glasses in basic training

[stockers]

hiya, im going to bassingbourn in august and wondered what the score is with glasses? do i need to bring a few pairs of my own (1 to wear and few spares) or do they get issued straight away? ive also been wondereing what happens when wearing a repirator?

cheers stockers

 

[putteesinmyhands]

Yes. No. Suffocate.

 

[Bravo_Zulu]

You can get some really trendy issue specs, which are hard-wearing for the field, but as they look awful you'll want your own for most of the time. You also get a pair of ressie specs which fit over the top of your respirator for CBRN.

 

[cuckingfunt]

You also get a pair of ressie specs which fit over the top of your respirator for CBRN.

Fcuk me, they must look funny, mine always fitted underneath.

 

[misterp]

its always good to carry a spare pair in your bergan when on ex

 

[Bravo_Zulu]

You also get a pair of ressie specs which fit over the top of your respirator for CBRN.

Fcuk me, they must look funny, mine always fitted underneath.

Fair enough; never worn any so I'll bow to experience. I always imagined a pair of outsized Harry Potter specs though

 

[polar69]

You dont get nhs specs issued until after basic, same with cbrn speccys which fit inside the ressy.
Take a couple of pairs

 

[Circus_Pony]

I would recommend Daily Disposable contacts if you i) can afford the outlay (mine are <GBP 25.00 for 30pr) ii) have no "problem" / allergies in wearing them and iii) your prescription is supported. I did basic and served three years in glasses (with "Oi, Joe 90" comments; it was pre-Harry Potter) and was "OK" with them, but found they would steam up if wearing a helmet and doing a lot of tabbing, especially at night and in colder weather. Found contacts were the way forwards. Also they do not get rain on them or the like as “blinking” keeps them clean.

You can wear daily disposables for more than 24hrs (my record was two weeks with one pair; but I do not recommend it), but if you take some extras in your Bergen, you should be OK: Less bulk and weight and no chance of breaking them.

Just my two-penneth worth: Spec-Savers are where mine come from. If you get a move on you may be able to get all in place before you head off. AND they send them in the post to the address of your choice – Block, Basha, Guardhouse etc… You need to set up a direct debit for the scheme I have, but you may be able to purchase 30 / 60 / 90pr as a “one off” if you are happy to wear glasses for “day to day” stuff and just go for the lenses on Ex, Assault Cse etc.

Good luck - specs or not!

 

[sillyboy]

hiya, im going to bassingbourn in august and wondered what the score is with glasses? do i need to bring a few pairs of my own (1 to wear and few spares) or do they get issued straight away? ive also been wondereing what happens when wearing a repirator?

cheers stockers

Are you ginger, fat and have an aura of mildy repellant BO ?

These qualities SHOULD draw the attention away from the metal hinge that hangs off your face

 

[Bugsy]

You also get a pair of ressie specs which fit over the top of your respirator for CBRN.

Fcuk me, they must look funny, mine always fitted underneath.

Fair enough; never worn any so I'll bow to experience. I always imagined a pair of outsized Harry Potter specs though

The ones we used to get issued for wear with a ressi had plain stainless, round frames and sort of flat, spring-steel sides. However, this was at a time when John Lennon started sporting much the same model (but more expensive), so we four-eyes used to wear them all the time for the "trendy" look.

MsG

 

[Stonker]

You dont get nhs specs issued until after basic, same with cbrn speccys which fit inside the ressy.
Take a couple of pairs

They are not NHS specs.

They are NS specs - as in "No Sex" - trust me, I've been wearing glasses all day, ever since I was 8, and I've never, ever, not ever in all my born days seen a set of uglier frames, even on an American . . . .

Beware contact lenses (even Daily Disposables) - they are not intended for round the clock wear, in conditions of extreme tiredness and low hygiene.

Save those for after Basic Training - you don't wanna run the risk of being back-termed for avoidable sore eyes.

 

[polar69]

I've been wearing glasses all day, ever since I was 8

Pah, red arrse.

 

[Stonker]

I've been wearing glasses all day, ever since I was 8

Pah, red arrse.

Perhaps I should have added "'in the year the Beatles released their first No 1 record"

 

[polar69]

The who ?

 

[Stonker]

The who ?

You deaf?


Not The Who - The Beatles . . . .FFS . . . younger generation . . . .

 

[polar69]

Look on the bright side Stonker at least when your cateracts are done you wont need specs

 

[stockers]

thanks for all the replies. i have had contacts in the pas and didnt get on with them. ive got a few pairs of glasses ready for basic, but i wondered if it was worth buying a piar of safety or sport ones for shooting in the feild etc. ive found the issue ess ice glasses and inserts for 50 quid, all i would have to do is get the inserts set up to my prescription. would it be worth it? and would i look like a cnut turning up to training with these glasses?

cheers stockers

 

[EdwardCoke]

Don't.

Just get a cheap spare pair or two and bring it along.

 

[Stonker]

thanks for all the replies. i have had contacts in the pas and didnt get on with them. ive got a few pairs of glasses ready for basic, but i wondered if it was worth buying a piar of safety or sport ones for shooting in the feild etc. ive found the issue ess ice glasses and inserts for 50 quid, all i would have to do is get the inserts set up to my prescription. would it be worth it? and would i look like a cnut turning up to training with these glasses?

cheers stockers

1. No - it fecking wouldn't! That nice old lady on the five-pound note in your purse really will buy them for you (FFS! )

2. Yes you would. Read on.

I dunno if these days there's any privision for high-durability specs for operations (I expect not - the Army might not want speccy bastards like me doing the firefight in braille 'cos theit NHS set just fell apart, but - even now - they'd draw the line at making me or you look like Elton John).

Buy spares, and if yer going where folk are likely to come and 'ave a go ('cos they think they're 'ard enuff'), get ones that won't easily fly off, snap or scratch.

I'd recommend you get through basic traingn first, - although if (like me) you can barely function without corrective lenses - the following advice applies pretty much everywhere (parties included ):

Keep (at least) one pair of spare/no-sex glasses on your person at all times: "no hand signals - blind platoon commander "wouldn't have have cut it for me in South Armagh - and while things in AFG may be a downhillmovement since then. at least polycarbonate frames and lenses offer you an advantage over the glass things old gits like me were stuck with.

Keep yer head down. Don't let the tw@ts with perfect sight get to you.

I have always found that as long as my specs are in my pocket, and not on my face, there's no such thing as an ugly woman

 

[Grapevine]

I have those ESS ICE with prescription inserts and the SUSAT sits even further from my eye than it does with normal glasses, leading to an even worse sight picture. The outer frames bend the inserts inwards so they're optically very tiring (although this might be due to a iffy pupillary distance measurement). They're very difficult to clean due to having two lenses.

All in all I don't think it's worth the trouble. Oh well, only £90, learning curve and all that. Best I can suggest (which is not saying much) is get a spare pair of glasses, preferably titanium with scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, and try to select a frame with lenses sitting close to the eyes (i.e. wraparound style). Something you can only really try in a shop, although if they're charging too much for lenses, buy the frames and get them reglazed on the Internet.