hair length

[House of Payne]

Just out of curiosity. I have short hair, a crew cut. I have never had longer hair since I was young. Does anyone else have the need to keep their hair short? And if so how did u manage it on the trail?

[Bronk]

Carry a battery operated beard trimmer. Its easier than shaving with a razor and you can shave your head with it too.

[Hooch]

Just go to a barber when you get to town. Problem solved.

[garlic08]

If you can't yogi the use of some trimmers somewhere, it's easy enough to get a $10 crewcut in most small towns. I do both. If you hike with a bounce box, you could put your own trimmers in there and retrieve them every couple of weeks. If that's the only reason you need a bounce box, it's probably not worth the postage and hassle. I get a lot of, "But you don't look like a thru hiker" near the end of a long hike, and that's kind of fun.

[Live_for_hiking]

I had a shaved head for years ... YEARS. When I came to the conclusion last year that my attempt would happen in 2013 ... I started to let it grow.

I intend on embracing the hippie side of myself!!!

[Velvet Gooch]

Just go to a barber when you get to town. Problem solved.

This. My beard may be Rip Van Winkle-esque, but I can't stand for the hair on my head to be longer than 3/16".

[Odd Man Out]

Just go to a barber when you get to town. Problem solved.

Any good old fashioned barbershops along the trail? I'm kind of nostalgic for those. I recall when I was a kid, we would visit the the small town where my dad grew up and get my hair cut at the barber shop/sporting goods store on main street. It had one chair for the one custormer, benches for all the people hanging out watching/talking, lots of dead animals and gun racks on the wall, good selection of fishing tackle for sale, live bait, etc... I think it's a guy thing.

[plurpimpin]

I usually cut my hair once or twice a year (I have a weird shaped head and look really dumb with really short hair) so I'm getting a haircut next week before I fly up to Maine and then I should be set until at least december.

[House of Payne]

This. My beard may be Rip Van Winkle-esque, but I can't stand for the hair on my head to be longer than 3/16".

I agree with Velvet, I would be ok with my beard growing longer (have a goatee now) but I'm weird about the top of my head, I don't like it too long at all. I know when I'm in town and I have some errands to do anyways I would probably pass a barber along the way. But I'm not going to go out of my way just to get to a barber if I have nothing else doing. Can't imagine bringing trimmer for my head just for the weight and space taken.

[plurpimpin]

I usually cut my hair once or twice a year (I have a weird shaped head and look really dumb with really short hair) so I'm getting a haircut next week before I fly up to Maine and then I should be set until at least december.

Forgot to mention I also don't plan on shaving on my whole thru so I should be rocking the hardcore mountain man look by the end of my hike

[scree]

I can't stand how beards and long hair feels, particularly when hygiene is already a factor, so I'm squarely in the electric trimmer camp. I always keep it buzzed no longer than a #3.

As an aside, I've always found it entertaining that some of the same people who'll cut a toothbrush in half to save half an ounce will let their hair and beards grow super long - Hair is very heavy, especially when wet.

[Astro]

I can't stand how beards and long hair feels, particularly when hygiene is already a factor, so I'm squarely in the electric trimmer camp. I always keep it buzzed no longer than a #3.

As an aside, I've always found it entertaining that some of the same people who'll cut a toothbrush in half to save half an ounce will let their hair and beards grow super long - Hair is very heavy, especially when wet.

The difference is that is on your head or face instead of on your back inside your pack. Yes extra weight, but not as direct as something you are carrying in your pack.

[scree]

The difference is that is on your head or face instead of on your back inside your pack. Yes extra weight, but not as direct as something you are carrying in your pack.

Yes, but if you weigh from skin out you gotta take your hair into consideration. I let mine go for a while one time and got very shaggy, back touching the shoulders and bangs that could cover my face - didn't notice the weight until I shaved my head and suddenly felt 5 pounds lighter. I think it's a matter of personal preference, I just don't like how long hair makes it harder to keep a hat on my head and how beards tend to stink of whatever you ate last week unless you can regularly bathe. Some people feel liberated by letting the hair and beard grow, I just feel all the added greasy hair.

[rocketsocks]

At one time I had very long hair(like many I'm sure),but have been cutting it myself for the last thirty years,occassionally get to a barber so's he can undue all the grow-in/cut-in mistakes.Crew cut,#2,tighter on the sides,and above the ear.....so comfortable and easy to find ticks.

[Cherokee Bill]

I'd say if hair length was the biggest problem U had during a Thru, U had it made

[rocketsocks]

One of my altime favorite movies,with a great sound track"Hair"the 5th demension

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1LRD3DtFA Skip the ad by clicking

[rocketsocks]

Oops try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L1RD3DtFAo

[rocketsocks]

Sorry folks but it is there google "I got life" sung by Treat williams,very funny/good.

[oldbear]

Good question
These days I keep the hair on my monk's male pattern baldness head really short by cutting it myself twice a month along w/my '40's Clark Gable -type mustache
But one of my primary motivating factors behind doing this hike thru the long green tunnel to severe malnutrition
is to get re -connected w/ something important that I lost along the way
So on this hike I'm just gonna keep my mustache trimmed enough so that the vegetarians don't ask me about the benefits of my plankton diet and let all other hair grow as it will
"I almost cut my hair, it was happened just the other day.
It was gettin' kinda long, I could've said it was in my way.
But I didn't and I wonder why, I feel like letting my freak flag fly,
And I feel like I owe it to someone"

[Andrewsobo]

I think I'm going to do that too. Nature has gifted me with a comically developed monk look at 24 and so I keep my hair extremely short and shave every two weeks. I'm giving up on that for this hike, and I'm just going to let whatever crazy look nature decided on for me happen.

Basically a skullet by the end I'm guessing.