Preferred face paint or blackening for hunters with glasses

[Yoder409]

Haven't used any type of stuff on my face for years because I hate cleaning it off.  But when I did............I was cheap.  I used the ORIGINAL carbo mask.  I'd pulverize a charcoal briquet with a hammer and put the fine dust in a Ziploc bag dry.  When I got to the woods, I'd either dip my fingers in a creek, puddle, or dew-covered grass then into the bag and wipe it on my face.

[mathews8pt]

Carbo Mask is the best face paint that I have used.

Yep, it's good stuff. i use it or a burnt cork

I bought some last year and was very disappointed in it, it was very wet, gritty and did not even stay on an hour and I put it on before I went on the 20 minute drive to the woods. I don't know if I got a bad batch or what but the old Fred Bear paint I have stays on better than that did. What did stay on did come off very easy as advertised though.

Sounds like it had settled out in the tube. I've seen that.  Shake it up real good before you put it on.

I will try that in the morning.

Good luck!!!


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Followup on my above comments, I did try shaking it up and it did not work so I contacted the company and told them the experience that I had with their product and they sent me a new tube of the same and I can tell you the difference was night and day, I could tell it was much thicker just holding the container in my hand, I shook up both containers then went and applied some to each side of my face, the old one on one side and the new to the other and the new one did not feel at all gritty, applied better than the old one and dried much faster as well. I will give it a try this Spring. The manufacturer said that when you buy from big mass marker websites like Amazon you never know how long it has been sitting around degrading so I will buy directly from them when I do order more.

Glad you got some good stuff!  Ive been using carbo mask for years and I will tell you that if you let it freeze and thaw a lot it will degrade faster.  It gets runny and gritty at that point and doesn't spread well or stay put on your face.  If you keep it in the house during the colder months I feel like it will stay usable longer.  I love the stuff and would never use greasy paint ever again.  I keep one of the little tubes in my bino harness at all times and will even spread it on my hands in hot weather instead of using gloves.  Great stuff!

[TRG3]

Before I started wearing glasses, I'd slap my eyes with a branch at least once per season, especially in the dark. Once I started wearing glasses, the branch slapping continued but with no consequences since my eyes were protected. Even if I someday have Lasik, I'll still wear some sort of glasses while hunting for eye protection. I also wear a face mask while turkey hunting, but keep it more like a bandana over the nose area so as to eliminate fogging. My key to keeping hidden is a 3'x8' piece of camo cloth with holes in it for air passage that I set up in from of my turkey lounger behind which I barely peek over. This allows me to do whatever I want without being seen by any gobbler, including wearing a loose face mask as well as using both hands with a box call or lifting my shotgun from the ground to my shoulder. To date, no gobbler has been spooked by the camo cloth but instead seems to totally focus on the decoys. 

[Crghss]

Since I wear progressive glasses (like bi-focals) contact days are over. So I wear a head net with a giant slot around the eyes. Even with Florida heat/humidity it works for me. Flip/pull it back over head when moving. Pull down when I hear turkeys.

Was going to get lasik but read it has 95% success rate. Everything from dry eyes to vision problems. 1 to 20 chance for vision problems with my luck? No way. Weather lady who killed herself after lasik got me looking into problems people encounter after procedure. Was surprise at what I read, because you don't hear much about people experiencing problems.

[Sir-diealot]

Since I wear progressive glasses (like bi-focals) contact days are over. So I wear a head net with a giant slot around the eyes. Even with Florida heat/humidity it works for me. Flip/pull it back over head when moving. Pull down when I hear turkeys.

Was going to get lasik but read it has 95% success rate. Everything from dry eyes to vision problems. 1 to 20 chance for vision problems with my luck? No way. Weather lady who killed herself after lasik got me looking into problems people encounter after procedure. Was surprise at what I read, because you don't hear much about people experiencing problems.

I wanted to have it in the worst way but due to the fact that my eyes drift when they see light they said I could not have it. I guess there is a red reference light that you to look at and keep looking at so that the laser knew where it was supposed to do it's work. Have had bad eyes all my life, really would like to know how other people see but I guess I never will. Did find out after that about all the problems that I am sure you read about, but I think if I could safely have it I still would, I hate glasses with a passion and can't wear contacts.

[appalachianstruttstopper]

Most everyone I hunt with that has glasses uses the cheap hs strut 3/4 face mask except for one. He uses the one that has a mask that tucks in his hat. I don't wear glasses and hate the kind that tucks in the hat because it touches my eye lashes. With his glasses it can't touch his.

[BTH]

Went with the carbo mask all last spring. I would shake it up each time and it lasted almost a full day (even in the hot humid days)hunting without running smearing etc except in the creases of my face.
Also wore it this season for ducks and geese. I ended up mixing the black and brown together. Worked out great. Will be using the black/brown mix with a little bit of green again this spring. Should be the last season for wearing glasses. Going the lasik route this summer. Trick I found out was to apply it generously and do not put it on thin.

[Turkeystudent]

I wear glasses too and the fog up is why I switched to face paint 2 seasons ago. I have worn the HS brand and I think the dead down wind brand. They were ok but smudged pretty easily and applying and clean up were messy. I went to Hardy face paint last season and really like it. It applies easily and cleans up very easily and no smudging.

[tree-rat sniper]

I have a severe near-sight correction (coke bottles).  I've been running the cheap mesh HS masks for years.  I buy several after the end of season closeouts.  Some of them I've cut mouth slits (also use them for waterfowl & predator hunting).  I can't ever recall having any steam issues with the mesh masks, now the solid cloth or thermal ones are another story!

[Plush]

I just grow a beard. Economical option.

[Marc]

Just about ready to pull the trigger on lasik when the funds are there. Tired of fogged glasses and facemasks. Have trained myself to exhale with my top lip over my bottom lip while hunting. But during the hottest and muggiest hunts late in the season and early season waterfowl I still have to wipe my glasses off. Have tried spit and rub, rain x, neverfog etc. Nothing seems to last.

Thinking hard about blackening my face or paint it up.

Any of you guys like one type of paint better than another?

As an optometrist, I highly recommend you find your lasik doc through an optometrist...  I see who is good, and who is not so great in lots of patients, and send my patients to the best docs...  Do NOT shop for a bargain...  If someone is offering cheap lasik, there is a reason.

Also the optometrist will be more likely to look at your prescription and give advice as to whether you are a good candidate (myopia or near-sighted patients are the best candidates, far-sided hyperopic patients are not so great, and too much astigmatism makes for a poor candidate as well)...  And remember, after you are in your mid 40's you will still need glasses for near or close work even with successful lasik correction.

As far as the mask fogging up, go to a mesh mask, and make sure the glasses are on the outside of the mask.  Good coatings on lenses can also make a difference.  A high quality anti-glare coating can reduce fogging (cheaper anti-glare coatings will increase fogging), and there are even some companies that put anti-fog coatings on lenses (although you need to use an activator).

As far as face-paint itself, Carbomask is the only one that I have found to work reasonably well.  I prefer the mesh mask given the choice though...  If I were bow-hunting, I would probably prefer the Carbomask.

[Jfgonzales]

I buy the face paint after Halloween when it goes on sale. You can pick it up for less than a $1. Comes off pretty easy with baby wipes.

[Shady valley birds]

There is nothing worse than  fogged up glasses. If I wasn't a  wimp I'd get contacts but for now  I use a very loose fitting mesh mask. Without the straps around the back of my head. It can wiggle and that's aggravating,  but not as bad as fogged up glasses. 

[huntineveryday]

Someone mentioned it above, but I saw using a piece of burnt cork from a meateater tip.  Carry a wine cork and a lighter. Char it up, them rub around. Supposed to come off easy. I plan on testing it out for turkeys in about a month.

I currently use the hunters specialties cream stuff. It comes off easy, but also rubs off on everything that touches your face during the hunt.

[Sir-diealot]

Someone mentioned it above, but I saw using a piece of burnt cork from a meateater tip.  Carry a wine cork and a lighter. Char it up, them rub around. Supposed to come off easy. I plan on testing it out for turkeys in about a month.

I currently use the hunters specialties cream stuff. It comes off easy, but also rubs off on everything that touches your face during the hunt.

Comes off real easy, I remember using it for a Halloween costume when I was a kid.