Thru-hiking with dreadlocks

**LimpsAlong** · 10-08-2009, 18:10

Originally Posted by saimyoji

i've had long hair for some years now. it has yet spontaneously turn to dreads. what am i doing wrong?

No, what are you doing right? Are the dread wearers here rastas or is it just a fashion thing?
Hey, I'm jus' askin'.

**John B** · 10-08-2009, 18:24

Originally Posted by LimpsAlong

No, what are you doing right? Are the dread wearers here rastas or is it just a fashion thing?
Hey, I'm jus' askin'.

I'd bet it's all fashion. I'd seriously doubt if any of the dread wearers on the AT have ever read a single word by Marcus Garvey and probably think that Haile Selassie is the French chic caught making out with Lindsey Lohan. Their understanding of it begins and ends with Bob Marley, smoking weed, and lookin', like, you know, radical, man.

**mrhughes1982** · 10-08-2009, 18:57

All hairstyles are for fashion. If you spend 10-15 bucks a month to get a haircut then you are staying with the fashion mainstream, look I'm as normal as you are straight edge suit in tie fashion of the day. I hate haircuts and I generally go a while before my curls start getting on my nerves. Luckily my mom used to be a hair dresser so I get mine cut for free.

**mrhughes1982** · 10-08-2009, 18:59

Originally Posted by John B

and lookin', like, you know, radical, man.

it's heady bro

**Mags** · 10-08-2009, 19:06

Originally Posted by mrhughes1982

If you spend 10-15 bucks a month to get a haircut then you are staying with the fashion mainstream,

I paid $15 for clippers a few years back. Haven't been to a barber since. Of course I go for the de rigueur hair cut for balding guy in his mid-30s. I buzz it to stubble.

..or maybe that is fashionable (or, just being lazy in my case.

)

Damn...I was supposed to be productive today and I spent at least half the time surfing. Hmm..seems like a real office job.

**John B** · 10-08-2009, 19:52

Originally Posted by mrhughes1982

it's heady bro

I'm pushing 50. It's all groovy to me.

And for that matter, I wish I had enough hair left to be a dreadie.

**Dances with Mice** · 10-08-2009, 20:14

Originally Posted by John B

....and probably think that Haile Selassie is the French chic caught making out with Lindsey Lohan.

Wait, not so fast. Would you go over that part again?

**sbhikes** · 10-08-2009, 23:37

I disagree that short hair is better. Unless you mean REALLY short, like 1/8 inch or less. I get serious hat-hair no matter how short my hair is. I have found that very very long hair is easiest. When I hike, I put it in a braid and do not take it out of the braid until the next time I wash it. Once in a while I might brush out the braid and re-braid it, but mostly I just ignore it until I get to town and have a chance to wash it.

I suppose a braid would have almost as much chance to grow mold as dread locks. I never grew any mold in my braid and in fact, often when I took the braid out I could still smell the shampoo fragrance even 4 days of hiking later.

I don't think mold will be an issue for anybody's hair on the PCT. The humidity is mostly very low and probably always much lower than on the AT.

**ShelterLeopard** · 10-08-2009, 23:50

Hmmmm- maybe this would be better posted under category of PCT, because you'll get barely any rain there in the beginning, whereas on the AT, you'd rot. (This year I heard it rained more than 2/3 of the days)

**Mags** · 10-09-2009, 02:17

Originally Posted by sbhikes

I disagree that short hair is better. Unless you mean REALLY short, like 1/8 inch or less.

I'd go with 1/4"..but yes.

**Doooglas** · 10-09-2009, 03:48

The world is falling apart but we have..........
http://www.knottyboy.com/

Actually history might show that dreads# dreadfuls#

were invented by islanders to keep animals from nesting on their heads.

The Brits wouldn't let them keep sharp objects other than for cutting cane so the knot came into fashion instead of having a 14 by 14 inch birds nest on their head.

Make that 20 by 20

**Maddog** · 10-09-2009, 06:24

Originally Posted by john gault

I have the same misconception, I always assumed (yes I'm an ass) that dreadlocks were a way to get back to nature and part of that is to wear hair in a way that would naturally form if we did nothing to it, especially combing and washing with shampoo.

However after reading your post, I looked up knottyboy: http://www.knottyboy.com/ and I see there's actually a lot of maintenance that comes with DLs.

For the record, I almost never use shampoo or anyother soap on my hair, some may think that is gross, but I've found that simply scrubbing my scalp with plain water as I shower makes my hair just a clean as using shampoo, so I guess I'm more natural than most DL people

thanks for the link! very informative! i think i might take the plunge!(i've been growing my hair out for two years!)

**mumbles mcgee** · 12-27-2009, 18:27

Don't know what the PCT is going to be like, although you make me nervous saying that your dreads were constantly wet on the AT. I don't want to be in that situation either.
I think the best bet would be to take 'em out of pony tail for a little while every day (if you keep 'em up) and maybe try and squeeze some water out of them at the end of the day (The Sham-Wow comes to mind...). I find that when I put my hair up when it's wet everything will dry except the part my hair elastic was around. That's where the mold will probably come from if it happens day after day.
If you're in the market for a new rain jacket for the Cascades, make sure you try the hood on (with your hair both up and down) to see what is a good fit, and yes, maybe consider getting a baseball cap style rain hat. I found that most rain jackets (I got a marmot precip) left 2-3 inches of my hairline showing if my hair was in a ponytail.
If you don't have a Buff (google it), I would suggest getting one. I just got a Merino Wool one that is super long and forms a good tube around the entire length of hair. Although it won't do much in the rain, it will be good at keeping out other icky things may come your way (dust, scorpions!, etc).
For what it's worth, if you think it's a constant-sweating issue then focus on your scalp when cleaning. I have a little 2oz squeeze type bottle with a pointed nozzle to apply the shampoo directly to my scalp. Use Dr. B's, Burts, Jason, etc. regardless. It will leave less residue in your hair and less "stuff" for icky things to grow on.
I think I found an article on knottyboy.com one day about soaking dreads in boiling/really really really hot water to kill any bacteria that's in there and stop it from spreading. I would try to read up on it before doing it and ask a friend to help.

I think that's all the advice I can think of. Good luck

Hope they live long and prosper!

**Chaco Taco** · 12-27-2009, 20:35

One word, Desert

**drifters quest** · 12-27-2009, 21:34

I'm dreading (no pun intended) dealing with my hair on the trail. Dreads aren't an options for me, but I have very curly hair that frizzes easy in damp climates. What SBhikes suggested sounds like a good idea, keeping the hair in a braid (and under a hat most of the time!). As for the mold, maybe you can find some type of antifungal powder for them?

**nopain** · 12-28-2009, 08:25

why do white people wear dreadlocks.....

**Lone Wolf** · 12-28-2009, 08:43

to look like bob marley

**mweinstone** · 12-28-2009, 09:57

i have dreadlocks and they are my choice cause they are fun and look cool and help get chicks. the right chicks. not yet but........

**Hatfield** · 02-17-2010, 12:09

Roots brah, hair style to show others you are about da freedom. TRUSTAFARIANS

**Feral Nature** · 05-25-2012, 12:49

There is much misinformation on this always hot topic. I have researched dreads for close to 10 years. Anyone's hair will dread if it is not combed or conditioned. Some hair dreads faster than other hair, but it all dreads. Sites like knottyboy or dreadheadhq sell unnecessary products like wax for instance and push people into all that maintenance, palm-rolling, root rubbing. None necessary. I fell for that trap with my first set of dreads and yes, my dreads mildewed a bit because of the sweat down here and they were full of wax and could not dry.

I love the look of natural dreads aka free-form or organic more so than the artificial looking backcombed dreads rolled with wax. I use Dr. Bronners shampoo and wash my hair, just like any hair, twice a week. Lather up and scrub just like always. Nothing needs to be done to my hair to form dreads however, I may pull them apart to keep them from getting too big.

Go to you tube and look at all the natural Caucasian dreads. I like the ones the women have, decorated with yarn, feathers, jewelry and beads. My hair is to my waist and tangles easily so it is easy for this white girl to grow dreads.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=GWfPQugpjuY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoDe...eature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehkv...feature=relmfu

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