Survival Sunglasses

I love my EagleEyes sunglasses. Just got a second pair in a different style from Amazon. A bit disappointed with the new frame quality compared to the old one, but the optics is superb on these.



A quick review.
(standard nonaffiliation disclaimers here)

Pros:
(Optics)

• Blocks 99.9% of a harmful UV light range and some bands of blue light from the sun.
• The density of the multi-layer film-on-plastic filters is not too high, so the glasses are effective in the twilight and indoors.
• On the other hand, the density plus UV/blue/glare filtering is good enough to comfortably view objects directly towards the sun.
• External coatings are water and body oils repelling, and also prevents fogging.
• Both surfaces are scratch, corrosion, and chemicals resistant (to some extent of course).
• Contrast enhancing layer helps to reveal details in deep shadows as well as in the over-illuminated scenes.
• The highly efficient 99.9% linear polarization layer axis is parallel to the plane of horizon.
• Significantly reducing reflections and glare in glass, plastic, organic material surfaces, in the water and in its vapor (fog, clouds, haze).
• Because of the above it allows to see through the surface of the water (fishing glasses), and through many semi-transparent glass and plastic surfaces, e.g. mirror tinted car windows.
• Darkens the sky glare especially in the direction opposite to the sun, regardless of cloudiness or time of day (so good that it may assist with navigation).
• Dims tiring reflections from a wet, icy, or faded road surface, especially good on oily freeways.
• Reveals internal mechanical tensions and stresses in transparent materials (e.g. tempered glass, acrylic fixtures).
• Protects your precious eyes from impacts, twigs, insects, dry wind, rain, sand, dust, smog, smoke, water splashes, sparks, other harmful particles and fragments with varying efficiency.
• Noticeably reduces eye's and overall body fatigue due to the relaxing effect on facial muscles.
• Increases concentration by eliminating several sources of distraction (see above). Very good for driving/cycling/skiing.
• Improves situational awareness due to the constant "Wow!" factor (see below).
• Enhances color vibrancy and color contrast of many natural and artificial materials with different textures, especially natural greens and when sunlit. E.g. vegetation, flowers, furs, synthetic paints. Helps to identify plants.
• Over the time a new sixth sense of surface/object polarization is starting to form in the brain due to the slight phase shift in the axis's of polarization between left and right lens (not proven scientifically, but plausible).

(Frame)

• There are plenty of different frames and shapes available on the manufacturer website.
• Mine are lightweight and flexible plastic frames, easily confirming to a face/head shape and features (see cons below).
• Air venting openings in the frame at eyebrows and in the nosepad are nice for sweat reducing.
• The frames I prefer are of a wrap-around type, what makes them extremely pocket unfriendly. Fortunately a convenient semi-rigid ballistic nylon case was included with the later model.

Cons:

• Needs time to get used to the yellish tint of filters, some may not be able to accept the new acidic look of the world.
• The tint is not dense enough to effectively hide your emotions behind the glasses (what's not necessarily bad). And though I've found a compromise in the second model, with the external indigo blue reflective finish, it's not good enough still.
• Somewhat flimzy and cheap looking plastic frame with limited adjustments (flex temples only) in my recent "semi-frameless" model. The old, full frame Futura is much better to my taste, but it is noticeably blocking my peripheral vision.
• May interfere with vieweing of some LCD screens (when the polarization axis of the LCD panel is vertical it turns black).
• Addictive. The enhanced vision is full of dazzling surprizes. I call my EagleEyes glasses - the Happy Day Glasses, and often feel naked without them.

Conclusion
I believe that quality hightech sunglasses are great but underestimated survival item.

I prefer my sunglasses with gray tint (no color distortion) and as dark as possible (if I want to diminish light, I want to significantly diminish it). Other necessary features are pretty much standard these days (UV blocking and polarized). I don't care for the wraparound style because it requires a 4 inch deep case to store them in because they don't fold anywhere near flat. However, when being worn the wraparound style provides more protection.

It's a moot point for me anyways - because people like me who wear glasses normally are very limited in the prescription sunglasses styles available.

Polarized lens and not quite wrap around are my favorite these days. My vision is in a wonky place right now (bifocals are soon on order but not to intense on either end of the spectrum.) I also find that I'm getting more sensative to light as I get older. Polarized lens make a huge difference and I prefer them with an orangey tint. I find that depending on what I'm doing outside, they're often as beneficial as my prescription glasses. I can't focus to far or close but can function pretty well with them.

I'm more old school. Wrap-arounds are bulky and, in part because of this bulk, subject to being crunched when not being worn. I like glasses that fold much more flat. Traditional aviators work pretty well for me.

For casual everyday wear, I have tended toward the safety sunglasses used in industry. Adequate ANSI ratings, excellent impact protection, very resistant to damage, attractive price point, and above all they make them in sizes that fit my melon.

I love and prefer the polarized 'fishing glasses' but I seem to have a talent for chewing them up.

Naturally I would choose more robust and better rated 'shades for high altitude work. No room for second best up there. My eyes are my living, after all.

I am in agreement with Doug. My best sunglasses are safety glasses from a major safety supply retailer here. IIRC, the glasses cost around $28.00.

I wear prescription lenses and I have tried both high-end magneticly attached polorized lenses and carrying a spare set of prescription glasses in a standard configuration. For driving or on the trail, both have merits and drawbacks.

I wish I could wear those cool looking wraparounds though.

Good to know I'm not the only person who over thinks sunglasses. A friends older sister ran a high end optical store when we were teens. She taught me how to pick the right frames for glasses & sunglasses. I wore glasses. It is critical to buck conformity and cool factor for fit.

Its the same for correctives as protectives but easier to see trying on sunglasses/protectives. Place on bridge of nose as you'd normally wear them. Look down, does light glare up from the ground? Look up, can you see clear light? If so, not right for your face.

You don't win any style points on the red carpet for what really works but for eye relief and protection from elements it's what's right.

I have some polarized, HD, color filter sunglasses I really like and fit me well. $40 at a boat show. Even in AZ, I don't go mirrored or super dark. Most of my triathlon, hiking shades push the color green to the forefront for contrast. I also use yellow and red shooters driving from time to time too. At $10 for wraparounds, super cheap.

I have two pair of sunglasses in my normal daily wear (it's SOCAL, I always wear sunglasses). One is a pair of Ray Ban Predators which have shown themselves to be pretty tough for everyday wear.

The second is a set of Wiley-X PT-1 with an assortment of interchangeable lenses. I got the Wiley-X for Skeet/Trap (hence all those colors) but found them very good for driving because they allow very good peripheral vision. I bought a second set which I leave gray for driving.

Both sets have polycarbonate lens material -- tough but very good from an optical point of view.

I keep a set of ESS ICE shooting glasses in my BOB. It has interchangeable clear, yellow, and dark grey lenses. I'm adding the prescription insert in case I can't wear my contact lenses for some reason.

Alex -

Are the EagleEyes different from regular polarizing sunglasses that everyone seems to make? I'm not sure what the big advantage is. Have you compared EagleEyes with other polarizing sunglasses? If so, what is the difference?

Thanks.

Da Bing

I use the glasses that the eye doctor gives you after you've had your eyes dilated. They roll up and store pretty much anywhere.

I used some of the roll up glasses on a snow trip and they worked great. They just look a little goofy.

The world is getting to be a very fancy place.
There i was ... thinking that this thread was talking about how you knocked the bottoms off 2 Coke bottles, smoked them over a fire, and made some improvised sunglasses. HAHAHA !!!

The trouble with the store-bought glasses is that they are all very fragile. Made for ideal conditions and perfect handling. But they can't even be roughed up in a backpack.

Pete #2

I've dropped mine so many times and they still aren't scratched. Polycarbonate lens material is optically very clear and at the same time very tough.

Except for the extreme glare of snow or big water, I do not like and do not wear sunglasses.

On land the color distortion and lessened light created by sunglasses reduce my ability to see the sometimes subtle patterns and colors of nature, which might be critical in a survival situation [missing the food plants and animals, or stepping on the rattlesnake in the grass or leaves]. Sunglasses also are unwelcome when they prolong the visual adjustment time in moving through transition areas from relative dark and to relative light, and vice versa.

On big water I need to see the colors of buoys, lights, and water without the color shifts that most sunglasses create. I wear sunglasses only if the glare is extreme enough to make seeing clearly difficult, or I want to sight fish.

While I own and occasionally try shooting glasses with different color lenses, ditto with clip-ons for my blended trifocal prescription glasses, what I fall back on is clear polarized lenses with UV coating and a broad-brimmed hat.

Yes, I did compare them to several cheaper polarized, some average priced shooting, and a couple of expensive fishing sunglasses (don't know about other hightech glasses like Oakley's above - too expensive to just try). My writeup above is my personal experience and pure rapture, not their commercial ad.

The EagleEyes have a much stronger polarization filter - no doubt to me. That's because they have several film layers for that.

Also most of the competitors have a simple color filter layer (grey, yellow, orange, red) which just dims the image gradually. The EagleEyes seem to have an optical design with several narrow bands of the sun light filtered specifically (aka interference filter). So, the image is not dim, but vivid instead, because those bands of solar spectrum, which are usually blended with blue and almost indistinguishable to naked eyes (many green tones for example), are standing out.

I also strongly support their claim for water/oils repelling coatings. I never had a problem with salt water splashes blocking my vision while on route to a dive site, drops are running away instantly. No fogging after diving when skin and hair are wet. Oily fingerprints dissolves into small drops, which are not blurring vision much.

They are claiming a NASA technology behind their optical design. But I'm not sure they are licensing it or something. It's just precise physics that works. So, perhaps some other companies can do the same.

dweste. You should try the EagleEyes' clip-ons. They do not alter any colors much (red is red, blue is blue, green is green - you just need to get used to it a little), they are enhancing them. Also they are great in changing light conditions including deep shadows, twilight and indoors. I can simultaneously see what's inside the house and what's around while looking from outside and even if in the direction of the sun. The eye adaptation time with them is very short in my experience.

Also because of these glasses I noticed that we have a wild apple trees in our park, the small apples became obvious between leaves with them. Hence the "Survival Glasses" in the head of the topic.

http://sporteyz.com/index.html

I'm on the fence regarding these. What's your experience been like with them?

Hi. I have not used them, but would think they'd be similar to the glasses you may get at the eye doc. I have used the roll up type from the eye doc (for 4 day winter snowshoe trip) and they seem like a great survival sunglass.

Respectfully, it's vitally important to *know* the protective qualities of sunglasses for work in snow or at high altitude. The wrong sunglasses in these situations could do more harm than no sunglasses at all. Ask questions, and be skeptical. Eyes do not grow back.

The manufacturer says 100% UVA and UVB protection. Are you suggesting that these claims need to be verified somehow?

I'm just the opposite. I can't go out without them or I get a headache. Sunglasses and a hat are musts for me.

And they are the finishing touch to your mysterious Hollywood celebrity image.....

LOL!!

From the ANSI website (www.ansi.org):

"One safety issue that consumers do tend to be aware of is protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB). Mr. Wood notes that the amount of UVA and UVB protection depends upon how a consumer intends to use the sunglasses, the two types of use classified as Normal Use (from home to the car to the office) or High and Prolonged Exposure (at the beach, fishing, skiing). Lenses are also classified for intended function as special, dark, general purpose or cosmetic tint. The combination of the intended function and the type of use gives a total of eight UV transmittance specifications."

Makes sense. How can we tell? For this particular product they talk about sporting uses and the beach in particular along with the UV protection.

When I buy sunglasses I always make sure that they say that they have UV protection, but beyond that I don't know what else to do.

I still use a pair of 20 year old Bolle Edge cycling sunglasses with a Berghaus Case.. They have proven to be quite durable over the years.

Most times and places sunglasses are comfort items. The exceptions are mountains, deserts, snow fields, and near or on water. Lacking purpose-made sunglasses it is possible to manufacture field expedients by rigging a blind fold and poking holes or cutting a slit. You can used cardboard, plastic, thin wood, various barks, or cloth to make sunglasses that are effective enough to prevent snow-blindness and debilitating eye strain.

A variation I've messed around with is using a large bandana. I lay it out flat and roll up two of the diagonal points, cut a couple of slits and then putting it on as a blindfold. Using small slits and messing with it a bit I got a workable vision protector. I also found I could be wearing prescription glasses and put the bandanna on over them. The result was corrected vision, protection from the sun, and the cloth could be adjusted to allow ventilation, and a handy sweatband, while keeping blown sand and dust out. I tried it on dunes in Florida where the sun was blindingly bright, and the wind was making the sand a major nuisance. Most of the regular sunglasses were allowing sand in as the wind shifted.

Try it out and tell me works out for you.

If you have glasses, safety or prescription, you can make effective sunglasses by blacking part of the lenses out with cardboard, electrical or duct tape, paint, even mud. Tape is easy to work because you can run a couple of horizontal bands leaving a millimeter or two between them.

I have blue eyes- sunglasses are a virtual necessity for me.

That's a great idea. Would also be easy to make a lens cover for snow/water blindness by using 3 or 4 small pieces of the blue masking tape (for removability) and leaving a '+' or inverted 'T' shaped opening in the middle. The tape could be extended slightly and doubled over the edges to form goggles.

Off to buy a small roll of blue tape for my psk. Thanks for the idea.........

I've been wondering what to wrap around that extra used gift card I have lying around ... now I know. Thanks for the tip.

Add driving to your list. I consider sunglasses to be an essential safety item when driving.

I make sure to purchase cheap sunglasses for the 96 hour kits, and I pack the goofy optometrist ones in my PSK.

I guess if the situation was right driving might require sunglasses as a safety item. I keep sunglasses on the visor but even good ones might not be sufficient. A lot of the roads around Florida seem to be aligned perfectly for maximum glare and, outside some earth shattering need to make time, I don't know ... an incoming nuclear warhead, or the fresh doughnut sign coming on at Krispy-Kreme, one has to have priorities, I often just pull over for fifteen minutes. A cup of coffee and a doughnut perhaps.

{How it would shake out if the Krispy-Kreme light came on and a warhead was incoming is still up in the air.}

I'm always surprised that survival kits intended for sea survival so often lack sunglasses. Anyone who has spent time on the water knows just how brutal the sun can be. Or how debilitating sun damage to eyes can be if you are in a small boat and are forced by a needed to scan for rescuers.

Spelling correction.

LOL@Art! Sometimes the best solution
is the simplest AND the yummiest!

Dunkin Donuts rocks Izzy! Tim's has great coffee but they're donuts pail in comparison to Dunkin Donuts and our Coffee Time. We had Krispy Kreme up here for a while but it didn't last. I loved them but they were out of the way so even more tempting to eat a half dozen and risk a heart attack on thr spot.

Don't get me started on Baskin Robins. I'm genetically predisposed to an icecream addiction.