Cycling glasses

[mudpuppy000]

I've never found a great solution to wearing glasses on the playa and having to deal with the various combinations of tinted/untinted goggles for dust storms/nighttime. This year I ended up using some fancy wrap around prescription sunglasses I bought for mountain biking. OMG, my eyes were so happy. I got less dust in my eyes than trying to wear goggles over glasses, and I also had transition lenses in them so I wouldn't have to swap them out when it got dark. Can get spendy but well worth it.

[lucky420]

good to know. As a member of the Mr. Magoo club I thank you...

[mudpuppy000]

I can't see the dust getting any worse than this year, so I think I should be good, haha.

[AntiM]

I have had them in the past, but my prescription changes too much every few years. I glued old lenses into goggles, while not ideal, it is workable.

[Sham]

I glued old lenses into goggles, while not ideal, it is workable.

Burners are so resourceful!

[mudpuppy000]

I glued old lenses into goggles, while not ideal, it is workable.

Burners are so resourceful!

Aha! That's awesome!

[maladroit]

You can order cheap prescription glasses online. I ordered some with perfectly round lenses for about $15. Took out the lenses and mounted them inside cheap brazing goggles.

[Meat Hunter]

In 1988, I had my trifocal prescription lenses glued into a SCUBA mask by my optometrist. They worked very well in salt water and should work as well on the playa. I am thinking that I could have my 2015 trifocal prescription fitted in the same goggles -- But there is problem.....

With several brands of goggles large enough to hold my trifocal glasses that I have tried, I have found it very difficult (if not impossible) to use a dust mask. There is just not enough space on the bridge of my nose to accommodate both the goggles and the mask. Okay snipers have at it, "You need a longer nose".

Since I am well past my use-by date and do not wish to have a repeat of the dust caused chest problem that I had while driving home this year, my only option may be to use a top-of-the-line dust mask and forgo the goggles all together.

Even in the worst of the dust storms in 2015 (though dusty) I could see well enough through my dusty glasses to avoid running over someone or being run over. I just had to stop occasionally and use my static dust removal towel to remove the dust from my glasses.

Other than a full face mask, if anyone has any helpful suggestions regarding brands of large goggles and good quality dust masks that work well together, please e-mail me with the specifics.

[Jackass]

Try a wet bandana over the face. Masks and goggles don't always play well together, sometimes they're even mildly painful. I suppose a wet bandana at night wouldn't work very well either. Keep playing with the combinations until you find something that suits your style. I just use the bandana, I used to use dust masks but they can be a pain sometimes. Plus my bandana covers my neck when the mercury drops.

[Eric]

With several brands of goggles large enough to hold my trifocal glasses that I have tried, I have found it very difficult (if not impossible) to use a dust mask. There is just not enough space on the bridge of my nose to accommodate both the goggles and the mask.

Try a keffiyeh (shemagh) if you haven't already. I've sworn off all other dust masks since I started using them (2010), and they performed great this year. I still got playa in my lungs because I would try to do shit around camp without putting one on (ie: I'm stupid), but when I was out and about I never had a problem. Just make sure it's the right size - when folded once into a triangle the long side should be longer than your outstretched arms.

[AntiM]

I'm supposed to wear reverse-slab bifocals, but they are pricey and even Lenscrafters takes ten days to make them, and they get them wrong anyway. I usually use single vision lenses and readers. You could try that, single vision for running around the playa. Not like you're going to read that WWW anyway, yeah? Those fit under goggles if you get a smaller size.

[mudpuppy000]

Re: Masks. One of my campmates gave me a tube style mask this year that worked great. It's about as thick as a t-shirt and stretches to fit your face. I don't seem to be too sensitive to playa dust though, so you might want something with a real air filter on it if it's something that really bothers you.

[Ratty]

Mudpuppy000, If I knew what stretchy material is the best at keeping out dust I would make some of those 'tube' masks. I can't think of how to test them. I have some from t-shirt material that work well with goggles. I also like the shegmah. I would like to make some bandanas with an extra panel sewn on over my mouth and nose. Both for keeping out the dust and for comfort. I would go through 2 a day if I had that many with me. Next year...Meathunter if i figure out anything useful , you'll be the 1st to know.

[Meat Hunter]

At present, I do not see much of a way that I can manage goggles large enough to fit over my trifocals (or even a diving mask with prescription lenses) and still have room for a good dust mask.

I am of the opinion that the sever case of bronchitis that I had this year might be attributed to the large amount of dust that I ingested in my lungs. Occasionally cleaning my glasses with my dust/static cloth was not much of a problem last year.

A whole face mask would solve my problem once and for all. But, they are not very user friendly and take a bit of time to put on. By the time that I had it in place, the immediate dust situation might be over.

Unless I come up with a better solution; For next year, I think that I will stick with cleaning my glasses with my dust/static cloth and obtain several 3M Particulate Respirators 8233, N100 that have both a small filter on the front and a black rubber face seal. My eyes/glasses seem to be able to deal with the dust much better than my ol' lungs do.

[CyanEssence]

Re: Masks. One of my campmates gave me a tube style mask this year that worked great. It's about as thick as a t-shirt and stretches to fit your face. I don't seem to be too sensitive to playa dust though, so you might want something with a real air filter on it if it's something that really bothers you.

HooRags! I used one of these for my first time this year. The bandanas, shemags, and dust masks never made it out of my gear bins. It was super comfortable to have around my neck when not in use, and really easy to get, and keep, in position when the wind started whipping dust all over.


I can't figure out how that guys ears are not covered by it.



There is also this option. Let me know if you can find one.

[Ratty]

That bottom one looks like an old style paintball mask. I'm in the process of making some bandanas and tube masks. Last year I used them a lot to fend off playa lung. It worked but I ran out of scarves and bandanas. I wear them around my neck so they get sweaty and only last a day. The last few days I was using long sleeved t-shirts for face masks. Next time I'll be ready with large triangles cut from t-shirts, double layer tubes that are easy to wear at night, lightweight cotton triangles with a panel of jersey t-shirt sewn onto it. My stuffed animal hairdo is so BIG that I need extra long scarves to go around it.

Meathunter. We had a conversation about facemasks on playa before the event. If the tubes around the neck design can filter enough dust, they are easy to use. I can see now that I'll be hooking up the vacuum cleaner and sucking dust bunnies through fabric. You will need yours to have a big smile on them.

[CyanEssence]

That bottom one looks like an old style paintball mask.

Thank you for that tip. I may try and modify something. Comfort may be an issue, but it looks cool.

I wear them around my neck so they get sweaty and only last a day.

I also wore it around my neck, but I used the same one for 7 or 8 days, I think I slept with it on a few times too. Now I feel like Pigpen.

I probably got used to being a grubber from lightweight backpacking - 2 shirts for one week equals less weight and more space, that kind of thing. Come to think of it, I do camp at the burn more like a backpacker, instead of a glamper.

[Ratty]

CyanE, the first couple of years I gave a ride to someone and we split the van down the middle for our stuff, Including our bikes. This year there was no room for an extra bag of fritos. And it's just me. Next year will be different. More or less back to basics. Seems I'm a lot wiser but no smarter.

[Crimeless]

You can order cheap prescription glasses online. I ordered some with perfectly round lenses for about $15. Took out the lenses and mounted them inside cheap brazing goggles.

Brilliant