Facial Hair

[Oak Hill Walkers]

My wife thinks that I'm an idiot for even posting this query. Do most of the male pilgrims dispense completely from shaving or trimming existing beards? Are the local shopkeepers starting to get "battle fatigue" from the specter of long beards infested with bread crumbs?

Is it good practice to get trimmed or shaven every week for mass? For my other long distance walks, I have always packed a battery-powered beard trimmer but it may not make the weight limit this time, since the little lady wants be to pack a notebook computer.

[Leslie]

Have fun walking with the notebook. In saying that if I was walking anytime soon I would likely be adding my little mini-notebook - which seems light until you add in the power cable.

I shaved every few days or week or so - but many don't shave for the duration. Leaving aside the shaving or not, it is easy to spot a pilgrim at a 100 meters - more so the one that have been walking from St Jean or Roncesvalles - they just have that look about them.

[Covey]

I tend to shave every third day, unless there is some Lady one wishes to impress.

One is assured that some Ladies go for the rugged look, but as we all look somewhat unkempt and as though we all dressed from the nearest charity shop, a two day stubble ain't so bad.

The Camino is strange though. Ladies seem more impressed if you can direct them to an establishment where they can get a decent meal for ?5, or the real Gold Standard, if you can escort them to the local branch of McDonald's!!!

Even vegetarians like a McDonald's on the Camino after three weeks of the Pilgrim Menu!!

[dbird10]

We walked last spring and I shaved every day, it just feels good. I just a shaving oil I got from Mountain Eqipment Coop here in canada, weighed nothing and worked very well with my safety razor. There are lots of coin operated computer sites but I don't remember any wireless sites, I never saw a perigrino with a computer so were i you I would ditch it.

Dave Bird