• For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Drying hair in winter

brawblether

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
June/Jul 2012; Feb 2014
For those of you who walked in the colder months, what were your hair washing and drying routines? (Particularly speaking to the gals here but happy to hear guys' suggestions too.)

Last time I walked it was summer, I washed my hair every day upon arrival at the albergue and it dried quickly in the heat of the afternoon. Obviously this won't happen in winter and I doubt wandering around with wet hair will do me any good. Did you wash it at night before going to bed? Upon arrival? Did you carry a travel hair dryer? Did you book into a hotel the nights you wanted to wash your hair? I'm sure there are lots of options, I'm curious to know your approach. I'm not looking to fire up any debates on frequency of washing though, that's individual to each of us for our own reasons :)

Thanks!
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Speaking personally I don't like washing my hair at night, eevn at home, as it makes my pillow damp. On the Camino I wash it when I shower, either on arrival or as soon after as possible.My hair is short and cut shorter than normal for the camino so it does dry fairly quickly. The earliest I have been on the Camino is late April, but that had some days colder than earlier in the year. I take a small (approx 60x40cms) technical towel to dry my hair as well as my shower/bath size towel, it is lighter and more versatile than a hair dryer and it doesn't need electric. :)
 
Again, I have not YET walked the Camino, but I do go hiking and backpacking (differentiated in my mind by whether or not I am carrying enough for a day or several days). When I am at home, I prefer to shower in the morning and I leave for work every day, even in the winter, with wet hair (gasp!). When I am backpacking, I do not prefer to shower in the morning. I usually get cleaned up after camp is set up. Translated into the Camino world, this will most likely mean that for me I will probably be wanting a shower at some point shortly after I arrive at the albergue, before exploring the town, attending Mass, or eating dinner.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
I walked starting in early March...so winterish. When I arrived in the afternoon I would shower, wash my hair, and put on clean clothes. I think it usually dried by the time I went to bed (my hair is thick and usually takes awhile to dry). I don't remember it being a problem. I don't know of anyone who brought a hairdryer but I suppose you could.
 
Thanks for your replies. It's one of those things that I worry about and am sure it will work itself out when I'm there. The only reason I second guessed my decision not to take a hair dryer (I really hadn't even entertained the thought) was when someone said she took one at 250g and used it to dry her clothes if they needed a finish off. I don't really have any experience of the kinds of temperatures that I'm likely to experience (this Feb they got down to -5deg and sometimes only as high as 2deg) and so I have no idea what walking around with damp hair in them will be like. As I'd wash my hair every other day, that's quite a few days of frozen head! :?
 
You could pop a beanie on to keep your head warm.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
There are some decent dry shampoos now, not like the stuff that came out in the 70's and never really worked.In a pinch if your hair is long like mine, you can hang your head over the sink, brush your hair over from underneath and shake talcum powder into your hair. Leave it for a few minutes, then brush it out thoroughly-and, while not as good as a wet shampoo, it can buy you a day off from frozen head. You could wash one time, dry shampoo the next, and you would only have wet hair at the most twice a week.
 
Ohhhh dry shampoo, didn't think of that. I'll give it a go in the new few months and see if it's a goer. Thanks!
 
Kiwi-family said:
You could pop a beanie on to keep your head warm.

But then you'd have the dreaded 'Camino head' .....the beanie shaped pilgrim equivalent of 'Bed head' :lol: As others I found that by trying to get into the shower as soon as you can after arrival (remember you may have to wait a bit depending on numbers and facilities available) your hair will be dry enough by the time you're going to bed. I started walking in a snowy early April and got a 'Camino crop' beforehand which helped the drying.
The only hair dryers I came across where those brought by some spanish teenagers who were walking the last 100km as a school trip.... but I think they had their heavy bags carried on for them. They were lovely youngsters and, as they had at least two different outfits for every day :shock: , they certainly brightened the final week! By that stage everything I had was sort of grubby grey and smelt strongly of the cheap apple/peach shampoo I used to wash everything myself included. I hadn't expected to smell like an alcopop when paying my respects to Santiago but I'm sure he's had to deal with more challenging aromas over the centuries!
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Yeah I don't think a beanie over wet hair's going to do much to combat the cold. Trouble is, Nell, that it should dry before bed if washed as soon as possible after arrival...but what about wandering around the town before that? Hmmm I'm worrying about it too much, aren't I?!
 
brawblether said:
Yeah I don't think a beanie over wet hair's going to do much to combat the cold. Trouble is, Nell, that it should dry before bed if washed as soon as possible after arrival...but what about wandering around the town before that? Hmmm I'm worrying about it too much, aren't I?!

I beg to differ (respectfully of course). If you wash your hair as soon as you arrive, it may well be dry be evening. But if you want to go out in the afternoon/evening, you just might have to put up with camino-head! A merino beanie WILL keep the warmth in even if your hair is wet.
If appearance is paramount, how about a scarf over the head? But I can promise that will not be as warm!
 
OK, I'll give it some thought :) thanks Kiwi-family. Trust me, if appearances were important, I'd have opted for the hair dryer so that I could shape my hair while I dried it! All my photos from my last walk have me with flicked out hair...it's all part of it, huh :) No, definitely only concerned about walking around outside with wet hair in winter.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I have long thick hair and haven't had any problem getting it to dry before bed, even in some of the winter-like weather we've been having. I'd worry more about getting your socks dry by morning... :D
 
If you're worried about flicked out hair in your pictures, you could always photoshop the worst ones. Or you could try saying that's how everyone is wearing their hair this year. Like your previous poster, I'd be more upset with wet socks. But then, you should see some of the bizarre looking photos of me in my album!
 
Good question actually, I took both my hair dryer and straightners when I travelled Eastern Europe but I was going out some nights seeing what the night life was like. If I hadn't checked out the nightlife I wouldn't have met my boyfriend!!
I am not planning taking either on my November camino, I will get my hair cut a little shorter than it is now and try get a shower as soon as I get into the hostels.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Good question actually, I took both my hair dryer and straightners when I travelled Eastern Europe but I was going out some nights seeing what the night life was like. If I hadn't checked out the nightlife I wouldn't have met my boyfriend!!
I am not planning taking either on my November camino, I will get my hair cut a little shorter than it is now and try get a shower as soon as I get into the hostels.

Short hair is definitely THE way to go! Dry it quickly with your towel. If the albergue is cold and/or unheated you might need to wear your woolly hat inside and even to sleep. Many a time I have done this and, thus, resembled Goldilocks' grandmama! Last November/December the municipal albergues in Hontanas and Sahagun seemed especially cold. BE PREPARED!!

Margaret Meredith
 
The only towel I carry on Camino is one of those small, super absorbent towels. Usually the albuergues have towels so I can just use that one on my hair. If not, it works as a towel for everything. I once stopped at a grocery store and bought a cheap European travel blow dryer. EVERYONE wanted to borrow it every night and by the end of the Camino it didn't work very well. But it was very light weight and cheap.
 
The only towel I carry on Camino is one of those small, super absorbent towels. Usually the albuergues have towels so I can just use that one on my hair. If not, it works as a towel for everything. I once stopped at a grocery store and bought a cheap European travel blow dryer. EVERYONE wanted to borrow it every night and by the end of the Camino it didn't work very well. But it was very light weight and cheap.
What albergues are you staying at that have towels?? I've never been offered a towel in an albergue.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I only recall a couple of albergues with a hand-towel in the bathroom next to the basin. And that was shared by everyone so I kept away. Never come across one that had individual bath towels.
 
What albergues are you staying at that have towels?? I've never been offered a towel in an albergue.
Really? Honestly - in nearly all of them. I use my own towel nearly all of the time but they're definitely out and available. Which ones exactly I don't know. I am not really aware of the name of the albuergue I am in when I am in it. I have done the Frances twice, the Norte and two different stretches of the Chemin. And there are definitely bath towels available in many of them. And oftentimes there are blow dryers.
 

Most read last week in this forum

Could I ask what may be naive question. This will be my 1st Camino and I will be mostly staying in alberques. Could you please explain the bathroom/shower etiquette to me? I have no idea what...
Do i need both these apps? I want to spend as little time my device as possible so if one app will do fine that’s my preference.
I was planning to document my journey through my blog (or Vlog, as I would probably take lots of videos). I was thinking of using my iPhone, and I ordered a foldable keyboard to facilitate typing...
I did the Norte in 2017. This set off a wild ride of changes in life - shifting many things. I am now at a new plateau and it feels like the right time to do Camino #2, this time the...
Hi to all, I'm looking for a really, really good place (an artist) to get a Tattoo in Santiago, it could be before Santiago but I presume in Santiago I will be ready to have my first one. The...
My daughter and I will be on the Portuguese on June and July starting in Lisbon. We will arrive in Porto about the 27th of June. We want to stay for three nights. Can we stay in an albergue for...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Similar threads

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top