Overcoming Myopia When Bushwalking
Using Contact Lenses To Address Short Sightedness When Hiking
Jul 11, 2009
Most people with myopia (short-sightedness) don’t let the problem prevent them tackling outdoor activities. Snow skiing, water skiing, scuba diving, sailboarding, swimming. For all these sports there is a way to overcome the old myopic problem including
- Prescription masks for scuba diving
- contact lenses for water skiing and
- simply putting up with the fuzziness when churning up the black line in the swimming pool.
Out in the bush, myopia when bushwalking shouldn’t be a problem. Throw on a pair of glasses and hit the track. No problems! Don’t give the use of specs on the track a second thought. Well, maybe only to pack a second contingency pair.
Hiking With Glasses In The Rain
However, with glasses in the bush everything is usually okay until the wet stuff starts coming down.
A bit of rain, a hot face from exertion, perspiration running down the face and down behind the specs. And then: the dreaded fog up!
When hiking with glasses in the rain, it is a case of wipe the specs, take two steps, wipe the specs, take two steps. On and on, all the while trying to see where the next footfall is going to happen. At any minute a twisted ankle can occur from a wayward foot hitting a wayward tree root.
Hiking With Contact Lenses In The Rain
Apart from laser surgery to permanently correct the myopia problem, hiking with contact lenses in the rain is the next best alternative.
With disposable contact lenses, a hiker can take a supply and use a new set every day.
If hiking with glasses in the rain on some of the notorious wet tracks, an effective eye correction strategy is important. For example, a hike on New Zealand’s Milford Track can be much more rewarding with clear eyesight rather than battling with the glasses fogging up.
On the second day on the Milford the track leads up the Clinton Valley. If it is raining when hiking this section, it is a great experience as the rain makes the waterfalls operate, providing a magnificent spectacle as a hiker slowly meanders along the track taking in the sights.
This would be nearly impossible if hiking with glasses in the rain. Then all attention is focused on the feet and the path.
Contact Lenses And Cleanliness In The Bush
As everyone who wears contact lenses is aware, cleanliness is paramount. Cleaning solutions and the need for sterile hands when handling the lenses are all difficult when hiking. However, the use of disposable contact lenses is one way around this problem. Use a new lens every day without the hassle of cleaning.
An alcohol-based antibacterial hand gel is one way to keep the hands clean when outdoors on a hike and using contact lenses. After using the gel, the hands should be rinsed with sterilized water to remove any traces of the gel before contacting the eyes.
A pair, or two, of glasses in the backpack is a useful back-up strategy when hiking as a number of problems may arise with the contact lenses. They could get lost, damaged, maybe an eye infection.
A pair of specs are also useful for the end of the day’s hiking when lounging in the tent or around the campfire.
For a myopic, a day’s hiking in the rain can be two completely different experiences, depending on the type of correction used. A bad experience can be turned into a great one with the use of contact lenses.
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