Should an Outdoorsman Grow a Beard?

This year is turning out to be "The Year of The Beard." While I wish I could grow a beard like Drew Holcomb or one like the boys from Duck Dynasty, I'm not sure that I would. It's not because I think girls like a clean shaven man, personally my girlfriend wishes I would grow one. For me, it comes down to functionality.

Drew Holcomb

Memorial Day has come and gone, marking the beginning of summer. This means the outdoors thermostat is getting turned up and it's about to be hot and muggy outside. I'm one of the few who enjoy the hot and humid weather, but when a beard's on my face, a bushy one at that, it starts to become unbearable. Some guys can put up with the itchy scratchiness, but lets face it, during the dead of summer, it's tough for any man to have a beard.

While we're on the topic of summer, it's the perfect time for vacations. The wildlife is teeming, the kids are out of school, and everyone wants to go on vacation. In order to fund that vacation, one needs to have a job. Most employers aren't a big fan of the beard. If your boss is cool and allows you to have a beard, it typically has to be trimmed and "well kept." If you've ever had any hopes of having a full, thick beard, they've pretty much been dashed right there.

Now, if you have a job, and your employer's cool enough to let you have a full, thick beard, you're going to want to show it off at the crag, on the trail, or in another country on surf trips. That's when your next problem comes into play. Why do you thinks your dog gets ticks and you seem to come out clean? It's because man's best friend is typically a lot hairier than you and it's easier for a tick to find a home and go undetected. When you have a lot of thick hair on your face, a tick is more likely to jump on and take hold of your face. The danger is, you typically won't feel a tick bite and it could be carrying Lyme Disease or  another disease, and you don't want that.

Nasty Tick

I understand beards look cool, manly, and are the new "hip" thing, but are they really that functional for an outdoorsman? If you enjoy spending your time in the city, then a beard would work out well for you. However, if you enjoy spending your time out in the woods after work and on the weekends, then unfortunately a beard may not be the best idea for you.