Contact lenses and back-packing?

How about ordering your contact lenses online? If you're staying in a certain place for a long time, just get them to mail it to your destination. Australia's an alright place for companies to ship to, so that shouldn't be a problem.

If you're looking for a reputable place try here: http://www.optical4less.com/contactlens/

I buy my eyeglasses from them and they're pretty good. I assume their contact lenses are just as good. Also, I believe they are the cheapest online so you're in luck with the price issue.

Ooh, good question, I've never thought about this before?! If you get a brand name like Acuvue or something then you might be able to get the exact same ones there, but if not then I wouldn't go for anything random that you don't know well. I guess you've got daily ones from the room issue? So could you maybe switch to wearing monthly ones for the year, then you would only need 12 boxes of lenses, 12 tiny bottles of solution and then you could get the saline rinse stuff when you get there, as that will be very easy to find.

Also, you really should take some glasses with you just incase - the smallest problem could mean you have to take a break from the lenses for a day. It's bad enough at home when you have no glasses, I would hate to be stuck in a foreign country blind! And if you ever go camping or anything like that you have to make sure you have proper facilities to wash your hands or you could easily get eye problems from putting lenses in.

That shouldn't be an issue. Take a years worth of lenses, but forget the Solution, you can get that when you're there. And if you do not want to do that, take the most recent prescription with you and you could get lenses from there i'm sure.

And im pretty bloody jealous about your trip, i've always wanted to go to Aus for 6 months or so.

Good luck.

Hello,

Depending on which company manufactures your contact lenses, you may be able to find the same lenses in Australia. I would suggest that you bring a copy of a recent valid eye exam on your trip. If the lenses are not manufactured outside of the US, the eye exam may help you in Australia to determine if there is a lens that's compatible for you. In addition, you should check out the manufacturer's website to see if your lenses are available in Australia, or if the manufacturer makes a comparable lens in that country. If you have additional questions or concerns, please visit your eye care professional before leaving for your trip for their best recommendation.

Best,

Marc

Bausch + Lomb Consumer Affairs.

I would imagine that you will be able to get contact lenses in Australia. Take a few months supply with you and make sure that you have an up to date prescription (my optician has now gone high tech and emailed it to me). With luck, you would be able to use it to get some more contact lenses. If not, the worst that you would have to do is to have an eye test with an Aussie optician.

Maybe you could bring some and get some more along your trip?