Camping trip hair

[anneisanne]

Hey, y'all-

I'm about to spend 5 or so days out in the woods without access to any running water- what should I do for my hair during that time?

I figure I'll comb it and put it up each day, and maybe cover it with a bandanna, but what else might I do? Should I oil the ends? Should I try to rinse it if it gets too dirty? Any advice?

Thanks!

[GoddesJourney]

If you're going to put it up and cover it with a bandana, I would consider this the perfect time for oiling. You could try and dry poo it if it gets too greasy.

[deviantkitten]

my go to hairstyle for camping is braids. 2 english braids. sometimes i would take the braids and cross them on top of my head. or yes, definately a bandana. as far as the question about rinsing or not, i am sorry i can't tell you. if my hair is dirty and greasy, i need to wash it. just running water over it does nothing to clean it . the grease stays. maybe you could bottle a rinse and take it with you and that to clean your hair?
i would oil it. now may be the time for a good deep oiling. i myself use coconut oil and my hair and i love it. i don't know if i would leave the oil in for 5 days straight with no cleaning, but maybe on the last day or two of your trip? will you be doing any swimming on the camping trip? could you gather lake water and use that to wash and clean your hair or perhapse rinse the bottled rinse? whatever you do, do not wash your hair in the lake itself, unless it is just to rinse out the rinse lol. chemicals, and shampoo and conditioner especially are very hazerdous to the animals and ecosystem in the water. i myself have gathered a cpl buckets of water from the lake, gone back to the campsite and washed my hair out there when i don't have access to running water
hope this helps! have fun on your camping trip! maybe you could gather some branches or driftwood and whittle yourself some lovely hairsticks!

[deviantkitten]

oh yes! i forgot about dry shampoo! some cornstarch will work wonders! just make sure you put it in your hair, mainly on the scalp and roots, wait a few minutes, then brush it down the length until all the grease has been absorbed

[teela1978]

I've always done 2 braids, usually under a hat, possibly a bandana. I usually comb them out and rebraid every morning... with fingers if I'm backpacking, possibly with a comb if I remember one for car camping.

[Beets]

I've always done 2 braids, usually under a hat, possibly a bandana. I usually comb them out and rebraid every morning... with fingers if I'm backpacking, possibly with a comb if I remember one for car camping.

Hey! I'm about to go camping, too! And Teela's routine is exactly what I do, too, only the hat and bandana share equal time as hats tend to pinch and also mess with my peripheral vision.

[little_acorn]

I do 2 english braids (redone every morning) as well and either wear a hat or a bandana too. I usually wouldn't bother with washing until I get home :D

[anneisanne]

Thanks guys!

I will definitely try to braid it everyday- I've been camping plenty, but never with hair this long!

[Renbirde]

Yep.. It will get a bit greasy and it will also tangle a bit more than usual. I'd recommend braids (like everyone else, it seems...) or non-twist buns. The smoother the upper areas of your length are, the less any greasies will show. Whatever you choose, I'd try to keep it off of your neck. It can get horribly tangly right at the nape.

I personally favor a high English braid, Heidi braids, and the Elling and Viking braided buns. :)

[countryhopper]

I second the cornstarch idea...

If you feel you MUST wash your hair, try dilluting some baking soda in water (1 tablespoon to about a cup of water). Massage that into the scalp well, and allow to run over length. Rinse with regular water. Follow up with rinsing with a plain tea to close the hair's cuticle and return the scalp back to its normal ph.

I do this at home twice a week, and my hair is super soft afterwards.

Oh, and if you want to conserve water while washing, wash your hair over a bucket, use a small cup to dip in the bucket and pour over hair, but allow the water to go back in the bucket. Same idea as a bathtub with reusing water... When I lived in another country I had no access to a shower, so I took "bucket baths" for almost 2 years. I got down to one bbucket of water for hair washing and body washing! and it was enough!

[IcarusBride]

Everyone else already gave great advice . . . Good luck and I hope you have fun!

[Angela_Rose]

Good morning!
Have fun camping. My strategy for camping hair is a series of braids. My hair regularly goes 7-10 days without washing, so I'd be fine in your situation.
Otherwise, whip up a bottle of water + baking soda and bring it with you; it's a great rinse for camping hair.

[Anje]

The only downside of oiling it is that it might pick up dirt more. I know when I've got heavy oil in my hair in general, it picks up a lot more stuff like cat hair. It also might be hard on technical fabrics if it's greased up enough to transfer.

In addition to a bandana, you might want to think about bringing a hat with a brim. The things can be godsends when the light is bright, or when it starts to rain.

[Juanita]

Wash your hair the day before you leave and keep braided whilst away. It should be fine unless you have very oily hair. Comb rather than brush. Have Fun

[KatKeRo]

Iwash the day before leaving. During the campingtrip I braid my hair and cover it with a buff.
If the river is warm anough I wet my hair otherwise it doesn't get washed.
When I come home I take a shower and enjoy it.

Happy camping.

[nowxisxforever]

I've always done 2 braids, usually under a hat, possibly a bandana. I usually comb them out and rebraid every morning... with fingers if I'm backpacking, possibly with a comb if I remember one for car camping.

Yup, yup- pretty much. I do this while I'm moving, too, or during long periods off where I need to get dirty for some reason (gardening, cleaning, etc). Just don't bother with it unless it's the end of the night and a shower is a possibility.

[ravensinger13]

Just one more note, if you part your hair at all, don't forget to sunscreen or cover up!!!! (I'm bad about that because I rarely part my hair)

[BrightEyes7]

Let your inner caveman out :knuckle: ... don't wash for 5 days. So what it'll be greasy... you're camping! No one will care. I prefer to bun it when my hair gets really greasy, it looks like I just slicked it back. Maybe you can do french braids.

If you simply can't go that long without washing, they sell portable showers. Look into it. They are like bags you fill that have shower heads connected.

[anneisanne]

Let your inner caveman out :knuckle: ...


I like that suggestion. I'm not so focused on cleanliness as to invest in anything fancy, and usually I would just ignore the greasiness, but this is a trip with classmates whom I don't know very well. I want to look semi-presentable :eek: so I guess I'll either try to swim or pour water over my hair or just keep it braided and covered.

I so can't wait to be in the woods!

[nowxisxforever]

I like that suggestion. I'm not so focused on cleanliness as to invest in anything fancy, and usually I would just ignore the greasiness, but this is a trip with classmates whom I don't know very well. I want to look semi-presentable :eek: so I guess I'll either try to swim or pour water over my hair or just keep it braided and covered.

I so can't wait to be in the woods!

Oil it well beforehand so that it stays together and gets a nice deep treatment-- but keep the bandana on because it will hide your greasies. It looks perfectly presentable and if anyone asks, say -- Hey - we don't have showers, so I figured it'd be a good time to deep condition my hair! :)

[Laylah]

When I go camping I braid my hair into big cornrows, which are about 20 dutch braids, and they last for about two weeks. I heavily oil my hair beforehand with olive oil and shea butter, so it won't smell, like coconut oil. I always cover my hair with a scarf (religious reasons) but it also helps keeps the dust off too. Everyday (if there is no showers) I use a damp cloth to wipe my scalp.

[JamieLeigh]

Wash it the day before you leave. I keep mine up all the time, so I can go longer without washing and not feel self-conscious about it. A simple braid would be good, or if you get tired of it you could try my almost-everyday style. A folded ponybun (as I call it), just gathering your hair in a ponytail and using a scrunchie, pull the scrunchie over the ponytail, and fold it over on itself allowing the next pass of the scrunchie to catch and hold your ends under (or over, up to you). And so on until you use up the elasticity of the scrunchie and the style is secure. Very comfortable for me, no sticks to catch on things or poke me or others. :)

[Messyhair]

I tend to do a high bun when I have to leave my hair dirty. But I can't braid for crap, so I don't know how a braid would do in this situation.

[adiapalic]

Braids, braids, braids. Dianyla braid, french braid, double french braids, even regular english braids would be my first course of action. The bandana is a great idea too.

I probably wouldn't go about wetting my hair while out on the trip. If need be, I'd bring along my BBB to brush down some of the oil and get dirties away.
Heck, I talk about my BBB all the time, but I love it so! :bluebiggr

[trolleypup]

I like that suggestion. I'm not so focused on cleanliness as to invest in anything fancy, and usually I would just ignore the greasiness, but this is a trip with classmates whom I don't know very well. I want to look semi-presentable :eek: so I guess I'll either try to swim or pour water over my hair or just keep it braided and covered.
Well...you'll probably do fine...since you are already thinking about it. Don't know what the conditions will be for your trip, but I have noticed that a water only rinse after you've gotten hot and sweaty works pretty well when you don't have access to full washing.

[AbruptlyWanderi]

What I'm probably going to do when I go camping is a few braids, so that might work?

[florenonite]

If I was going camping for just five days I'd probably do two French braids before I left and then just leave them in the rest of the time :o On longer trips I usually take them out 1-2 times a week, finger-comb, scrub my scalp in the water (assuming I'm canoe tripping) to dislodge a bit of dirt, and redo them when my hair's damp.

I don't think anyone will notice it being greasy if you just leave it in braids and cover with a hat/bandana (which you should do if you're parting your hair for the braids).

[Angela_Rose]

I'm going to spend a week in PA in August this year and having already done it once, here's what I do.
I always go at least a week between washes anyway, so I wash/condition my hair the night before we leave.
So. Wash up! Put some baking soda in an unused water bottle; bring this so you can put water in it and rinse your hair a bit cleaner.
Braid, braid, braid. Bandanas, scarves, hats... if you're really that concerned about what these other folks will say about your hair, cover your head up if it gets greasy.

have fun on your trip!

[minuteofdecay]

I'm going camping at the end of this month and I plan on oiling the lengths of it daily, and keep it in a french braid. My roots don't get too oily so it wont look gross, and I wont be all sweaty so I have no need to wash my hair! Ooh how soft it will feel when I get home :)

[alwayssmiling]

I do a festival every year for 5 days. I wash my hair just before I leave. I take the opportunity to enjoy not having to bother with my hair (which I'm normally obsessing about). I also enjoy choosing a new very stylish hat which I wear the whole time. When I get home, my hair is an appauling, greasy mess but once its washed its lovely from a bit of neglect.

I would just enjoy time out with your hair. Good luck.