Hey all you ladies out there! I am taking my first trip to the BWCA this spring. How do you go about caring for your hair?

Thanks!!!

My wife wears a big hat!

Just wear a hat. You'll appreciate the sun protection.

the gal that usually trips with me wears a handkerchief scarf "bonnet style" around camp
and while traveling a wide brimmed goofy looking straw hat

I dont profess to be a gal or know what works for them, but it seems to work well for her

After a few days roughing it, I think anyone who is not bald, or with a crew-cut, needs a hat to look civilized. I always put on a hat when I see a canoe passing close to my camp and hope that it helps.

My kind of question!

a "frisbee helmet", or a bandana worn draped beneath a billed cap works well to keep hair out of eyes . I put a generous amount of deet on my bandana and it comes in handy when the bugs are bad. I wash my hair, which is pretty long, when I camp-- never in the lake. It feels so nice to let it dry in the sun or by the fire, a part of my camping ritual.

I'll probably draw some snarky comments with this confession, but every few days, I wash my hair. I dunk my head under water when I'm taking a swim, then carry a bucket of water back into the woods, lather up with Camp Suds, and pour the bucket of water over my head to rinse out most of the soap. (When I can recruit someone to pour for me, that works better.) The result is not great, given all the organic matter in the water, but to me, it's still worth the effort. Now, all that said, I have pretty short hair, and I seem to recall the gals I travel with who have longer hair just suffer--and wear a hat (which I do, too).

ponytail and baseball cap. i confess to not shampooing my hair on a trip, just letting it get wet in the rain or dunking my head in the lake. takes too long to wash and condition long thick hair. i have more important stuff to do than wash my hair :)

I have short hair that has never been colored or permed and I usually wash it at least every other day. During bad weather sometimes I will go that third day and it drives me nuts! I warm a big pot of water and take it 'way back into a clearing somewhere, pour a few cupfuls over my head, lather very lightly with mild shampoo, and rinse with warm water. This is done far from the lake, and with a very tiny amount of soap.

I don't find that any conditioner is necessary because the water seems soft to me (compared to the very hard water we have at home) and I love letting my hair dry in the sun on a pleasant day.

I always wear a hat when outdoors. We are usually out 8-12 days and I cannot imagine not washing my hair for that period of time. During hot weather I occasionally wash my hat, too, or at least dunk it in the lake to rinse it off.

On my last trip (5 days, 4 nights) I brought along some "no rinse" shampoo and it actually worked really well! I only used it once, on day three. Really helped it feel less greasy. I did also wear a hat and a bandanna. On past trips I have washed it in camp with water from the lake once per trip. I have also had a camp shower along, which really helps with the rinsing. But that it only good if you are going to have hot weather, IMO.

For the no rinse shampoo, you massage it into your hair and towel dry. The more towel drying done, the better.

Oh and also on Day 1, I shower and wash my hair before going in, but I do not apply ANY styling products that day. Better to start with it clean with no added goops.

I just pulled mine back in a pony for most of the time, wore the bandana and/or the hat :). I heated up water and put it in a squirt type bottle for washing/rinsing - didn't want to mess with the camp shower. That worked pretty good.

Ditto nojobro - no goop in the hair :)

i usually french braid it before i go in...and dont worry about it after that.

jan, I would like to see that.
I also just wear a baseball cap or a bandana. Depending on the time of the year, I may wash my hair at least once during the trip. Usually if it is prime bug season as I need to get that bug dope out of my hair. If you really want to wash your hair get a solar shower. They do work great! I used to bring mine with all the time. Now I just bring it on my early summer trips during bug season.

fyi...sawtooth outfitters carry the rare, solo sunshower.

What, me worry?

i can relate to that hair. :)

I have none so no problems here!

Back in the old days Stewartsville girls did not have hair :)

We're talking about the stuff on our heads, right?

The high school students that I take up during the summer don't worry about their hair. Most of the girls have long hair and just french braid it each morning. I have offered them the no-rinse shampoo, but it doesn't seem to work well on long hair. I do use and like it, but I don't have thick, long hair, anymore.

Mr. Barley that's what I was talking about not sure about whiteh2o ; ) Thanks for all the replies. I think I will try the hat and braids and if it gets too bad then the camp soap.

Thanks from MO!!!

I am no girl, but I have had long hair on my last few trips. I did not take care of it, mostly brushed it to the side. I got sick of it last week, it being under a helmet most days, so I had the barber trim 7 inches off it. I look like a new man and no more worries about how to control the hair on my head.

YarMarVa,
thanks I'll keep my long hair!

MOgirl,
Just taking a shot at Stewartsville, I grew up in that area of the world. I knew some Stewartsville girls, I am sure they have improved over the years. Glad to see another NW MO person on the board.

To answer your question: my wife wears a ball cap, but she has shorter hair.

WhiteH2O,
Glad to hear some one knows of Stewartsville! I think this site is going to be great, meeting people from all over!

I think there is another person from Stewartsville on the board, One from Osborn and I am from Maysville.

WhiteH2O,
the other from Stewartsville might be my husband, I went to High School in Maysville, there's a chance we may know some of the same people! How cool!

I don't have hair, mom, I use hair ties and wigs.

MOgirl: "Hey all you ladies out there! I am taking my first trip to the BWCA this spring. How do you go about caring for your hair?

Thanks!!!"

Hair care? Its a wilderness camping trip. Put on a hat or in a braid and call it good

She might be talking about tangles. Some people do have fine hair that coagulate (?) into large rat nests. I have this problem, so I have to braid my hair. It is not an option or I will have a hot mess of knots that is almost impossible to comb out. Braiding is the way to go!

The pocket shower is your friend!

We started packing these years ago. It is basically a dry bag with a nozzle. Rolls down very small for packing. Then we heat up water, pour in in the bag, and hang it up a ways from the camp site and boom! A hot shower that lasts about 5 minutes.

Swim. No soap needed, just swim and dunk your head. Then ponytail.

Portage99: "She might be talking about tangles. Some people do have fine hair that coagulate (?) into large rat nests. I have this problem, so I have to braid my hair. It is not an option or I will have a hot mess of knots that is almost impossible to comb out. Braiding is the way to go! "

LOL a post from 2009! Wow!

Braids are absolutely the way to go.

ockycamper: "The pocket shower is your friend!


We started packing these years ago. It is basically a dry bag with a nozzle. Rolls down very small for packing. Then we heat up water, pour in in the bag, and hang it up a ways from the camp site and boom! A hot shower that lasts about 5 minutes.

"

You forgot to mention that you are a group of 20 church men who.come every year and basecamp on Redrock the 3rd week of September... but we know that by now, I guess.

Friendly ribbing to you OC!