mask so my glasses don’t fog. It took a while to get it just right but it paid off.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I'd like some advice from experienced hunters - I'm hunting in winter, and need to wear glasses to see sights and target, but unless the breeze is right, my glasses are likely to get fogged by my breath, especially when I wear face covering.
Suggestions?

I am not a hunter, but did you consider contacts? I had to work outside and wore trifocals. Try those hunting
Good luck on a solution cuz glasses are a pain in the arse outside in the cold.
Larry

 

[andy52]

I've been dealing with that all my life and there isn't a good fix. Any face covering has to be below your nose so the hot moist air doesn't come up under the glasses, some types of anti-fog solutions help some.
P S. I can't wear contacts.

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Prey that you get cataracts! I put up with fogged up or wet glasses for 60 years until I had cataract surgery. It was great not to have to deal with that anymore. No more glasses wearing except for reading or detail work. Other than that, I don't know of a solution other than contacts which have their own problems but for outdoors are better than glasses. Or maybe move to the Southwest desert.

 

[bpd303]

Prey that you get cataracts! I put up with fogged up or wet glasses for 60 years until I had cataract surgery. It was great not to have to deal with that anymore. No more glasses wearing except for reading or detail work. Other than that, I don't know of a solution other than contacts which have their own problems but for outdoors are better than glasses. Or maybe move to the Southwest desert.

Same here, cataracts removed and lens implants inserted. Check with your eye doctor, I imagine the lens implants can be done even without cataracts. A bonus is I can see the sights on any of my firearms clearly and the target beyond.

 

[R Ellis]

I think they made anti fog spray but I don't know how well it works

 

[BlazingIron]

I have worn glasses for 40 years (can’t wear contacts). I snow ski and scuba dive. I have found two thing that jelp with fogged up glass. Anti-fog wipes from the ski shop and saliva rinsed with water(spitting in your dive mask and rinsing with a little H2O is an old divers trick). I’ve used both on my glasses while skiing and they work well. You can rinse with a little melted snow.

 

[Snapper Petta01]

I would second the use of anti-fogging wipes on your lenses. You might need to apply each time you go out but they do work well. I use the ones that are designed for ski goggles. I also do the spit-on-the-lens trick in a pinch as that will work too. Definitely worth trying to see how it works for you.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[JK0l]

Lifetime glasses wearer. Just hate contacts. Especially on a multi day trip. I had two pairs of Smith Frontman glasses made, one in clear and one in Ignite lenses. Exact same optical profile, safety lenses etc. This way I can keep the anchor and sight all the same even when I shoot indoors. I’m running a set of mirror coated lenses this year. Interested to see if the elk care at close range.

 

[Brokennock]

There really is no good 100% solution. I've been wearing glasses since before I started deer hunting, I've tried a lot of tricks. I actually dont wear a mask when hunting with my flintlock as the gun more than dlubles my effective range, but, most of deer season I have a longbow in hamd and a mask over my face. Contacts won't fog, but they leave your eyes completely unprotected, and I seem to recall some moments of panic on the part of contact wearers when one would fall out,,,, and that was indoors.....
A nose hole in the mask cut so it allows air to escape out the bottom helps,,, until you yawn or otherwise breathe out your mouth. But I cut one and adjust it over time.
They sell the metal bendy strips that surgical masks have that pinch the mask to your nose. Hobby Lobby used to have them, not sure if they still do. Adding one of these to pinch the mask closed around your nose lower than your eyes help, again, not 100%
I've tried the spray on antifog products with very limited success.

The biggest thing is to keep your glasses clean (I'm personally finding this to be an incrrasing challenge for some reason). Just like your windshield can make visibility worse in the rain and dark when headlights or city lights approach when the windshield is dirty..... Dirty glasses seem to fog worse and seem to have the effect of that fog be worse.
So, clean your glasses.... then a little trick. (Little tip, from my guy who does glasses for me and other local shooters,,,,, just like your ML clean your glasses with warm water and Dawn). Once clean and dry, take a very tiny amount of clear liquid soap (that hair and body soap from DeadDownwind is great for this) on your very clean thumb and index finger tips, coat the the lenses with it, very thin. Let dry. It should dry hazy like car wax. Buff off like car wax. I often repeat this during bow season before I even wear them.
This helps a lot, again, not 100% but it helps. I have found my glasses stay cleaner and when they do fog, the fog clears faster when I do this.

Combine all these and your glasses will still fog, but hopefully not as bad or as often, and maybe be easier to clear.

 

[Sun City]

Wipe your lens with Bounce! You'll find it in your clothes dryer area! Keep some in your backpak!

 

[BillyC]

The mask below won’t fog my glasses unless the mouth part slips up too far.

 

[Gtrubicon]

I wear progressive lenses, started about a year ago. The ant fog stuff does work pretty good, just need to keep applying it. I can’t shoot worth a darn with my glasses now, I’ve had glasses for about 12 years now. I had to get contacts for when I shoot. There was a learning curve for them at first but I do shoot very well with them now.

 

[bpd303]

Wipe your lens with Bounce! You'll find it in your clothes dryer area! Keep some in your backpak!

I used to do that when I was on the PD, worked well when walking in a place from outside when it was cold. Fogged up glasses when on a call not good.

 

[Jaeger]

When you hunt while wearing glasses, I suspect your biggest concern won't be with lenses fogging up. I hunted while wearing glasses for years (glasses gone after age 65 with cataract replacement lenses) and I finally came to the conclusion that I spooked a lot of deer with glints and reflections from my glass lenses or metal spectacle frames. It only probably happens with bright sun, but still... Deer can see slight flashes and movements that we wouldn't notice.

 

[bud in pa]

When I wore glasses years ago I would rub a bar of soap on my lenses and then buff them with a tissue. I think thatI learned it from Field & Stream many years ago.

 

[hockeyref]

When I wore glasses years ago I would rub a bar of soap on my lenses and then buff them with a tissue. I think thatI learned it from Field & Stream many years ago.

Playing hockey back in the 70’s and 80’s i wore rec-specs…. Basically glasses with an elastic head band and no temples. No contacts for astigmatism back then. Coach told me to put a drop of dish soap on each lense, rub it into a paste and leave it dry. Then buff it off with a soft towel. I skated my azz off, on the ice every other shift and did not fog up sitting on the bench or when playing.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

I use arctic cat antifog spray. Same as the other folks, I apply it a couple times. Isn’t perfect but definitely helps. I have heard about the soap thing. Gonna try that. Also instead of a face mask I grow a beard for hunting season. I friggin hate wearing glasses. They fog or freeze always at the wrong time

 

[Rebel bull]

I've been dealing with that all my life and there isn't a good fix. Any face covering has to be below your nose so the hot moist air doesn't come up under the glasses, some types of anti-fog solutions help some.
P S. I can't wear contacts.

the good lord gave you a built in face covering that doesn't fog your glasses. though I don't do the pretend thing ( breech cloths and moc's ) I do quit shaving sept. 1 until the last day of muzzle loader season which ended sunday night. I hunted every day from nov. 4 through dec. 10 with temps that ranged from -15 to 48 degrees and never felt lacking for my face keeping warm now if i could just figure how to keep my nose from running????