Many people don’t realize the importance of protecting your eyes from the sun when you are out hiking, adventuring, backpacking or even camping. It is also very important for survival. I have a pair of sunglasses packed in every one of my bags, except my get home bag since I have my shades with me and I grab that and the get home bag to, well, get home.
Protecting your eyes from the sun is important in many ways, but in a nutshell, wearing sunglasses outdoors on a sunny day or slightly overcast, will keep your eyes in a healthy state.
Here are my recommendations and personal favorites:
- If you wear glasses, I recommend Transitions. I prefer the Transitions XTRActive Polarized.
- If you wear contacts or no vision correction, I prefer
- Ray Ban Aviators (polarized)
- Randolph USA Aviators (polarized)
Why polarized? It reduces light glare and eye strain. The latter is most important when you are outdoors for an extended period of time. Eye strain can be a huge problem when you need to work on meticulous tasks, and believe me, it not only impacts your ability to work but your eyes can start to hurt, where you just want to close your eyes for a bit. Most people think about their socks, boots/shoes, clothing, but they neglect to protect the very important thing we use even more than anything, your eyes.
Take my advice, and invest in a good pair of sunglasses, and get a few pairs, one for each of your bags. Your eyes will appreciate you for it.