GearFlogger

Julbo Explorer glacier glasses

Eye protection is one of those critical items that need redundancy in your packing list. It's also a very personal piece of gear, much like boots. It has to fit well or you'll notice it every minute. The Julbo Explorer glacier glasses are definitly worth a look if you're traveling into thin air.

The Explorers are a stout piece of eyewear, weighing in at 1.7oz with their side shields and leash. They don't come with a nose protector, but that's easily solved with a NozKon, and there's even a little slot on the bridge for it (note the production models don't have the little vertical piece in the middle of the slot). The lenses are very dark and perfect for high-glare snow travel. There are actually three different lenses; I tried the Camel photochromic, polarized anti-fog lens and it's a winner: for such full coverage they don't fog too quickly.

The side shields add just a little bit extra coverage, and they snap in and out easily. They also have a matching vent hole so they don't obstruct the hole on the frame, and the holes are angled so you won't get a little laser sunburn. The arms are beefy; don't expect a lot of peripheral vision, but that just goes with the format. The temples are adjustable, which is good because the leash attachment points might poke your brain if you don't give them a little twist outward. The Explorers nail the feature list nicely.

From $120.00 at REI

NozKon nose protector

A little something for your schnoz, the NozKon is a better but still not perfect nose protector. I suppose these things work for most people most of the time, but mountaineering in general and glacier mountaineering specifically require a little more from a nose shield.

What's great about the NozKon, aside from the clever name: ability to cut down the size for smaller noses, soft material and natural curved shape. What could be better: a little more coverage where the nose meets the face a longer loop for technical sunglasses (you could always cut it down) would be a great start.

Ideally the bottom of the NozKon would bend inward to protect the tip and sides of the nostrils; that would be seriously cool if they could figure out how to make that work. Until the perfect nose protector comes along the NozKon is probably the best thing going, unless you make your own out of duct tape.

From $4.99 at NozKon

Smith Phenom goggles

Not to be confused with Ultimate Fighter Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort, the Phenom Spherical Series goggles from Smith are just as awesome although they probably won't protect you in the grab-hair-smash-face arena.

The Phenom is a helmet-compatible, medium fit/medium volume goggle with spherical lenses; a smaller fit women's version is the Anthem. But that's not important right now: any set of goggles will protect your face, the only questions to be answered are (1) are they clear, (2) are they comfortable and (3) do they fog?

For you ADHD types - who probably haven't read this far anyway - the answers are yes, yes and hell no. Clarity is excellent on the rose copper polarized lens and the fully adjustable fit is snug and comfy even under a helmet or over ear protection. But these qualities are all available in many goggles; the distinguishing feature that makes the Smith Phenom the goggle to beat is the Regulator adjustable lens ventilation system. It just works, and for backcountry use it's hard to overstate the joy of being able to goggle up on the uphill grunt without worrying about fogging. Highly recommended.

$129.95 at Mountaingear

Zeal Optics Maestro sunglasses

Zeal Optics is a relatively new eyewear company based in Moab (rah!). They have a well-rounded and stylish collection of sunglasses and goggles that are showing up all over, including the Maestro full-frame model. The first thing you'll notice about the Maestros is the curvy but solid look and feel.

The spring-loaded hinges are a cut above the flimsy construction found on some much more expensive shades, and the frame feels like you could sit on it. Which I didn't, even though I wanted to; those proctologist bills are killing me. The parts that grab your nose and head are nonslip silicone that does a great job of staying put, even when sweaty.

The polarization on the ZB-13 lenses is awesome, and the amber tint with 13% light transmission is just right for all-day wear in a variety of applications. Zeal even throws in a padded hardcase: way to go! Keep in mind the fixed nosepiece on the Maestro is best for medium to large noses; if your beak is small and/or narrow look at their other models.

$129.95 at Backcountry

The North Face Thin Air eyewear

The Thin Air sunglass/goggle hybrids from The North Face gave me a whiplash flashback to a date I only refer to now as "the incident." Like my date the Thin Airs are svelte, sexy and look good in red. Like my date the Thin Airs are expensive. And like my date the Thin Airs ultimately disappoint with substandard performance that falls far short of their come-hither promise.

Handling the Thin Airs in the store they seem like the perfect hybrid eyewear: both lenses are set in a single easily interchangeable frame, a glacier shield pops into place for maximum goggle-like coverage, and there is a clever elastic band that clips behind your head built into the temples.

In the field it's a different story. The clever elastic band stretches out and won't retract into the temples. Toting the extra lens assemblies takes a decent amount of space. And the coup de grace: the Thin Airs fog easily. All could be forgiven but the last, which is one of the most frustrating experiences one can have in the backcountry, second only to getting one's low-hanging fruit caught in a zipper. Buyer beware.

$200.00 at The North Face

Sportsvisionbend prescription lenses

After getting my Smith Factor D-Max sunglasses I noticed that details were not quite as sharp as they should be. Goddamn Smith! Those bastards and their lack of quality control! I will go to the ends of the earth to tank their stock price!

Oops, as you were; turns out I'm just getting old and need a tiny bit of prescription correction in the Mark I Eyeball. Unfortunately options are few and prices sky-high for this kind of thing. I decided to go with Sportsvisionbend (Bend, Oregon) because their lack of imagination in naming their company clearly indicates they are too lazy to cheat me.

I sent a current prescription by fax, and two weeks later I had a pair of brown polarized lenses. They're in the standard Factor sizing, smaller than the Factor Max or even larger D-Max, and they fit with just a little bit of play in the Smith frames, which might bother someone jarring around a lot. The quality is fantastic, as it should be for $230 a pair, almost double the price of the sunglasses themselves. Nonpolarized lenses are cheaper, at $155, and the technicians at Sportsvisionbend can walk you through the pros and cons of various tints for various uses. Only downside besides price: no yellow tint.

$Various prices at Sportsvisionbend.com

Smith Factor D-Max sunglasses

I loved my Smith Buzzsaw shades with interchangeable lenses, but they were phased out some time ago. Enter their replacement, the Smith Factor series, which improve on the Buzzsaws with a nice frameless design.

The Factor comes in three configurations, all with the same frame but progressively larger lenses: the Factor, Factor Max and Factor D-Max. I picked up the D-Max for glacier and alpine use, figuring more is better. It's a great system, coming standard with four lenses: clear mirror (for biology lab or birth control), yellow (for high contrast Bourne activities: think driving and shooting), RC30 (rose-copper 30% light transmission: preferred for contrast on snow) and polarized brown (for the general cool look).

All in all it's a great value from Smith. The shades even come with a nice zippered stiffie nylon case, with removable storage for the extra lenses. The only thing they don't include is a cleaning cloth, so pick one up to protect your investment. Check out prescription lenses too.

$119.00 at REI

Hides 3-in-1 sunglasses retainer

File this under no-brainer purchasing decisions. The Hides 3-in-1 sunglasses retainer triples as a leash, cleaning cloth and soft cover for your shades.

Not a whole lot else to say. Constructed from DuPont microfiber, the leash stretches from hinge to hinge to cover the lenses, and if it's clean - but really, what are the odds of that since it's sitting on your skanky brainbucket all day - you can wipe down the lenses too.

If you look around you can find them in colors other than black. Which is technically the absence of color. Whatev.

$7.95 at REI

Wiley-X SG-1 V-cut goggles

Wiley-X, a company started by the coyote nemesis of the roadrunner, has developed the SG-1 V-cut for tactical applications where a clear lens is critical to maintaining an intact brain housing group.

I find a wide variation in how well goggles ventilate to stay clear, and while none are perfect these do a damn good job. The foam cups around the inside of the eyepieces have little v's cut into them, allowing air to get in but keeping most particulates (dust, blowing snow and ice) out.

Various clear and tinted lenses are interchangeable, and the head restraint allows you to switch between normal arms and an elastic band. This is handy as it lets them double as sunglasses in case your main pair breaks.

$100.00 at Wiley-X