>From: "Joe Pylka" <pylka_at_castle.net> >On another note, you can always see wonderful sunglasses in the outdoors >catalogs. Many will do a really good job. But they're Never Ever sold as >clipons! Take a look around at all those people wearing glasses. Is their >marketing missing something? Even with the proliferation of contact >lenses, >there's still a lot of sealed beams out there. (including me). > >Joe P. I'm not a optomitrist (and I've never played one on TV!), but I do wear highly corrective glasses or contacts (6.5 in one eye, and 7.0 in the other for those who know about such things). I also have the benifit of talking to the guy who buys optics for our mutual employer, an outdoor retailer. We get requests for high-tech clip-ons as well, but have yet to find a pair we feel does a better job than prescription sunglasses. Among the problems: With the treatment of prescription glasses as a fashion accessory rather than simply utilitarian optics, frames come in a mind-boggling assortment of shapes and sizes. No general retailer can afford to stock enough different types of clip-ons to properly fit what's on the market, plus new styles are arriving all the time. General prescription frames were not designed with "technical" outdoor sunglass use in mind, so even if (a big if) you had clip-ons that fit them exactly, you would propably have a huge amount of light "leakage" around the edges. Possibly acceptable for driving and sipping cafe au laits on the corner, not acceptable for long days on the water or mountaineering. >From the point of view of light-tightness and actual UV protection, the best "fit-on tops" are the better models of those "virtual reality goggles" you often see senior citizens wearing over their bifocals. But you can see why sports-minded types wouldn't go for this: the goggles are large, heavy, clumsy (for active sports), and who wants to look like a senior citizen (even if you are) when you're doing things that make you feel so young at heart? My suggestion would be either prescription sunglasses, or checking to see if the company that made your regular glasses makes custom after-market clip-ons (my wife got hers at the same time she brought her regular glasses). Philip Torrens N49°16' W123°06' *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, 12 Aug 1999, Philip Torrens wrote: > My suggestion would be either prescription sunglasses, or checking to see if > the company that made your regular glasses makes custom after-market > clip-ons (my wife got hers at the same time she brought her regular > glasses). I found that the disposable contact lenses are much thinner than regular soft lenses, and thus more comfortable. So if one's eyes can't tolerate lenses well, try 'em. They are cheap, and with care can be reused, too. e Elaine Harmon - eilidh_at_dc.seflin.org - eharmon_at_cs.miami.edu *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, 12 Aug 1999, Philip Torrens wrote: > >From: "Joe Pylka" <pylka_at_castle.net> > >On another note, you can always see wonderful sunglasses in the outdoors > >catalogs. Many will do a really good job. But they're Never Ever sold as > >clipons! > My suggestion would be either prescription sunglasses, or checking to see if > the company that made your regular glasses makes custom after-market > clip-ons Check those clip-ons first, if you can. My clear prescription lenses have a nice anti-glare coating. The clip-ons do not. So I get lots of glare from behind when I use the clip-ons. Also the color of the clip-on lenses isn't so good, not that neutral grey-green that I like for color accuracy. My eyeglass shop didn't have the clip-ons in stock when I picked out my frames, and I think I would have reconsidered had I seen them first. Two other options: - many eyeglass shops can fit lenses in good quality "regular" sunglass frames. Maybe someone you know has a pair with scratched lenses they can't use anymore? - some fancy sunglasses include, or take as an option, adapters that let you add clear prescription lenses inside the sunglass lenses. Performance Bikes (the mailorder company in North Carolina, USA) has two different models for $109 and $129 USD. Here's a nice photograph of one of the systems: http://www.performancebike.com/bigimage.html?sku=4169 Of course the danger here is that if the system isn't designed well, you might lose the clipped-in prescription lenses, which you probably care more about than the tinted lenses. Hmmm, epoxy, anyone? -Peter *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 20:37 8/12/99 -0400, Peter W <peterw_at_usa.net> wrote: >Check those clip-ons first, if you can. My clear prescription lenses have >a nice anti-glare coating. The clip-ons do not. So I get lots of glare >from behind when I use the clip-ons. Also the color of the clip-on lenses >isn't so good, not that neutral grey-green that I like for color accuracy. >My eyeglass shop didn't have the clip-ons in stock when I picked out my >frames, and I think I would have reconsidered had I seen them first. very true!! >Two other options: > - many eyeglass shops can fit lenses in good quality "regular" sunglass >frames. Maybe someone you know has a pair with scratched lenses they can't >use anymore? bolle' frames are very good. if your eye dr can order from them, you can get the "glacier glasses" style sunglass frames, then get lenses to fit. you can still mail order their bottom of the line glasses through campmor, rei, etc., for $30, but your eye dr gets the better quality frames, with the leather side shields, and two sets of temple hooks ["normal" and "wrap-around"] for about $50... that's all i've done for about 6 years now. i break them, scratch them, or have them sucked out of my helmet ;-( long before they wear out, and they fit my head real well anyhow, YMMV on that. FWIW, my "standard" set of lenses are polarized polycarbonate. the glacier glass style blocks a lot of reflection off the backs, even without the side pieces. i want the impact resistance of polycarb, and with polarized, i see some of the rocks before i hit them!! usually $100+frames ... scratch resistance and UV are included w/polarization. the ones i just replaced lasted me 4 years, frames still good, just replaced the lenses. mark #------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com-------------------------------------- mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ http://www.diac.com/~zen/paddler [index of Paddling websites I manage] Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club, Colorado River Flows, Poudre Paddlers The Colorado Paddlers' Resource, Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page -- Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. --Pablo Picasso *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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