Emergency Snow Goggles

Snow goggles are necessary if you spend extended time in an environment where the landscape is entirely covered in snow. The North Pole for example, if you are assisting Santa and his elves.

Or in Colorado, if you are camping in the snow.

If you happen to have glasses that block ultraviolet light they are not needed.

Why are snow goggles needed?

Snow reflects a tremendous amount of ultraviolet light. This causes a "sunburn" on the interior of the eye (even in cloudy days) and can cause swelling, redness, degraded vision, and temporary loss of vision.

Wearing goggles with a slit (either one long slit or a small one for each eye) will prevent this.

The slit should not be wider than 1/8 inch.

They can be made from cardboard, folded over duct-tape, or the bark of a tree, and secured with string or a rubber band. A nose notch can be cut. Scissors or a pocketknife are helpful in construction.

[cloa513]

Does that give any protection against the confusion- snow blindness where people loss their sense of direction when faced with field of white.

[caregiver222]

Basically, these goggles provide protection from burning the inside of the eye from ultraviolet exposure.

It's very easy to lose your sense of direction in a blinding snowstorm. In almost all cases it's best to stay put and seek shelter. If you must travel, we were taught to have a compass to refer to regularly.