Sunglass recommendations?

[Arctic Acorn]

Crap!

I bought a pair of Minutes a month or so ago, not knowing about the military discount program. Crap! Ah, well...they're worth it. Best sunglasses I've ever owned.

I've used the issue ballistic glasses as well. I have to say I'm impressed. They put some thought into their design. Comfortable, they look good, and I'm told that you can request perscription lenses for them.

:dontpanic:

 

[Posthumane]

Does anyone know where a person might go to try on a pair of Wiley-X glasses in/near calgary? I've been thinking about getting a prescription pair, but I have a oddly proportioned face and I want to see if they will fit well before I buy them. Most glasses are too wide (I have a narrow face) and create hotspots on my nose. I was looking at getting the wiley-x JP1 model, but I can't find any place that carries them.

 

[MikeM]

To echo other peoples opinions, you can't go wrong with a pair of oakleys. I have a pair of Oakley Half Jackets and they have been the best investment by far for a pair of sunglasses.

 

[GunnerySgtHartman]

try www.essgoggles.com

Pretty durable glasses, with a "z" rating  (shatter proof). They are also used by many emergency services around the world, and are about half of what you would end up paying for Oakleys.


P.S- The actual goggles can take a shot gun blast from about 30 feet.  8) <--- Cool looking and safe.

 

[Vigilant]

I use ESS goggles as well, but there are times for sunglasses and times for goggles.

Get the tear-offs if you use goggles. They're great!

 

[Bomber]

I hope every pellet hits my goggles when I try to stop a shotgun blast with my face.

 

[GO!!!]

Before you go out and spend more than 20$ on eyewear, keep in mind that you will almost definately NOT be permitted to wear them, unless they were issued to you, and the rest of the course has them as well. This is called standardisation, and is a major part of basic.

If you complete your trg though, and your TQ3/Battle school/whatever it's called now, buy something cheap, because they will get lost/stolen/broken like clockwork.

IMHO, you are better off to spend the money on some good goggles (Oakley L frame) than sunglasses, after course of course.

 

[Strike]

Another point on non-issued sun glasses.  If you ant to wear them while in uniform they must have a black frame and non-reflective lenses w/o colour (IOW, black, grey, brown, etc).  It's also preferable NOT to have polarized lenzes, the mentality being that if you happen to look through another piece of glass that is also polarized, you may block out the light completely, thus it is a safety issue.

 

[Armymedic]

Commercially, the Wiley X SG-1's are the best military sunglasses I have seen.

The issued ballistic glasses are the cat's behind, so if you are getting them, don't waste your money elsewhere...

You can't beat the price, and if they break...hey the army will get you a new pair.

 

[Blackhorse7]

Strike... that's the strangest comment I have read in here to date.  How do you come to the conclusion that if you wear polarized glasses, and then look through polarized glass, that all the light would be blocked out?  Surely you are not suggesting that you would see nothing (ie blackness).

Where did you get that info from?

 

[Roger]

I purchased a pair of motorcycle sun glasses made by MXL, they are called Freedom Polarchromix and they are fantastic, they where 249.00 and worth every penny. I purchased the yellow lenses so I can see great in low light. They use the same lens technology on the lenses that they use for fighter pilots in the USA.

And they are very tough, I have sat on them dropped them and thay are still perfect.

 

[big_johnson1]

Strike... that's the strangest comment I have read in here to date.   How do you come to the conclusion that if you wear polarized glasses, and then look through polarized glass, that all the light would be blocked out?   Surely you are not suggesting that you would see nothing (ie blackness).

Where did you get that info from?

He's right though. Think of it this way. Light passing through polarized lenses is filtered so that only the wavelengths that "line up" with the polarizing filter will pass through. Put another polarizing filter at 90 degrees to that, and it will block out all the light. Same principle LCDs work on.

Although I don't know how this applies to real life because unless your sunglasses are pretty much perfectly aligned with the glass you're looking through, it wouldn't be a problem.

I just wear the Ryders, because the store I buy them from has a policy where if they break for some reason, they'll replace them free of charge. Just pick a new pair off the rack, no paperwork, one for one exchange. Better than waiting 6 weeks for my old Oakleys to be fixed.

 

[Good2Golf]

I like Wiley-X myself, Romer II's are a fave of mine, but that's for sunglasses, not goggles.  I figure issue gear is probably decent enough, especially on a basic course where guys are new into the CF and eying things up...but I would consider getting Wiley-X CQC's for gogs, I used to fly NVG's with an earlier version of the CQC to protect my eyes from crap and stuff being blown around inside the chopper's cabin area.

Blackhorse, as far as aircrew go, we are strictly forbidden from wearing polarized sungalsses...many of the components in a cockpit have polarizing effects (especially multifunction displays and LCD readouts) and polarizing glasses can interfere or blockout instumentation or other displays.

Cheers,
Duey

 

[Manimal]

i've been wearing 'ryders' for years, they last great, only had two pair break, one i stepped on, the other i got hit and bent them. i have only had two pairs of the metal frames, the rest were plastic, but they have been great!

 

[qjdb]

Blackhorse, as far as aircrew go, we are strictly forbidden from wearing polarized sungalsses...many of the components in a cockpit have polarizing effects (especially multifunction displays and LCD readouts) and polarizing glasses can interfere or blockout instumentation or other displays.

Cheers,
Duey

While I am not aircrew, or anything like it, I have to agree with the polarizing effect.  I have polarized clip-ons for my eyeglasses, and I found it really hard to read my timex watch, and see certain bank machine screens when I had them clipped on.  Also, some vans' windsheilds throw some REALLY weird shadows / reflections / colours back at me.

So, I can really see what he is talking about here.

I have also heard that those transition lenses, where they automatically tint when you go out in the sun, are either frowned upon, or just plain not allowed in the CF.  Can anybody clarify this?  I think it has something to do with coming out of the sun, and being temporarily blinded if entering a dark room (like FIBUA-type stuff, going in and out of houses).  I can see (no pun intended) where that would be a BAD thing, not being able to see when you first enter the room (hmmmm, is that a guy with a gun, or a lady with a broomstick?)

Quentin

 

[Vigilant]

I have also heard that those transition lenses, where they automatically tint when you go out in the sun, are either frowned upon, or just plain not allowed in the CF.  Can anybody clarify this?

They are not allowed. See this thread for details:

Dress Policy For Sunglasses
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/19879.0.html

 

[Jay21401]

I have the Wiley X SG-1 glasses/goggles. I like them  a lot, low profile, unrestricted vision, nearly unbreakable.
I also recently got the Wiley X  XL-1 sunglasses and they do a lot of what the SG-1 does because they have foam inserts in them to block out light and sand from the sides. They are also a bit cheaper than the SG-1 setup

The XL-1 sunglasses have other features as well you can look at the link that I bought both models from below:

http://tacticalsight.com/wileyxxl1-interchangable-sunglasses-lens-package-p-54.html

http://tacticalsight.com/wileyxsg1-goggles-lens-package-p-44.html

 

[Farmboy]

      :-[          ------------->      http://www.oneshottactical.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=oneshot&Category_Code=EW


       

 

[Thaern]

Ok this is an old thread but the idea of discount oakleys is just too great.  I'm going to go ask around at my unit about this whole oakley military discount but i have a feeling no one knows about it since i think im the only one who owns a pair of oakleys.  I bought my pair of 1/2 jackets about 4 years ago and they've been amazing, there are a couple of small scratches in the lenses but considering one was caused by me riding mountain bike into the side of a tree and splitting my helmet in two im pretty impressed.  That being said i thought i saw something awhile back about not wearing mirrored sunglasses (could have just been unit thing) if anyone knows something about that please let me know. 

 

[navymich]

That being said i thought i saw something awhile back about not wearing mirrored sunglasses (could have just been unit thing) if anyone knows something about that please let me know. 

As per dress regs:

EYEGLASSES/SUN-GLASSES
11. Eyeglasses and sun-glasses shall be
conservative in design and colour.

12. Subject to any restrictions which may be
imposed by commanding officers on occasions of
wear, the following sun-glasses are authorized for
wear with CF orders of dress:

a. Designated Duty Personnel. Personnel
serving in aircrew, field and other
designated positions may obtain from the
CF Supply System and wear:

(1) Sun-glasses (aircrew) 8465-21-870-
6020,

(2) Sun-glasses (field force) 8465-21-104-
7821, and

(3) Sun-glasses (special) 8465-21-874-
0579.

b. All Personnel. Personnel who normally wear
eyeglasses, may wear either conventionally
framed prescription sun-glasses or
conservatively styled clip-on sun-glasses,
when conditions and circumstances dictate.
Others may wear conservatively styled sunglasses
which conform in general
appearance to those previously noted.

13. The following types of lenses are not
authorized for wear with CF orders of dress:

a. Photochromic. These lenses act as a light
filter and possess the property of darkening
when exposed directly to ultraviolet light and
lightening when the ultraviolet is withdrawn.

b. Mirrored. These lenses, also referred to as
half-silver mirrors, have a highly reflective
metallic substance deposited upon the
surface of the lenses, thereby creating a
mirrored effect.