I’ve tried a lot of different anti-fogging coatings over the years but the one I like best is called Cat Crap. It’s a blue waxy substance that you spread on your glasses, let dry, and then wipe off.
I’ve been wearing prescription glasses for 40 years. That’s not going to change despite advances in medicine, laser surgery, and all that. But wearing glasses can be a real pain in the butt if you’re into more extreme forms of outdoor recreation because they have a tendency to fog up or get covered in water at all the wrong times. If you wear glasses you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Backpacking with Glasses
However, when climbing a mountain in winter, I often still experience fogging and have to switch to goggles. My solution is to bring two pairs of ski goggles in case one pair freezes up. It’s not a perfect strategy, but it buys me a little extra time when I need it. One of my ski goggles uses a passive venting scheme and the other has one of those built-in fans in it for venting moisture build-up. So far this two-pair strategy is working, but I haven’t had a chance to push it very hard so far.
When I’m hiking or backpacking, rainfall is more of an issue than fogging. When it rains really hard, and your lenses get wet, it’s like looking through a window that’s covered with rain. The best way to preserve your vision is to prevent water from coating your lenses in the first place. This can be done by wearing a billed cap or by using a rain shell that has a built-in bill that sticks out a ways in its hood. These help keep my glasses dry even in torrential downpours.
Disclosure: The author owns this product and purchased it using their own funds.
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This is a big problem for me, especially on SAR missions. I need to wear my glasses if we're searching, but not only do they fog up, but they also alter my depth perception when looking down. So I go to step down, think it's maybe three inches and it's more like six or eight. In all other situations, my glasses work perfectly, but they're a real hassle when doing strenuous outdoor activity. My only solution has been using Chums and taking the glasses off and putting them back on frequently. A real pain! As far as fogging goes, though, I think I'll try the product you've recommended.
Cat Crap, actually :) I love that stuff! The Olympics are hot and humid once you get more than 10 miles off the coast (and into the rainforest) so I dug out an old cannister of Cat Crap I had leftover from back East and it worked great!
Deb – that sounds really bad and treacherous. Try the cat crap. It's pretty effective.
Man, I am going to need to get me some – just so I can tell people I smear cat crap on my glasses. :P