Ultralight Sunglasses Case?

[Scott C]

I have very light sensitive eyes and must carry sunglasses at all times when backpacking.  I use glasses so I have expensive prescription sunglasses that I cannot risk getting damaged.  I currently have a case that weighs 2.15 oz.  Does anybody know of an ultralight sunglasses case that is lighter?

requirements: less than 2 oz, can fit both a standard pair of sunglasses and glasses, is a hard case that I could store in the external mess pocket of my pack without damaging my sunglasses.

[Crow]

I’m interested too, I have a pair of prescription glasses – I don’t badly need them and almost never wear them, but at times it’s nice to be able to see more clearly when out in nature…

[Kodiak Firesmith]

For the amount I paid for my prescription sunglasses, I’m very protective of them.  I use a Chums Shade Shell, which has been the lightest thing I could find that I actually trusted.  I don’t have an actual weight for just the case, but with my rather large sunglasses included it’s 2.9oz.

It might be under 2oz but probably just barely.

*Edit*, EMS.com asserts it’s 1.8oz, FWIW

[Lester Moore]

Here’s a good BPL thread with lots of options:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/89773/

 

[Kenneth Keating]

The lightest case I’ve been able to find is a large plastic prescription bill bottle.  Weight is 1.125 oz.  Very strong.  I wrap the glasses in a micrfiber  glass cleaning cloth. But some glasses won’t fit depending on size.  Best is to go to your local pharmacy and asked them for a bottle and see if it works.

[Aaron D]

How about keeping them in a microfiber drawstring sack (.25oz), and then in a shoulder pocket likethis one Zpacks makes? That way they are easily accessible, and in a pretty safe location. Of course, this option doesn’t provide any crush protection, which may be important to you.

[Lance M]

The Crystal Light container for 2 quart packets might have potential.  28 grams. Add a micro fiber ‘sock’.

[Billy Ray]

I have expensive Italian sunglasses… about 300.00
I have never used any kind of case on any trip. Ever.
That is the lightest solution.

billy

[Billy Ray]

I guess I should add that during the day my expensive sunglasses are either on my face or hanging around my neck from my chums. When the sun goes down I put them inside a corner pocket in my tent to keep them out of harm’s way. I never tuck them away inside my backpack so no need for a case.

Billy

[David Thomas]

I’ve found some tubes from inside of plotter paper to be very stiff, strong and light.  It’s a translucent plastic, slightly ribbed.  The plotter paper rolls are about a meter long, and then I cut them to length for the glasses.  A little tape of the end or a strap secured with velcro would work well to the glasses within it.  Or, even more secure, carve out the shape of the glasses from some foam and insert the foam into the tube.  27 grams, with foam, for my fairly large glasses.

[Nick Gatel]

I bought a pair of prescription titanium frame progressive lens from Zenni Optical. Came with a hard plastic case, micro fiber cloth, and clip-on polarized sunglasses. I rarely use sunglasses.

The case and cloth weigh 1 5/8 ounces. The case is sturdy.

The cost for the glasses and accessories was right around $100.

[Aubrey W. Bogard]

I like David Thomas’ idea.

I have used a ~20oz sports drink bottle (Kirkland) with the bottom cut off to protect my prescription Oakleys.  They will just fit inside with the microfiber stuff sack.  The bottle is fairly rigid and much lighter than the supplied case.

[Bob Moulder]

I use glasses and sunglasses with a progressive prescription so I need a case of some sort, sun or no sun. I ‘borrowed’ one of the semi-hard cases (similar to Oakley cases) from my wife’s expensive pair of Morgenthal Frederics sunglasses. Weighs 1.7oz, good enough.

If you have some sort of hard case and need a soft liner for it, moleskin works well for this purpose.

[JCH]

My prescription progressive sunglasses were north of $750…yeah, it stung. But like Billy they are on my face during the day, eg. when I’m hiking. I take them off during/after making camp and just slip them into a small microfiber sack then into the hip belt pocket of my pack. Never had a problem, or a worry.

My regular glasses are another story and they always travel in their very nice hard protective case. Some things are just worth the carry.

[Randy Cain]

Lance, the Crystal Light container turned out to be a perfect solution for me!  More robust than I thought it would be, weighs virtually nothing, and the lid really stays on well.  :)

[Roger Caffin]

Like Nick, we buy our glasses from Zenni, and we use their plastic cases for all transport. Very robust, 1.5 oz.

Cheers

[Rex Sanders]

Crystal Light containers working well for me, too. Between sunglasses, regular glasses, and reading glasses, I need two containers. You can see CL boxes with glasses in my HMG Windrider mesh back pocket here:

About 1 ounce each after you peel off the labels. They hold my large-framed glasses and sunglasses without trouble. And as Randy mentioned, the lid stays on well. And they’re far cheaper than anything sold as a sunglass case.

Look for Crystal Light in six-count “Pitcher Packs,” like these:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crystal-Light-Lemonade-Sugar-Free-Soft-Drink-Mix-6-Two-Qt-Packets/10292766

— Rex

[tom duffy]

The only “worry free” cases I found were 90g (3oz) so I sometimes take a semi-rigid wide mouth water bottle. When I am not needing my sunglasses (or on a plane) I am carrying less water so that bottle is empty. It first came to be used as a proper sized cup (so I can have a cup of tea and breakfast at the same time) but  I found it also a sturdy glasses case. Unfortunately the stronger the case the heavier they are. Also the bigger ones lose lateral strength.  They are 50-90g (the heavy ones eg naglene will even survive the airport guys) which I find acceptable if you actually multi-use it and can avoid carrying a 30-50g cup or spare water bottle.  The openings are about two inches wide so will not fit all sunglasses. It is not the answer for all occasions but it will amuse the trekking shop guys if you start stuffing your sunglasses into drink bottles.  (I also like it as the water bottle filled with tea dries the sock (it is wearing as a cosy) and keeps the drink reasonably warm while I hike.)

Another occasional glasses place to consider in some kitchen configurations is a bag in the cooking pot……. but most pots are too short or protecting the stove …..

 

 

[Adrian Griffin]

I endorse the 60 dram prescription vial. I saw it in another thread that alas, I can’t find now. For mine, I made a tether for the lid with a piece of microcord, 5/64ths holes, and Ashley stopper knots. Overall weight is 27.8g.

Was a good fit for my regular glasses, but not quite long enough for my prescription sunglasses. So I made a bulge in the bottom and a bulge in the lid (barely visible in the photo) by heating it with a heat gun and pushing down with the head of a 5/16 carriage bolt.

The lightweight all-plastic clamshell from Stanton Optical that I used before is 43g.

[AK Granola]

Yet another Crystal Light container user. So simple, sturdy, and I’ve used the same one for years.

[Adrian Griffin]

Continuing the hunt for a lightweight glasses case. Like Rex, I need two cases—one for the DriveWear polarized I wear during the day, and one for regular glasses I wear in the evening.

I tried a couple of MYOG cases, but neither are satisfactory. The cut-down Trader Joe’s salad dressing bottle is the lightest, but flimsy, with little crush protection. The 60-dram prescription vial gives good protection, but being round, it’s bulky and doesn’t slide easily into the back pocket of my backpack or the mesh pocket in my tent. Even went into a dollar store and weighed a few of what they had.

But I found a good one from Temu. The clamshell style is the lightest at 22g. Less bulky than the prescription vial or a Crystal light container and lighter the anything else I’ve seen. Pricing and availability bounce around. The vendor I got it from is sold out, but others might have it. Note the detail on the clasp for the 22g case.

[Jerry Adams]

0.9 ounces.  Glasses partly out of the holder:

Disassembled.  Glasses, the fleece tube, plastic that goes inside the fleece tube:

Closeup of plastic.  Piece cut from a milk bottle, with tape around it to keep it in place:

This isn’t real stiff – you could break your glasses if you stepped on it.  Those other (heavier) ones would be better, but I never step on it.

[John S.]

The Temu one looks like mine from zennioptical.

[Adrian Griffin]

Good, that’s another source. Might also pop up in dollar stores or AliExpress.

[Roger Caffin]

The Temu clamshell: every time I buy glasses from Zenni they come in one of those cases. Quite strong.

Cheers

[Author]

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