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Reviews > Eye Protection and Binoculars > Sun Glasses > Optic Nerve Pipeline Sunglasses > Test Report by alex legg

Optic Nerve Pipeline Glasses
Test Series by Alex Legg
Initial Report July 5th 2013



Tester Information:

Name:  Alex Legg
Age:  30
Gender:  Male
Height:  6'4" (1.9 m)
Weight:  195 lb (88 kg)
Email address:  alexlegg2 AT yahoo DOT com
City, State, Country:  Lyons, Colorado, USA

I have backpacked extensively throughout the southwestern United States my entire life.  I prefer a lightweight approach using tarp tents and trail shoes so that I can save my strength for clocking miles.  I hike on average 4 m (6 km) daily from my back door and also enjoy trips up to 5 days in the backcountry.  I encounter elevation from 5,000 ft to 14,000 ft (1,524 m to 4,267 m) and temperatures from below 0 F to 90 F (-18 C to 32 C).

Product Information and Specifications:

Manufacturer: Optic Nerve
Year of Manufacture: 2013
URL: http://opticnerve.com
Listed Weight: Not Listed
Measured Weight: .9 oz (25 g)
Frame Color: Matte Black (also available in Matte Red and Matte White)
Lens Color: Smoke with flash mirrors / Copper
MSRP: $49.00 US

Product Description and Initial Impressions:

The Optic Nerve Pipeline Sunglasses come with two sets of interchangeable lenses.  One set of lenses are a smoke with flash mirror for bright sunlight, while the other set are a high contrast copper that is best for variable light.  So far I prefer the darker lenses for driving in the mid day sun.  I like the copper lenses for walking in the hills by my house where the sun peaks from behind trees from time to time, but is not generally pointing directly into my eyes.   It took a little more pressure than I had expected to pop out the dark lenses, but once I realized how much force was necessary, I was able to easily interchange the lenses.

The glasses fit comfortably on my face.  Two small rubber strips secure the shades above my ears and two others hold them tightly to my nose.  The glasses are a bit large for my face, but I can't say that I am bothered by this.  They give me such an easy visual perspective when looking into a glare that I am already sold on them. 

The glasses I am reviewing are black and come with a black carrying case.  The case has a sturdy frame that seems like it can protect the glasses well.  I feel very safe packing them into my backpack without worrying about anything banging up against the pack and damaging the glasses. 

Inside the hard case is a thin cloth case that can hold the shades as well as the two interchangeable lenses.  I like that this case has two small hook-and-loop pockets for the lenses.  It is a well organized system.

Summary:

At this point, I like the Pipeline Glasses a lot!  They are super comfortable and the dark lenses seem to do a great job of blocking direct sunlight and glare.  I prefer the copper lenses for most activities so far with the exception of driving.  I look forward to getting these shades on the trail and reporting back on how well the work for me.

What I like:

1.  Comfortable
2.  Well organized case

What I don't like:

1.  Lenses are a bit tough to pop out.

Long Term Report:

Field Conditions:

During the course of the testing process I wore the Pipeline on many backpacking trips as well as daily while driving.  Some of the trips are listed below.

I took the Pipeline Glasses on two separate overnight trips to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.  The temperature ranged from 45 F to 20 F (7 C to -7 C) and the elevation ranged from  9,500 ft to 11,000 ft (2,896 m to 3,353 m).

I also took the glasses on two separate overnight trips to the Indian Peaks Wilderness in Colorado.  The temperature ranged from 35 F to 10 F (2 C to -12 C) and the elevation ranged from 8,500 ft to 10,500 ft (2,591 m to 3,200 m).

The Pipeline glasses accompanied me on many day trips into Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado.  The elevation ranged from 6,000 ft to over 12,000 ft (1,829 m to over 3,658 m) and the temperatures ranged from 65 F to 32 F (18 C to 0 C).

Performance in the Field:

The Pipeline glasses have performed well throughout the past four months.  They have been my daily driving aide as well as a great hiking and backpacking tool.  I initially liked the lighter tinted lenses due to the fact that the dark lenses seemed a little too dark for my liking.  Now that the snow has showed up I really prefer the darker lenses to deal with the bright reflection off the snow.

I really like the interchangeable lenses.  They pop in and out easily and they stay put in the frame securely.  I have had people comment that they thought I was wearing a darker pair of glasses one day than the next.  I was even asked if I had two pairs at one point.  The versatility of these glasses is such a cool feature in my opinion. 

The Pipeline glasses are tough.  They have been tossed around my truck and they have been dropped on the trail numerous times.  Once while in Rocky Mountain National Park I accidentally kicked them off a boulder I was sitting on.  They bounced a few times while dropping about 200 ft (61 m) down.  After the long trip down the mountainside to retrieve the glasses, I found them virtually undamaged with exception of some scratches on the lighter tinted lenses.  The hard plastic frames are super strong compared to other glasses I have worn. 

I also can't say enough good things about the hard case the glasses fit into.  I can secure the glasses in the case and literally throw them around without a care or concern.  During the haste of the recent flooding, I packed lots of stuff into a backpack with the glasses at the bottom.  I didn't even realize that they were down there until I unpacked days later.  Much to my surprise, I was not able to damage the glasses at all!  This case makes my glasses near invincible.

Summary:

Over all I think these glasses are great!  I was not immediately impressed by the look of them on my face, but I feel like they have grown on me.  As far as versatility and strength, I have never owned a better pair of glasses.  I will definitely buy another pair of these in the future.  The price is more than fair compared to other high end glasses and the quality is unmatched.

What I Like:

1.  Interchangeable lenses are awesome!
2.  Very strong frames.
3.  Super strong case.
4.  Affordable.

What I don't Like:

1.  I have zero complaints about these glasses.

I would like to thank Optic Nerve and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to review these sunglasses!



Read more gear reviews by alex legg

Reviews > Eye Protection and Binoculars > Sun Glasses > Optic Nerve Pipeline Sunglasses > Test Report by alex legg



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