Manly face manes [Archive]

v5planet

02-13-2010, 22:55

Spending a few weeks/months in the woods? Do you let your beard grow wild and free? Do you trim it? Do you shave it? Importantly, and the thinly-concealed reason for this thread: how do you men like myself who lack the full manly facial hair capacity exemplified by the thru-hiker forum avatar deal with being outgrown by your more manly counterparts?

On week three when they are harvesting the bounty of the ecosystem newly-established in their thick face forests as power snacks on the trail, do you sheepishly stroke your paltry cheek fuzz, the patchiness and sparseness only the more striking now for your attempts at a comb-over beard? I will be. *sigh* http://www.worldbeardchampionships.com/

Marmotnj

02-13-2010, 23:08

let it grow, Theres nothing wrong with a beard. I'm actually pre-gaming my beard so i don't have to deal with itchy beard the first 2 weeks.

Lone Wolf

02-13-2010, 23:08

real men don't shave

v5planet

02-13-2010, 23:23

But let's get back to the sad but real issue of men with inadequate facial hair coverage ...

JustaTouron

02-13-2010, 23:25

rogane ;)

Cakon

02-13-2010, 23:27

Just do a comb over. Let the few hairs grow really long and try to position them so they best cover your face. Or you can pack out some of the spray on hair. It looks great from far away (kinda like Pam Anderson).

v5planet

02-13-2010, 23:29

rogane ;)

maybe i can get hair transplant surgery ... onto my face.

Dogwood

02-13-2010, 23:29

.....deal with being outgrown by your more manly counterparts?

I'm missing something because I don't understand this.

I keep the Gotee but shave the rest of the beard. My beard comes in patchy and itches the crap out of me in about 2-3 wks. I also don't like the crud unshaved facial hair attracts or the way it makes my skin break out while hiking. Then, it becomes worse when you start scratching acne with dirty infected hands. I throw in a cheapy triple blade razor and one of those small traveling shaving cream cans in a resupply box every couple of wks.

I'm one of the few who do shave though. I would guess only 1 in 4 thru-hikers shave facial hair regularly.

Cool AT Breeze

02-14-2010, 00:10

Let it rip. I haven't shaved or trimmed in over a year.

Bronk

02-14-2010, 00:18

Chummin' for Bear

02-14-2010, 00:28

People can waste their testosterone growing hair if they want to, but just tell them you have a better use for yours:)

Cool AT Breeze

02-14-2010, 00:37

How is it wasted letting hair grow instead of shaving it off.

Jester2000

02-14-2010, 02:19

A forum jam packed with people who talk constantly about shaving ounces, but, you know, not literally.

Tinker

02-14-2010, 02:26

I change both my facial and head hair on a fairly constant basis. I meet folks from time to time that I've hiked with for a week in the past, and they don't have a clue who I am sometimes.
Sasquatch has posted a few pics of me in much hair and next-to-no hair modes.
I'm glad my wife married me for my money! ;)

Maddog

02-14-2010, 02:28

i ain't shavin'!:D

JonnyWalker

02-14-2010, 13:16

Nobody going to mention the fact its a lot warmer inside a beard for early starters?

Jester2000

02-14-2010, 14:05

Nobody going to mention the fact its a lot warmer inside a beard for early starters?

Well yeah. Problem is, that tends to be the part of the trip when most people don't have large beards.

burger

02-14-2010, 15:08

But let's get back to the sad but real issue of men with inadequate facial hair coverage ...
On the trail, your beard isn't inadequate--it's ultralight. Just tell that to all those hikers who are carrying around a full half ounce or more of facial hair. What a waste of precious ounces!

Btw, if you want to shave on the trail, just carry a disposable razor. You can even ditch the handle to save weight. You can shave in restaurant bathrooms or at hostels. Some thru-hikers shave--you won't be the only one.

Johnny Appleseed

02-14-2010, 16:47

If you don't shave you will be the laughing stock of all thru hikers. Joking. Tradition dictates growing a beard. Those who did shave had to keep telling others they really are thru hikers.

Rocket Jones

02-14-2010, 17:03

I always have a full beard. Usually though, I keep it trimmed down to skin level. :D

hiimkevin

02-14-2010, 17:41

im def pre gaming so that my face won't be cold during one of the coldest parts of the tail.

also i got one of those big electric face razors and noticed the beard got thicker. good luck!!

tintin

02-14-2010, 17:41

I stopped shaving a couple of months ago and had intended to keep the growth going until my brothers wedding two weeks after I'm due to fly back (hopefully on the back of a successful attempt). However, I kept on getting my beard caught in the zipper of the top I'll be thru-hiking in. My long-beard attempt has been abandoned and I'll probably just shave every 2 weeks or so. I was warning my future sister in law that I'd give a speech looking like that bloke of The Hangover... after 6 months on the trail, I'd probably give a speech like his too... she wasn't impressed.

Dogwood

02-14-2010, 22:46

If you think your beard is patchy, its probably because you've never fully grown it out before. And people have different types of hair too. It may look patchy for the first few weeks, but if you let it grow out long enough it will fill itself in so that nobody will notice. I've usually got to get about 2 months into it to reach this stage...until then there are a lot of patchy spots...its mostly because of the texture of my hair, its more thin and wirey than big and bushy.

And, who would have known? You can get expert hair care advice right here on WB! Let's call it the WB Hair Club For Men.

Woman excepted into the club on a case by case evaluated basis. Ladies, if your hair growth hasn't ever had you thinking about joining the circus don't bother applying for membership into the WB H C F M!

I think we should start a Men's Forum with a blue background.

Let's take equal rights to the next level. NOHHM - National Organization for Hairy Hiking Men!

Blissful

02-14-2010, 22:52

I have never seen my hubby without his beard in 20 yrs, and I've told him don't you dare shave it. One time he was trying out for play and they asked if he would shave his beard for a part. I said forget it. He was able to keep it and got a good part anyway.

sasquatch2014

02-14-2010, 23:50

I will say again just comb over your back hair.

My previous post for some reason got deleted imagine that.:rolleyes:

Sir-Packs-Alot

02-14-2010, 23:57

I grew mine on my 03 hike - and have kept it in the real world ever since. If I had my druthers I'd look like Abe Lincoln - but my wife persuades me to keep it trimmed!

I'd just let it grow - who wants to trim it on the trail ?! (I'll admit though- here in the real world my cheek hairs are thinner than the goatee hairs - I let the cheek hairs grow longer to try to match the density of the shorter trimmed but more dense goatee hairs. It kinda works!)

Old Hiker

02-15-2010, 10:51

If you don't shave you will be the laughing stock of all thru hikers. Joking. Tradition dictates growing a beard. Those who did shave had to keep telling others they really are thru hikers.

I hope the ladies don't take exception to the above. Although my mother-in-law, now........

hiimkevin

02-27-2010, 15:05

And, who would have known? You can get expert hair care advice right here on WB! Let's call it the WB Hair Club For Men.

Woman excepted into the club on a case by case evaluated basis. Ladies, if your hair growth hasn't ever had you thinking about joining the circus don't bother applying for membership into the WB H C F M!

I think we should start a Men's Forum with a blue background.

Let's take equal rights to the next level. NOHHM - National Organization for Hairy Hiking Men!

HAHAHA! this is great stuff! i would join!

Coastie

03-01-2010, 13:05

If you don't shave you will be the laughing stock of all thru hikers. Joking. Tradition dictates growing a beard. Those who did shave had to keep telling others they really are thru hikers.

What about women's leg hair. I don't have to let that grow to prove I'm a thru hiker do I? :)

JustaTouron

03-01-2010, 13:54

What about women's leg hair. I don't have to let that grow to prove I'm a thru hiker do I? :)

shaving your legs might attract creepy dudes.

thelowend

03-01-2010, 14:23

I say be a frakin man and wear whatever hair you got. My "beard" (me and a coworker are having a bet to see who shaves first.. loser buys speakers for storage room) was patchy as hell for the first two weeks (granted this is literally my first time letting it grow like is) but who cares.. its all red, and sure is a lot warmer than no hairs out on the trail. i might just let it stay until the start of my thru next year (thatll look scarrry)

Sumone86

03-01-2010, 20:00

i haven't trim my beard in two years. so i would say no to trimming on the AT

David@whiteblaze

03-01-2010, 20:19

I plan on a September (2012) start in Fl. with no hair on my scalp, chances are that I'll shave with a nice razor at home, take the train/shuttle, or fly to Key west, stay in a hotel, shave w/ aa cheap razor, and start off... 600 days of pure wilderness...