Thread: Razors for Camping?

Originally Posted by rastewart

I would think a Wapi would make a good camping razor.

Rich

Wasn't the Wapi the Polish issue army razor? Thus the combat razor! I'm about to head carcamping, thought i'd bring along the razor. Nice wonderful time to enjoy outdoors and the simplicity of a sharp blade and soap lather. None of this electricity for me!

Resurrecting an old thread here... interesting...

I can't imagine somebody who doesn't shave with a straight razor bringing one along on a camping trip and trying one out. That sounds like a painful experience.

Having said that, though, I was camping just last week and shaved with a straight razor. Going camping this weekend and will be shaving with a straight razor... gotta remember to bring a camera.

As a former soldier I can tell you that I didn't ever shave with a straight, and didn't know anybody who did. The idea of taking a razor sharp combat blade (knife) and shaving with that is all hollywood. I suppose a properly sharpened knife would do the trip, and if you use your straight razor knowledge, you could probably make it work. But that's a hell of a lot of work. I'd just bring a bic or three. (now that i'm into straight razors, i'd still just bring a bic or three if i were going into combat. too much straight razor stuff to bring along with 'ya).

Much more pleasant to think about shaving and camping than figuring out how to shave in Afghanistan...

Camping pics to follow next week sometime...

Nobody I know shaves while backpacking or canoeing. Maybe we're uncivilized...

I occaisionally use a SR when base-camping with the scouts, but it's mostly to broaden their perspectives. It's pretty inconvenient to pack a mirror, strop, brush, soap and cup.

I think one of the major benefits of a SR, is that you can shave off a weeks worth of beard growth with no problems when you get back.

I might consider bringing a SR on a long hike like the AT so that I could shave once every few weeks when I decided to spend the night in town. I'd have to shave with some shampoo or soap worked into a lather with my hand and forgoe stropping though. (I'm sure the strop and brush would get ruined jostling around in the pack over the weeks).

Man, you *are* uncivilized...!

Yeah, my camping typically includes scouts as well. Just want to give them a different perspective.

I was a infatry guy and used one when in the field...We had to shave every day and the regular gillette type razors always got gunked up with camo...A st8 cut through all the crud and was easy to pack away in the ruck sack...Still have that razor too...Red imp...

Glad to hear that Wintchase. I wish I was using cut-throats when I was infantry. The bics were just utter cr@p. I cart a razor, strop (2"x18" 'roo), (cheap) brush and tube of shave cream, whenever I'm off on the bike. I have no problems with that gear. I do want a better brush though, as the cheap one I currently take with me, molts worse than a mongrel cat. I might make a rough and ready slim paddle strop to try out one day, but for now I don't have a problem rolling up my 'roo strop, it seems to handle it with no ill effects.


Mick

Car camping? Horse packing? Motorcycle? Not a problem.
However...

If you have to carry it on your back, every ounce...every
fraction of an ounce...matters.

There's a limit as to how much you can carry in a back-
pack, or as to how much you are willing to carry.

Personally, it's "take what you have to take" (food,
shelter, cooking, survival gear); then "what you
want to take" (fishing/hunting gear, camera); then
the rest is optional, limited by what you can/will carry.

Shaving gear is way down the list, if you're backpacking.
Maybe there's "room" for a str8/strop/etc, but maybe a
single plastic Bic will have to do.

Of course, that all depends on whether or not there are
ladies in the group.

I agree Paul, but I have to say I backpacked for a few years around and about this wide brown land. I carried my razor and strop in my pack...It was, at that time, just extra weight, as I could never figure it out at that time, though I tried on and off. It can be done, but it may not be a priority.


Mick

Mick....I guess it just depends on how much weight you
are willing/able to carry on your back, and how long you
are going to be "out" and what you want to do while
you're out there.

A weekend hike is one thing, but a 2-3 week trek is quite
another....That's back-packing.

If I don't actually have to carry it on my back, then I'm
perfectly happy to pack whatever I want....but if the
weight of my pack is a consideration, then I'm perfectly
willing to forego all the shave gear!

You've been in the infantry...you know how much the
weight of your pack matters, right?

Frankly, at my age now, "roughing it" means having to
stay in a motel without a bar!

I drifted off topic...sorry.

I really would be interested in finding a razor that would
survive extreme conditions of heat/humidity, with minimal
maintenance.

Living on the beach, on the windward side of a tropical
island is murder on anything made out of metal, or
anything electronic...like a computer.

Air conditioning here is not an option.