Beard?

[MichaelNW]

Question for the bearded among you. I have a short beard, I want a light pack. I use a beard trimmer for maintenance (what hair I have and beard - same length). I will be two months in Spain. What have you done to maintain your beard on the Camino? Barber? Ultralight trimmer (recommendation?)? Need help as I develop my packing list.

 

[naplesdon]

A small pair of scissors works just fine for me as you can see from my avatar. Hairdresser shops (males/female) are omnipresent on the Camino, they will gladly give you a trim for 5 to 10 euros.

 

[jirit]

I just let my beard grow - nothing beats having a "camino beard" !

With a month of unkept hair, smelly clothes, blistered feet, and a wild and wooly beard you will have a life time of memories.

Freaks out the customs folks too if decide to keep it that way while you travel home.

 

[ebrandt]

Question for the bearded among you. I have a short beard, I want a light pack. I use a beard trimmer for maintenance (what hair I have and beard - same length). I will be two months in Spain. What have you done to maintain your beard on the Camino? Barber? Ultralight trimmer (recommendation?)? Need help as I develop my packing list.

My husband just touched his up with a small pair of scissors on our swiss army knife. I guess it was a bit raggedy when we finished, but so were we all! L

 

[Icacos]

I just let my beard grow - nothing beats having a "camino beard" !

With a month of unkept hair, smelly clothes, blistered feet, and a wild and wooly beard you will have a life time of memories.

Freaks out the customs folks too if decide to keep it that way while you travel home.

Someone, some time back, posted a picture of his wild, wooly self at the end of his Camino. It would have scared the daylights out of anyone.

 

[SYates]

There are nearly as many hair dressers on the Camino as they are pharmacies ;-) SY

 

[dougfitz]

Freaks out the customs folks too if decide to keep it that way while you travel home.

What do you have in that beard that would be an issue for customs?

On the OP, I am normally clean shaven, but have let my beard grow out on all my pilgrimages. I do trim around my neck after a couple of weeks when it gets uncomfortable. I just get a pack small pack of disposable razors for that, and keep the ones I don't use in my wet bag.

 

[whariwharangi]

I just let it grow. It protects you from bugs, sun, and wind and is a handy place to keep snacks. I use a small pair of hair trim scissors to keep the mustache hairs from getting too long and into my mouth.

 

[jpflavin1]

Question for the bearded among you. I have a short beard, I want a light pack. I use a beard trimmer for maintenance (what hair I have and beard - same length). I will be two months in Spain. What have you done to maintain your beard on the Camino? Barber? Ultralight trimmer (recommendation?)? Need help as I develop my packing list.

Let it grow, Let it grow, Let it grow.

 

[CaptBuddy]

A small pair of scissors works just fine for me as you can see from my avatar. Hairdresser shops (males/female) are omnipresent on the Camino, they will gladly give you a trim for 5 to 10 euros.

Worked for me.

 

[jirit]

Anyway with a long woolly beard you can bring "a bit of the camino" home with you

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...392258/?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

 

[jirit]

What do you have in that beard that would be an issue for customs?

On the OP, I am normally clean shaven, but have let my beard grow out on all my pilgrimages. I do trim around my neck after a couple of weeks when it gets uncomfortable. I just get a pack small pack of disposable razors for that, and keep the ones I don't use in my wet bag.

I rather not say given that the NSA is probably scanning my camino forum posts

 

[jirit]

Seriously it is tough to keep a short beard short without the proper equipment.

Hence the reason I suggest to let it grow out. I start clean shaven but by the time I reach Leon I kind of look like George Clooney (without the good looks), and Santa Claus by Santiago.

 

[Mikel Olivares]

Hi.
A recommendation. Don't cut the beard. Let it grow. When you get to Santiago takes a picture with her.

 

[Arn]

After not shaving for nearly forty days, I had quite the beard. Most folks said it looked good, but I still decided to have it cut before I traveled home.
I went looking for a men's barber shop in SdC, but couldn't find one. Near the park across the street from the main paths to the cathedral, I walked past an obviously non-unisex shop. With the exception of the male owner...it was an all-female preserve. At this time I had crutches and so, with a hang dog look, I carefully entered and asked if I could get "the Works" hair/beard cut, pedicure, manicure, massage...the works.
After a short discussion, I was asked to sit down and wait among several quite attractive ladies. Ten minutes later, the owner asked me to follow him....down stairs and away from the usual customers. Feeling as if I were entering a dungeon, he had me sit down on a very comfortable, though archaic chair.
First the shave: hot, hot, hot towels...sharp, sharp scissors...very sharp razor...hot lotion rubbed in, removed and reapplied. A second go round with the razor. I swear he removed "every follicle" from my hairline, to my ears and down to the top of my collar bone.
Then a soothing, refreshing, cool application of an exotic aftershave.
But we aren't done yet.
He leaves and is replaced by a tall, statuesque, model quality vision of loveliness. She shampoos my hair, dries it...reshapoos it and then begins to shape my hair into a coiffure George Clooney would be proud of.
But we aren't done yet!!
Happy with the way the hair is setting...she begins to massage my scalp, neck, shoulders and, up and down my back bone.
I fall asleep.
But we aren't done yet!!!
She helps me up the stairs and, amid a bevy of lovely ladies, introduces me to another young lady who will do my manicure. I am getting looks from all assembled and I return the favor.
Holding my hand, she begins to rub each finger and the cuticle with warm oil. As she begins on each nail, the soft touch on my palm, quiet, efficient merry-go-round my fingers...I fall asleep, again!
But that's not all!!!
By now I'm a noodle as I slink my way over to the pedicure arena, where I was front an center among several ladies. I don't remember very much...I fell asleep!
So, don't shave...get to SdC and go looking for this shop.
Buen "even my ears and nose were trimmed" Camino,
Arn

 

[jirit]

After not shaving for nearly forty days, I had quite the beard. Most folks said it looked good, but I still decided to have it cut before I traveled home.
I went looking for a men's barber shop in SdC, but couldn't find one. Near the park across the street from the main paths to the cathedral, I walked past an obviously non-unisex shop. With the exception of the male owner...it was an all-female preserve. At this time I had crutches and so, with a hang dog look, I carefully entered and asked if I could get "the Works" hair/beard cut, pedicure, manicure, massage...the works.
After a short discussion, I was asked to sit down and wait among several quite attractive ladies. Ten minutes later, the owner asked me to follow him....down stairs and away from the usual customers. Feeling as if I were entering a dungeon, he had me sit down on a very comfortable, though archaic chair.
First the shave: hot, hot, hot towels...sharp, sharp scissors...very sharp razor...hot lotion rubbed in, removed and reapplied. A second go round with the razor. I swear he removed "every follicle" from my hairline, to my ears and down to the top of my collar bone.
Then a soothing, refreshing, cool application of an exotic aftershave.
But we aren't done yet.
He leaves and is replaced by a tall, statuesque, model quality vision of loveliness. She shampoos my hair, dries it...reshapoos it and then begins to shape my hair into a coiffure George Clooney would be proud of.
But we aren't done yet!!
Happy with the way the hair is setting...she begins to massage my scalp, neck, shoulders and, up and down my back bone.
I fall asleep.
But we aren't done yet!!!
She helps me up the stairs and, amid a bevy of lovely ladies, introduces me to another young lady who will do my manicure. I am getting looks from all assembled and I return the favor.
Holding my hand, she begins to rub each finger and the cuticle with warm oil. As she begins on each nail, the soft touch on my palm, quiet, efficient merry-go-round my fingers...I fall asleep, again!
But that's not all!!!
By now I'm a noodle as I slink my way over to the pedicure arena, where I was front an center among several ladies. I don't remember very much...I fell asleep!
So, don't shave...get to SdC and go looking for this shop.
Buen "even my ears and nose were trimmed" Camino,
Arn

That is almost enough to motivate me to walk the camino again !

 

[Sixwheeler]

Let it grow, useful for filtering beer and storing snacks.

 

[jbear]

I don't think anything can top Arn's post!

I just let my beard grow and trimmed my mustache with the scissors on my Leatherman.

 

[Icacos]

Recently I read about a man who makes a point of not getting his hair cut before he heads off to parts unknown, just so that he has need to visit a barber shop in some of the far flung countries he visits. He does not go to a barber shop associated with his hotel, nor does he go to any that particularly cater to westerners; he goes to ones that the locals go to. He had some interesting stories to tell.

 

[The Cajun Camino]

St James had a beard...you'll be alright!

 

[Jan_89]

Hello!

Before my Camino I was totally shaved on my face (like always) and of course after that I had a beard.. One year later I still have the beard..