Wearing Of Contact Lenses While On Duty

[nsmedicman]

I have a question for the visually challenged members of the group. Is there a policy concerning the wearing of contact lenses while on duty? Is there anyone out there that wears contacts while on duty, especially in the field? I would appreciate any maintenance tips as well.

 

[Canadian Psyco]

The only thing that I can say is that It would probobly be a bad idea, will all the dirt and dust in the Field, it would get in your contacts and slow you down, plus you also have to carry around and extra pair or 2, fluid, containers, and anything else. and if you do plan on useing your contacts, make sure you practice putting them in/taking them out without a mirror, and really fast.

 

[Nug]

I don't wear contacts but I do wear glasses and I have seen people use contacts in the field. From my experience they are impractical and in some cases dangerous. I once witnessed what can happen when CS gas crystals get caught between your eye and the contact. It took four or five of us to hold the individual down while the medic got the contact out. I don't know of any regs against there use but if I was you I'd use the disposable kind, have a spare pair of glasses and definitely not use them anywhere near the gas hut.

 

[ImanIdiot]

Get the Night & Day lenses that you can wear for 30 days straight, keep an extra pair or two if you are going to be in the field for an extended period of time, get a little bottle of moisture drops, and then remember that if any of that stuff freezes, its ruined. Other than that....I've never had a significant problem with them

 

[Spr.Earl]

I have a question for the visually challenged members of the group. Is there a policy concerning the wearing of contact lenses while on duty? Is there anyone out there that wears contacts while on duty, especially in the field? I would appreciate any maintenance tips as well.

I were testicles now but they are a pain when going in too the gas hut as the gas mask does not seal because of the arms on my specticles and you can't wear contacts when doing NBCD traning.If you are Militia see if you can get your prescription combat glass' ,the reg's are issued combat Class' if you were them.

 

[armyvern]

I were testicles now but they are a pain when going in too the gas hut as the gas mask does not seal

:rofl:

Pardon me??? I think an edit may be in order!!   ;D

OMG... I have tears streaming down my face...I can just picture you!!  ;D

 

[Tracker]

I have testicles too, but they are too small to interfere with wearing my mask.  You must have a huge set of balls.

I think I may have wet myself.  Too funny.

 

[Spr.Earl]

Engilsh ryming slang.
specticles = testicles  ;D

 

[Spr.Earl]

I have testicles too, but they are too small to interfere with wearing my mask.   You must have a huge set of balls.

You poor bugger. ;D

 

[armyvern]

Engilsh ryming slang.
specticles = testicles  ;D

Please...do stick with this story!! Thanks for the good laugh!!  ;D

 

[buzgo]

I wear contacts day to day, but in the field and on deployment I have always worn my glasses. In Kabul, I wore my contacts a few times so that I could wear sunglasses and I ended up getting an eye infection due to the dust. For the field, contacts are okay if you are on an ex where you have access to clean water and soap, and where you AREN'T going to encounter gas or smoke or anything like that. I would still stick with the glasses though, having had nothing but bad luck with contacts (losing them, infections, dryness etc etc.)

 

[kincanucks]

Engilsh ryming slang.
specticles = testicles  ;D

Nice try.

 

[geo]

(contacfts are ok while in garrison)

Official party line is that Contacts are not to be worn in the field.
You really don't want to see someone come out of a gas chamber wearing contact lenses; poor bugger was trying to rip out the cornea in the haste to get em off.
Not a pretty sight... The guy was NS for some time afterwards BTW

Chemical irritants like teargas, smoke form smoke grenades, smudge pots, trip flares and most things that burn will act as irritants, get under the contact - and there is no guarantee you can stop everything you're doing to look after your good old Mk I eyeball.

If you're reg, wear the glasses that DND has so graciously provided...
If you're reserve on Cl B/C over 180 days, wear the glasses that DND has so graciously provided...
If you're reserve on cl A.... you should still wear glasses... you only get one pair of eyes - look after em!

 

[FredDaHead]

Also, I assume the main reason most people (including myself) wear contact lenses is because of esthetics, right? Well, when you're in the field, you look bad and smell bad and are not very likely to run into a willing member of the opposite sex. At least not a human one. So, the main reason to wear contact lenses being gone, glasses are good.

Though, wearing glasses and having to do a gas drill is a bitch... Throw glasses away, perform "regular" mask procedure, try to find glasses without seeing them. Especially fun at 3am when your guard duty ended at 2, and you got artysim and grenades and all that fun stuff exploding around you...

Admittedly I've only been in the "field" once, IE Farnham, but it's already enough of a female dog there, I can't imagine in a real operation.

 

[geo]

truth be told.... one of the big gripes about wearing glasses in the field is that they tend to fog up when it's damp and cold.... regardless of having spent good money on anti-foging.
In the field.... that's the No 1 beef about glasses IMHO

 

[FredDaHead]

truth be told.... one of the big gripes about wearing glasses in the field is that they tend to fog up when it's damp and cold.... regardless of having spent good money on anti-foging.
In the field.... that's the No 1 beef about glasses IMHO

Oh, yah, forgot about that. And I was the one bitching about it constantly, too! lol Now, for me just doing a pretend night patrol on IAP it wasn't too bad, (extremely annoying, but not life-threatening) but I can understand it would be pretty bad in the actual field.

Any tips on that, by the way?

 

[geo]

oddly enough, the old gas masks had these anti fogging kits that we were to use on the mask's lenses. the cloth was imbibed with starch. You would wet the cloth & lenses and rub together... then using another cloth to finish the polishing process....

Skindivers have learnt a long time ago that the saliva from your mouth contains natural starch... use some of that on the lenses - works for me.... sort-of.

 

[23353]

I spent the summer in Gagetown and went on a 26 day field ex (hit PV twice, for those crying BS) but I used my lenses the whole time and only had a problem at the end... got hit with CS two or three times and threw more smoke than I can remember. Only had one problem when I dropped one in the dirt... Got an eye infection shortly afterwards, but it cleared up in about a day. My opinion, bring solution and you should be fine. Or get those floppy ones.

I also spent a course with glasses, they suck pretty bad too (falling off, getting crushed and whatnot). Fogging really sucks. Wear glasses with the balaclava in winter and you'll get my drift.

 

[geo]

23353.... there are ways to fight the fogging.
Contacts in the field... at your own risk. Lose em or get an eye injury due to your disregarding written instructions that contacts are not to be worn... and you could find yourself up the creek.

 

[nsmedicman]

Thanks for all the info. So contacts would be OK in garrison. Otherwise, I'll wear my glasses; especially when there's a chance of getting gassed with CS......