HAIR: Long or Short for Thru-Hike?

[2012South]

Hello Ladies,
so, I'm planning a SOBO thru-hike next June with my husband, and I keep turning around in my head whether I should cut my hair very short, or let it grow out. For a while I got all crazy thinking I should just shave it the day before we start so I wouldn't have to worry about searching through my hair for ticks and other unwelcome guests....but that's probably extreme. It seems exciting to shave your head just once in your life, and I know it would make dealing with hair-related issues a lot easier, but the reality is that I'm not Natalie Portman and I might look hideous for a year or two (not to mention being mistaken for a "sir").


Anyway, so besides the full-on head shave, I think I'll either cut it very short (while still trying to look like I have a vagina) or grow it long so it would be easy to put in a pony tail and keep off my neck and out of my face. I'm having trouble making this decision and would love input from other hikers. By the way, I am very tick paranoid if that helps.


Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!


Lauren

[Trailweaver]

Well I know it gets hot in FL, but depending on where you are, you may have a breeze to help with that. Think about the hottest you've been in FL, and think about added humidity with no breeze. Then figure out whether you'd be cooler with your hair in a pony tail or if it'd be cooler for you short. I'm betting short - plus it would be easier to put up with when it's slightly dirty and you're a day or two from a hotel to wash it.

I have my hair "shortened" at the beginning of every summer, when I'm getting out in the heat to garden, paddle, or hike. I can't stand sweaty hair sticking to my face and neck. On the trail I often wear a sweat band around my forehead (keeps sweat off my glasses, which are a pain but I can't wear contacts), and if I need to, I cover my hair up with a bandana. It's all going to be a personal choice. You could start with a pony tail and if it gets bad, take a day in town and visit a hairdresser for a short cut.

[Nutbrown]

Hair grows, and since you already have a husband, who cares if you are mistaken for a lesbian, or a dude. I say this because it isn't me... If you are comfortable in your skin, try the shave! I wouldn't go baldy though, after a thru hike, you might be mistaken as a cancer survivor.

Think about what you will be doing after the hike. Do you already have a job to go back to? As unfortunate as reality is, a bit about landing a job, at least for women, is looks. If you have to get a job, I wouldn't go extreme.

[Lillianp]

I kept mine long and in two braids. I wasn't fully tick paranoid, but usually checked myself every couple hours. Never did go through my hair, but I don't think any bit me there...

[Red Hat]

Keep it long, it is definitely easier just to braid or ponytail. Shaving or cutting means at some point hitting the awkward growing out stage, where it is just unmanageable.

Oh, and I keep my hair long because I like it, not to get a man.... (ref the "you already have a husband" comment!)

[dillard]

Think about the hottest you've been in FL, and think about added humidity with no breeze.

Hard to believe somewhere could have more humidity than Florida since its usually 80%+ here in the summer... remember before the state was drained it was just a huge swamp.

I would keep your hair how you keep it in the summers in Florida. If your REALLY worried about ticks buy some permethrin and soak your cloths in it... it will kill any bugs that crawl on it and lasts through 70 washes I believe. Just remember ticks climb up you until they find the hair, they don't drop down on you, so with permethrin treated cloths the tick would need to crawl a yard+ past poison cloths.

[Trailbender]

I'm a male, but I had no problem doing a thru with long hair. Was a little past my shoulders or so. I have had both long and short hair, and much prefer long, it is cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter.

[2012South]

Thanks to everyone that's responded so far. I'm thinking I might just grow it out just so I can sweep it up off my neck and keep it in a ponytail. Although, having long hair means having more greasy/dirty hair, but I guess I'll deal with it.

And yes, as liberating as going super short would be, I'm not sure it would look all that good and I do have to worry about what I look like when I get home. Plus, who knows how long the "awkard and unmanageable" would last!

I agree with Dillard - you can't get much more hot and humid than Florida.

[Nutbrown]

Oh, and I keep my hair long because I like it, not to get a man.... (ref the "you already have a husband" comment!)

I mention keeping hair longer to get a job, not a man.

[Hairball]

I'm going to be one of the "extremists" who gets a buzz cut. I may even dye it blue. Who knows. It's just hair, it'll grow back.

[-SEEKER-]

I would suggest cutting it as short as possible and still be comfortable presenting as being a woman.

[Maren]

Huh. I'm a woman, and I often wear my hair short. I've never been mistaken for a dude. Must be the way I wear my testicles on my chest.

[LilRedTX]

Hello Ladies,
so, I'm planning a SOBO thru-hike next June with my husband, and I keep turning around in my head whether I should cut my hair very short, or let it grow out. For a while I got all crazy thinking I should just shave it the day before we start so I wouldn't have to worry about searching through my hair for ticks and other unwelcome guests....but that's probably extreme. It seems exciting to shave your head just once in your life, and I know it would make dealing with hair-related issues a lot easier, but the reality is that I'm not Natalie Portman and I might look hideous for a year or two (not to mention being mistaken for a "sir").


Anyway, so besides the full-on head shave, I think I'll either cut it very short (while still trying to look like I have a vagina) or grow it long so it would be easy to put in a pony tail and keep off my neck and out of my face. I'm having trouble making this decision and would love input from other hikers. By the way, I am very tick paranoid if that helps.


Thanks in advance for your suggestions!!


Lauren

I've been thinking about this myself - even to the extreme of shaving it. I figure after 6 months on the trail it will have grown back significantly enough to look cute after I return home. BUT, I'm just not sure I could pull off the shaved head look, not that I care that much, but I am a woman after all and I do care some how I look.

Other thoughts about the short vs long dilemma - Weather factor: in cooler weather it's definitely nice to have longer hair as an insulator, but in hotter weather it'll be nice to have no sticky, stringy, greasy hair to mess with. Hygiene: Much easier to keep clean. Health: Ticks are most definitely more detectable. Beauty: Who cares about beauty on the trail? I mean, we may all have some sort of way of keeping to a semblance of our normal standards (I've read about a lady who woke up each morning and put on lip-stick, or tweezing the eyebrows regularly, etc.) but hair... well, I still haven't made up my mind about this one yet myself so only time will tell but I'm glad I'm not the only woman who's considering just shaving it all off!

[C Seeker]

I ended up cutting 12 inches off of my hair when I set out on my flip-flop hike this 2011 year. It ended up being 2-3 inches short and I loved it! I still looked like a women, and was a easy cut and go hair style that still looked good after not showering for a few days. I did run into the problem of my hair growing out in the middle of the hike and got it cut once before finishing (but that was because I was in a wedding.) I did hike with others who hept there hair long and always had it tied back or braided. I would encourge you to keep your hair the way you and feel most comftable, and don't worry about ticks or anything getting in your hair as shaved or not shaved you wont find it (truthfully.)

Good Luck on your Southbound hike!
~Sweet Tea 2011-2012~

[lkaluzi]

i'm having the same problem. My hair goes about halfway down my back and I'm considering cutting it. At this point it's just hard to brush through and gets tangled easily. I think I'm just going to cut it beneath my shoulders that way I can still braid it/ ponytail it out of the way, but it isn't too long to where I hate brushing it, not that I'll be brushing it very often anyway.

[Janeway]

Well, count me on planning a "buzz" cut just before I leave. I have thin, fine hair which I keep short anyway (was born with really crappy hair and short is the easiest, onliest way to manage). The problem is that when I get bed-head or hat-hair it looks really awful and washing it is the only way to get it to look normal. And we know washing hair will be mostly a once a week thing. Since I would be wearing a hat, cap or bandana all the time anyway to cover it up, I might was well shave it. Also, I've always wanted to just shave it to see what it would look and feel like and maybe, just maybe it would grow in thicker (oh, please, please, please!) and my thru-hike is a chance to do it. Add in easy tick checking and it's pretty much a no-brainer for me. I've always colored my hair and it's going to be interesting to see it grow in mostly gray!

[SassyWindsor]

Long hair is not a problem. Just learn how to keep it up and keep it brushed or combed. To handle any other problems or altercations, carry a firearm.

[Graceful]

I did a section hike in high school and went with the pony tail. The only issue I faced was after 3-4 days in a high pony tail it was almost impossible to get it down for a helmet on our climbing day. And at the end of the week it took 2 shampoos to get all the grease out, I have really greasy hair though.
For my hike I am growing it out. I still have those pesky loose hairs on my neck. I will go with the really high pony tail so I can sleep in it and a bandanna.

[clb]

I have had my hair uber short for several years, but recently let it grow out, thinking that I'd like to have it long one more time before I retire and cut it off for thru hiking. For me, shorter hair is much easier to deal with on the trail. YMMV

[ckwolf]

Huh. I'm a woman, and I often wear my hair short. I've never been mistaken for a dude. Must be the way I wear my testicles on my chest.

hilarious, Maren, I shave my head every couple of weeks being a buddhist nun, who cares what others think? They won't wonder for long anyway and it is soo comfortable!