Comfort and Fit The center nosepiece and shield on the Smith Pursuit sunglasses (Photo/David Young) On the other hand, I used these on a trip skiing and snowshoeing in Banff and they stood up to the high-altitude bright sun and snow. They protected against the sun, wind, and flying snow kicked up by the snowmobiles in deep powder on Togwotee Pass. While snowmobiling isn’t exactly what they are intended for, if you end up zipping around the backcountry on a sled (especially to get to a ski locale), they will work great. And no matter where I was, whether I was in the backcountry, side, or front, the Pursuit performed great. I’ve spent a lot of this wintertime on snow in the the Wind River Range in Wyoming to skiing in Banff, Canada. Testing in the North and the West (Photo/David Young) For cloudy or lowlight conditions I can use the clear lens and for very sunny days there is the Matte Black + ChromaPop Black Lens with a 10% VLT. This means that my Copper Red Mirror lens works well in high sunlight conditions, which I encounter quite a bit in the Rocky Mountains. A standard sunglasses lens is around 15% to 25% VLT. The VLT is a percentage of how much sunlight penetrates the lens and hits your eyes. This has a Variable Light Transmission (VLT) of 7% to 45%. I tested out the Matte Slate + ChromaPop Glacier Photochromic Copper Red Mirror lens. ChromaPop lenses have color filtration, which combines color technology with polarization. Polarized lenses block horizontal reflected light beams thus eliminating glare off of water or snow. While ChromaPop lenses enhance contrast and natural color to enhance details, they differ from standard polarized sunglasses. Plus, each pair of sunglasses comes with a clear lens you can pop in for lowlight situations. Smith offers five different color lens options (of varying VLTs) for the Pursuit for various lighting conditions. And the ChromaPop offers a variety of lenses you can swap in and out that have great contrast and color enhancement throughout the tint range. These lenses have less sensitivity to temperature changes compared to other adaptable lenses. The lens will change to match the various light conditions on the mountain. Smith’s signature ChromaPop Glacier Photochromic lens is the heart of these sunglasses. That being said, unless you are really getting after it on big-mountain ski tours, and doing it frequently, these sunglasses may be more than you need.Ĭheck Price at EVO Check Price at Smith Smith Pursuit Sunglasses Review (Photo/David Young) Protection From Sun & Snow, ChromaPop Technology In my sun-filled days on the snow testing these glasses, I was able to ditch my goggles and Wildcat sunglasses, in turn using the Pursuit for snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and skiing. With ample coverage, sun protection, and airflow, skiers can modify the frame to fit almost any alpine condition. In short: The Pursuit ($269-299) is the ideal one-quiver eyewear for backcountry adventures. It includes a nose cover adaptor, goggle-inspired strap attachment, an extra clear lens, and a carrying case. The Pursuit builds on the Wildcat’s oversize windshield coverage with a blend of goggle-like coverage combined with the feel of sunglasses. Which makes sense, considering the fact that Townsend made Smith’s Wildcat sunglasses a staple in the backcountry among skiers years ago. Smith athlete and backcountry skier Cody Townsend - who needs no introduction - had a hand in helping design the Pursuit. The glacier-style glasses, as Smith dubs them, work equally well on long ascents as well as steep and deep descents. However, while they work for snowmobiling, these are truly designed for backcountry skiing and high-exertion mountain adventures. I didn’t need to switch from bulky goggles to venting sunglasses, or vice versa. The Pursuit killed it on my recent snowmobile trip, providing great sun, wind, and snow protection for the upper half of my face.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |