Hair - Long or Short?

[hayeskw]

I have long hair and I'm going to keep my long hair. Braids, braids, braids!

x2. It took me two years to go from shoulder length to about mid-shoulder blade length so I'm hesitant to cut it anytime soon.

Braids allow me to more comfortably go days without washing and help keep the matting at bay.

[Marta]

I like short hair in warm and hot weather; longer hair in cold weather. I just got back from a month of hiking in the SoCal desert. Had my hair lopped off to about 2" long right before the trip. I could shampoo and rinse it with half a liter of water, which feels soooo good when your hair gets stiff with grease and salt. Hair that short is almost impossible to mess up--wake up, run my fingers through it, and I'm good to go.

[sbhikes]

I have very fine hair that is very long. It tangles so badly I can never wear it loose. When I backpack I put it in one or two braids. I could go a whole section on the PCT without taking out the braids and combing it, which was convenient. Sometimes when I finally loosened the braids I could still smell my shampoo fragrance.

In the past when I have had short hair I have suffered horribly with the worst hat-hair you can imagine. Not even sticking my head in a lake could take out the dents in my hair and restore it to normal. I'm not a pretty woman and I'm not a young woman. I need a hat when hiking for the sun, but if my hair is short not only does the hat ruin my hair but it makes me look like I have no neck and am bald.

Braids forever.

[Riocielo]

Mine is shoulder length and I prefer double braids. I wear a baseball cap as well. There is no need to take the braids out unless I want to.

[Singto]

I agree with the concern for ticks.

[b.c.]

Sophi In Tent.jpg

Here's how my daughter likes to wear it...

[kameyosekmoon]

I've had brain surgery and I didn't grow out my hair until a few months ago. Short hair is nice but requires constant cutting to maintain. The regrowth process may be bothersome while on the trail. For me when the temp got high I sweated more and that attracted more bugs.