Mouth breathing, balaclavas and fogging up your glasses

[Brett Peugh]

I am almost always a mouth breather due to sinus problems. I always have trouble fogging up my glasses while wearing a balaclava. To alleviate this I usually end up pulling the bottom part of the hole down past my lower lip so that I can breath and not fog up my glasses. Is there any other technique I should be using or a different balaclava?

[Michael Cheifetz]

im not sure about this..but arent there thos super winter balaclavas that have some sort of contraption that catches the humidity coming from your breath (so it doesnt freeze)
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[Steve Cain]

I use the Psoalar balaclava for exactly those reasons. http://www.psolar.com/id5.html
It works well, however at times I feel it restricts my breathing if I'm really exerting myself. It does VERY well at helping me stay warmer while snow camping!

I've heard of the Talus "Cold Avenger", which looks REALLY nice, but I've never tried one. http://www.talusoutdoortech.com/

[Mike Clelland]

Grow a beard. I find it helps a lot!

[Brett Peugh]

Already got a beard. Doesn't seem to help that all that much.

[Brett Peugh]

Which psolar balaclava do you use?

[Ralph McNall]

I did something similar by just cutting out the mouth and sewing in a piece of mesh. The moisture from my breath used to turn the whole thing into a block of ice, but with the mesh it did a lot better. It would still get wet and freeze eventually, but it was better and I don't use it very often so I haven't worked on perfecting the design.

[Brett Peugh]

It looks like that is what psolar does and my thinking is going along those lines. Maybe I will end up with something that looks like Iron Man.

[Steve Cain]

Brett: I use the BX model of Psolar. I forgot to mention that it has a very simple foam piece (But pretty darned effective) barrier that can be stuck onto the mask and is placed on the bridge of the nose to help keep exhaled moisture from rising up and fogging glasses.

From the website: "Psolar® Vapor Shield® fits into any facemask or balaclava. It is designed to block the opening that naturally occurs when fabric that is pulled tight makes a straight line from the bridge of you nose to your cheek. This gap can allow moist air up onto the inside surface of your glasses where it immediately condenses and blocks your vision. With the Vapor Shield, the vapors are not allowed up and your glasses stay more clear. This product is not recommended for goggles which already form to your face if they are properly fit."

[Michael Davis]

Brett,

I haven't tried this gear but Outdoor Research makes an interesting "modular" balaclava called Gorilla. It seems like it would leave the air passage more clear and it is adjustable with it's flexible options. I haven't tried it because it looks a little heavy and complicated but, if it will help with your situation, all that may be worth it.

[Bob Ellenberg]

There are products that will keep the glasses from fogging. I have usually bought it at ski shops.

[josh wagner]

rainx makes a product that is an antifog agent for your car windshield. it would probably work fine for your goggles, although i'm unsure how long an application would last

[Matt Lutz]

I hear you on the problems. My current balaclava is an OR Sonic (similar to Gorilla) which I cut the mouth mesh and supporting webbing out of. I still fog up glasses, even breathing out of my mouth.

Solution? I wear fog-proof ski goggles in winter now.

[Brad Groves]

First and easiest is Cat Crap, or some other made-for-glasses anti-fog agent. Can find the stuff at dive shops, too. Trivia for the day: Windex isn't good for windows; it pits them over time. Spectacles are ( majority) made out of much less wear-resistant plastics/polys. I can't suggest spitting on the glasses and rinsing off like you would with a dive mask, though… :P

There's a fair bit of cross-over product that gets ignored between the hunting and backpacking communities. I have a scent-minimizing balaclava for hunting with which I get minimal fogging. The secret? They put a malleable metal strip over the nose portion of the balaclava, kinda like a breath-right strip. I mash it to the shape of my nose and except for high exertion (in which case I don't have the balaclava down all the way) don't really have any problems with fogging. Seems like it could be a relatively simple retrofit…

[Matthew Roberts]

I'm p!ssed off. I spend $60 for a piece of neoprene and a rubber duck's bill. There's NO FILTER to "protect your airways in the cold".

I feel ripped off. The neoprene isn't even cut to mold the face. It smashes my face and chokes my neck. I'm over this mask!

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