soft contact lenses

[tokyobob]

I switched to soft contacts this year (from glasses 20/40, can squint to 20/20). Has anyone had any problems using soft lenses at altitude or cold weather (ice climbing)? I was planning on contacts shielded by my non rx julbos.

thanks

[Winter]

i've never had any problems in cold or at altitude. years ago, they used to tall out skiing with wind getting in around the sides of my goggles, but since then the new generation lenses work much better. i use accuvue oasys and have been very happy with them.

[high_on_rock]

I cannot imagine using anything else. I call them my safety contacts, as they also work as a first line of defense in getting crap in my eye. love them.

[tokyobob]

Thanks!!

[crmlla2007]

I wear acuvue advance (possible mult-day wear). These also have built-in UV protection, not sure about other brands.

 

Since soft lenses are relatively cheap and light it's easy to carry a spare pair (in a pocket close to body to prevent freezing) and toss them if they get dirty or torn (can tear easy if you pull them out when your eyes are dry).

 

The only problem I've ever had (besides dang cold drops and solution) is once on Rainier I had some volcanic dust get around my glasses and form a ring around my lenses that made for a miserable day - just pulled them out and tossed in garbage bag when I got back to camp.

 

[hydroman]

I've used Accuvue soft lenses without trouble on Denali, Aconcagua and various climbs in Ecuador with no problems. I just make sure to sleep with the lens drops and use them often to keep them moist in the cold dry air.

 

[lizard_brain]

Contacts rock! I use two kinds: regular single-use lenses that I use day-to-day, and other extended wear that I can use for 4-6 days without taking them out. The single-use ones are a lot cheaper. The multi-day ones are more expensive, and I keep a couple of sets of those on hand for long trips so I don't have to take them out at night and put them in in the morning on climbs or with sunscreen and stove fuel and insect repellent and god knows what else on my hands - and they're just convenient.

[rbw1966]

I used soft contacts for years (accuvue multi-day lenses) with no problems until a trip to Bolivia. Slept with them in at 18K and woke up to blurry vision that got progressively worse until I removed the lenses and descended to our base camp. An opthalmologist told me I had corneal edema caused from a restricted oxygen flow due to the contacts. Probably could have been avoided by removing the contacts before sleeping but who wants to mess with them at that point?

 

I had LASIK done as soon thereafter as possible.

[Hugh Conway]

Probably could have been avoided by removing the contacts before sleeping but who wants to mess with them at that point

 

Heh. I've always been anal about taking out my contacts every night (I can maybe wear them overnight - Accuvue 2s btw). Never had a problem with the vision.

 

I'm fairly certain the cleaning/hand-eye contact had something to do with catching a fucking nasty virus in peru.

[high_on_rock]

Let's start with the disclaimer: I do not recommend this! I leave my contacts in for a couple weeks at a time, take them out and soak them overnight, put them back in. I often wear the sam pair for 6 months that way.

 

The acu-vue I could only stand for about a week at a time. I now use Bausch & Lomb PureVision. After two weeks, I could still leave them in, but even I am not so dumb as to leave them in longer than that.

 

Do not try this at home! I do not recommend this!

[lizard_brain]

Yeah, I wear the single-day lenses for 4-6 days, but I take them out at night. Saves money. The exteneded wear ones I wear for 4-6 days without taking them out, then I might take them out and clean them and wear them just during the day for a couple more days.

 

Like High said - not recommended.