Beards - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

On my 2001 section hike I noticed that nearly every single SOBO had grown a beard (I’m not counting the women obviously). Is this a popular thing to do?? I was thinking of letting it all go, myself. Do you long distance hiker guys shave on the trail??

I thought it was fun. I even made bets with my hiking buddy if the next hiker we met would have a beard or not.

P.S Gave up smoking on sunday. Giving up feels the same as when i started: Exciting, new, different. Where are all the withdrawl symptons everyone talks about?

Ross - England

#2

Yeah I shaved. If you dont, you end up looking like ever other stinkin hiker out there. Women included. HaHa It really dosent matter if you shave, but when you get to a hostile, please wash your feet!!!

Virginian

#3

I continued to shave both face and head while i hiked. cant stand the itchy feeling of a beard; and I don’t know why I continued to shave my head. Habit probably? I didn’t shave it quite as often as in the real world; but having hair makes me so sweaty. And I look good in a tan.

Big Boy

#4

I shaved for the same reason as Big Boy. Can’t stand an itchy face. One thing you might want to consider though, is it may be easier to hitch a ride into town if you didn’t look like Grizzly Adams. There’s just something about a stranger with a sweaty, scraggly beard that keeps women from pulling over and picking you up. :boy

Nooga

#5

the itchey period goes away after week or two! let it go just keep it cleaned up a bit. :boy

mat

#6

I always let my face go back to nature when I’m on the trale. Just feels natural. No doubt when I do a thru-hike, I’ll go au natural.

A wild growth does get me different looks when I get back to civilization. Like when I got on the plane after 10 days without a shave in Colorado. Course I hadn’t bathed or changed clothes either. :x

steve hiker

#7

When we got to SpecialK I had a time concinving Marsha the Ranger where I come from. “So where did you come from?” “Abol Bridge…” “And before that?” pause “Springer…(duh)”. “No way, your to clean”. (big cheezy grin) “We do have a certain rep to uphold, ma’am”. Five days on the trail and we in to the Five Star in Kent unwashed. Clean does have its advantages. Three hitches in leather clad luxury cars, including a Caddy.

Bushwhack

#8

itching for a week or two?? hmm must be a different species! i only ever itch for a day or two… i wont be shavnig. i used to haev a goatee down to my belly button. now i dont keep it so long but still i dont plan on shaving on the trail. i see no point. i do plan on getting a #1 on the top each time i go through a town tho. ive always been a skinhead and dont like it longer than a #1 on top… ‘in city life’ ahem i get it cropped every 2 weeks… so…

Bloody Cactus

#9

My beard grows pretty fast, usually by day 7-10 it is rather full, already needing trimming in “civilian-land”. When I hiked Lake Superior (south shore, ~800 miles), I never shaved, beard was very long then. For my AT, I plan on stop cutting hair (#2) in January, and face-shave Feb 15th. Will shave again in August. With the increased food intake, and time, I will probably look like Moses coming off the mountain at Katahdin, save the pack on back.

airferret:boy

airferret

#10

let it grow. Long beard… on rainy days it holds water better than a water bladder. If you get food stuck in it in a town… you have trail treats later… yum yum…

peace

Aswah

#11

i had an outrageous beard going by the time i got to the shenandoahs. mostly i wanted to show it off for my college reunion; i left the trail for about a week, and spent the tmie standnig around with doctors and lawyers and telling them how i wasnt kidding when i said i was unemployed and lived in the woods. the beard got pretty uncomfortable though, and i finally shaved in duncannon.

the rest of the way, i shaved whenever i happened to be in town and find a (new) razor in a hiker box. (there are lots of them). it’s not worth carrynig a razor though.

mindlessmariachi

#12

Don’t shave your beard. Just let it go. Razors are extra weight, and if us women can dare to leave the razor at home, so can you.

Besides, beards are hot.

nobody

#13

Well, I stopped shaving for the trail. Didn’t bother me a bit.

I’ve kept it. Certainly warmer in the winter. See what mood I am in the spring.

Peaks

#14

I became somewhat of a novelty to other hikers and I thought I was the only one on the trail who shaved daily until I met Charlie Fox Trot. Personally I didn’t want the hassle of putting up with the itching. I used a disposable razor and a shaving oil called Super-Shave which comes in a very small vial. Super-Shave is very light and effective.

Downunda

#15

The itching goes away when your mind accepts that it’s supposed to be there. It’s not your face, it’s your mind. That is, unless you’ve been munching on some poison ivy, and then it gets stuck in your beard like your lunch.
I am glad I don’t have to shave to meet women, like Nooga and so many others before have suggested. That’s a sorry reason not to let it grow. If a girl doesn’t like you because of your face, then you’re better off. If you’re like me, and know that beards are a beautiful extension of a who you are, then others will think the same. You can’t make everyone happy, ever. Just do what feels right for yourself, and let the beauty flow.
Consider keeping it for life. You’re a man, aren’t you?

love and light to the fuzzy and the manicured :boy

Tha Wookie

#16

Nobody seems to be answering your smoking part of the question. Maybe they aren’t foolish enough to have started in the first place. Unlike other withdrawel nicotine is not a sudden painful withdrawal. Its slow and nagging and goes on for ever. I quit about 20 years ago after a long love affair with cigs. To this day I will see someone smoking and think boy that looks good! Then I hear them coughing and stinking and wheezing and realize I made a good decision. I do however know hikers who have smoked for years and they can out hike me. You just never know but good luck I hope you can stay smoke free.

Big B

#17

Just a quick thanks to Big B for noticing about the smoking. It was’nt hard, it is’nt tough and it feels good (giving up that is). Never thought i’d ever, ever, ever give up. So far so good. Good bye St. Nick O’teen !!! (The patron saint of smokers)

Ross

Ross

#18

didn’t see the part about the smoking. Congrats to all who have quit or are in the process of quitting. I’ve never smoked but many family members have. If you guys can quit; you can do the trail. Sadly; some smokers don’t think twice and light up sitting in the shelter without asking if anyone minds. I hope that doesn’t make it difficult for you who are trying to quit. My dog didn’t make a fuss about anyone who smoked in the shelter; yet there are alot of people that apparently would mind me bringing her out. anyway. enough about that. not trying to provoke a war. Just wanted to say congratulations.

Big Boy

#19

Just tell your pup not to blow smoke in my face, alright?:boy

Tha Wookie

#20

What if the dog is smoking pot in the shelter, would that make a difference? :pimp

steve hiker