Reviews > Eye Protection and Binoculars > Sun Glasses > Guideline Eyewear Draft Sunglasses > Test Report by Kara Stanley

GUIDELINE DRAFT
TEST SERIES BY KARA STANLEY
LONG-TERM REPORT
April 03, 2014

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

I have been hiking most of my life and backpacking since 2006. I have hiked mostly on the east coast, doing weekend trips in the Appalachian Mountains. Since moving to Arizona, my hikes have ranged from short desert hikes to overnight backpacking trips in the mountains. Recently I have taken up canyoneering and off-trail hiking/backpacking to spice things up. I currently use a solo non-free standing tent, canister stove, purification tabs, and lightweight trail runners, conditions permitting, to cut down on weight. My hikes are solo and range from an overnight trip to 4-5 nights on the trail.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Guideline

Year of Manufacture: 2013

Manufacturer's Website: http://www.glpolarized.com/

MSRP: US$59.95

Listed Weight: N/A

Measured Weight: Sunglasses 1 oz/30gm; Sunglasses case 1.3 oz/37 gm

Other details: The Guideline Draft comes in two color choices: Shiny Brown Tortoise / Freestone Brown and Shiny Black / Deep Water Gray.

Measured Size Opened for wear: 5 1/2 in/14cm for the lense part and 6 3/4 in/17.2 cm from the nose piece to the tip of the ear piece.

Measured Size Closed for storage: 5 1/2 in/14cm by 2 1/2 in/6.4 cm

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Guideline Draft sunglasses, here on referred to as the sunglasses, arrived with a storage case to protect them when they are not being worn.

The sunglasses are a nice shade of tortoise shell with brown lenses that are "deal for low light conditions and overcast days" according to Guideline's website. They have vents in the top of the frame to help ( I think) prevent the sunglasses from fogging up and allow air to flow between the face and the glasses.

From the Guideline website

The sunglasses case is simple, with a hook and loop closure and a divot inside the case for the nose piece to rest on. There are no loops on the case for attached it to the outside of a backpack or a belt. Either option would have been nice so that I could attach the case to chest trap of my backpack for easy storage when I wasn't wearing them.

TRYING IT OUT

I chose to test the brown lens sunglasses because I often hike in deep, narrow canyons that provide low light conditions and I wanted to see how these sunglasses would perform as I have found other sunglasses lenses to be too dark to wear in a canyon.

I have worn these sunglasses on a few hikes, both in bright daylight and low light canyons with tree cover in the bottom. So far I have found that they provide good protection during bright light periods and also the lenses are light enough that I can wear them in low night situations longer then I have been able to wear sunglasses with dark lenses in the past.

I find the fit to be comfortable and they are light weight. So far my only complaint is that my hair does get stuck where the hinges are when I push the sunglasses on top of my head. I do like the wrap around style of the sunglasses as they provide ample protection from the harsh desert sunlight.

SUMMARY

Overall the sunglasses seem well made and comfortable. I will be interested in seeing how well they hold up to backpacking over the next few months.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Trip 1:
2 day trip the first weekend in November in the Secret Canyon Wilderness Area of Arizona
Temperatures were a high of 70 F/21 C to a low of 40 F/4 C with mostly sunny skies

Trip 2:
3 day trip the last weekend in November down the Tanner Trail in Grand Canyon National Park
The temperatures ranged from a high of 50 F/10 C and a low of 35 F/1 C with cloudy skies the majority of the time due to a rare inversion in the canyon.

Trip 3:
3 day trip the first weekend in December on the Kaibab and Bright Angel trails in Grand Canyon National Park
The temperatures ranged from a high of about 50 F/10 C and 8 F/ -13 C with all forms of weather, including sun, rain, snow, sleet, and wind.

I have also use these on numerous day hikes throughout the state.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I have worn these sun glasses in a variety of settings from open, sunny desert hikes to shaded canyon hikes. On one trip, it was cold and windy so I wore the sunglasses in the shaded areas to keep the wind out of my eyes. Normally I wouldn't wear sunglasses in the shade, but the lenses are light enough that I didn't mind them.

When wearing the sunglasses in bright light conditions, such as high noon in the Arizona desert, I notice that they protect my eyes from squinting at the brightness. I also noticed that the colors are bright through the polarized lenses.

On a hiking trip, I loaned them to my light-eyed, light sensitive hiking partner for a few hours. He loved also loved the sunglasses and threatened to keep them for himself.

Note the small, hair trapping G logo on the side

I do think that the air vents on the top of the sunglasses frame do help with the airflow. I haven't noticed my eyes getting too hot behind the sunglasses the way they have with other pairs in the past.

Also, I like the overall style of these sunglasses and as a woman I do not find them to be too large or chunky. I also like the way the bottoms of the glasses float instead of resting on my cheeks.

The one drawback is that the small G logo on the side temple piece gets caught in my hair. I often push my sunglasses up on top of my head several times in the course of a hiking trip. Having to carefully remove the hair that has slipped between the little G logo and the frame is annoying and sometimes painful when the stuck hairs are actually pulled out. Perhaps if the logo was sealed to the frame this wouldn't happened.

At the end of the testing period, the lenses only have one small scratch and this was from a fall of about 4 ft / 1.25 m to concrete surface. I did not use the carrying case at all as I found it a hassle to remember and eventually ended up leaving it in my friend's car during a backpacking trip.

SUMMARY

Overall I have really enjoyed testing these sunglasses and expect that I will continue to use them for beyond the test period. I love the sun protect they provide my eyes and they do not feel hot or stuffy. I find them stylish and like the design.

My only complaint is that my hair gets stuck in the logo plate attached to the temple pieces.

Thank you so much Guideline Designs and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to test these sunglasses!

Reviews > Eye Protection and Binoculars > Sun Glasses > Guideline Eyewear Draft Sunglasses > Test Report by Kara Stanley