Hiking with poor vision

[tdwood]

I wear progressive Rx sunglasses while hiking and I've come to wonder if they are responsible for my experiences with poor equilibrium (especially with a backpack), mild headaches, fatigue, etc. I think it has something to do with the constant looking at my feet and then back up. Does anyone else have similar experiences (and practical solutions!)? Unfortunately, Lasik isn't an option

[ALMAL]

@tdwood
what happens when you hike wearing only regular sunglasses or no glasses at all?

[big_load]

I've worn progressive Rx for about six years, and I started to feel eye strain on my original ones after I got my second pair (new prescription). Two years later I updated my original lenses (another new prescription) and they felt a lot better.

I should mention that although I've worn Rx sunglasses for six years, I've worn Rx regular glasses for 11, so for the first five years my sunglasses didn't match.

That didn't cause any discomfort but I got tired of switching glasses to read a map and then switching back. Also, I know it's time for a new prescription based on how close to the bottom of my glasses I'm reading through.

Regarding vertigo, I avoid swinging my head rapidly through a lot of vertical angle and I avoid looking straight up for more than a second or two at a time.

[tdwood]

@ALMAL It's been some time since I've felt comfortable hiking without glasses. Everything's pretty distorted, especially the area around my feet. When my vision first started changing (about 8 years ago) I could get away with it. Not anymore.

[rcorfman]

I use bifocal lenses. I tried contacts once but struggled to insert them and gave up. I've never tried progressive lenses and probably never will as I have had no issues with the bifocals. Good luck figuring out what's going on.

[Pivo]

I've never tried progressive lenses and probably never will as I have had no issues with the bifocals.

You must not trim your own toenails, or are much more flexible than I am.

[Moovyoaz]

I solved the problem by hiking at night

[rcorfman]

I use bifocal lenses. I tried contacts once but struggled to insert them and gave up. I've never tried progressive lenses and probably never will as I have had no issues with the bifocals. Good luck figuring out what's going on.

Mid April I got a new pair of glasses with progressive lenses. In general, the seem fine. For normal hiking I have no problems. What's difficult for me now, is when I have to pick my way down a steep hill. I've really noticed the problem climbing around on large rock piles looking for geocaches. I lose confidence stepping from rock to rock. I know it's caused by the distortion of the lenses. Does this seem to dissipate over time, I've only had the lenses a month and a half or so?

The only reason I went with progressives instead of bifocals is because I can have the lenses changed out to bifocals for no cost if I decide I don't like them. I'm trying to decide if I should change back to the bifocals, but don't want to jump the gun.

[Pivo]

@rcorfman
I have worn progressive eyeglasses for over ten years, never going back to contacts. It will improve with time.

[RowdyandMe]

Well I hike with bifocals sunglasses and I had to get non polarized ones. I take my camera with me and it was almost impossible to focus using polarized sunglasses. It has to do with the camera screen. I was told that pilots also have to wear non polarized sunglasses as well.
I do like driving with my other pair of polarized sunglasses.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

If you go to shop who knows, you can pay extra for a lens option that reduces the distortion to the sides. My friend just had hers done that way and really likes them.

Years ago, before my cataract surgery, when I used to be -6 D in each eye (fairly nearsighted), normal progressives made me very dizzy when I moved my head to look out the window while piloting.

I tried a bunch of different lenses, and, at the time, settled on Zeiss Gradal's as working best for me. I didn't notice any distortion at the sides at all.

https://www.optiboard.com/forums/showth ... iss-Gradal

At the time, I paid $600 for them. I think my friend paid north of $800. (Yikes.)

After my cataract surgery, I had my eyes set to -2 D each. This way I'm 20/40 in each eye and don't need my glasses for most things around the house. (Am always forgetting where I left them now.) And I don't wear progressives anymore either. I opted for a less tall frame. So now I just look under the lens when I need to read a map or something on my phone.

I look at my feet (and for rattlesnakes) through my lenses while hiking, but because the prescription is so mild, and because they're not progressives, no dizziness/disorientation.

If cataract surgery is in your future, I highly recommend telling your surgeon that you do NOT want to be emmetropic, but rather -2 D. (And tell him/her to use Dr. Warren Hill's website calculator to dial it in just right.) In our society, -2D is best. (Think of Mr. Bemis in the Twightlight Zone episode.)

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@RowdyandMe
In the old days of flying, polarized glass wasn't used in the "steam-gauge" mechanical instruments in planes. Nowadays, almost all the LCD Displays are polarized. So yeah, in the New Technology planes, you can't see the screens if you're wearing polarized sun glasses.

Which is unfortunate because the polarized lenses really do help read the clouds better. (Especially the blue-light blockers.)

[RowdyandMe]

@TooOld2HikeQ
Well I don't know about that but polarized glasses were awesome when I went fishing!

[Hansenaz]

My 2 cents here...when I first started hiking with progressives I had some difficulty judging foot placement (perceived eye-foot distance different from "the usual" and possibly varying). That soon went away. Bifocals absolutely needed to operate GPS or phone. Always prefer polarized which meant my camera's screen polarization had to match well enough (some brands don't make the cut).