Discussion: Eye glasses what do you wear?

I require reading glasses and particularly struggle in low light. I'm curious about what APers do for O, Rogaining and the outdoors in general such as bushwalks.

Had a particularly difficult experience late in the day in heavy rain under a forest canopy when my glasses fogged up. It was a rogaine but if it was an O event I would have wlked of the course!

I have seen a variant of safety glasses for O on a Great Britian web site that had standard diopter inserts i.e. 1,2,3. No half sizes.

We've had many previous threads on orienteering eyewear:

Various glasses
Sport glasses
Using contacts

But as I get older, I find that despite all of the above, visual acuity, for both map and terrain, has become my greatest challenge when it is raining.

One contact lens.
Put on the eye two hours before the event to overcome the tear reflex.

Another tack suggested by my eye doctor is to wear a headlamp. As you note, low light makes the problem worse. I've found that I can read the map much better with a headlamp. Obviously, one only needs a tiny LED model, not a light-up-the-forest monster. I only need it on 1:15 or if it's overcast/dusk. The downside is that a headlamp doesn't work very well with a magnifier.

I wear an older, larger pair of glasses with distinct (as opposed to progressive) bifocal lenses. However, the bifocal part of the lens is several diopters higher than my prescription so that I can hold a very detailed map close to my eyes and read it without looking over the glasses or taking them off.

I have yet to figure out a sure-fire way to avoid fogging/misting of the lenses. A hat is somewhat effective in keeping heavy rain off. Antifog solution has limited effect. Someone suggested RainX. Another wears an interesting visor with a gap for air to pass through.

Agree with chitownclark that rain (and post rain humidity) is the biggest problem--therefore, a contact lens approach is certainly best for that. Like GuyO, I have special bifocals with the reading segment pushed a few clicks for real up-close reading.
I don't have lots of experience with anti-fog alternatives, but recently tried Cat Crap and was able to see much better than with no treatment at all.

I don't have a cat.

A smear of dishwash detergent on both sides of the lens seems to work in MOST wet conditions for me. Also I'm not sure if found a connection where there isn't one but my newish glasses with fashionably small lenses seem to fog less than previous ones that were maybe not quite so big as Elton's, above. Possible false positive as I've known about the detergent method longer than I've had the new glasses & also lens coating technology had advanced somewhat between old and new glasses.

The general consesus among cyclists is that smaller lenses are better. They trap less heat against your face and there's more airflow, thus less fogging.

Have you thought of mono contact lenses? I m wearing one for reading and other for distance. It works perfectly.

Does anyone know if you can wear contacts with Lasik? I used to be able to see very close and not far without glasses...now the opposite after I had surgery. I was told short vision deterioration is an inevitable function (mal-function) of aging. I think a magnifying contact for close reading makes sense for me (not too far down the trail)...if it would work

I use one contact lens( optima 38) for 12 years. It is very soft lens and lasts about 1,5 year. Began from +2, now I'm using +4.
First three days was some shimmer, but later eyes accommodated with such disbalance and now I have no problem with reading map/terrain