Shaving?
I saw on another post someone mentioned not shaving. I hate having hairy legs. Not sure of the best way to go about it though. What do you guys do?
I shave when I stay in Town. Everyone is hairy, guys(faces) & gals(legs). You won't be alone. And at the end of a day, you will probably notice the smell more
Enjoy your hike, it is a wonderful adventure.
yea, you get used to it. I carried a disposable that I picked up along the way. But only for a couple hundred miles. Then I figured it wasn't worth it.
Agreed, do it in town. It's not as big a deal as you might think. You will be so dirty that the hair blends in with the dirt and is not that noticeable.
I worry about this too. I don't think I'll get used to it. The hair on my legs is thick and not blonde, which is odd because I have blonde hair. I don't want to wax prior to any long hikes because that requires growing your hair out long beforehand. So does anyone have any suggestions OTHER than, 'you'll get used to it' ??
The guys get used to seeing it also.
The trail is ever winding and the party moves every night.
You need to really alter your mind set. It is a different lifestyle and things that REALLY bother me at home (stinky odor, pimples, hairy legs and pits, nasty feet, etc.) are just not as relevant on the AT. You are exhausted from hiking most of the time and you have to let things so. And the dudes are so deprived of women that they tend to shower young women with attention even when they are gross. Be prepared to be "okay" with hairy legs and most likely you will embrace it within a month or so!Originally Posted by hellomolly
Razors can be inconvenient and VERY irritating (think skin, not mind) on the trail. For long hikes: electrolysis. Right before your hike. Lasts a few months. Too expensive? Try 'Threading:' learn to do it yourself and just carry the nearly-weightless string. You can do your touch-ups at camp every week or so. Or better yet -- and this is really the only way you'll learn what works for you -- get out there and do some week-longs or even just a few overnights if possible, try some different things you can come up with and find out what works best for you. Get some experience under your belt, and figure out for yourself what works best, erm, below the belt.
Quoted for emphasis.
Well, if it really bothers you...
A 2 pack of disposable razors costs, what, a dollar?--and has negligable weight. You could use one and carry the other to the next town stop. Also, if you have conditioner, you can use that as shaving cream and your legs won't get so irritated.
That being said, I don't even shave in real life. Well maybe once in awhile, but I will go months and months w/out shaving. It's just hair. You don't shave your arms, do you? It won't bother you as much as you think.
I'll probably end up going the razor + conditioner route. I don't shave my arms, no, but every time I have attempted to grow out the hair on my legs, it HAS bothered me as much as I mentioned, lol. The itch is ridiculous... and I just feel dirty. -shrug-
A warning I received lately from a fellow hiker: be careful shaving if there's any chance you picked up some poison ivy/oak oil along the way. You're not only spreading the oil with your razor but ensuring it gets under your skin via the micro-cuts the razor will create. You can imagine the horrors that would cause.
i put a razor in my maildrops and just shave in town...and a while back i ditched the whole swiss army knife idea but still bring the little tweezers...otherwise the eyebrows would be circa 25,000 BC
Just the thought of it.... *shudder* I hope that hiker didn't learn that hard lesson from personal experience.
After a hiker got an infected leg out on the trail and had to get off for a week (not from shaving that I know of though), personally I'd skip it. No one cares what your legs look like. But that's me.
I shave before hitting the trail and when I get off. Why bother? No one cares and it's time consuming.
Not personal experience but I think he witnessed it first-hand. Yeah, I agree: *shudder*.
Agree......
SHAVING is time consuming....? Really? Takes me maybe three minutes to do both legs below the knee. Not very time consuming at all. And I agree that no one else probably cares. It's not ABOUT who else cares. It's about my own personal comfort, and I'm just personally not comfortable with having itchy, hairy legs. It annoys me. Just because I want to find a way to have hair-free legs while hiking doesn't mean I'm some insecure person who shaves solely because society says I'm supposed to.
when I grow a beard at home it itches like crazy from day 6 to 12. If I only wash it with shampoo and conditioner, that cuts down the itch. On the trail it itches much less, probably because my skin has so much oil on it. My hypothesis is that washing all the oil off with soap is what makes it itchy, and that your legs won't actually be itchy on the trail, except for the part of your brain that says that they are supposed to be itchy. Having said that, if shaving makes you happy, do it more often rather than less and use conditioner to shave with. Bring a spare cup to clean the razor, cause you don't want that in your gatoraide.
You're right, it is about you and your comfort level. We are all different in what's important and not. But just to give my perspective. At home I am a very "girly" girl. My hair is always styled just right, hair color always fresh, nails manicured, pedicures, make up always and clothes always stylish. Won't even go to walmart with out being "presentable" . On the trail it a different story! I don't brush my hair, just pull it back in a pony tail and pop on a baseball cap. Don't shave but I do try to stay clean in the important ways. As soon as I am off trail it's back to the at home routine. I love the two different me's !SHAVING is time consuming....? Really? Takes me maybe three minutes to do both legs below the knee. Not very time consuming at all. And I agree that no one else probably cares. It's not ABOUT who else cares. It's about my own personal comfort, and I'm just personally not comfortable with having itchy, hairy legs. It annoys me. Just because I want to find a way to have hair-free legs while hiking doesn't mean I'm some insecure person who shaves solely because society says I'm supposed to.
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