How to Choose Hiking Sunglasses?

The Importance of Hiking Sunglasses

Eyes are our most sensitive and complex organs. It is very easy to damage the eyes and very hard to recover. Wearing sunglasses when hiking is a must at any time of the year. Especially when you are hiking high in the mountains. As we know, UV radiation from the sun is stronger in the mountains. This problem becomes even more dangerous in the presence of snow, since the rays of the sun are reflected in the snow even in cloudy weather. In such conditions, being without sunglasses for a long time may cause serious vision problems and even temporary loss of vision – “snow blindness”. To avoid such kind of problems, you should always wear hiking sunglasses. However, when buying them, you must note that they should provide maximum protection from ultraviolet rays of sun.

How to Choose Right Sunglasses

What you should take into consideration when choosing hiking sunglasses:

• The structure of the lenses
• The degree of absorption of sunlight
• The color of lenses
• Additional features

In the mountains, in addition to direct sunlight, there are also rays reflected on snow, ice, fog and other reflective surfaces. This is the reason why the glasses should sit tightly into the face and protect the eyes from all sides. Such glasses also protect from dust, wind, snowstorms, etc. The lateral parts of glasses can be both an extension of the lens or separate leather or plastic inserts. There is no fundamental difference here; the main thing is that they provide sufficient protection and visibility. It all depends on the specific model of glasses.

Classification of Sunglasses

Lenses are classified according to the degree of light absorption. They are usually divided into four categories:

1. Transmit 43-80% of visible light. Designed for active sports in urban environment or for evening hours.
2. Transmit 18-43% of visible light. They have an average degree of shading. You can wear them during easy hikes, in low mountainous areas.
3. Transmit 8-18% of visible light. The most versatile option. Suitable mainly for all those who are engaged in some active sports. You can wear them during hikes at average altitude, where there is no snow.
4. Transmit 3-8% of visible light. These sunglasses are designed for serious mountaineering and other winter sports. They have the highest degree of sun protection. Since these glasses absorb up to 98% of the light, they might not be convenient to wear in the city or in cloudy weather. When choosing such glasses, you must also purchase another, more transparent pair of glasses.

The lenses of the glasses can have different colors. This is done to enhance the color contrast, depending on the conditions under which you wear the glasses. For example:

The yellow lenses are convenient for skiing, as this color emphasizes the relief of the snow.

Brown lenses enhance the color contrast. Such lenses will be convenient in strong sunlight, as they clearly emphasize the relief and help to see in the distance.

Grey or black – this is a versatile option and is suitable to wear in all conditions.

Green lenses enhance the contrast between shades of green. They are convenient to wear in forests and other green areas. Glasses with green lenses are often worn while playing golf.

Pink and red lenses enhance the color depth. Convenient when driving a car or cycling.

Functions of Hiking Sunglasses

The lenses of sunglasses often have additional functions, in order to provide better visibility.

• Polarizing filters. Very often, the reflected light can be stronger than the sunlight itself. Especially in alpine conditions, the light that reflects from glacier is blinding and does not allow you to see the features of the relief. This will make you squint your eyes and you will get tired faster. The polarizing filters solve this problem by making the image calm, with balanced light.
• The oleophobic coating makes it easier to clean your glasses from greasy marks and dust.
• The anti-fog coating to some extent protects the glasses from fogging.
• The mirror coating softens the reflective rays in the absence of a polarizing filter.

The most important of these coatings is the polarizing filter, since in nature you will often see the light reflected on foreign objects. With each additional function, the price of glasses also increases. When choosing glasses, be guided by your preferences and capabilities.

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