Re: [at-l] contact lenses on trail?

["Tony Nitz" <tnitz@worldnet.att.net>]

>I'm planning a section hike for April and am a new wearer of contact lenses
>(2-week disposables).  It seems like the degree of hygiene required to
>maintain them would be hard to achieve on the trail.  Anyone have any
>experience they care to share?  TIA,
>
>Big Blue Frog

I hiked about 1400 miles on the AT in '99, and wore Bausch & Lomb extended
wear disposables all the way.  This was a new prescription I'd obtained only
weeks before the hike.  I had worn contacts before, but not for about three
years.  I wore the contacts continuously for one to two weeks at a time with
no trouble at all.  When I walked into a town to resupply, I'd wash my hands
and put a fresh pair of contacts in.  My hike started in January in
Pennsylvania, heading north, and I spent many freezing nights sleeping in my
contacts with no problems at all.  Only once did I have to remove my
contacts while on the trail, and that was because I'd let them dry out in a
freezing wind (because I wasn't wearing my goggles).

I don't think you'll have any problem at all with your 2-week disposables.
I'd suggest, as I did, to carry at least one spare set of new contacts and a
pair of glasses, just in case.  I'm planning to wear extended-wear
disposable contacts again this year on my PCT thru-hike.  Good Luck to ya.

Prehistoric Tony
AT97/99, PCT2000
mailto:PT@HikerTrash.net
http://www.HikerTrash.net

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