Eye Protection…

[Glenn]

Eye protection has never been something I considered an essential piece of gear while actively hunting but that is about to change. Maybe it’s my age and my agility and cat like reflexes are slowing but for some reason this year I’m taking shots to the face and eye from small limbs and branches like I’m on some arboreal hit list. Couple that with bark and debris raining onto my face while climbing and moving tethers and I’m one lucky shot away from being cast to play a tired one eyed detective on day time TV.

That being said who wears eye pro and if so whatcha wearing and during what parts of your hunt?

 

[Glenn]

I just ordered these yesterday from ESS. Two sets of lenses, clear and smoke, plus a nerd strap.

Rollbar Black w/Clear & Smoke Gray APEL

Rollbar Black w/Clear & Smoke Gray APEL

esseyepro.com

 

[Zero One Actual]

Somewhat expensive but worth it. Check out Gatorz glasses. They do prescriptions and they have photocromatic lenses and ballistic lenses also. Super low profile on your face. The photochromatic lenses will darken in sun light but then go to clear inside or in the dark.

 

[tailgunner]

I only hunt to be whipped in the eyes by fir trees....its all the fun...looking threw your sight with your eyes swole and watering

 

[Wirrex]

I know a guy who almost lost his eye walking in the woods in the dark from a branch. He’s a phenomenal hunter. I think about wearing eye protection all the time now but haven’t…

 

[boyne bowhunter]

Timely topic. I took a branch to the eye yesterday. Now my eye is all red and my contacts bug me. Funny thing is I was wearing my glasses at the time. The twig got wedged between my eyeball and glasses poked me even harder. When I'm just wearing my contacts it seems like they help protect the eye from that kind of situation. The contact provides a sliding cushion that helps protect the eye.

 

[MattMan81]

Timely topic. I took a branch to the eye yesterday. Now my eye is all red and my contacts bug me. Funny thing is I was wearing my glasses at the time. The twig got wedged between my eyeball and glasses poked me even harder. When I'm just wearing my contacts it seems like they help protect the eye from that kind of situation. The contact provides a sliding cushion that helps protect the eye. View attachment 94849

Side shields.

 

[Jammintree]

I took a beech bud to the eye last year. I was moving in grey light without a light - heard movement nearby so stopped and stood froze for 5 minutes. Eventually I turned my head in the direction I’d heard the noise, I’d been inches from a branch and didn’t know it. I drove that bud right into my eye. I had to go to the eye doctor because the puncture was so deep and I could feel a flap of skin very time I blinked.

As someone who needs reading glasses I decided to try safety glasses with built in bifocals. I love them for work but have been struggling to wear them in the woods. The bifocal lens makes it tough to glance down at the ground. I also don’t like have the reflective glass to catch a deers keen eyes.

 

[gettingstarted]

I started wearing shooting glasses on the way out too. Had way too many close calls

 

[Jtaylor]

Twice this year I've had moss or bark fall off a tree and in my eye when hanging my sticks and once when setting my tether. Eye protection probably isn't a bad idea.

 

[woodsdog2]

Eye protection has never been something I considered an essential piece of gear while actively hunting but that is about to change. Maybe it’s my age and my agility and cat like reflexes are slowing but for some reason this year I’m taking shots to the face and eye from small limbs and branches like I’m on some arboreal hit list. Couple that with bark and debris raining onto my face while climbing and moving tethers and I’m one lucky shot away from being cast to play a tired one eyed detective on day time TV.

That being said who wears eye pro and if so whatcha wearing and during what parts of your hunt?

I went to hunting and Sport specific glasses this year as well. The best decision I’ve ever made. I had some fsa money left over last spring and had to spend it down so I invested in these. They have the photo gray and they are progressive lenses. They fit and stay tighter to my head and don’t fog up near as much.

 

[Swampwalker]

I went to hunting and Sport specific glasses this year as well. The best decision I’ve ever made. I had some fsa money left over last spring and had to spend it down so I invested in these. They have the photo gray and they are progressive lenses. They fit and stay tighter to my head and don’t fog up near as much.

But they do fog up on you? Only thing holding me back.

 

[woodsdog2]

But they do fog up on you? Only thing holding me back.

Not really much at all but the pair I have come with a cushion that magnetically adheres to the inside rim of the frame for dust and debris and I suspect fog prevention. I’ve not used the cushions with them yet but honestly just without this barrier they rarely fog up.

 

[MIPublic]

I have to wear PPE 5 days a week. It’s nice to be free of safety glasses in the weekends but you’re right, with all the walking we do in the dark, falling debris from climbing etc, we probably should wear it more often.

 

[Glenn]

I have to wear PPE 5 days a week. It’s nice to be free of safety glasses in the weekends but you’re right, with all the walking we do in the dark, falling debris from climbing etc, we probably should wear it more often.

We’re wearing PPE anyway. Some of the set ups I’ve seen guys use on here could give OSHA a run for their money. I figure what’s one more light weight piece of important safety gear when compared to all the other fall preventions we take.

 

[tailgunner]

Maybe the weather is different here.but my homie is constantly frustrated with his glasses fogging up...constant..my son and father n law both have the same struggle.got contacts to deal with it but still learning to put them in...dude wears a bandana to Block forehead heat and shaving cream to wipe his lenses.i allways hear about it...sounds good on paper but hiking when its cold and humid eaquals fog.

 

[Weldabeast]

1 small drop of dish soap buffed with a microfiber towel on the lenses stop fogging. I have safety glasses I sometimes remember to take with me.

 

[Marmuzz]

It’s not a bad idea. I was on a bear drive once when a tiny twig whiplashed me in the eye and cut my contact lens right in half. Hurt like crazy. I thought this is great, I’m walking around with a loaded rifle to shoot at a running target, half blind. Now at least when I know I’ll be bushwhacking I wear safety glasses and I always carry spare contacts now.

 

[raisins]

I have single vision glasses for hunting. I wear progressives day to day. My glasses have saved me so many times.

I carry eye pro that goes over them in my truck and will whip those out if I'm really busting some brush.

The glasses of course are open sided, and they made me too bold once (pushing head through crap) and a sharp small branch poked me right in the eye. I went to the doc and got drops. I had halos and such for around 1 week but fully healed. I'm more careful now and don't batter through things with my head.

If I didn't have to wear glasses, I'd probably wear eye pro. The guys that claim to walk in the woods in the dark without a light need eye pro

 

[Crawdaddy4]

I wear my sunglasses in on evening hunts if it's not a completely covered canopy. I try to wear some clear lenses whenever I'm "bushwhacking" a new trail or scouting. I've taken many a piece of debris to the eye while climbing only to be trying to fish it out/flush my eye for the next hour. Personally know a fellow hunter who lost his eye because a branch slapped him in it while walking through the woods. Something he has done 1,000 times before, but that branch happened to catch him perfectly on the eye.