Fog eVader Face Mask Breath Deflector

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I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob

With the return to Wisconsin of a “Real” winter after an absence of nearly 20 years I’ve been encountering an increase in foggy glasses/goggles when riding, especially below 0, and have been looking for a viable solution to keeping visibility while still being able to breath well.

I have a stack of face masks, balaclavas, scarves and other face coverings that I’ve accumulated over the years and very few of them work well over a variety of conditions. A few of them even have breath filters but in sub-zero temps all were leaving me with foggy eyewear.

I stumbled on the Fog eVader face mask while looking over info from Motorcyclists and Snowmobilers who encounter similar problems. For some reason the walrus-like profile venting breath down and away from my eyes seemed to make sense and the enthusiastic reviews sealed the deal. I had to give it a try so I ordered one up and it arrived at my house a few days later. There are numerous places on the Net that sell the Fog eVader.

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If you look closely you can see foggy breath directed down and away from my face!

I’ve used the For eVader for several rides lately especially when the temp drops below about 15 degrees and it has worked very well! Above 15 degrees I have less problem with a cold face and foggy glasses because I don’t normally need a face mask. Seems like the internal furnace knows how to keep my mug warm above the 15 degree mark. I have had little to no foggy glasses while using the Fog eVader but did immediately notice an increase in the fog problem on one ride where the temp had climbed enough that I removed the Fog eVader. Instant foggy glasses! Fortunately, once moving, my glasses cleared up enough to avoid running into trees and the like.

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This is the neoprene membrane that goes over your mouth and face. It vents into the walrus flap on the front where your breath is directed downward. You can also see the fleeces that lines the rest of the inside of the mask.

Construction of the Fog eVader is pretty straight forward. It is a fleece-lined neoprene face and neck mask with an inner membrane that covers your nose and mouth while an external breath deflector directs your breath down and out the bottom.

In use it is important to use the formable nose bridge piece to seal around your nose. This keeps face heat and breath from sneaking out the top of the Fog eVader and fogging your eyewear.

A Velcro closure at the back makes it easy to find the right balance between sealing and comfort and there is also a head band strap that keeps the Fog eVader in place even under a helmet.

A couple of other tips I’ve discovered are to use an anti-fog coating on your glasses/goggles. I use Cat Crap and it works OK just not well enough to use as the only solution but paired up with the Fog eVader it seems to help.

I also try to ride with a helmet that doesn’t have a visor. That bill sticking out in front of the helmet traps exhaled air right in the place you want it least. In front of your eyes, fogging up your glasses!

The Fog eVader goes for $39.95 on the manufacturers website. It is also available at numerous online stores so check around.

About Greg Smith 1132 Articles
Greg Smith, known to many site visitors as Sven Hammer, founded Fat-bike.com in 2011 and the site quickly became the #1 online community for all things Fat. You can currently find Greg outfitting Everyday Cycles; a Milwaukee, WI retailer of gear for fatbikers, adventure cyclists and urban assault riders.

5 Comments

  1. Snowmobile helmet breath deflector (~$10) + $10 of materials for elastic strap, sewing need, and thread. And you have a similar solution that you can throw on over your balaclava when you need it. Seems to work as well as these style masks. Still have issues if it is below 0 and I stop at stoplights, or am putting in a solid workout. Haven’t had any luck with cat crap, fog-off, etc. at really cold temps.

  2. Whoa… nice find! I was just battling with fog yesterday.

    Looks like they are nicely priced on Amazon.

  3. I found the Fog Evader almost 15 years ago while living in Minnesota. It works as promised but I cut out most of the breathing area to avoid feeling claustrophobic. The hood over the nose and mouth was still plenty enough barrier well below zero. I’m now in North Idaho and planning a 60 Mille commute to pick up my formerly broken down car in temps in the teens. I was planning on digging out my Evader before I saw this article to start my ride. Serendipity.

  4. I’m a big fan of the Fog eVader. When the temps are below zero or windchills are silly cold (Minnesota’s been fabulously cold this year), I need to cover all exposed fleshy parts to get my fatty fix.

    I tried several other solutions, a Buff over my face, a Seirus mask and Seirus Extreme Masque, goggles “guaranteed not to fog,” and this is the magic wand! Two of those options refused to stay in place and even popped off the back of my neck once or twice, the extreme masque stayed on but leeched air up into my goggle vents. I even tried using medical tape to tape the mask to my face up by my eyes (could be a workable solution unless you like to blink occasionally…)

    The velcro closure on the back is plenty to hold it in place even in the strange neck position we use for biking, there’s a wonderful amount of material to keep your chin and throat warm (nice bonus!), and the formable nose piece and the material used there makes a perfect seal to prevent leaks and push excess heat and all exhaust away from my eyes. The largest mouth opening under the duckbill is even a circle, just the right size to drink out of an insulated Camelbak bottle. I love this mask.

    As an added bonus, your breath generates some awesome breathsicles. Drives chicks wild.

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