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Sunglass recommendations?

tim_chi

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Hey everyone, I just need an opinion on sunglasses. I'm heading off to Wainwright this summer for my SQ and I don't have anything to keep my eyes from being fried. Any suggestions? I was looking at getting a pair of Wiley-X SG-1's, but I don't know.

Are Oakley's any good? A lot of people seem to be wearing those too.

Any feedback would be great. Thanks.

God Bless
 
Oakley's are good yes, if you feel like spending 100 - 200 dollars...or more?

Personally, I go to Canadian Tire, find a pair that look good and have the right protective measurements, and spend $25.
 
I have several pairs of Glasses from a company called Ryders.  They are usually $ 40 - $ 50 and are pretty bombproof, plus if they get lost or destroyed, no huge loss.

You can find them at most bike shops.

PV
 
 Your Armoured so I would recomend the Wiley-X  SG-1s or the CQC's.

 The SG-1s are better if your looking to wear them as "shades" as well as goggles.

 I have gone through my fare share of cheap sunglasses, I then went out and got the CQC's, and don't have to worry.

 Let me know if I can be of service (see signature  ;D)

 
Dont you have a pair of the issued ballistic glasses ? (those im wearing in my avatar).  The staff on your SQ is more likely to let you wear them.
 
The issued ballistic glasses? HAH! I'm reservist. I don't even get issued my TV until I finish my SQ. No one in my reg't has the ballistic glasses. Lookin at the SG-1's, but I'm just worried about getting them stolen! That would really suck. And would my instructors think I'm trying to get all "GI Joe" on them?  :warstory:
 
Some Units offer Oakleys through the Oakley Military Discount Program. You can get up to 75% off the retail price. I paid $100 including tax and shipping for a pair of Oakley Minute Polarized sunglasses. And if it ever breaks I believe there's an exchange program too.
 
Oakley's for reservists??? If it's true... YOU MUST TELL ME HOW!!!  :o

PM me on how I can take advantage of this please. Or maybe I'll just PM you!

Thanks!
 
Usually what happens is we get a list of what we want and the Unit orders it. It takes a couple of weeks though, and if your Unit is stood down you are probably out of luck for your course.

But yeah, Oakleys kick ***!

Ask someone in your Unit who has been around. They probably did an order a couple of years ago.
 
I wear Oakley "Minute" as well. I really like them because they completely seal around the eye and don't let any light in from the sides. Only thing I don't like is, because of the seal sometimes it gets fogged over with sweat.  8)
 
If you have a MEC near you (or order online) this is an excellent pair http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=826709&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=673751&bmUID=1119363468175

They are fairly cheap so you can lose them or break them and not get set back to far, and you can change the lenses. I have a clear, and black one. I use the clear one for the range, or at night when walking in the woods so I don't loose an eye to a branch. They are very comfortable to wear and resemble the issue glasses.

However, I don't see why you don't get issue glasses? I have not done my SQ but I just went to the QM and got the glasses no problem.
 
Oakley Half Jackets, with the larger lens.  Best sunglasses I ever owed.  They are on my face for at least 2 hours, every day.  Expensive, but worth every penny.  If you are looking for something for bombing around in your vehicle though, stick with the AFV goggles.  They are issue, and they worked just fine for me on some looong route recce's in Sufield, Wainwright, Shilo, Gagetown, Dundurn..... the list goes on.
 
I agree, Oakley's are a great set of glasses. I own a pair of Minutes for civvie side use, however I couldn't see ever bringing them to the field with all the theivery and activities. How do you guys do it? I'd be scared to death that'd I'd lose them, or break them some way. And that's an expensive loss.
 
Re: Wiley X SG-1's...

I've just received my evaluation pair, and here are my first impressions...

Pros:

--When worn with the elastic strap, the most comfortable protective goggles I have ever worn. The lenses seal around your ocular ridge, but don't create any hot spots.
--The foam is comfortable, and doesn't get saturated with sweat.
--The 'wrap back' actually does allow pretty clear peripheral vision.
--Very easy to swap out lenses, but they won't come out unless you *want* them to come out.
--You can get other lenses from $30-70 USD if you want to have more options, or have a set of lenses with and without foam. Available ones include Light Adjusting, so you could make do with just one set of lenses for day or night wear.
--I can't see why one couldn't also substitute the SG-1 V-cut lenses for when you need the extra ventilation.
--You can use the soft 'microfibre' case as a cleaning cloth.

Cons:
--Doesn't feel very solid. Granted, flexibility allows it to bend rather than snap, but could take some getting used to.
--When worn with the temples, which are wider & thicker than traditional sunglasses, you may find your ears stick out like Dumbo, as the frame tends to lift away from your head. (Wearing the 'Tac strap peeper keeper', even loosely, prevents this somewhat.)
--Irritating when you're wearing them as shades and have an itch.

Also consider the XL-1 series.

http://www.wileyx.com/hvpModular.php

Here's something an eye surgeon told me to do when shopping for shades: Check the reflection of fluorescent lights in the lenses; if the reflection is extremely sharp, there's adequate UV protection. Cloudy reflection? No protection.

(format edit)
 
Get yourself a pair of Oakleys, I've owned my pair for 2 years, they're quiet strong and you never quite realise how bad most sunglasses are (my mum made me buy the 10$ pair until I was 18...then I switched to a 40 dollar pair...finally I snapped and bought some oakley's) until you try a pair of oakley's out.
I suggest a brown(bronze or whatever)-tint in the lenses as this provides a lot of the same sun protection that a darker lense will give but when the sun goes down a bit they're not too dark, this comes in handy when driving into an underground parking-lot.
Yeah, you're going to pay for it but if you can make them last (and you should be able to) they're worth it, even a cheaper pair of oakleys (I think they start around 150$ cdn) is worth the asking price if you're concerned with eye protection.
 
What if the glasses fall off and get squashed in the tracks of Leopard? there goes those $300 dollar glasses (Unless there armor proof  :P)
 
If your Oakleys fall under the tracks of an armoured vehicle, I'd say that $300 will be the last thing on your mind!  8)
 
Very good point.... if your glasses fall under the track, your head's got to be in close range...
 
Thanks for all the feedback. I ended up just going out to MEC and picking up the MEC Espresso's. They're pretty nice and for 25 bucks I can't complain. At least if they get stolen or something I won't cry about 'em.

If I get to go overseas I'll invest in something with more ballistic protection, but for training I think these will be alright. 8)

Thanks again!
 
Hey guys,

I'm going to be doing an Oakley order for my Unit in September or October through their program. Like I said before there are some really good deals available. I got my Minute polarized glasses for $100 net which would normally come out to over $300. There are also some basic ones available for around $50. If there is some interest I might be able to order some extra pairs, but Oakley likes to keep their program low-profile and only available to serving members of the military.

I'll keep you guys posted as details come in. They're supposed to be sending me their military catalogue sometime soon.
 
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