Split from Thru - Hiking with Dreadlocks - Dreads? Good or bad?

[kyhipo]

well let me see your pretty strange to want dreadlocks with mold.ky and trust me I am not being judgmental its just come on man!

[Chaco Taco]

well let me see your pretty strange to want dreadlocks with mold.ky and trust me I am not being judgmental its just come on man!

Still see that you have absolutely nothing to offer to the topic of conversation.

Wak's dreads didnt make it on the hike, but she started them while on the trail.

[Jester2000]

Sooo . . . Wak's a thru-hiker, but the dreads sectioned.

[turtle fast]

If your intent is to draw attention to yourself then go ahead. HOWEVER, you have to remember that the trail runs through rural areas and that these folks are not used to seeing dreadlocks. Now, they are used to seeing beards... Dreads unfortunately have the negative connotation of pot smoking hippie types whom most of the locals frown upon. Try to get a ride into town with dreads in rural Tennessee...hmmm The hippie or the hiker....most will pick up the hiker.

[JoshStover]

Indeed. I agree there is no alignment of said persons politically nor support thereof toward the alleged subsocietal group they claim to enamor, but only a superficial adaptation of outward style to justify a desire to act in a hedonist manner of self indulgence and illicit behavior.
I do not concur that they wish to disassociate themselves with urbana but rather offer this; They only wish to offer torment and pain toward their governance's and as option two; A reason to render themselves useless to advancement in society to further their somnastic intents.


Somebody clean them up so they can get a real job! oops that was mean sorry

A "Real" Job? Are you serious? I am the unit coordinator for the ICU in the state's largest hospital. Is that a real job? I did cut my dreads off but I did have them for four years while working this job. I also had them while is was an insurance agent for Nationwide and I was the in the top five best producers in the state. I think it is safe to say I had a "Real" job while I had my dreads...

[Trailbender]

Pretty funny thread.

Yeah, dreads are "natural" all right.....at least they are if you have some actual connection to a place where they have a historical or cultural significance, i.e. India or Jamaica for example.

Are they "natural" for some freckled college kid from Fairfield, Connecticut?

Um, no, then they're merely a trendy fashion statement, and yeah, they do indeed tend to stink, look funny, and make the wearer look they performed their daily grooming with a piece of toast. The typical white, suburban, collegiate dread wearer isn't into Rastafarianism, mysticism, even spirituality. He isn't Jamaican, he knows nothing about the history of Rastafarianism, nor he is he an expert on Sadhuism or Indian religion. He wears dreads for the same reason that his contemporaries get multiple facial piercings or lousy tattoo work......they do it to look "different".

The reality, of course, is that they merely look silly.

Actually cavemen and many Vikings and Scotsmen had dreadlocks. I have thick red hair, and if I don't comb it, it starts locking up quickly. I have natural dreadlocks, and they aren't nasty, and they look good on me. I like them, that is all that matters, screw what anyone else thinks.

[Trailbender]

Being serious (What? ?um? er?) that's why I said many people who do the PCT (including a fair amount of women) opt to go for the short or even buzzed hair styles. Nothing to do with being a military wanna be..it just makes sense in the hot, sweaty and little water stretches encountered while desert hiking. As TAK said, it may be a military tradition, but it is also a military tradition rooted in common sense and practicality going far, far back (When going campaigning meant living outside for extended periods of time.)

As mentioned, for the first and only time in my adult life, I attempted to grow long hair while on the PCT. The overall "yuck" (and heat) factor caused me to shave it off after less than 2.5 weeks or so. And I was not the only one.

Just something to think about anyway.

Actually, the Roman military had short hair to keep people from grabbing their hair in close range fights. I was in the Army, so I have had both short hair and long hair. You are actually cooler in the summer with long hair. It holds the sweat against your scalp and allows it to evaporate, doing its job. I have hiked with long and short hair, and I was cooler by far with long hair. Also, the dreads or long hair trap air against your scalp in the winter, keeping your head warmer. I hiked for a month on the AT with shoulder length dreads, and had no problems, even showering once a week. I have never had mold grow in my dreads, either.

[Pedaling Fool]

...I was in the Army, so I have had both short hair and long hair. You are actually cooler in the summer with long hair. It holds the sweat against your scalp and allows it to evaporate, doing its job. I have hiked with long and short hair, and I was cooler by far with long hair. Also, the dreads or long hair trap air against your scalp in the winter, keeping your head warmer. I hiked for a month on the AT with shoulder length dreads, and had no problems, even showering once a week. I have never had mold grow in my dreads, either.

I was in the Navy, so I've had short hair and now I have shoulder-length hair and I don't believe that hair makes a difference with respect to heat of the summer WRT the body regulating body temp. However, just by your explanation, it doesn't make sense. Sweat will evaportate, regardless if you have hair or no hair (or any lenght in between). But if hair does trap in the sweat for any lenght of time that will PREVENT evaporation and thus heat up, making your body work harder to cool off.

In other words, sweat doesn't cool your body, it's the evaporation process that cools the body and anything that inhibits that process inhibits the cooling effect. With that said long hair (at least in my case, but I have relatively thin hair) doesn't really affect the evaporation process (in any noticeable way).

Just as long hair really doesn't help in keeping you warmer in the winter, it's all psycological.

[Trailbender]

I was in the Navy, so I've had short hair and now I have shoulder-length hair and I don't believe that hair makes a difference with respect to heat of the summer WRT the body regulating body temp. However, just by your explanation, it doesn't make sense. Sweat will evaportate, regardless if you have hair or no hair (or any lenght in between). But if hair does trap in the sweat for any lenght of time that will PREVENT evaporation and thus heat up, making your body work harder to cool off.

In other words, sweat doesn't cool your body, it's the evaporation process that cools the body and anything that inhibits that process inhibits the cooling effect. With that said long hair (at least in my case, but I have relatively thin hair) doesn't really affect the evaporation process (in any noticeable way).

Just as long hair really doesn't help in keeping you warmer in the winter, it's all psycological.

It makes plenty of sense, if you are bald, the sweat runs off your head before it has a chance to evaporate and cool things down. Long hair does keep you warmer in the winter as well. See my explanation. I have done research on this, and it actually does make a difference. I have thicker hair, and dreads, so that may explain it better. I have noticed I am warmer in the winter, it makes sense, the hair will trap air and keep your head warmer, same principle as down in a sleeping bag.

[Chenango]

Pretty funny thread.

Yeah, dreads are "natural" all right.....at least they are if you have some actual connection to a place where they have a historical or cultural significance, i.e. India or Jamaica for example.

Are they "natural" for some freckled college kid from Fairfield, Connecticut?

Um, no, then they're merely a trendy fashion statement, and yeah, they do indeed tend to stink, look funny, and make the wearer look they performed their daily grooming with a piece of toast. The typical white, suburban, collegiate dread wearer isn't into Rastafarianism, mysticism, even spirituality. He isn't Jamaican, he knows nothing about the history of Rastafarianism, nor he is he an expert on Sadhuism or Indian religion. He wears dreads for the same reason that his contemporaries get multiple facial piercings or lousy tattoo work......they do it to look "different".

The reality, of course, is that they merely look silly.

Hey! I was at Fairfield Prep. Wait .. I do not have freckles. Or, dreadlocks. Oh yah, and I am in my 50's now!! Us older guys are just glad to have hair.

I do not remember people having dreadlocks at Fairfield back in the 70's. The Jesuits would not allow it!!

[Pedaling Fool]

It makes plenty of sense, if you are bald, the sweat runs off your head before it has a chance to evaporate and cool things down. Long hair does keep you warmer in the winter as well. See my explanation. I have done research on this, and it actually does make a difference...

For the cooling effect to work you need that sweat to roll off and not all of it rolls off it leaves a trail of water that quickly turns to vapor and that’s what cools you. If you could maintain, say a 2mm-thick layer of water on your entire body, that water will warm up until it’s warm enough to change to vapor during this time it is acting as an insulator. Whereas a very thin film of moisture will warm up quicker, thus evaporating quicker providing that cool feel. You don’t feel cold in a pool, but as soon as you get out, that same water (just less of it – and MOST of that rolls off) evaporates quickly and feels cold.

...I have thicker hair, and dreads, so that may explain it better. I have noticed I am warmer in the winter, it makes sense, the hair will trap air and keep your head warmer, same principle as down in a sleeping bag.

Yes, thicker hair is a factor in how warmer you may feel in the cold; I’m not saying that long hair will NOT affect your body temp in an absolute way. I’m saying it won’t be a large factor (discounting the psychological factors). Long hair will not prevent hypothermia, best get a hat for that and then some…


I’m not arguing against dreadlocks; when all’s said in done it doesn’t matter much if you hike bald or with dreadlocks – it’s a personal preference. I’m only talking basic physics in my last two posts and physics doesn’t care about our preferences.

[Trailbender]

For the cooling effect to work you need that sweat to roll off and not all of it rolls off it leaves a trail of water that quickly turns to vapor and that’s what cools you. If you could maintain, say a 2mm-thick layer of water on your entire body, that water will warm up until it’s warm enough to change to vapor during this time it is acting as an insulator. Whereas a very thin film of moisture will warm up quicker, thus evaporating quicker providing that cool feel. You don’t feel cold in a pool, but as soon as you get out, that same water (just less of it – and MOST of that rolls off) evaporates quickly and feels cold.

Yes, thicker hair is a factor in how warmer you may feel in the cold; I’m not saying that long hair will NOT affect your body temp in an absolute way. I’m saying it won’t be a large factor (discounting the psychological factors). Long hair will not prevent hypothermia, best get a hat for that and then some…


I’m not arguing against dreadlocks; when all’s said in done it doesn’t matter much if you hike bald or with dreadlocks – it’s a personal preference. I’m only talking basic physics in my last two posts and physics doesn’t care about our preferences.

The sweat doesn't need to roll off to evaporate, it can sit there and do that. I do wear a hat year round when I am hiking, anyways. I have long hair because I like long hair, mainly, but I was also explaining the practical reasons for it.

[MikenSalem]

A "Real" Job? Are you serious? I am the unit coordinator for the ICU in the state's largest hospital. Is that a real job? I did cut my dreads off but I did have them for four years while working this job. I also had them while is was an insurance agent for Nationwide and I was the in the top five best producers in the state. I think it is safe to say I had a "Real" job while I had my dreads...

Stovermon
Wasn't talking about you. Wasn't thinking about you. Wasn't at all about you. But in light of all that information "Good for you!" If I ever get to meet you in person I'm gonna hug you

[Chaco Taco]

Its amazing that people that dont want or like dreads talk trash. If you dont want em, you dont have to have em. Not all people with dreads are dirty. Thats the biggest stereotype. I understand expressing your opinion but you aint gotta be jerks about it. This is the 21st century and its a diverse society. Live with it!
Jester,
Wak's dreads started in CT. She wants them again and will probably get them. I may also do the same as I wait another year to get more length, then Ill let em start.

[Mags]

Actually, the Roman military had short hair to keep people from grabbing their hair in close range fights.

It was the Greeks under Alexander who did that for that reason.. The Romans did it mainly for that reason, but also hygiene, cultural and tradition.

I was in the Army, so I have had both short hair and long hair. You are actually cooler in the summer with long hair.

That's news to a lot of experienced desert hikers.

[Trailbender]

That's news to a lot of experienced desert hikers.

Good, glad to help. We are always learning. Even experienced people can learn something new.

[Mango]

If you've got enough hair, wear it however you like. Most critics on here are just jealous. I wish I still had some hair to braid.

[Nearly Normal]

Dreads would be Sea Island sand gnat nirvana.
https://gashpo.org/content/displayco...xtDocument=619

[Feral]

My dreads allow me to hike big mile days and longer sections between resupply.