You put fog in my glasses

The snow is brilliant, the sky is a deep blue, the cold is biting: it’s a pleasure to adopt a good pace to climb this somewhat steep slope on cross-country skis. But then, the sunglasses fog up and once at the top, this fog turns into opaque ice. How do you get back down to the other side if you can’t see anything anymore?

This is one of the great tragedies of the outdoor enthusiast in winter. However, sunglasses are particularly important this season.

“Reflecting on the snow increases the brightness,” recalls Emmanuel Daigle, trek guide and author of the book. High altitude, from trek to expedition. It’s important to protect yourself even when there is cloud cover because ultraviolet rays pass through clouds. »

Glasses also help protect you from branches when walking in the forest.

Emmanuel Daigle recommends not skimping and choosing quality glasses. “Often, around the edges of cheap glasses, there are areas that are distorted,” he says. It distorts the images, it can really strain your eyes and give you a headache. »

He prefers to spend less money on a coat or pants and spend what it takes to get good glasses.

However, many people decide to turn to less expensive glasses after losing or breaking several quality pairs.

“I use a small cord to attach my glasses,” replies Emmanuel Daigle. Glasses breakage often comes from taking them off, putting them somewhere they shouldn’t, and sitting on them. Or we lose them. With a cord, you don’t lose them and you don’t leave them anywhere. »

The general director of Ski de fond Québec, Claude Alexandre Carpentier, also advises looking at quality. He notes that cross-country skiing is a very aerobic activity and therefore the risk of fogging up your glasses is very high.

“When we breathe, there are a lot of hot vapors coming out of our mouth and nose,” he notes. If the glasses are poorly designed, it will leak and frost them up. Most companies have designed glasses that allow ventilation: small slots that are inserted into the top of the glasses and which allow excess moisture to ventilate. »

There are also anti-fog coatings. “It works a little, but it’s not a revolution,” says Emmanuel Daigle. It is best to opt for glasses that allow air circulation. »

In particular, it wears a frame that only covers the top of the lenses, and not the bottom, which allows for better ventilation.

“That solves 95% of my problem,” he assures. If I’m trying really hard and the temperature is really cold and there’s not much wind, I can pull the glasses down a little on my nose. »

Photochromic lenses: the right choice

Both Emmanuel Daigle and Claude Alexandre Carpentier recommend photochromic lenses, whose tint adjusts with light intensity. It is a good alternative to glasses that have interchangeable lenses of various tints.

“It’s not necessarily the best option because you’re stopping all the time to change the lens, or you’re going to stretch out a little bit the time you spend with a lens that is no longer suitable,” says Emmanuel Daigle. The ideal is a photochromic lens. »

Some of these lenses will even cover the entire range of tints, from category 0, which is completely clear, to category 4, which is very dark and which allows you to go on glaciers in high mountains.

You can also choose polarized lenses, which significantly reduce glare.

“We really see the details of the snow better,” says Mr. Carpentier. This is important because sometimes, when we look at a route, which is white on white, we don’t necessarily see if there is a slightly more pronounced difference in height or a hole. »

He indicates that sports store advisors are able to recommend the right models for the right sports. For example, in cross-country skiing, it is important to cover the top of the eye because the cross-country skier is often leaning forward.

“The sun must not come from above to reach the eyes,” warns Mr. Carpentier.

Claude Alexandre Carpentier ultimately argues that quality is durable. “My glasses are made of polycarbonate, I’ve been wearing them almost every day for seven years, even in the summer when cycling because the needs are quite similar. They have no scratches. »