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WalkItOff
12-13-2007, 22:35
Hey everyone. Quick question regarding shaving. I know some thrus sport impressive beards that they "neglect" to cut along the way. But for the rest of us...

One problem I have is the fact that after say...4 days, my facial hair starts pissing me off and I want to shave badly. Do people just suck it up and get used to it or find ways to shave?

I am NOBOing early march btw. I am not starting out with a bounce box, which would be a logical storage place for a razor and shaving cream. I havent tried shaving with Dr. Bronners, but I should probably try it out pretty soon. What do other people do that works for them?

Thanks,
WalkitOff

wrongway_08
12-13-2007, 22:49
I would let it grow for a little bit, that feeling will past after about the 9th day. Then you can let it keep growing or shave it say every 6 weeks or so.

Footslogger
12-13-2007, 23:02
Hey everyone. Quick question regarding shaving. I know some thrus sport impressive beards that they "neglect" to cut along the way. But for the rest of us...

One problem I have is the fact that after say...4 days, my facial hair starts pissing me off and I want to shave badly. Do people just suck it up and get used to it or find ways to shave?

I am NOBOing early march btw. I am not starting out with a bounce box, which would be a logical storage place for a razor and shaving cream. I havent tried shaving with Dr. Bronners, but I should probably try it out pretty soon. What do other people do that works for them?

Thanks,
WalkitOff

====================================

Start growing it before your hike. It won't bother you during the hike.

'Slogger

Appalachian Tater
12-13-2007, 23:04
I shaved every time I hit a shower; shaving at the end of a hot shower means your week-old stubble will be softer. A disposable razor weighs almost nothing and you can sometimes find them in hiker boxes. (Don't be picky, pink razors are just a different color.) Usually in a hostel you'll find shaving cream left by other hikers, but really you can use any soap including Dr. Bronners if you use hot water and rub it in good and let it sit. You could heat up water and shave on the trail if you wanted to but I think a small mirror would be handy then and then the weight starts increasing.

Sometimes I felt like I was on the Planet of the Apes with all the furry faces around.

take-a-knee
12-13-2007, 23:12
You can buy a little one ounce bottle of shaving oil at Walmart, you only need four or five drops applied to your wet face. Shave normally like you would with shaving cream.

Appalachian Tater
12-13-2007, 23:16
You can buy a little one ounce bottle of shaving oil at Walmart, you only need four or five drops applied to your wet face. Shave normally like you would with shaving cream.

Don't buy shaving oil, it's just oil. Oil is oil. Use olive oil.

ScottP
12-13-2007, 23:20
I shaved every once in a while so I didn't look like a hobo (for hitching purposes) or have a beard that I couldn't check for ticks. Olive oil, with a little salt added if you have some, makes a great shaving-cream substitute; I continue to use olive oil at home.

Shaving on the trail proper sounds messy and time consuming. Plus, rubbing olive oil on your face might have some undesirable consequence (flies? mice? bears?). I have shaved over a sewer-grate behind a grocery store (my #2 hobo moment ever).

chezrad
12-13-2007, 23:57
1. Start shaving in the shower without a mirror. You get used to not needing a mirror.
2. Stop using shaving cream. It eats away the edge of your blades anyhow. Use regular soap.
3. Use a disposable razor and a little soap on the trail.
4. Warm water is over rated.

The only other thing that helps is the bottom of a milk jug for a small sink.

Tennessee Viking
12-14-2007, 00:20
Hey everyone. Quick question regarding shaving. I know some thrus sport impressive beards that they "neglect" to cut along the way. But for the rest of us...

One problem I have is the fact that after say...4 days, my facial hair starts pissing me off and I want to shave badly. Do people just suck it up and get used to it or find ways to shave?

I am NOBOing early march btw. I am not starting out with a bounce box, which would be a logical storage place for a razor and shaving cream. I havent tried shaving with Dr. Bronners, but I should probably try it out pretty soon. What do other people do that works for them?

Thanks,
WalkitOff
I am about the same. I have oily skin, but a course beard. It grows fast for the first week, then it just stops. I try to grow it out during the winter but dag-nab-it, it starts feeling like a steel brush. Then I start obsessing over it, rubbing it, then I lose it and shave it off.

The real problem is sweat. When you sweat into your beard, it will start to stiffen up, and you will go crazy over it. Keep a hanky handy.

Also, look to see if you can find the smallest battery hair trimmer, instead of carrying shaving cream and razor.

warraghiyagey
12-14-2007, 00:22
I carried a disposable and did a quick shave every other day. Then a thorough job during resupply stops. It's about as easy as brushing your teeth if you keep up with it. I never had more than 3 days growth on the trail.
Keeping shaved is no problem on the trail.

Panzer1
12-14-2007, 00:28
There's no reason not to shave on the trail if your inclined to. I think the main reason people don't shave on the trail is just a lack of concern about personal hygene.

Panzer

taildragger
12-14-2007, 00:29
Just let 'er go man. It will itch till about the 2nd week, after that you have a balaclava attached to your face, great for layering...besides, you can hike food in it for later.

weary
12-14-2007, 00:57
1. Start shaving in the shower without a mirror. You get used to not needing a mirror.
2. Stop using shaving cream. It eats away the edge of your blades anyhow. Use regular soap.
3. Use a disposable razor and a little soap on the trail.
4. Warm water is over rated.

The only other thing that helps is the bottom of a milk jug for a small sink.
I stopped using shaving cream decades ago when worry first surfaced about propellants destroying the ozone layer. My substitute at home is a shaving brush and a bar of soap.

When I shave on the trail I just use my hands to work up a lather with the Ivory I use for general purpose washing. But mostly I don't shave on trails. I just let it grow. I find that after a week or so, shaving can be painful. So before shaving I just have a barber clip most of it off.

Weary

superman
12-14-2007, 04:06
I just shaved at town stops. Those cheap plastic razors are availble in every town...even in gas stations. The motel soap worked fine. I found aftershave and all that smelly stuff offensive on my thru hike. It seemed like non-hikers in town stops reeked of perfume like smells.

warraghiyagey
12-14-2007, 04:20
. . .I found aftershave and all that smelly stuff offensive on my thru hike. It seemed like non-hikers in town stops reeked of perfume like smells.
That sooo reminded me of when day hikers are headed toward me on the trail. Frequently I could smell them well before I could see them. And quite a ways after they had passed. Freshly showered folk on the trail smell as strong as walking by Yankee Candle in a mall.

highway
12-14-2007, 06:41
1. Start shaving in the shower without a mirror. You get used to not needing a mirror.
2. Stop using shaving cream. It eats away the edge of your blades anyhow. Use regular soap.
3. Use a disposable razor and a little soap on the trail.
4. Warm water is over rated.

The only other thing that helps is the bottom of a milk jug for a small sink.

I agree with all except last-I wait till I can shower either cold or hot water. I have not bought shaving cream in many, many years. Body soap works great

4eyedbuzzard
12-14-2007, 10:16
...Olive oil, with a little salt added if you have some, makes a great shaving-cream substitute; I continue to use olive oil at home...rubbing olive oil on your face might have some undesirable consequence (flies? mice? bears?).

"...undesirable consequence (flies? mice? bears?)"

Bears that like antipasto could be a problem. So too could be the attention of very large italian women.

Bootstrap
12-14-2007, 10:29
Don't buy shaving oil, it's just oil. Oil is oil. Use olive oil.

I disagree.

I got the shaving oil from WalMart and loved it. I then tried olive oil and canola oil. The shaving oil is *much* more protective.

Jonathan

JAK
12-14-2007, 13:13
Trail shaving thread. Way cool.

No morning ablutions routine is complete without a helmet full of hot soapy water and little whiskers staring up at you. Now of course I will have to do it without soap, or helmet, but I do intend to shave everyday. That's the advantage of being a pack sniffer, you can intend to do almost anything. :D

Best choice of razor?
How do you keep it sharp?
What's the best lubricant?
Should you bring a shaving brush and mug?
Best multiple uses for shaving brush and mug?
Best aftershave?

MOWGLI
12-14-2007, 13:20
Dropped my razor into my full cup of coffee this morning. Doh! What a mess! And it was good coffee. Shaving sucks.

warraghiyagey
12-14-2007, 13:24
Dropped my razor into my full cup of coffee this morning. Doh! What a mess! And it was good coffee. Shaving sucks.
First of all - Haa - haaa. Now with that priority out of the way, I was instantly puzzled to see your name on this thread based on your former photo avatar. Or were you shaving your legs?

taildragger
12-14-2007, 13:38
First of all - Haa - haaa. Now with that priority out of the way, I was instantly puzzled to see your name on this thread based on your former photo avatar. Or were you shaving your legs?

Shaved legs cut down on unwanted wind drag while hiking, but I wouldn't recommend doing it, ticks might suspect you of being a weekend warrior, and therefore far tastier than a gamey long distance hiker.

JAK
12-14-2007, 13:54
I get cold sores now and then, especially after exposure to lots of wind and sun, which can make it difficult to shave for a few days. Still I think I would be more apt to try and shave and wash and do some laundry every day on the trail. Just to be different of course. :)

johnny quest
12-14-2007, 14:11
i INTEND to shave regularly on the trail. we had to do in the Marine Corps, even in the field, so its not a new thing to me. what sucks is getting camo paint out of your ears. i wont miss that...

guavaguy
12-14-2007, 14:13
I also have to shave but I do it everyother day and I take a Mach III razor (weighs virtually nothing) and it has a lubricant strip on it to help with any abrasion. I then just use a little camp soap and I'm good to go.
Also, depending on the area I will use filtered water to rinse my face (I take no chances with the little protozoa critters!).
If you have to take a mirror....take a CD/DVD disc instead. Light, flexible and works great!

The Weasel
12-14-2007, 14:49
Thoughts on beards on the Trail---

- Beards are a smart thing to do. In the South (GA, NC, VA) a decently kept beard (not necessarily cut, but at least combed) is well regarded, and not a sign of a hobo, at least in rural areas. I got a lot more respect, I think, for having one than if I had been perpetually in the "10 day growth" level.

- Beards keep you warm and cool both. At night, a beard is a lot like a "lower hat" to keep your face warm, without having to be totally inside your mummy. But in the day, if you sweat at all, your beard catches some of the sweat and helps cool your face, in sort of a feedback circuit. Your face also isn't repeatedly "tenderized" by shaving, so sweat doesn't inflame your face as much, if you have a beard.

- Beards need some upkeep, but not much. Beards catch sweat (see above) and also some food morsels. Both are a bit unattractive, but more importantly both draw rodents occasionally, since they are attracted by the salt in sweat as well as those delicious noodles under your lip. It's smart to rinse your beard each night, and your moustache.

TW

oops56
12-14-2007, 15:40
I have one most of my life and sometimes i carrier my wok with me:D



http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d52/oops62/stoves%202/vikingwok.jpg

Micky
12-14-2007, 16:00
I don't like the way my beard grows in, it's a different shade of blonde. some call it gray, and it itches.:D

JAK
12-14-2007, 16:19
i INTEND to shave regularly on the trail. we had to do in the Marine Corps, even in the field, so its not a new thing to me. what sucks is getting camo paint out of your ears. i wont miss that...Shaving over camo paint also sucks, as I recall. Especially that old Canadian camo paint that I remember. Did I say paint? I think it was more like tar. I wonder if they have changed it since.

JAK
12-14-2007, 16:23
Of course I'm not really complaining about having to shave that tar off.
It was only basic training after all. I don't care how pampered you real vets were in Vietnam and all. ;)

budforester
12-14-2007, 17:14
My camp- shaving works OK with the liquid camp- soap, but I must shave by "feel"; it's not practical to see where lather is being removed even with good light and a stable mirror. I use the disposable razors. single- blade when I can find them. The double- blade types get gunked - up between the blades when my whiskers are coarse. The bar- soaps don't work well for me... don't seem to lubricate as well. Baby - shampoo works OK but don't lick your lips, it tastes bad. And it doesn't work as well as the camp- soap for washing clothes and dishes.

I much prefer to shave with warm water. That can be a bother.

When I grow a beard, it itches like the dickens for the first week; I get used to it after that (if the weather is cool). It protects my face in the winter but must go when spring arrives.

JAK
12-14-2007, 17:18
The Kelly Kettle is great in winter for boiling hot water and stripping down to the waist or the full monty and doing the head to toe morning ablutions shaving and all. Well, maybe not the shaving head to toe. :eek:

johnny quest
12-14-2007, 17:23
The Kelly Kettle is great in winter for boiling hot water and stripping down to the waist or the full monty and doing the head to toe morning ablutions shaving and all. Well, maybe not the shaving head to toe. :eek:

a good old fashioned whore's bath!
what? is that not pc?????

Mags
12-14-2007, 17:23
My beard grows in too thick and fast. It is a pain to shave after even 5 days. I just let it go.


I recently shaved off my beard, though, and I am clean shaven for the first time in two years. (I tend to go in cycles).

Off Trail, I find a beard harder to deal with as I kept it neatly trimmed.

On trail, I find shaving a pain (literally).


YMMV.

AT-HITMAN2005
12-14-2007, 19:24
i let mine grow for the 6 months. but did keep the hair on my head trimmed. at first it is kind of annoying but you get use to it. the only time in the past 2 almost 3 years that i've shaved was for a job interview. start growing now, you'll be fine.

i do keep mine somewhat trimmed. its not the an LW beard, least not till i start hiking again.

Bearpaw
12-15-2007, 13:20
The worst part of being a Marine was having to shave in the field. I'd rather eat glass than shave in the backcountry.

IMO, the best way to deal with a beard on a thru-hike is to grow a beard while on your thru-hike. :D

johnny quest
12-15-2007, 13:27
ahhhhhh....i had a lot worse things happened to me in the field than that! actually the forced shaving made alot of sense from a cleanliness standpoint. besides, th-th-th-that that dont kill me can only make me stronger!
that being said, i will only say i INTEND to shave on my thru.

Minot
12-16-2007, 00:25
I always shave. Otherwise, the beard drives me nuts.

I don't use a plastic razor. Instead, I just take the disposable blade portion itself, without the handle, of a normal razor.

Just grab it and shave. It's much better than a cheap plastic razor and lasts much longer.

mudhead
12-16-2007, 09:11
I don't like the way my beard grows in, it's a different shade of blonde. some call it gray, and it itches.:D

I had patches of copper. And spaces.

Now I have too much "Very Light Gray."

You can also use a car window (tinted works better) as a mirror.

wrongway_08
12-16-2007, 11:06
Just use NAIR, no mirror needed lather it on and wash it off.......

Thoughtful Owl
12-17-2007, 16:28
Just use NAIR, no mirror needed lather it on and wash it off.......

Wrongway, I hope you were actually just kidding around.:) Have you tried using nair on your face?

SunnyWalker
12-25-2007, 00:23
-If you can't figure out what to do about either shaving or growing your beard maybe you should not go hiking on the AT??!?!?!?!!?!?!??!???!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
-Do you need to be led around by the hand and your diapers changed also?
-I know I am being a little "mean" here, but comon!
-SunnyWalker

johnny quest
12-26-2007, 10:25
those who are preparing for a thru hike are just excited, fixated. discussing the weight savings realized from gutting your 550 cord, what knot to use on a guyline or best lightweight shaving methods is just a reflection of that. lighten up. happy holidays.

4eyedbuzzard
12-26-2007, 10:46
those who are preparing for a thru hike are just excited, fixated. discussing the weight savings realized from gutting your 550 cord, what knot to use on a guyline or best lightweight shaving methods is just a reflection of that. lighten up. happy holidays.

Yep. And let's face it, as you have to be somewhat obsessive to start with to attempt a thru-hike, that it carries over into the planning is not a big surprise.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-26-2007, 11:18
The perfect ultralight solution to any unwanted hair (http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100782&id=prod1887)....

Hurley
12-26-2007, 13:07
Be a man, grow a beard.

johnny quest
12-26-2007, 13:10
if the ability to grow hair on your face was all it took to make a man....we would have a bundh of young......
nevermind. that is exactly what we have.

Footslogger
12-26-2007, 13:19
Face ...and ears (damnit) are about the only places I can grow hair any more.

'Slogger

Two Speed
12-26-2007, 13:26
Face ...and ears (damnit) are about the only places I can grow hair any more.

'SloggerAhhh, the perils of geezerdom!

'Course I may not be far behind you. My brother, 3 years my senior, was recently kvetching about his kids, saying something to the effect that "kids don't know anything these days." Guess I'll start looking around for a set of those nose hair trimmers in a couple three four months.

Or . . . think I could just let the nose hairs kinda merge with the ol' mustache?

Frolicking Dinosaurs
12-26-2007, 13:31
In female geezerdom, we begin growing a beard... this is just wrong.

::: Dino goes to get waxed :::

Footslogger
12-26-2007, 13:32
Or . . . think I could just let the nose hairs kinda merge with the ol' mustache?

===================================

I dunno ...a comb-over at nose level might not work for you !!

'Slogger

Two Speed
12-26-2007, 13:39
===================================

I dunno ...a comb-over at nose level might not work for you !!

'SloggerUmm, technically that'd be a comb-under, wouldn't it?

Footslogger
12-26-2007, 13:45
Umm, technically that'd be a comb-under, wouldn't it?

=====================================

All depends on the angle and what gets covered up as a result ...

'Slogger

Just Jeff
12-26-2007, 13:54
Wow. Y'all are just wrong.

Footslogger
12-26-2007, 13:57
Wow. Y'all are just wrong.

===============================

Been told that many times ...

'Slogger

Two Speed
12-26-2007, 14:01
Wow. Y'all are just wrong.Give it time, whippersnapper, give it time.

Ah crap! Now I'm sounding like my brother. :p

JohnnyBongo
12-26-2007, 14:27
I read an article on survival while homeless awhile back. The guy said that a drop of KY on your razor would let you shave without needing water. I can't confirm the validity of this idea, but it might have merit to someone. :D

ye olde shiza
12-26-2007, 15:12
I shaved every once in a while so I didn't look like a hobo (for hitching purposes) or have a beard that I couldn't check for ticks. Olive oil, with a little salt added if you have some, makes a great shaving-cream substitute; I continue to use olive oil at home.

Shaving on the trail proper sounds messy and time consuming. Plus, rubbing olive oil on your face might have some undesirable consequence (flies? mice? bears?). I have shaved over a sewer-grate behind a grocery store (my #2 hobo moment ever).

Thank you very much for this advice. I had thought about going with a beard, but you mentioning that you wouldn't be able to check for ticks has made me rethink this. It almost seems irresponsible for someone going solo to grow a beard now.

SunnyWalker
04-22-2008, 23:07
Yes, yes, yes, yes, I will join the ranks of "geezerdom" :=-) and let my facial hair grow. Being a German American I have lots of hair, everywhere below the top of my head. Das ist dumpkoph!!!!!!

budforester
04-22-2008, 23:47
I'll have to try that olive oil sugestion... maybe with a pinch of basil. I usually shave with liquid camp- soap, so it's multiple- use. Disposible razors are lighter. A single- blade is rare nowadays, but it doesn't clog with those coarse whiskers. I usually wait 'till the second day to shave. When starting a beard, I can reduce itching by shaving my neck several times in the first weeks.

Captain
04-23-2008, 03:34
LIGHTLY spritz some rubbing alcohol on the hiar to be "shaved" give the lighter a flick and it will catch the alcohol and singe the hiar down really close , will smell awful but in a pinch it works... this is something i have done before without injury but if you are stupid enough to do it you do so at your own risk have a nice day

SunnyWalker
05-02-2008, 22:23
What is a "pack sniffer"?

sofaking
05-02-2008, 22:32
shaving...HA!

rdpolete
05-02-2008, 23:55
Best choice of razor? One that doesn't chew up your face.
How do you keep it sharp? Replace with a new one.
What's the best lubricant? Dr. B's Peppermint.
Should you bring a shaving brush and mug? Yes... Two clean hands to foam up the Dr. B's Soap and your mug (face):D.
Best multiple uses for shaving brush and mug? Well, I think this is a family spot so I won't tell you what else you can do with hands
Best aftershave? Dr. B's Peppermint Soap.

mkmangold
05-03-2008, 02:36
a good old fashioned whore's bath!
what? is that not pc?????

PC: I do the "pimp's bath" instead.

When I was younger, my beard grew in 3 different colors, brown, blonde, and red reflecting (in order) my heritages: Polish, German, and Irish. Now that I'm older, it's all one color. Mosaicism has given way to Mosesism.

I hate shaving but when I am on the road I use a cool little device I found around here one year. It's white plastic and about 2 1/2" high. You twist the base and the razor pops out! Mach 2 I think. I bought about 10 of the critters figuring that they would go out of style some day and I think I'm right.

MOWGLI
05-03-2008, 04:43
What is a "pack sniffer"?

A derogatory term for someone who doesn't hike - but who hangs around hikers. It is usually reserved for folks who have little hiking experience, but who come across as know-it-alls on the internet. A cyber hiker. :sun

Uncle Tom
05-08-2008, 11:21
I shaved just about every day. I used disposable razors that I bought singly when I came into town. They lasted me for the time i was out hiking until the next town. I find that any kind of soap works ok if you shave daily. Sometimes a few drops of Bronners did it, sometimes a scrid of soap. I have done it so long that I don't need a mirror. This time of year, a clean face allows one to escape a few more black flies, they tend to get caught in long facial hair.

Chance09
05-29-2008, 11:58
I have a nice little electric beard trimmer. I was going to put it, and its charger of course, in my bounce box and just trim my beard at least once, if not 2 times a month. Nothing worse than having mustache hair in your mouth cause it's to long.

Bare Bear
05-29-2008, 22:13
The beards are a tradition......get the AT symbol cut into your head too. OK I did get my hair and beard all cut off in NY but it was 105F freaking degrees in 06! One of my favorite photos from that trip is two ladies getting off the Trail in NJ sitting outside a bank at about 0930 am...the temp reads 95F.

SunnyWalker
05-29-2008, 23:26
Mowgli: Oh, thats what a "pack sniffer" is. :-) Hope I are not one! As for shaving, to each his own. I sure love not shaving on my days off, on vacation, on a hike, etc. Feels like I am really on my "own time". It's fun to not worry about how you look and all. But I do like to try to be clean. I have waited until I get out to a town or something like that and buy a disposable razor, use it and then go on. This is when I am not having a beard. Right now I am in my beard mode but am not on the trail or a trail. Except the trail of life!

sloopjonboswell
05-30-2008, 01:16
i liked the chinstrap, or the abe lincoln or whatever you want to call it. usually shaved my upper lip when i went into town. and three cheers to the ladies who shave while on the trail. we salute you.

StepChld
06-03-2008, 14:12
The beards are a tradition......get the AT symbol cut into your head too. OK I did get my hair and beard all cut off in NY but it was 105F freaking degrees in 06! One of my favorite photos from that trip is two ladies getting off the Trail in NJ sitting outside a bank at about 0930 am...the temp reads 95F.95F is a cold front down here...and 100+ is the norm but add 100% humidity and you've seen my typical summer. In fact today, we're supposed to hit 100+F...it's to dadgum early for that! It's gonna be a long hot summer I'm afraid:mad::sun:eek: