Gifts for someone who works outdoors in winter

The most useful gifts for someone who works outdoors in winter block wind, cold and glare: wraparound safety glasses or goggles, a good neck gaiter, insulated gloves, hand warmers and a thermos. A bottle of lubricating eye drops can fit too, for eyes that dry out between the wind and the truck heater. Before giving drops, check the label’s egg and bird caution, and order early, since no delivery date is promised.

Check this first if you’re giving eye drops

Quell’s label carries a caution that matters more than anything else on this list: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only. Before you buy a bottle for a lineworker, a roofer or a mail carrier in your life, find out whether they have an egg or bird allergy. If you aren’t sure, ask, or choose a different gift. Our guide to egg or bird allergies and Quell explains what the caution means.

It’s also worth knowing whether they use contact lenses or other eye drops already. The label doesn’t cover using Quell with either, and that question belongs with their eye doctor or pharmacist.

What winter outdoor work does to eyes

People who spend the cold months outside face a particular cycle. Cold wind pulls moisture off the surface of the eye and makes many people squint. Sun on snow throws glare up from below. Then they climb into a cab with the heater on high, blowing hot, dry air at face level, and back out again twenty minutes later. Our guide on dry eyes for outdoor workers goes deeper into each one.

Gifts that block wind and glare

• Wraparound safety glasses rated for their trade, with a tinted pair for bright snow days and a clear pair for dusk.
• Anti-fog goggles for anyone who plows, grooms trails or runs equipment in blowing snow.
• A brimmed winter cap that fits under a hard hat, which keeps both sun and sleet out of the eyes.
• A fleece neck gaiter or balaclava. Pick one that sits low enough not to push warm breath up into glasses or goggles.
• A lens cleaning kit with a microfiber cloth that lives in the truck.

Gifts that keep the rest of them warm

• Insulated, waterproof work gloves sized to their hands, plus liner gloves for jobs that need dexterity.
• Merino or synthetic base layers and wool socks.
• Rechargeable hand warmers or a box of disposable ones.
• A vacuum-insulated thermos big enough for a full shift of coffee or soup.
• Boot driers, so they start each morning with dry feet.
• A headlamp, since winter workdays start and end in the dark.

Small comforts for the cab

Many outdoor jobs come with a truck, a loader or a van that becomes a break room. A few small things make that time easier on the eyes:

• A clip-on vent deflector so heat can be aimed at the windshield and floor instead of the driver’s face.
• A small insulated pouch for things that shouldn’t freeze or bake on the dashboard.
• A refillable water bottle, since dry cab air and hard work both dehydrate.
• A visor organizer for sunglasses, so they’re always within reach when the sun hits the snow.

Eye drops as part of the gift

If the allergy question is settled, a bottle of Quell can sit in a stocking or a lunch-box gift alongside the gloves and warmers. The label’s Uses line reads: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. The directions read: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss, which suits someone whose eyes go from wind to heater and back all shift.

One practical note for the recipient: the label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A bottle left in a truck parked on a frozen job site through a January night will get colder than that. The inside pocket of a work jacket keeps it closer to body temperature. Our guide to carrying eye drops in a purse or pocket has more ideas.

Ordering a gift of Quell

• Checkout needs no account, and you can ship to the recipient’s address or your own.
• There’s no gift wrap and no gift message at checkout, so add your own card if you ship to yourself first.
• Quell ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, to US addresses only, and no delivery date is promised. Order early in the season instead of counting days.
• Unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery without being sent back, if the gift isn’t wanted.

Our guide to sending Quell as a gift walks through the address and email choices, and you can order here when you’re ready.

What a gift can’t do

Goggles and a drop help with everyday dryness from wind and heat. If the person you’re shopping for mentions eye pain, vision changes or irritation that won’t settle, that’s a reason for them to see an eye doctor, not to receive more gear. The label is direct about it: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours.