How do I prevent my ski goggles from fogging up? What can I do to keep my ski goggle from fogging up? Ski mask fogging up what to do

There is no more important and sacred task for manufacturers of snboard masks than to develop and create a mask that will not fog up under any circumstances and will provide the rider with exceptional, unrivaled visibility in all weather conditions. Until then, read the helpful information.

In recent years, we have seen a lot of advanced technologies that promised to deal with the problem of fogging once and for all. What the manufacturers did not offer: from a mask equipped with a small fan to a helmet design, which supposedly has a ventilation system of the mask itself. The reality is that the absolute ideal still does not exist. Of course, there are better and worse masks, there are better and more resistant to fogging, there are those in which everything is visible as if in a fog after 5 minutes after the start of skiing.

While we are waiting for a miracle and the creation of a mask that will be transparent and 100% free of this problem, let's deal with simple and convenient methods that will help you reduce lens fogging and maximize the functionality of your chosen mask.

Avoid warm air

The mask fogs up due to the fact that heat from your body penetrates into the mask and enters the lens, which is exposed to freezing temperatures from the outside. Due to the temperature difference, liquid condensation occurs and tiny water droplets '' adhere '' to the inner surface of the lens, blurring your view and thus significantly reducing your vision.

Very often this happens when you pull the geyser or balaclava to the very bottom of the goggles, thus creating a channel of warm air, which, falling under the mask, contributes to its fogging and spoils your entire skiing, or, at least, your mood.

To avoid this, it is sufficient to keep warm air from your breath away from the inside of the mask. A balaclava with openings for free breathing can help solve this problem. For example, a bright and stylish piece will keep the wind out while helping the air circulate properly, reducing the risk of fogging.

When you are not riding, do not wear a mask on your head, as it is also warm and will quickly heat up the lens from the inside. It is best to take it off and carry it in your hand, if you are climbing a gondola that is tightly packed by happy riders, then lower your hand with the mask as low as possible, away from the heat radiated by others.

Remove mask when exercising

If you are hiking in the backcountry or have fallen into a powder and are desperate to get out, take your mask off! In the first case, stock up on a pair of sunglasses, and put them on, carefully removing the mask into the cover (and not stuffing it into a wet and dirty pocket), in the second, the main thing is to get out of the puffy snow, you will not have time for the mask there.

Monitor ventilation

Most ski goggles are equipped with a ventilation system, and your task is to make sure that the ventilation holes are not clogged with snow, ice and are not blocked by other items of equipment - a balaclava, helmet or hat.

If snow does get into them, then try to be extremely careful and clean the holes with light shakes.

If, nevertheless, it was not possible to prevent the worst and the mask fogged up, the main thing is not to panic and freak out! No need to frantically climb inward with your hands and begin to wipe the misted surface furiously in the hope of continuing to ride as soon as possible. It is strictly forbidden to do this at all, since the anti-fog coating is applied on the inside of the lens, and you seriously risk scratching the mask and permanently damaging it.

The longed-for and so far unattainable dream for all, without exception, manufacturers of ski optics is to create a mask that would never fog up under any circumstances! One of the most frequently asked questions on the forums dedicated to skiing is how to deal with mask fogging ?!

Manufacturers of ski optics have been racking their brains over this problem for many years! Even expensive masks from the TOP segment, with thoughtful ventilation and several layers of AntiFog coating applied to the inner lens, periodically fog up! Engineers go further and come up with such radical solutions as, for example, TurboFan from Smith optics, when a small fan is built right into the mask frame. Or the new Inferno Heated technology from Oakley, when the mask is equipped with an additional module that heats the lens! We will talk about this, the most effective for today, technology in a separate article, but for now a few tips on how to prevent fogging.

Avoid getting warm air inside the mask!

Misting occurs when warm air from your breath and body penetrates into the mask and, if the outside temperature is freezing, immediately cools down, forming condensation on the lens in the form of microscopic water droplets.

Most often, warm air enters the mask through a balaclava, buff or bandana when the mask is worn over your face shield. If the bottom of the mask has contact with your gate, then the breath vapor will penetrate into the mask through the buff fabric, and the lens will tighten! In this case, even specially provided holes in your balaclava will not help, some of the warm air will somehow end up inside! Therefore, just leave a gap between the gate and the bottom edge of the mask, and then the warm air from breathing will not get inside the mask!

And the best option is to grow a beard and just not wear buffs 😉

Also, do not engage in wearing a snowboard with a mask on your face. Because, firstly, for most snowboarding enthusiasts, this is a rather energetic procedure, in which the intensity of evaporation increases, and secondly, during the fastening process, your head is parallel to the ground and warm air from your breath, rising up at a right angle, penetrates into the mask through ventilation holes. Therefore, we advise you to put on the mask after you have fastened the board.

If you skate in a hat, then surely during the pauses between descents or while standing in line for the lift, remove the mask upstairs, onto the hat. Let's face it - not a great idea, as the head and cap are powerful sources of evaporation, especially if you've just completed an active descent! And if the hat is still in the snow ... ..uh! there is almost no chance of avoiding fogging! During such breaks, it is better to put the mask in a cool pocket of your jacket or hold it in your hand.

But if you wear a helmet, then during pauses or during the ascent on the cable car, you can, and even need to remove the mask on the helmet. And then, when you reach the top and prepare for the next descent, you will put on crystal clear optics without traces of fogging!

If you have to climb a long and hard hike or need to get out of the forest through deep snow, then after a while you begin to "soar" like a saucepan with freshly prepared borscht! And of course, the farther from this pan the mask is, the better ... Is there a backcountry trip and, accordingly, a long climb to the mountains? Ok, put on sunglasses to protect your eyes, and put the mask in a soft case and put it in your backpack, or in the same pocket, after clearing it of snow!

Ventilation.

At the moment, masks of any self-respecting brand have a well-thought-out ventilation system that helps to remove warm air from your mask! Therefore, make sure that the vents are not covered with a helmet or other headgear, that they are not covered with dirt, snow or ice. But be careful when cleaning, do not damage the thin foam layer covering the holes. By the way, the faster you roll, the better the ventilation works, there you go!

What to do if the mask is still fogged up?

The main thing - never, under any circumstances, rub the mask from the inside, do not scrape the ice outside! At best, you will only exacerbate the problem, and at worst, ditch an expensive lens! The cloudy streaks between the outer and inner lens appear precisely because of this! Our customers often turn to replacement lenses after they have damaged theirs by such actions. Do not repeat other people's mistakes ... If the mask is very foggy, take it off and try to get to the nearest cafe. There you can dry it with a hand dryer or on a convector. But do not bring the mask too close to the dryer, there is a risk of melting something needed =) One guy with me, in the Bullet cafe in Sheregesh, accidentally melted an expensive lens on Anon M2 in this way ...

Take care of your optics and it will serve you for a long time! See you on the slope!

Ulyanov Igor

In this article, you will find out which masks never sweat. In which of them forced ventilation is used, in which the heating of the "windshield". You will also learn about the curiosity presented by the Julbo company (pictured).

This is another LETITSNOW.RU bathyscaphe expedition into the depths of ski optics. If last week we explored ways to maintain good visibility when the weather changes, then today we will focus on protecting your ski masks from fogging. Let's dive in!

Warm air emanating from the face does not have time to evaporate and falls out in the form of moisture on the inner surface of the filter. If this happens, then our pleasure of riding comes to an end. Our mask gets wet. All attempts to bring it into working order fail. Wiping is enough for a couple of minutes - we irritatedly rub the mask with a wet rag for the hundredth time, trying at least for one descent to return good visibility and the joy for which we came to the mountains. But all is in vain. Water droplets reappear on the filter and distort the image. Every skier and snowboarder knows what this is about.

To our delight, everything has changed in recent years. Many solutions to this problem have appeared on the ski optics market, and now I will introduce you to them. But, before we move on, I want to appeal to those who ride leisurely (they do not fall and do not sweat), who do not sweat at all (I know there are some, too), who ride in dry and frosty resorts (on it's almost impossible to sweat them - it's too cold). You are lucky, and you do not need the bells and whistles, which will be discussed below. A mask with passive ventilation.

Passive ventilation with ski masks

Air movement in such masks begins only with the first turn. The counter flow enters some holes and exits through others, pushing the warm air out. If you stand still, then this technology is useless. It's like opening the windows in a smoky car in the complete absence of wind and ventilation. To get rid of the smoke, you will have to wave your hands or a newspaper. You may have seen people on the slope waving their masks - so they tried to bring them back to normal a little.

But if your sweating is okay, or you ride, for example, in damp Krasnaya Polyana, or visit the European Alps in the late hot spring, then passive ventilation will not save you. It is better to buy a mask, for example, with forced ventilation.

Forced ventilation of filters

Smith Optics brand

Solution from Smith Optics. Not new, it is already many years old, and it is constantly being brought to mind. The motor has become more reliable and economical, the battery pack has become more elegant (but it has not decreased in size, but I would like to). In the segment of forced ventilation, Smith Optics has no competitors, at least at the time of this writing (11/07/2015). If you are in 3723 and the market situation has changed, be sure to let me know in the comments and I will make the changes.

A fan with a miniature motor is built into the top of the mask. The battery pack (AA batteries) is attached to the belt. The unit has a switch for two modes - usual and turbo... In normal operation, the fan runs continuously at medium speed. In turbo mode, the rpm rises sharply. Turbo mode is used to quickly evaporate moisture, for example, after a fall, when snow has fallen under the mask.

Conclusion. This is one of the most reliable solutions on the market, it is already 15 years old. From my own experience I can say that the problem with moisture disappears completely - in turbo mode the mask “dries up” instantly.

Of the minuses - you need to monitor the battery charge. It is solved by wearing a spare in a backpack. The mechanism may be damaged if dropped. Once it happened to me, the battery pack fell off the belt and I never saw it again. There are also complaints about the weakness of the wires connecting the motor to the power supply - after some time of active use, the contacts may move away and the fan will freeze. Be gentle with the mask.

The price on the website of the Trial-sport chain of stores - they bring the Smith brand to our market - 10 855 rubles. The price is subject to change, check.

Heated "windshield"

Swans brand

Swans - Japanese. The company is over 100 years old, but it is not very popular in Russia. I didn't find a decent description of the company in Russian, and I don't want to spam with links to SEO texts. If you wish, read in English.

The heated internals keep the filter dry and transparent at all times. Several things are confusing: the size of the battery, for which it will be necessary to find a place in the jacket; dangling wires; and the price is under 15,000 rubles (on the website of the Sport-Marathon store, check the price). If you are actively riding, you will definitely feel the extra weight in your pockets, and the wires can be easily cut off with a careless movement or a branch when riding in the forest. For about the same money, you can buy a more elegant product - the A-bom mask.

Abom brand

The Abom ski mask does not have a heavy and bulky battery compartment, as in the Swans mask - the mask runs on a built-in rechargeable battery. The current heats up the inner layer of the filter and evaporates moisture from the surface. Heating works in two modes: constant - battery charge lasts for 6-7 hours, and turbo - one-time 10-minute heating. In turbo mode (turn it on only when needed), the charge will last for 4-6 days. As you may have noticed, the battery life of this mask is significantly shorter than that of previous study participants.

The set comes with a regular and USB cable for recharging from an outlet and a computer, respectively.

Conclusion. Abominable is a newcomer to the ski optics market. Just a year ago on kickstarter, they raised enough funds to start production and now, according to the website, are sending out packages with new masks to customers. The company produces only one model, but in different colors. Everything for the same price.

On the manufacturer's website, such a mask costs $ 249. All masks come with a gray filter for partly cloudy, an additional filter for another $ 100. If you have any questions about this mask, then it is better to contact the company through their

Never do not slide the mask over the snow cap on your forehead, which is hot when rolling. A huge amount of moisture evaporates from its surface, which immediately condenses on the inner surface of the lens. By the way, this is another argument in favor of helmets - they do not allow air to pass through, which means that the mask shifted onto them does not fog up. Try not to keep the mask on during intense physical activity, for example, when hiking and traversing a mountain in search of untouched snow, or when you get out of a deep powder. In such situations, body temperature rises along with perspiration, and all moisture evaporated from the skin's surface is deposited on the lens. Therefore, it is better to wear regular sunglasses during the hikes and transitions in relatively warm weather, and in cold weather - try to control the load and avoid profuse sweating. When you get out of deep snow, simply slide the mask onto the helmet, or temporarily remove and hide it in the special pocket of your rolling backpack. Choose the right balaclava. We give off a very large amount of warm and humid air when we breathe. It rises up and falls under the mask if you pull on a tight balaclava or tube scarf, covering both your mouth and nose at once. Therefore, it is advisable to use accessories that ensure the unhindered evacuation of exhaled air. At the same time, it is equally important that your mask fits tightly enough on your face so that there are no open gaps through which warm air can rise unhindered. When sitting with other riders in a gondola or on a chair with a lowered windscreen, try to keep the mask in your hand and lower - away from warm air. Better the moisture contained in it will replenish the amount of frost on the windows than it will settle on your optics. If there are not many people in the gondola, then it is enough just to slide the mask onto the helmet. Each ski mask contains one or another "supply" ventilation system. At the very least, this is a thin layer of foam, covering the wide holes located along the entire contour of the frame. Through them, warm and humid air escapes from under the frame, thereby reducing the risk of moisture condensation on the lens. Therefore, always make sure that the ventilation holes are not covered with a layer of snow and ice, and also not tightly covered with items of clothing and equipment - balaclavas, hats or helmets. The mask is best ventilated while riding. Therefore, to get rid of a small perspiration on the surface of the lens, unless it blocks the view, the oncoming air flow on the descent will help. When entering a cafe or other warm room, do not remove the mask immediately- Let the temperatures on the lens surfaces even out a little. Then the chances of perspiration forming on its inner side will be lower. If the mask is still fogged up, there is no need to worry and make hasty decisions. To begin with, do not remove the fogged-up optics in the cold - the moisture will immediately freeze and instead of water droplets you will get frost on the lens surface. Do not rub the inside of the wet filter, especially with mittens or gloves- this not only leads to the formation of small scratches, but also gradually destroys the "anti-fog" -coating. You can wipe the lens only when it is dry and only with a dry soft case, which is included in its kit. The mask can be dried in a cafe or simply replaced with a spare one. You can also carry a replacement lens with you and insert it into the frame instead of the fogged one. For the preservation and maintenance of the "anti-fog" -coating use only cleaning and care products approved by the ski mask manufacturer... In no case do not use "folk" methods to combat fogging optics. One of the oldest and most common is applying the thinnest layer of toothpaste to the lens. Being in fact a fine abrasive, it not only destroys the remnants of the factory "antifog" coating, but also finely scratches the entire surface of the filter.

Anything sweats under certain conditions. Misting is the process of condensing vapor in the air. This happens at a moment which in physics is called the "dew point".
Definition of the concept of "dew point" from the Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary:
"DEW POINT, the temperature to which the air must be cooled at a given pressure, in order for the vapor contained in it to reach saturation and begin to condense, that is, dew appears."
Here (http://www.pvhokna.ru/info/point.htm) is a dew point table. From which it can be seen that the higher the humidity, the smaller the temperature difference is necessary for the beginning of condensation. Different companies solve the problem of a sharp temperature drop in their masks in different ways, but the essence is the same - it is necessary to minimize the temperature drop inside the mask and outside. But among all the variety of solutions, the main ones can be distinguished:

1. Removing the lens from the rider's face
The farther the lens is from the face, which heats the mask from the inside, the less the temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the lens. It is impossible to endlessly remove the mask from the face. the view decreases with each millimeter of distance.
You often notice that the lens starts sweating primarily in the area of ​​the nose, where it is closest to the body. Unfortunately, removing the lens from the face near the nose is very detrimental to the view.

2. Ventilation of the lens
Different manufacturers have solved the problem differently. These are frontal and vertical holes and channels. During rolling, incoming air passes through these holes and channels, thereby equalizing the temperature between the inner and outer surfaces of the lens. Some manufacturers have installed small fans on their masks that force air through the mask. But this technology did not become mainstream due to its unreliability, bulky appearance and high cost.
Many have noticed that the mask starts to fog up when going up the lift and fogs up when going down the slope. This is explained by the fact that during the ascent, ventilation does not work, because there is no oncoming air flow (unless the wind blows in the face). If the mask fogs up a little and the condensation does not have time to accumulate and turn into ice, then this is not a big deal, otherwise, it is recommended to take off the mask while lifting on the lift.

3. Double lenses
This technology makes it possible to more effectively deal with the temperature drop, by the fact that the air is ventilated not only from the inside of the lens, but also inside it.

4. Anti-Fog anti-fog coating
Today, almost all new masks are factory-sprayed with a special anti-condensation film on the inner surface of the lens. For this reason, it is not recommended to wipe the inside of the mask even with a special cloth. But this coating, unfortunately, is not durable and after a week or two it does not work. But this coating can be restored on your own by purchasing a spray from almost any sports store or optician.

Tips for mask fogging:
1. Use antifog
2. Remove the mask from your face in order to equalize the temperature with the external environment at the beginning of fogging or a sharp drop in temperature (for example, if you went to a cafe).

But unfortunately, whatever you say, but:
1) If it rains and / or humidity is 100%, then no double glass, no ventilation and no antifog will help, no matter how cool it is, it will sweat. Another thing is that with double glass, ventilation and antifog, the process will be longer.
2) Any antifog should be applied to clean, dry glass in a warm room, to an extreme in a warm car. That is, if you came after a gurney in the rain, washed the mask, blotted it with a napkin, rag, toilet paper (underline the necessary), applied antifog, blotted it with a napkin, rag, toilet paper (underline the right), allegedly dried the resulting film (not a fact and the fact that it is formed in such conditions) will, at best, work at 30%.
My recommendations for antifog. Apply in the evening at home, where it is warm and dry, using the manufacturer's recommendations. Let it dry thoroughly. The next day, during the wheeling process, in no case touch the mask from the inside, but properly ventilate it or dry it in a warm car, with a stream of warm air. Well, and as an extreme case, carry out the processing again again in the same machine, but after that let it dry in the car for at least half an hour.