# Anyone else having problems WRT Ballistics?



## reccecrewman (26 Jan 2006)

Goodday all,

This is just a question to try and get feedback from anyone with the ballistic glasses w/ prescription inserts. I've had mine for a short while now and I've found that while wearing them, it's almost like a motion sickness feeling and a strong desire to bring back my lunch.  After hearing from a few other guys in my Unit, they also get similar feelings while wearing theirs.  Just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences with them.  

Thanks


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## Yeoman (27 Jan 2006)

heard that from alot of guys in my unit too.
I think I'll skip wearing them until they get that sorted out (if they ever do).
Greg


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## Armymedic (27 Jan 2006)

We (Med Srevices) are aware...but you will wear them. Brigade Comd directive.

Some of the disorientation is because of the way the lenses are. If it doesn't go away after wearing them for about 10-15 mins there may be a problem with the way the lenses were made.


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## DG-41 (27 Jan 2006)

We were given a directive yesterday (or maybe the day before yesterday... this week at least) that all soldiers in the brigade were to be wearing ballistic eyewear any time they were firing weapons - no, really, no fooling, we mean it.

DG


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## Jarnhamar (27 Jan 2006)

Are soldiers allowed to use their own sunglasses/eye wear as long as they are "ballastic" or whatever?

I'd imagine soldiers feeling sick or dizy with automatic weapons might be bad.


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## DG-41 (27 Jan 2006)

The directive is that the perscription ballistic inserts are now availible to all service pers, and while plastic/polycarbonate civvie glasses are allowed to be used as an interim measure, all pers are required to source issue inserts most ricky tick.

DG


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## reccecrewman (27 Jan 2006)

Armymedic,

It would seem that the reason for this motion sickness is the fact that its a presciption set being stuffed into a set of rounded ballistics which puts the inserts at odd angles to each other and glasses are not meant to be worn like this.  Now, by wearing these glasses, are our eyes not being placed under strain to try and overcompensate for this? I mean, even if after wearing them for 10 to 15 minutes and your eyes get used to them, as soon as we put our regular prescription glasses on afterwards, then they'll be strained again because they got used to the ballistics. Could this end up harming eyes in the long run?  Your thoughts appreciated.


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## Armymedic (27 Jan 2006)

harmed, not likely, but I am not an expert.
I agree with what you suspect though, its mostly people who switch from flat to curved lenses. My civ glasses have a slight curve to them, and I, so far, have no trouble wearing the BEW.


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## ProPatria05 (27 Jan 2006)

Can't say that I've had the motion sickness, but they certainly fog up very easily. I've tried wearing them on patrol, to keep those pesty eye-level sticks out of my eyes at night, but they fog up so easily once I start warming up. Also, I was running a range yesterday with a cold, howling wind, and was wearing my green belaclava. It was bright, so I also tried wearing the glasses. No dice...they fogged up as soon as I started breathing (the warm breath move right up under the lenses). Although I guess any glasses would do that.

Also, ref shooting....this will never work with rundowns. Again, they will fog up as soon as you start getting warmed up. Not exactly safe on a range, either.


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## Fishbone Jones (27 Jan 2006)

There's tons of anti-fog agents on the market. Some avail in sports shops that sell glasses for raquetball, etc. Just Google "anti fog".


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## Armymedic (27 Jan 2006)

recceguy said:
			
		

> There's tons of anti-fog agents on the market. Some avail in sports shops that sell glasses for raquetball, etc. Just Google "anti fog".



Haven't found one that works when you outside below -15 and steaming from sweat as youre humping across the snow.


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## Fishbone Jones (27 Jan 2006)

Sometimes something is better than nothing. You won't always be sweating at -15.


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## Jarnhamar (27 Jan 2006)

> Istie, you tink i make you sweat now, just wait! I make you sweater!


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## Glorified Ape (27 Jan 2006)

Armymedic said:
			
		

> Haven't found one that works when you outside below -15 and steaming from sweat as youre humping across the snow.



What about the goggles, would they work?


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## career_radio-checker (27 Jan 2006)

I find that there are 2 problems with my 'Up-armoured' Ballistic Eye Wear:

1. As previously mentioned, the inserts follow the curvature of the Eye-wear resulting in my eyes looking through the inserts at a 45 degree angle. (I think that attributes to the motion sickness). Another thing that results is that I have no periferal vision

2. The inserts are also too close to my eyes and in fact I can feel my eye lashes brushing up against the the lenses.

I will / can not wear these glasses for a long time especially while driving. I think I will just wear my regular glasses with the BEW over-top.


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## scm77 (27 Jan 2006)

Why it's important to wear your eye protection.


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## reccecrewman (28 Jan 2006)

I think I'll go with the already mentioned wearing my prescription glasses under the ballistics.

scm77, do you know the story behind this guy?


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## Armymedic (28 Jan 2006)

career_radio-checker said:
			
		

> 2. The inserts are also too close to my eyes and in fact I can feel my eye lashes brushing up against the the lenses.



This bugs me as well. The tops of the lenses actually pushes againt my eyebrows.


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## Gunner98 (28 Jan 2006)

Most shampoo brands are actually good anti-fog agents.


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## scm77 (28 Jan 2006)

reccecrewman said:
			
		

> scm77, do you know the story behind this guy?


I can't remember where I found it, I'll look around to try to find it again and see if there was any detailed info.

I'm pretty sure he was hit with shrapnel and/or other debris (rocks, concrete etc) kicked up by an IED.


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## KevinB (29 Jan 2006)

It was on Lightfighter -- it was debris from an IED.

 I wear ballistic eyewear (Oakely military M Frames) everywhere I got here - except sometimes inside our armour vehicles - 8hours wearing glasses gets to me.  Clear during low light and the "grey" lens during the light period.

I know Oakley will do percription lens for the M frame -- why wont the CF consider a complete lens rather than an insert?


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## Highland Laddie (31 Jan 2006)

KevinB said:
			
		

> I know Oakley will do percription lens for the M frame -- why wont the CF consider a complete lens rather than an insert?



My understanding from the docs on the Clothe the Soldier site is that the inserts are considered an 'interim measure'. I guess complete lens will be done sometime in the future.....about the same time as our new rucks, which have been under development for ten years now....


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## Good2Golf (1 Feb 2006)

In addition to Oakley, I know through talking with a rep that Wiley-X also does ANSI Z89.1 prescription lenses...generic diopter corrections...not sure about astigmatisms, though.

Cheers,
Duey


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## BKells (1 Feb 2006)

Murph said:
			
		

> Can't say that I've had the motion sickness, but they certainly fog up very easily. I've tried wearing them on patrol, to keep those pesty eye-level sticks out of my eyes at night, but they fog up so easily once I start warming up. Also, I was running a range yesterday with a cold, howling wind, and was wearing my green belaclava. It was bright, so I also tried wearing the glasses. No dice...they fogged up as soon as I started breathing (the warm breath move right up under the lenses). Although I guess any glasses would do that.
> 
> Also, ref shooting....this will never work with rundowns. Again, they will fog up as soon as you start getting warmed up. Not exactly safe on a range, either.



I was running a range this past sunday for my PLQ. Just put the balaclava/neckwarmer under your nose. If yournose can breathe out the hot air then you've got no problem fogging up. I found the glasses highly effective when firing in a snowstorm. I could concentrate entirely on shooting and no snow or wind got in my eyes to make me squint.


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## nawk (2 Feb 2006)

Are reservists entitled to get prescription lenses for the ballistics?


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## Fishbone Jones (2 Feb 2006)

Yes they are. See your OR or QM. Everyone issued the ballistic glasses is entitled to the prescription lenses, if required.


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## Fishbone Jones (17 Feb 2006)

RecceDG said:
			
		

> We were given a directive yesterday (or maybe the day before yesterday... this week at least) that all soldiers in the brigade were to be wearing ballistic eyewear any time they were firing weapons - no, really, no fooling, we mean it.
> 
> DG



So are they going to use the clear lens or the shaded one when doing firing parties on Remembrance Day and such?


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## TangoTwoBravo (17 Feb 2006)

We wore ours during all TMST range practices to get used to wearing them (Train as you Fight).  I figured it was a good idea (its why were were fighting order on the range as well).

Problems should, of course, be reported.


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## TCBF (17 Feb 2006)

"harmed, not likely, but I am not an expert"

- DVA, operators are standing by...

Tom


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## DG-41 (18 Feb 2006)

> So are they going to use the clear lens or the shaded one when doing firing parties on Remembrance Day and such?



Please don't shoot the messenger - unless, of course, you are wearing the ballistic eyewear.  ;D

DG


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## armchair (19 Feb 2006)

Having woren perspiration glass for over forty year I can tell you there is no anti-fog that works all the time.
Working in heave industry were safety glass a mandatory for ever one. The people the do not normally wear glass
have a hard time getting use to wearing them.If you have 20/20 vision safety glass or in the case on of the Revions eye wear
the lens have to be close optical neutral.If they are not they could give you headaces and some distortion. 
I have two sets of the Revions eye wear that I use when I have my contact in.One set I bought 2 1/2 year ago other set
I just got.Older set have much wider lens with some distortion on the edges. The new set have small lens and little different shape
of lens do not seam to have any distortion.All I can say is you only have one set of eyes so take care of them.


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## Yeoman (19 Feb 2006)

has anyone here tried putting oakley lenses into the ballisitc frame thing?
Greg


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## armyvern (19 Feb 2006)

Will no one be satisfied with their issued kit until it all comes issued with a designer Gucci "Name Brand Label" and all the footwear weighs less than 1/2 an ounce? 
It does seem that our next generation of up and coming 'soldiers' have never been required/expected to wear anything less than the ultra-expensive name brand designer footwear that was not intended for marching around/carrying a ruck in, but still won't let up until they've got the Crown to pay for the same specs on their military equipment. Face it, if the BEW had a "Gucci" or "Ray Ban" label on the arm of them most of the troops wouldn't complain. That's pretty sad.
It seems to me that regardless of the specs of the item or their intended purpose...it is never as "good as the 'real' gucci gear". 
Funny, despite the fact that our issued Ballistic eyewear (the prescription inserts are indeed just an interim measure until the full lens can be made to prescription) does in fact do what it is intended to do, the troops continue to drop name brands like they're going out of style. Too bad about all the QETE, DRDC and METC trials blowing the crap out of them proved that they worked as intended.
Pretty sad actually...you joined the army not the Ford Modelling Agency. Please, please let someone out there start re-inforcing the Dress Regs once again so that we can begin to look like an actual formed co-hesive fighting Unit rather than the backstage area of Sean Jean's latest runway gala. 
Actually NDHQ is doing something right...cut the message last week that medical/physio authorities have *no * authority to prescribe "name brand" footwear (ie Danner's etc). They can prescribe "vibrams" or "boots to fit orthotics" but no more will I ever again see "Buy this man some Danners" (and I quote the chit exactly) written on a chit!! Halleluhja!! Perhaps they'll begin addressing the volumnus amounts of other non-issued kit that continues to be condoned for wear throughout the army. Funny thing those trials are eh? The new kit items are accepted during the trials but once they begin the issues out en masse to those same troops/Units who do the trials...it's never good enough.
Items that require mods due to op specs are a different beast altogether, such as the pockets on the sleeves of the shirts. There are ways to adress these kit shortfalls properly (UCR) it's on-line and you file it directly to Ottawa now. Some-one actually took the time to address and recommend a change to the shirts and it's in the works. 
Filing a UCR on the BEW though isn't going to work...because your issued ones do the job just fine. A slight change is coming to them though, they will soon have a soft rubber end on the arm so as not to scratch the lens and will come with a different lens cover; but still no designer tag for those of you who care about that.


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## reccecrewman (24 Feb 2006)

Just to point out - the original post was if anyone has problems with the function of the ballistics.  Nothing to do with a name brand.  Personally, I could care less who makes them or what they look like, as long as I can see with them.  With the inserts in, I have no peripheral vision and the nauseas feeling I get while wearing them is not cool.  Hell, the old birth control glasses for the gas mask were fine with me........ I could see fine and they served their function.


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## Yeoman (27 Feb 2006)

well I'll rephrase my question then;
has anybody tried putting the *perscription* oakley lense into the frame? or any other type of lense that actually has the perscirption in the lense itself rather then having to use the adaptor.
sorry but I'm not going to wear it like that, it bothers me and alot of other people to go as well.
so until they sort out the problem; I'm not wearing it.
they should have realised that some soldiers wear perscriptions so rather then doing something that's "short term" (ie cost more in the long run) rather then right off the bat during trails to try with the perscription like that.
I guess I'll just have to man up and drop the cash.
I need some type of sunglasses for the long drives home, and how the sun pratically blinds me when I'm driving on highway 37 on most days.
Greg


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## Armymedic (27 Feb 2006)

Greg,
Do normal Oakley lenses even fit into the BEW?

Come see me when I am around...we can talk "off line". Your question is valid.


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## dangerboy (27 Feb 2006)

Just got my inserts for the BEW and found that they were just like people said: they fogged up, looked strange around the edges and just felt weird.  I was wondering if there was any company that makes prescription lens that look similar to the BEW and provide the same protection (do not know how much protection the BEW offer). Any info would be appreciated.


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## Yeoman (27 Feb 2006)

Armymedic said:
			
		

> Greg,
> Do normal Oakley lenses even fit into the BEW?
> 
> Come see me when I am around...we can talk "off line". Your question is valid.



I have no idea, but since they're the same thing, there's only one way to find out.
I just don't know anyone that owns the mframes is all. I thought some dirty pickle errrrrrr...........ppcli troop might have tried this with their shiny kit.
and just so you know; it's not like I'm going to get the polarized lenses or anything shiny like that. I would be investing in just the grey and clear lense (maybe a yellow tint as well, but that's a wait and shoot to see if it even works)
maybe if I go home this weekend, I can check out the oakley dealer back home and ask to see if I can try that.
Greg


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