I am a keen trekker and, when the purse strings will allow it, a keen mountaineer. I have enjoyed many walks in the UK and abroad yet I always struggled to find the correct sunglasses, an overlooked yet essential part of my kit. The reasons are simple; if I purchase a grey based lens then the light is flattened and I sacrifice contrast ability (high contrast levels are required when going from a shadow into a bright-light), if I buy a pink or brown lens then the contrast levels are good but I spend my time squinting when the sunlight is strong. I have tried low light lenses that are either a high-yellow or orange but these are poor in bright conditions so not a good option unless walking of an evening or in poor light conditions and I generally wouldn’t wear sunglasses at this time.
I eventually splashed out on an expensive pair of Oakley sunglasses which are truly wonderful sunglasses but I purchased a model that allowed for the lenses to be quickly swapped in-an-out, an oversight as the time this took was nothing compared to buying two pairs but with cold hands I dropped the lens and watched it sail into the abyss… truly gutted. I have now however found the perfect sunglasses for trekking in the UK and abroad, the sunglasses in question are called Maui Jim Ho-okipa sunglasses and I am delighted to report that they are brilliant.
All Maui Jims are polarised (which means they filter reflective light) and they produce a grey based lens that has a high contrast level so I can wear my sunnies in bright light and still see all the cracks and crevasses when walking. I was also delighted to find out that my new Grey Maui Jim’s, model number 407-02 have a 2 year manufacturers warranty, that’s a year more than my Oakleys! I wear these sunglasses all the time so I really can’t recommend them enough.
I have recommended these sunglasses to many friends who have also took the plunge and purchased Maui’s and I am delighted to say they all love them. I am normally very cautious of recommending something so personal as a pair of sunglasses to friend and family, but the lens quality is awesome, the frames are lightweight and they have a special compound on the nose bridge and around the ears that mean the sunglasses stick to my face, even when I running or sweating heavily. I really can’t say enough about these.