Quick: What’s your most important piece of equipment for SHTF? I mean the thing that you won’t be able to survive without. What is it?
Many highly prepared people will be thinking of their favourite gear: gun, ammo, hunting knife, or maybe the boots you will need to be on the run, or maybe a compass? A map?
A recent equipment malfunction got me thinking. There’s one piece of equipment I use every single day. In an SHTF situation, surviving without it could be tough. I won’t be able to hunt. I won’t be able to read the body language of people I am negotiating with. I won’t be able to see the rifle pointing out a nearby window straight at me.
Are you getting me yet? I’m talking about my glasses. I am extremely nearsighted.
My Recent Malfunction
You know you’re a hard-core prepper when even everyday occurrences are taken to the SHTF level. This is why, when one of the teeny tiny screws in my glasses somehow got stripped, I immediately started extrapolating to SHTF level.
Of course, I’m prepared enough to be able to pull out my Leatherman Wave + and use the multi-tool to tighten the teeny, tiny screw. However, when I started to extrapolate, suddenly things didn’t look as rosy. “What if it’s SHTF and I don’t have this tool? The screw is stripped. It could loosen, fall out, and then I could lose a lens.” That’s when I faced the full reality of SHTF where I couldn’t see. (This problem inspired Daisy to have Lasik surgery to repair her own bad vision.)
My Current Glasses-Related Preparations
Of course, being a prepper, I have, well…..preparations. I keep all my old prescription glasses. I know that it is nice to donate them, but I somehow feel that I might need them one day. Thankfully, my prescription has not changed that much over the past several years.
I have the most recent pair that I use every day. I have an extra pair out in the car. I have a third extra pair that I carry in my purse. I have a few more older pairs in storage in various states of repair. So, at the current moment, everywhere I might go on the run has an extra pair of glasses.
Just How Bad Is My Vision?
Well, you’ve heard of 20-20, right? Well, I’m at 20-400. When I’m not wearing my glasses, I meet the definition of legally blind in many jurisdictions. I need those special lenses so my glasses don’t look too thick. One benefit of this is that if everyone loses their reading glasses in SHTF, I’ll be the only one able to read any small print! However, it is a humbling thought how difficult life would be if I didn’t have my glasses at all.
In America, research has found that only 35% of adults have natural 20-20 vision. Where are you in those percentages? Are you one of the lucky ones?
Should I Do A Drill?
After realizing how precarious my glasses really are, I wondered if I should do a drill to see what I can (and can’t) accomplish without them. I do think I will try this on the homestead, spending some time outside without them to see how it feels and get a sense of what I actually can see. One thing is for sure: I will not be able to recognize people until they get quite close up.
I did a trial in my mirror to estimate how close I would need to be to recognize someone. It’s difficult to pretend not to recognize yourself, but this is what I did as I walked up to the mirror. I really think I would need to be 4 feet from someone to have any chance of recognizing them. Consider how dangerous that would be in SHTF!
Seeing an Opportunity
I’m a positive thinking person. To me, preparedness has to do with how I think about the problems I face today and might face tomorrow. The fact that a small screw stripped on my glasses alerted me to an opportunity: I am going to purchase some parts for glasses. These parts are tiny, but powerful, and they could be hard to come by in the future. I’m going to buy a few more of those tiny screw drivers and also some extra screws.
I’m also going to put together some ideas for MacGyvering some fixes and put those in a little kit for my BOB. I’m thinking some fine wire that could be threaded through the screw holes in a pinch. I already have my multi-tool with cutters. I have crazy glue in my medicine kit, which would also work. And of course, there’s always duct tape!
I’m realizing that, should the you-know-what hit the rotating spinner, there could be all kinds of folks like me with broken glasses needing help. Hmmm….kinda sounding like a trade or business opportunity, isn’t it? Suddenly, I’m feeling pretty good! For a few bucks and a tiny bit of space in my BOB, I could have a lot of leverage to trade for some lollipops (this is a Selco-related joke….you gotta read his recent article here to get it!)
What About You?
A teeny tiny equipment malfunction helped me realize that a pair of glasses pretty much trumps every other piece of SHTF gear on the planet for me.
What about you? You might have 20-20 vision, but do you have a health issue, like a life-threatening allergy, that you need to consider in SHTF? How are you prepared for your own SHTF blind spot? Let us know in the comments section.
About Rowan
Rowan O’Malley is a fourth-generation Irish American who loves all things green: plants (especially shamrocks), trees, herbs, and weeds! She challenges herself daily to live her best life and to be as fit, healthy, and prepared as possible.
14 Responses
I regularly remove my glasses for some time (half an hour a day) for my natural eye muscles to correct my considerable deficiency in my vision. Usually when sitting in front of my computer at work but I’ve even driven with my glasses removed. NOT AT NIGHT !! In the daytime , I could manage, even reading the stop light color from half a block away. I do have to stay focused though – no talking with passengers if present.
Hi jrg,
Speaking of relaxing the eye muscles, many years ago I bought and used a vision improvement kit, which helped my myopia considerably. I eventually stopped doing the exercises owing to other time demands, but today my vision, at around 20/50, is still far better than it once was.
(My attempts to comment on this thread have failed so far. This is my first attempt at a “reply.”)
I totally get this! I have multiple pairs of glasses for my near-sightedness as well. I keep my most recent prescription when I get a new one. And I have a kit with all sorts of repair items. I would have a hard time if I didn’t have my glasses for the same reasons you mention. Good post!
Hi I have the glasses thing going too. i have a couple extra nose pieces and stuff. i have a kit from grocery store, with screws ….somewhere. I went on a trip recently and was going thru my old glasses. I would add next time your screws come loose , that sounds kinda funny , to put some fingernail polish on the threads. It acts like locktite and will help keep the screws from loosening. At wally world here there is a glasses place. they have a display case with little sturdy tubes 5″ x 1.5″ that contain a mini spray bottle with 2 ounces of cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth. made by Zeiss. They also have larger 8 oz refill bottles . I”ve used the alcohol wipes in foil packs but they degrade the coatings over time. For my daily clean I use a little drop of dawn on each surface , rub w my finger, rinse and wipe off the few remaining drops with a old cotton diaper. An idea would be to get a set of miniscrew drivers and screws and those head band things. My glasses have earpieces that wrap around my ears but they will go flying off. Safety goggles, ski goggles that have foam pads to seal and usually come with multiple lenes for sun protection— think dust. Paint ball goggles. I have several boxes of little packs of eye drop solution for burning dry eyes. I use the little mini one-use ones . The other multi-use bottles i think would get contaminated too easy. I’ve had to pull over in the car because they were burning so much i couldnt see. I’m looking into black currant seed oil suppliments that may help support your bodies production of tears. I have a little tube of ointment for eye infections. I’m intrigued by ads for glasses that have a little adjustment thing you turn that will change the shape of the lens that let you dial in your perscription. hope this gives you some ideas
Also if you live in woods with dense understory – consider some extra pairs of safety goggles or desert goggles. When walking about the dark, the last thing you want is to get a branch or other object stuck in an eye, effectively blinding you for a while (or permanently).
I feel your worry about your eyes. Until corrective cataract surgery I had the same issue-legally blind. My weak spot is a husband with Alzheimer’s. Like anyone with a disabled or elderly loved one if I can’t bug out in our car I’ll have to stay home. He could never carry gear or walk very far and would be so confused by new surroundings I could never care for him. My plan has to be to leave early at the first indication of trouble. That means having all preps in place pretty much at all times. My evacuation binder will be my guide. I update it and re-itemize essentials as needed. I’m a one-person show now and I can’t afford to fail.
Glasses definitely and my walking stick. I have a bad back and will need it to walk. It’s solid maple about 5′ tall and could also be used as a weapon if necessary.
Don’t have prescription glasses yet, but I’m finding that I’m at that age where I need reading glasses. I found a quality pair (not the $2.99 ones) and have purchased several pair. My issue seems to be a bad knee from my time in the military. Again, I’ve purchased several different braces, for use in different situations – depending on how much stress I will be putting on the knee. I always have a couple in storage because they seem to wear out. As they do I replace them, and buy another one for storage.
Somebody mentioned safety glasses/goggles, which are always a good thing to have. I use clear lenses for most of my everyday safety glasses, but you should always have some with tinted lenses for times where you are i bright glare situations – living where I do I know that “snow blindness” is a real thing. Also make sure that your safety glasses have a UV rating – they need to protect you from the sun’s rays just like sunscreen.
Gloves! I tend to forget about protecting my hands as much as I should. As a result I just had to have minor surgery on my left thumb about a month ago because I was losing the use of it. Buy decent gloves that FIT YOU PROPERLY! Gloves that are too big or uncomfortable will wind up being more of a nuisance, and as a result, you won’t be wearing them when you need them. In a SHTF situation there will be a lot more manual labor involved, and you will wear out gloves quicker than you can imagine -stock several pair.
I am in the same boat as Rowan. My vision is spectacularly bad without glasses. I used to wear contacts when I was much younger, but I’ve been exclusively wearing glasses for 10 years, probably longer than that. My eyes are so myopic that I’ve been told by multiple doctors that surgery is not advised because of how stretched my eye and the chances of my retina becoming detached are very high. My sister had LASIK decades ago and my husband had PRK. Her eyes are starting to fail again, and my husband’s are losing near-vision because of age. I used to think it wasn’t worth it for me to chance surgery just to still have to wear glasses. But, doing some research, there are some newer methods that might help me. So, we’ll see. Still, I have multiple pairs of glasses as well. I have one little repair kit, but I should look into ordering more parts. I am instinctively protective of my face because I know how much I actually need my glasses. They are a very valuable extension of my body and have been for a long time.
If the screw in your glasses strips, run a thread of waxed dental floss through the hole before trying to put the screw back in. I found it will hold the screw in and unlike with glue, the wax will let you back the screw out if you really need to.
My eyes are about as bad as Daisy’s, including needing high index lenses. I finally feel fairly comfortable in that regard because not only do I have two fully functional pairs with recent prescription, I have one or two old pairs as well and the micro-tools needed to repair them. I always buy metal frames so they are a bit easier to fix.
I would like to add that I was able to get two good pairs of my normally very expensive glasses by using an online frame shop, Zeny in my case, and they did a great job. They were able to undercut my with-insurance price for a new set of glasses, even without taking insurance. With insurance my new glasses were around $120 and I have a pretty good plan. They got me out the door for around $90 and I actually like the glasses better. Just figured I’d include that for any fellow budget-conscious glasses wearers!
One major blind spot was closed when I lost a butt-ton of weight. It was not easy, not in the least, and it took a few years. However that my fixed high blood pressure and got rid of most of my asthma symptoms. As for the few other things I need long term, I stockpile fixes for those and I’m starting to learn herbablism to be able to grow a few of my own remedies should the need arise. I’ll be honest, that last is going very slowly, but until then I have a couple reputable herb suppliers to keep me in stock.
They usually carry the glass repair kits at the Dollar Tree,,🤗
What an “insightful” post! I am extremely near sighted and cannot function at all without glasses. This will likely save a lot of us one day. Thanks for this! I would have never thought to have spare parts and tools. Keep it coming!
Wow.. 20/400 converts to approximately -6 diopter.. Things are definitely blurry at that range .. in a true survival scenario for those of us with myopia are sort of up the creek. Imagine the businesses and trained individuals are no longer producing the product due to the disruption of a shtf circumstance.
Contacts and glasses simply would not be available..
I think you have the right approach.. redundancy and a stockpile of glasses/contacts is your best option.
My glasses of 30 yrs recently went missing in the house, never to be found again.. and not wanting to pay 650 for another pair ..finally looked at option of online ordering. 130.00 later for 2 pairs was a very palatable cost.. and approximately 2 weeks to deliver. At those prices I will probably be ordering a few more in the near future. Redundancy reins supreme…