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What to do if your ski mask fogs up. How to deal with mask fogging Forced ventilation of filters

Under certain conditions, anything sweats. Fogging is the process of condensation of vapor in the air. This happens at a moment that 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 cool at a given pressure in order for the steam contained in it to reach saturation and begin to condense, i.e., dew appears.”
Here (http://www.pvhokna.ru/info/point.htm) is a table of dew point. From which it is clear that the higher the humidity, the smaller the temperature difference is necessary for condensation to begin. Different companies solve the problem of sudden temperature changes in their masks in different ways, but the essence is the same - it is necessary to minimize the temperature difference inside and outside the mask. But among the variety of solutions, the main ones can be identified:

1. Removing the lens from the rider's face
The further the lens is from the face, which heats the mask from the inside, the smaller the temperature difference between the outside of the lens and the inside. It is impossible to endlessly remove the mask from the face, because... visibility decreases with every millimeter removed.
You often notice that the lens begins to sweat first of all 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 vision.

2. Lens ventilation
Different manufacturers solved the problem in different ways. These are frontal and vertical holes and channels. When 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 has not become widespread due to its unreliability, bulky appearance and high cost.
Many people have noticed that the mask begins to fog up when going up the ski lift and becomes foggy when going down the slope. This is explained by the fact that during ascent the ventilation does not work, because there is no oncoming air flow (unless the wind blows in your 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 problem, otherwise, it is recommended to remove the mask while going up the lift.

3. Double lenses
This technology makes it possible to more effectively combat temperature differences, as air is ventilated not only from the inside of the lens, but also inside it.

4. 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 independently by purchasing a spray at almost any sports store or optician.

Recommendations for preventing mask fogging:
1. Use antifog
2. Remove the mask from your face to equalize the temperature with the outside environment when fogging begins or there is a sudden change in temperature (for example, if you go to a cafe).

But unfortunately, whatever one may say, but:
1) If it rains and/or the humidity is 100%, then no double glass, no ventilation and no antifog will help, whatever one may say, you will sweat. Another thing is that with double glass, ventilation and antifog, the process will take longer.
2) Any antifog should be applied to clean, dry glass in a warm room, or even in a warm car. That is, if you came after a ride in the rain, washed your mask, blotted it with a napkin, rag, toilet paper (underline as appropriate), applied antifog, blotted it with a napkin, rag, toilet paper (underline as appropriate), supposedly dried it, a film formed (not a fact and the fact that it is formed under such conditions) will, at best, work at 30%.
My recommendations for antifog. Apply in the evening at home, where it is warm and dry, following the manufacturer's recommendations. Let it dry thoroughly. The next day, while rolling, do not touch the inside of the mask under any circumstances, but ventilate it properly or dry it in a warm car with a stream of warm air. Well, as a last resort, carry out the treatment again in the same machine, but after that let it dry in the machine for at least half an hour.

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

Manufacturers of ski optics have been puzzling over this problem for many years! Even expensive masks from the TOP segment, with well-thought-out ventilation and several layers of AntiFog coating applied to the inner lens, periodically fog up! Engineers go further and such radical solutions appear as, for example, TurboFan from Smith optics, when a small fan is built right into the frame of the mask. 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 technology today, in a separate article, but for now here are some tips on how to prevent fogging.

Avoid getting warm air inside the mask!

Fogging occurs when warm air from your breath and body enters the mask and, if the temperature outside is below freezing, immediately cools, forming condensation on the lens in the form of microscopic drops of water.

Most often, warm air enters the mask through a balaclava, buff, or bandana when the mask is worn over your face protection. If the bottom of the mask is in contact with your gator, then the vapor from your breath 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 gator and the bottom edge of the mask and then warm air from your breath will not get inside the mask!

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

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

If you ski wearing a hat, then you probably put your mask up on top of your hat during pauses between descents or while standing in line for the lift. Frankly speaking, this is not the best idea, because the head and cap are strong sources of evaporation, especially if you have just completed an active descent! And if the hat is also covered in snow... wow! There is almost no chance of avoiding fogging! During such pauses, 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 while going up the cable car you can, and even need to, remove the mask from your helmet. And then, when you reach the top and prepare for the next descent, you will put on crystal clear optics without any traces of fogging!

If you have a long and difficult hike up the mountain or need to get out of the forest through deep snow, then after a while you begin to “float” like a pot of freshly prepared borscht! And naturally, the farther from this pan the mask is, the better... Are you planning a backcountry trip and, accordingly, a long climb into 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, having first cleared it of snow!

Ventilation.

At the moment, masks of any self-respecting brand have a well-thought-out ventilation system that helps remove warm air from your mask! Therefore, make sure that the ventilation openings are not blocked by a helmet or other headgear, and that they are free of dirt, snow or ice. But be careful when cleaning so as not to damage the thin foam layer covering the holes. By the way, the faster you roll, the better the ventilation works, that’s how it works!

What to do if the mask still fogs up?

The main thing is never, under any circumstances, rub the inside of the mask or scrape the ice from the outside! At best, you will only aggravate the problem, and at worst, you will ruin an expensive lens! Cloudy stains between the outer and inner lenses appear precisely because of this! Our customers often ask for replacement lenses after they have damaged theirs through similar actions. Don't repeat the mistakes of others... If the mask gets very foggy, take it off and try to get to the nearest cafe. There you can dry it using a hand dryer or a convector. But don’t bring the mask too close to the dryer, there is a risk of melting something you need =) One guy in front of me, in the “Bullet” cafe in Sheregesh, accidentally melted an expensive lens on an Anon M2 in this way...

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

Ulyanov Igor

From this article you will learn which masks never sweat. Which of them use forced ventilation, and which have a heated windshield. You will also learn about the wonder presented by the Julbo company (pictured).

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

The warm air emanating from the face does not have time to evaporate and falls as moisture onto the inner surface of the filter. If this happens, then our pleasure from riding comes to an end. Our mask gets wet. All attempts to bring it into working order fail. Wiping only lasts a couple of minutes - we irritably rub the mask with a wet cloth for the hundredth time, trying to regain good visibility and the joy we came to the mountains for at least one descent. But everything is in vain. Water droplets appear on the filter again and distort the picture. Every skier and snowboarder knows what we're talking 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 address those who ski leisurely (those of them don’t fall and don’t sweat), who don’t sweat at all (I know there are those too), who ski in dry and frosty resorts (at It’s almost impossible to sweat with them - it’s too cold). You are lucky, and you don’t need the bells and whistles discussed below. A mask with passive ventilation.

Passive ventilation in ski masks

Air movement in such masks begins only with the first turn. The oncoming flow enters some openings and exits through others, pushing warm air out. If you stand still, 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 - they were trying to bring them back to normal at least a little.

But if your sweating is normal, or you ride, for example, in damp Krasnaya Polyana, or visit the European Alps in 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

Brand Smith Optics

Solution from Smith Optics. It’s not new, it’s been around for many years, and it’s constantly being improved. The motor has become more reliable and economical, the battery pack has become sleeker (but has not decreased in size, as I would like). In the forced ventilation segment, Smith Optics has no competitors, at least at the time of writing (11/07/2015). If the year is 3723 and the market situation has changed, be sure to let me know in the comments and I will make 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. There is a switch for two modes on the block: ordinary And turbo. In normal mode, the fan spins at medium speed constantly. In turbo mode, the speed increases sharply. The turbo mode is used to quickly evaporate moisture, for example, after a fall when snow got 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 out” instantly.

The downside is that you need to monitor the battery charge. Solved by carrying spare ones in your backpack. If dropped, the mechanism may be damaged. This happened to me once, 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 come loose and the fan will freeze. Be gentle with the mask.

The price on the website of the Trial-Sport chain of stores - they are the ones who bring the Smith brand to our market - 10,855 rubles. Price may change, please check.

Heated windshield

Swans brand

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

Thanks to heated internal elements, the filter always remains dry and transparent. Several things confuse me: the size of the battery, for which you will need 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 ride actively, you will definitely feel the extra weight in your pockets, and the wires can easily be cut off by a careless movement or a branch when riding in the forest. For approximately the same money, you can buy a more elegant product - the A-bom mask.

Brand Abom

The Abom ski mask does not have a heavy and bulky battery compartment, like the Swans mask - the mask runs on a built-in battery. The current heats the inner layer of the filter and evaporates moisture from the surface. The heating operates in two modes: constant - the 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 kit includes a regular and USB cable for charging from a power outlet and a computer, respectively.

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

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

Many people nowadays like to lead an active lifestyle. When it's summer outside, riding a bike or roller skating is not difficult at all. Well, in winter, all lovers of active recreation move to skating rinks and ski resorts. And as for the latter, when skiing or snowboarding, the problem of ski mask fogging often arises. Here the question arises: what to do about it? Despite the fact that many ski mask manufacturers guarantee that their mask will not fog up during skiing, we observe the opposite phenomenon. Of course, fogging does not always occur immediately, but some time after riding. This phenomenon is not only unpleasant for mask users, but also unsafe, as visibility deteriorates, as a result of which you may not notice any obstacles and get injured.

So what should you do to prevent your ski mask from fogging up? What do the specialists of the store https://extremstyle.ua/ru/catalog/ochki-maski think about this? In this article everything is presented point by point.

Buy a mask with two glasses, between which there is an air gap, and the glasses themselves are connected to each other by a dense rubber layer.
Buy a special anti-fog liquid. It's called ANTIFOG. It prevents fogging because it prevents moisture from condensing on the glass.
The ski mask must have good ventilation inside the goggles. This is ensured by the presence of side and front windows, which in turn can be permanent and adjustable. But at the same time, the circulating air must be filtered from snow and snow particles using a breathable membrane.
You need to buy a ski mask that is suitable for your face and skull shape. There are cases when two absolutely identical masks from the same manufacturer are used under absolutely identical conditions, but one person’s mask fogs up and the other’s does not. And the whole point is that the mask is simply not suitable for the person for whom it fogs up.
Some avid skiers and snowboarders advise riding at high speeds, about 10 km/h. This provides a very high degree of airflow to the mask, which allows the air in the mask to circulate well and not fog up.
Well, in conclusion, I would like to say that it is not recommended to remove the mask during the entire ride. Then less moisture will get under the mask and it will not fog up.

A ski mask is a highly desirable attribute for skiing and snowboarding. It protects your eyes from bright UV rays, wind and snow. Keep your ski equipment in good condition and get the most out of your skiing experience.

This is another expedition site into the depths of ski optics. If last week we explored when the weather changes, today we will deal with anti-fog protection of ski masks. Let's dive in!