Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hey Four Eyes!

To my friends that have succumbed to having to wear glasses while in the deer stand I ask for your help. I usually wear one of those fleece balaclavas that comes up to just below your eyes when it’s cold. I’m having a problem, when breathing through my nose and exhaling my glasses fog. These are not cheap glasses and they do have the supposed anti fogging ( now that’s funny) . I tried that blue wax stuff and it didn’t work. Have any of you guys found something that works? I would really hate to have to ditch the fleece as it blocks the wind pretty good. Hope there is an answer out there. Sux gettin old . Thanks

I've not found anything that works well. I sweat a lot walking in as well and the glasses just fog up. If I can I wear contacts....they just work so much better for me to avoid the fogging from breath, perspiration, and rain.

Never have figured out how to avoid that. Between that and rain, glasses are a pain in the butt.

Not a daaaaaamn thing I’ve found works for any extended period of time

Here's something you could try that's no big investment and might work. My son played a lot of paintball for a couple years, and they have this spray you can put on the mask, which kept them from fogging up. I tried it and it worked, but that was with those masks they wear. I talked to a couple hockey players who had similar results. It ought to be available at any paintball shop. It might be worth a try. No promises, but it may work.

You need a different balaclava with a nose vent. That keeps your exhaust from coming up underneath your lenses. Have to do this when wearing a full face snowmobile helmet

I always leave my nose uncovered.

Wildone, you could just take the alternative route to getting old! I use a balaclava that doesn't cover the nose. However that might not be enough in the stand. You might apply some cocoanut oil to your nose before going out. Let it melt and rub it in a thin coat. When you go outside it gets firm making a protective coating. I used it for 12 years while riding a bike to work year round in north west Missouri. Rusty

A fur trimmed hood will make a big difference without blocking your breath. How much it blocks your vision depends on the hood. Some would be pretty bad.

I use a neoprene face mask that has a nose peak and mouth vents. Held in place with Velcro.
Try it under or possibly over a balaclava combined with anti- fog spray to beat the fog up.

I have a few balaclavas that I use for various activities, ranging from thin silk to wind block laminated fleece.
All of them are a bit of a pain in that regard though. The bigger the eye-nose-mouth hole,
The better for foggup, but the worse for masking your skin shine. Best grow a nice scruffy beard .

Sitting in a stand, I use a simple camo bandana with an insulated ball cap, and have never had a problem

Especially out on the ice fishing on a sunny day, or whiteout conditions with a light amber, or rose lens.
No Joy when they fog up, but even worse when the fog freezes.

It is Tough to keep your warm humid breath off of the cold lenses. But that’s the crux of it.

I found the answer 35 years ago

Contact lenses

Its a constant fight for me with my rangefinder and binos. Easy to disable one for a couple minutes when you don't think to pull a balaclava down.

I have glasses wearer specific items. You want one that does not cover the nose nor the mouth. I have a couple that allow the mouth and nose covering part to be put in place with velcro patches in both up and down positions. I bought these things from different makers years ago and have no idea where.

I finally hit a point where I needed glasses a year ago. I have to have bifocals and they do not work for my outdoor activities, I hate them. I have been trying to find multifocal contacts that work and it has been a chore. Go back next week for another tweak to the prescription to hopefully find something that works.

About 4 years ago, I went from wearing regular lens glasses to needing tri-focal. As far as my years of needing glasses, the absolute worst of the worst. I wouldn't wish these things on anyone.

I have been wearing glasses since the 5th grade and I'm 59 now. I have tried contacts at 2 different times. The 1st time I was working in the oilfield and kept getting dust, gasoline spray, etc. and my eyes stayed irritated. Post oilfield after just a few months of wearing them I got an infection in my eye, and being diabetic they suggested I not wear them any longer.

I used to wear trifocals and hated them. I've worn progressive lenses for 20 years and they're a big improvement. I had cataract surgery in '06 and that got rid of the trifocals. I still need bifocals, though, as need a correction for reading and a slight one for distance.
I've never worn a face mask since we don't hunt mulies from tree stands. A parka with a good hood takes care of any cold problems I have.

I can't wear contacts ( bifocal now, but was never a good candidate for contacts, corneas too flat, no tear pool. I got conjunctivitis with them. I now use progressive lens. No balaclava for me either, I have to leave my mouth/nose clear. I also have the Photo Grey darkening feature. this fine in the sunlight, but the cold makes them get darker & darker! I have to use a different pair of glasses outdoors! fortunately, I can do pretty well w/o glasses and can see very well through binocs/scopes. I just take mine off, but the eye strain is rough. BUT...I would still rather be out in it than in the easy chair! ha

I have progressive lenses, but I wear contacts hunting that fix my distance vision. Only downside is reading in the stand is difficult unless it's a nice sunny day.

You could try one eye adjusted for distance the other for up close. Supposedly the brain will adjust and you won't even know the difference. A friend has this and loves it, I've never had the nerve to try it!

Lasik!

I struggled with this problem for years. In the early years, I had a bunch of hunting stories that climaxed with ". . . so then my glasses fogged."

I used the blue wax stuff to little avail as well. What has solved the problem for the past dozen or so years was switching to a wool balaclava that comes up only to my chin/mouth and leaving it well clear of my nose.

Is it the same stuff for inside of scuba diving masks?

I have some of that to try...

I've done worse than fogging my eye glasses...Ive fogged my scope as I line up on a deer.

Hunt earlier in the season. I purchased a used vehicle years ago, When it rained afew weeks later, I noticed the wipers didn't work. I phoned the salesman and he told me "No problem, just drive when it doesn't rain". Of course he was joking and they later repaired it free of charge.

For me, tomorrow is step 1 for solving the problem- left eye cataract surgery, with right eye to follow in two weeks.

Hope to ditch the glasses permanently, at least for hunting and shooting.

I have a couple of Columbia Sportswear's "Yazoo" hats. Sides come down and wrap around your chin. Those sides get held on top with velcro when your walking. The hats have a short visor. I've got one in blaze orange for hunting and one in black from when I wore a uniform. They're worth their weight in gold. Sadly, I don't think they're made anymore.


Dan

When it gets cold I wear a fleece balaclava. These 80 yr eyes have worn glasses for years. What has worked for me is I have slit the front of the balaclava from chin to above the tip of my nose. It stays together enough to stay warm and opens enough to exit the warm air. Works for turkey hunting too. At -20F I leave the woods so I can't tell you how it works when it's colder than that.

Two different hunts this year....one just above the bluff and one just below the bluff.....I was hunting in fog so thick that when I opened my scope caps both lenses got soaked. The fog was so thick I could only see about 20 yards (at one point it was so thick I couldn't see the ground from my stand). First and second time I've had this happen. Soft fleece coat tail saved the day.....lesson learned, I'll never open scope caps in fog that thick until it's time for the shot.

If you have your binoculars hanging down near your belly, don't have the obj. lenses covered, and take a whiz in really cold weather then the lenses will fog something awful.

Regarding glasses, I use the Under Armor cold gear face-mask and leave my nose uncovered. Breathe in through your nose and deliberately out through your mouth.

Glasses are a pain, no doubt. Like has been stated, only thing I've found to work is leaving my nose uncovered. Inhale through the mouth, exhale through the nose.

This. If you are "lucky enough" to have cataracts get them fixed and your problem is solved.

As simple as this sounds wildone, it has worked for me for decades. During my many years playing hockey I would occasionally grab some liquid dish soap, apply it to the shield and rub till clear.

Worked every time .. may be worth a try as it is quick and cheap.

There is a spray that divers use to keep their mask from fogging. Works pretty good.

Cheap way to do the same is..... spit in your mask and spread it around.... works just as good and it will work on your glasses. After a while, you'll have to repeat the procedure.

I've had the same problem myself. Found a thin stretchy camo tube type neck warmer. I pull it down over my head leaving it around the back of my head with the opening just under my nose. Make adjustments if necessary. Wear a warm hat over it. The material varies but it covers your ears & most of your face, You could wear the fleece over it but I have not found that necessary, use the same thing ice fishing.