# eyesight on the road. (question about vision)



## ThatGuy (Aug 22, 2011)

okay, so i'm trying to leave and start traveling. preferablely sometime this week.

i really don't need too many things in terms of gear, however, there is one thing i am concerned about.

i wear contacts, and my vision is HORRIBLE without them. i hate to be dependent on things, but unfortunately this is one thing i can't do without. does anyone have any suggestions on what i should do?

i don't have any kind of perscription for my eyes. i might be able to get one if i really wanted to shell out the extra money, but contacts or glasses would get expensive after awhile, and i really dont have that much money to begin with.


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## Puckett (Aug 22, 2011)

i have glasses and they have been bent up, droped, steped on, chewed on by dogs, and whatever else you can think of. besides not having any tips on the ear peices and some small teeth marks on the lenses they have held up really good. i also lost them a few times but found them shortly after. all i can say is more than likely glasses will get some what fucked up. dont get a $500 pair and think they will last. mine were cheap and have been holding out good. but as with everything nothing last too long on the road. keep a spare and hope for the best.


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## Scrambo (Aug 22, 2011)

I don't know what to tell you. That sucks a lot. I dont't use prescription eye contacts, but I bring my glasses anyway. They can be a real pain, because I didn't want to wear mine unless absolutely necessary, so I was having to dig through my pack to find 'em all the time. They were almost lost or smashed a million times too. 
I suppose that, if I were in your boots, I'd bring the contacts anyway, [If you're not willing to get glasses. I think glasses are still a better option] but the risk for contracting pink-eye and perhaps other problems is madly increased.
There are special tweezers that you can buy for eye contacts and they're inexpensive. Perhaps they'd help, as long as you can keep them sterile. Pack some unscented cleansing wipes for your skin, and hand sanitizer. Use them together to clean your hands. The wipes alone might do well to clean the outer areas of your eyes. You can rinse your eyes with anti-allergy eyedrops, allowing the drops to weap from your eyes a few times and wiping them away with the cleansing cloths.
I've done it before...
But no guarantees, man.

Best wishes. Happy trails.


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## ThatGuy (Aug 22, 2011)

any place you can get glasses without a perscription?


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## Scrambo (Aug 22, 2011)

If you know which lenses you need for your eyes, probably. But, without an official prescription obtained post eye examination, any insurance you may have will not likely cover the cost of your new specs. I've been told that some eyeglass shops [Hakim Optical, for example] offer free examinations as service promotions. You'll just have to call around, I guess. 
I've also found this: http://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-exam/free-exam.htm
Maybe this applies... I don't know where you live.


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## Puckett (Aug 22, 2011)

i know i see the tv ad for americas best contact and lenses and for like $80 you can get an eye exame and 2 pairs of glasses. have a back up pair.


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## Dmac (Aug 23, 2011)

i have never needed glasses before, but now i need them to be able to read. since i am not used to them, i am always sitting on them or forgetting them! luckly i only need cheap reading glasses, but it still sucks to have to dig them out of the pack just to read a menu or price tag. i got a hard case to carry them in, and it is worth it, they don't get bent up and shit. only the cops always seem to think that there will be dope in it (the glasses case) i mean they always have to check it out. if they only knew the pot is in my sleeping bag instead!


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## veraladd (Jan 4, 2012)

Traveling and needing contacts sucks thankfully im only sorta blind. I always tried to take care of my contacts the best I could. If you have a valid RX you will be able to get them called in anywhere you are. Go to wally world shell out 80 for the eye exam and then u will be able to pick them up any where u need them for the next year. I have been stuck with one bright blue contact and/or eventually no contacts and needing help to determine the depth of things (like drops in the sidewalk/ground) Ive ran into other kids with this issue as well. Sometimes if you have an old box or something and you ask for a sample lense a vision store MAY kick you down a pair. Ive accomplished this before but it was not easy.


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## menu (Jan 4, 2012)

wear goggles.


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## finn (Jan 4, 2012)

Get glasses, contacts require too much cleanliness and work to maintain in order to not get your eye infected or anything. You should be able to get your eyes checked for cheap, and then order some glasses cheap online.


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## slurricane (Jan 5, 2012)

visual imparement blows
initially i could not read the title of this, then realised the direct irony.
still can't quite make out the body of the subject though, just a smidge, if you don't want glasses just keep contacts, despite what they say, they're safe to sleep in and wear for long periods of time without removal/replacement
or, get glasses
cheap dorky frames are just that, cheap and dorky
fuck it, your eyes and your feet are all you got in this world


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## Tigers eye (Jan 5, 2012)

Just a thought. I know quite a few ex cons and all they had in prison was plastic fukin glasses. When they finally got out and got real glass they were thrilld. Buy two pairs. Wrap one n a fleece n the middle of ur pack.
Good luck to ya.


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## planet caravan (Jan 6, 2012)

i got shitty vision too and know how it is, i lucked up and got on medicaid recently and am getting a new pair. think everyone else covered it, shell out the money and get two pairs from one of those buy one get one free deals, run ya around 80 bucks or so i imagine. keep em in yer boots by your head at night and wear em the rest of the time, get a hard case for your spare.


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## robbaked (Jan 6, 2012)

I wear contacts and i bought a cheap pair of swimming goggles. works like a charm. Before i couldn't really look in to the wind when riding and i had to take my contacts out and clean threm along with my hands while moving. It can be done it's just a lot better now to wear goggles now


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## slurricane (Jan 8, 2012)

dollar tree glasses work so fucking good, my eyes are total SHIT and i got the +3.00 ones yesterday and i can fucking see! prescriptions is skamz they skamz


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## reallifeisnocool (Jan 8, 2012)

you can get good custom tailored glasses for 10 bucks here

http://www.zennioptical.com/

should get a prescription though.. costco might do it for free?


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## Blackout Beetle (Jan 10, 2012)

ThatGuy said:


> okay, so i'm trying to leave and start traveling. preferablely sometime this week.
> 
> i really don't need too many things in terms of gear, however, there is one thing i am concerned about.
> 
> ...


 
Traveling when your blind as fuck and don't have glasses sucks. I had my sister send me an old pair that work pretty good because I've been staying with some motherfuckers in co for a second. Now I'm about to hit the road again and its nice to be able to see. I'll probably lose them however, I lost 2 pairs on the road last summer, but that's probably just because I'm a screw off drunken fuckbag =P having a case for them would help


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## Cardboard (Jan 10, 2012)

finn said:


> Get glasses, contacts require too much cleanliness and work to maintain in order to not get your eye infected or anything. You should be able to get your eyes checked for cheap, and then order some glasses cheap online.


I used to think this until these gas permeable ones came out. There are contacts you can wear for a week straight without having any problems. If you cant wash your hands to take them out once a week, try harder. They are pretty much the standard now, and work great for riding trains or traveling however you prefer.


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## finn (Jan 11, 2012)

Cardboard said:


> I used to think this until these gas permeable ones came out. There are contacts you can wear for a week straight without having any problems. If you cant wash your hands to take them out once a week, try harder. They are pretty much the standard now, and work great for riding trains or traveling however you prefer.


 
I would still think contacts would be problematic if you get stuff in your eye from either random grit from trainhopping or pepper spray/CS from protests, but I am a street medic and I don't have any hands on experience with them. I'm thinking of anything gets trapped below the contact, your cornea will get scratched, but maybe this only applies to cop sprays and not trainhopping...


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## laughingisharder (Jan 11, 2012)

I use little tiny TV screens implanted over my eyes


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