Sunglasses make a difference

[wiiawiwb]

I recently lost my sunglasses backpacking from an overnight sasquatch adventure. My now-lost sunglasses did nothing more than universally darken what you looked at. It didn't improve it. Time to get a new one.

 

I decided to look at the higher tech (and higher price tag) sunglasses. Maui Jim, Costa Del Mar, Oakley and Smith.  All use proprietary lens technology although the first two focus principally on water-related activities.  Their glass lenses are clear and crisp but are heavy and the lenses can be shattered. That would likely have happened to me last Thursday when on the trail someone in front of me let a branch whipsaw back into my face. Thankfully, I had ANSI, impact-rated, clear lens which took it in stride. That lesson taught me that my eyes are too precious and the forest is too rife with opportunity for a real problem. Off the list went Maui Jim and Costa.

 

Smith has ChromaPoP while Oakley has Prizm technology.  Both use high-tech means to filter light in ways that allow you to see colors beyond normal capabilities. The Smith Max Attack sunglasses were awesome and the shield is made of polycarbonate so it is impact resistant and won't shatter.  My instinct was to buy them right away. I was wrong.

 

Oakley has their own Prizm technology which is so finely dialed in that they make lenses designed for specific activities such hiking vs mountain biking vs baseball vs golf vs road/highway and even variants of those.  I ended up choosing several models of sunglasses (EVZero and Radar EV)  along with several different lenses. I chose the Trail, Trail Torch, Golf, and Road lenses. The EVZero with the Trail lenses arrived first and I had a chance to put them through the test. It is remarkable the difference they make. It made tree roots, rocks, and small holes visually pop out.  Somehow it uses the color band to boost the contrast and cutout the glare for your specific sport.  It makes a difference and a big one at that. I'm totally sold.

 

On the left, is the EVZero (Extended view, nearly Zero weight) with the Trail lens which is my favorite.  It has no frame so it is as light as sunglasses can be. The face shield covers your entire view. No obstruction in your view looking up, down, left, or right.  To its right, is the Radar EV which has a frame and is more substantial. I will use when I am hiking off trail or in dense forest. The lenses in the Radar EV can be swapped out for other lenses which I plan on doing.

 

 

Here is some more information about Prizm lenses:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwReMM_1Sss

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uza0QIS95-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61_7NsCilvs

 

I bought my Oakleys on eBay but you must be very careful when doing so as there are a lot of fakes out there.  Moreover, I've read that fake ones have a tendency to shatter.  I think you pretty safe to buy on eBay IF you buy from someone with at least 5,000 sales, 100% positive feedback, and lots of Oakleys sold (click on "See All Feedback).

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by wiiawiwb

[Kiwakwe]

No doubt they do. I've often thought, with as much bushwhacking that i do, i'll die wandering in circles in some wild place after putting my eye out with a branch, Undignified to say the least:)

I had a good pair eons ago, Revo---glass lenses, minimal darkening but really made things pop. blew off my head looking behind while on the motorcycle, ouch--30 years ago they were $150. I use a pair of Julbo Vermont classics for snowy stuff. Good coatings, darken significantly but that's what's needed on sunny snowy days,

But my go to pair, a no-name aviator style that I found on a trash can at a gas station, worn them for a few years now. Lost them for a bit on a mountain bushwhack, amazingly, I found them 2 weeks later, stepped and pooped on by an elk. Cleaned em up, straightened em out, still going. In the interim i found a glass lens aviator, no high tech coatings but work well and won't be painful if they go off on their own.

Edited September 4, 2019 by Kiwakwe