Hello:

What are most people including in their BOB's for goggles?

I am looking for a solution that would take care of extreme dust/particulate conditions as well as airborne virus, impact resistance also helps. Hopefully a solution that is smaller than a large set of military goggles.

I guess I am looking for the N95 for the eyes.

thx
:ra

That's a pretty demanding set of requirements to fill. Have you considered swim goggles for emergency/temporary use? Yeah, they don't look cool, but they have a lot going for them. Polycarbonate lenses provide impact protection and protection from UV; tinted lenses gives glare protection. And they are watertight, to keep out any dust or droplets after someone has sneezed. And they're small.

I've never tried to wear swim-goggles for a long stretch of time, but I have this intuition that they might cause eye-fatigue (from the pressure on the muscles around the eye socket, as well as how tightly sealed they are) before too long. Anyone have anecdotal evidence either way?

Well, as a former swimmer, wearing swim-type goggles for any significant length of time is gonna HURT! To keep a good seal they have to have a pretty good amount of tension on the retaining band. Of course, I would dive into the water just about everytime I used them so that does add a lot of pressure to the eyes, increasing the discomfort. Most of the models I'm familiar with also havve a pretty poor effect on your vision (loss of peripheral vision and tintng), which might adversely affect you if you are travelling long distances or over rough terrain.

If you are really concerned about eye protection (and it is a GOOD concern) consider close fitting sunglasses (I prefer Oakleys due to their suberb impact resistance and optical clarity) or professional goggles like those issued to the military (Wiley's, IIRC).

But even simple woodshop goggles would work in a pinch provided you had the ability to seal up any ventilation holes if things were getting through.

i agrea, swimming goggles will hurt after long use and messes up your vision.

What about a snorkeling mask?

I have these ESS goggles in my EDC for my office, especially after 9-11 and the dust and debris that was such a major problem in the attack and aftermath -- these fit over my prescription eyeglasses:

http://www.essgoggles.com/Land-Ops_4_detail.html

At a guess...less distortion for looking ahead, but a greater loss of peripheral vision. Probably less discomfort for long-term wear. Heavier.

I think we might be trying to solve too many problems at once here. The eye protection you want for, say, digging supplies out of a destroyed house (where you worry about debris and dust, but you're going to be wearing it for hours at a time while doing heavy labor) might not intersect with the eye protection you'd want when dealing with a bio or chemical hazard.

You can also get chemical splash goggles for laboratory use. Not necessarily to keep chem gas out of eyes though.

I followed your lead and came up with a few pairs that may work(LSS.com):
LexaGoggleGear (splash proof only)
Sellstrom Nonvented with Foam Seal
AllSafe Monogoggle (Respirator Fit, Non-Vented)

The Monogoggle looks the best, and they are all impact resistant.