I don’t know about you, but having my hair perfectly styled while camping isn’t usually on the top of my mind. Still, where ever you are, camping or not, you have to take care of your mop for reasons of comfort and health. Add looking half decent in with the lot, and you know you should at least bring a comb with you.
But what about bigger gear, like a hair dryer? Should you bring a hair dryer camping? I say yes. Of course, I will qualify that statement immediately by saying bring a hair dryer if you will be camping with access to electricity and will be camping more than a couple nights. Do not bring an electric hair dryer if you will not have access to electricity. Unless you really really really have to (such as in a circumstance I can’t entirely imagine, but could exist.)
Do Bring a Hair Dryer Camping
When I first started camping, I was unfortunately a bit narrow in my opinions of what one should or shouldn’t bring camping. Wow, I’m glad thats changed. Used to be; pack only the essentials and stress over little details and worry about weight. Understandably, I was new and we did have to carry items on portages since we were doing more canoe trips into the wild. Weight does matter. I swung to far to the other extreme on a canoe trip in Kejimkujik and packed canned foods because I didn’t want to take the time and effort to source light weight foods (is there an ‘idiot’ emoji?). My arms felt like they were on fire when I was trying to fall asleep because of how heavy the pack had been on my shoulders that day. But now I am happy to be a bit broader in my view of what makes a camping trip, including travel trips and staying at really private, beautifully located campgrounds.
And usually with campgrounds comes access to electricity. I’ve obviously known this when we have car camped, but for a while I still hung on to the idea that I don’t really need a hair dryer, so I should just make do without. The game changer was when I went on a fall camping trip with my friend, and as she said “Well, we are car camping, so I thought, Why not?” Blessings on my friend for letting me borrow her dryer. This trip was windy and cold. After a few days of roughing it, I went to the unheated bath house and had an amazing hot shower (seriously, this campground has 9 inch rain-shower heads in their huge stalls…heaven). It felt so good. And! I simply plugged in my friend’s two setting dryer and ten minutes later had a dry, warm head of hair.
This is the real point. Unless you are camping in weather hot enough to go swimming, having a head of wet hair for any length of time is just plain miserable. If your hair is longer than your temples, it will stick to you. And above all else, its cold. When your head is cold, all of you gets cold. Even sitting by the fire, the dampness of your hair will keep you on the edge of chilled. Although while staying at a campground you will probably have access to enough warmth and shelter to avoid hypothermia, it still isn’t recommendable to let yourself get that cold.
There is something to be said for the entertainment value of bringing your hair dryer, too. Like me, you might be going for a toss your head upside down and get your hair dry ASAP style, which can be done really fast. It feels great BUT, if you bring your dryer, you do have the option of going for a perfect blow out to achieve some dazzling locks to wear fireside, or to be ready for your instagram shoot. If its a really rainy day that precludes other activities, taking time to primp yourself can be a relaxing pastime.
I’m so thankful my friend lent me her hairdryer that day. Not only did it increase my comfort exponentially, it has convinced me that for car camping trips in the future, I won’t hesitate to bring my hair dryer.
Don’t Bring a Hair Dryer Camping
This has to be included here. I love comfort and practicality, so its important to cover when it is not practical to bring a hair dryer on your camping trip.
I’m sure this is obvious, but here goes: don’t bring a hair dryer on your camping trip if you will not have access to electricity (its a savage wilderness, you know). This is for all the interior camp trips in your future. If you are portaging deep into Algonquin Park or thru hiking the High Sierra Trail, you will not have access to the kind of electricity
you would need to power a hair dryer. So don’t bring one (duh). Its true that your hair might get wet on such a trek, but you will have to find other means of drying your hair to avoid getting chilled. Hypothermia is a real risk in the back country and should be protected against. Unless you have a
suitable game plan for dealing with a wet head in sub-par temperatures, you might want to avoid getting your hair wet entirely.
Another time I would personally choose to leave the hair dryer at home, even on a car camping trip, is for trips that will last two nights or less. For a quick weekend getaway or light travel camping jaunt, I would do my hair before I leave home and keep some tricks up my sleeve (see below) to keep my hair the way I like.
And finally, if you have really short hair that dries quickly or are bald (here’s looking at you, boys), the hair dryer would stay home in my opinion. Seriously, for example, my husband has to be quick to comb his hair before it dries after his shower or his hair stays smooshed. If you have this sort of
ultra drying hair, you will have more space in your pack for hats and whiskey when youdon’t bring a hair dryer.
No Hair Dryer. Now What?
So, you aren’t near a plug, you left your dryer at home and you still want your hair tolook, or at least feel, decent. Whats a person to do?
Well, I for one am thankful for the invention of dry shampoo. Yes siree, if your hair is looking a little limp or greasy, just lift your roots, spray away and give a tousle to your strands or brush through. It can sometimes make your hair look a little lighter, but many of the formulas on the market now promise to be clear. They also can pick up the spirits with their lively scents. And if you are headed somewhere that you would really prefer to not bring an aerosol can along, you can make a home made version that will fit in a little resealable baggy. Then, no matter where you are, you can keep your hair feeling clean a little longer.
On short camping trips that I want my hair looking good, but don’t plan to be washing my hair, I leave the hair dryer at home and plan to ‘store’ my hair at night. No, I don’t take off a wig and put it on a form. By store, I mean prepare my hair for sleep in order to preserve my style. I have curly hair, so a combination of pineappling my hair with medusa clips and wearing a satin night capis what it takes to keep my hair looking great, almost as good as day zero of styling. When I have worn my hair straight in the past, gathering it in a loosened pony tail on the top of my head, wrapping it around a scrunchy, pinning it in place and wrapping the whole thing in a silk scarf kept my hair almost blow-out perfect. It didn’t make it pin-straight, but kept its big volume.
One other option when you won’t have access to a hair dryer but you know your hair will be getting wet, is using a towel that will get your hair dry as fast as possible. Many women swear by a microfibre towel to do the job. It also can pack small and is light. Another option I haven’t personally tried yet, but makes total sense to me, is to pack a flat weave natural linen towel. Linenis super absorbent and dries in a flash. Atthis time, I don’t yet feel confident in promoting a battery operated hair dryer, since I have never known someone who has used one. If you have, please leave your experience in the comments below.
Wherever you go, your hair will be with you. So take care.