14 Backpacking Hairstyles – Cute and Easy
14 Cute and Easy Backpacking Hairstyles.
Everyone who wants to adventure in the great outdoors while looking cute knows that spending hours curling your hair is a waste of time and distracts from the backpacking adventure experience!
Outdoor hairstyles no matter what you do to your hair, it’s going to look a little wind-blown. So here are a few easy hairstyles for outdoor activities.
5 Backpacking Hairstyles for Long Hair
We’ve talked in other articles before about how awesome braids are for easy hiking hair, backpacking hair, trekking hairstyles, camping hair, and easy hairstyles for outdoor activities because of their versatility, stability, and simplicity.
- French Braid
The french braid can also be done inside-out, which is also known as a Dutch Braid, which creates more of a row than a flat braid.
French braids stay for a long time, which is great for outdoor hairstyles, and can be braided diagonally, making a side braid, or even upside down into a bun!
- Braided bun
Either the end of a french braid or a ponytail that has been braided and twisted into a bun makes for an excellent backpacking hairstyle because it can be done with dirty hair, tangly hair, curly hair, and is a stronger bun than a regular ballerina twisted bun.
- Ponytail
A classic as old as time itself- the ponytail. Though it’s simple, it’s not necessarily so basic that it’s not cute. A regular ponytail can be easily accessorized to be super cute for all of those outdoor adventure pictures you’re going to take while backpacking. You can add a scrunchie, ribbon, stylish hat, or even a braid to the style.
- Piggy tail braids
Piggy tail braids are great for those with extra, extra hair, especially long hair, so that it’s not so heavy in one spot. Pigtail braids, or even french braids are great for backpacking because it stays all day and is more stable than a single braid. Two will last longer than a single braid that will slip and become loose.
- Fishtail Braid
A fishtail braid is a different style of braid that is elegant and pretty for outdoor photos and still looks good when windblown.
After some practice a fishtail braid is simple and fairly quick to do.
Split the hair into two parts (for beginners, start with a ponytail) we’re going to call them A and B for the sake of simplicity.
Take one tiny piece from the underside of piece A and wrap it around the outside of side A and hold it in place in the middle with the thumb of the hand that is holding side B.
Repeat with side B. Take a tiny piece from the underside of side B and wrap it around the outside of the strand to side A.
Hold where the pieces cross firmly with your thumb. Switch to the other side again.
Continue until the entire braid is complete.
5 Backpacking Hairstyles for Medium Hair
- Pigtail French Braids
Just like long hair, french braids are more stable and are best for backpacking and hiking the great outdoors because you can wear them under a hat or out in the open.
- Ponytail Pull-Through
Tie your ponytail. Loosen the tie just a little bit, enough to put two fingers through the middle of the ponytail on the underside of the tie closest to the scalp. Grab the ponytail and pull it through. Now you have a lovely twist that gives your backpacking hairstyle, or trekking hairstyle more pizzaz.
This is also a great style if you are the kind of person that likes to put wildflowers in their hair. Because the pull-through creates a little pocket where the flowers can be tucked in and not fall out so easily.
- Ponytail half-pulled through
This style is cutest on medium and shorter hair because it makes a fan-like, spikey-messy-ish look while being tight enough to hold the hair back and look like a bun but it’s not. And it makes an almost messy bun look without making the hair tangly from a messy bun.
To achieve the ponytail half-pull through is to tie your hair like you would any other ponytail. Before you finish pulling the hair through the last time, only pull it halfway through and turn the ends that are left out upwards to make the fan- spike look.
- Tuck your hair into a hat
Medium hair is easier to leave down while backpacking, but if you are having a hard time with the hair falling into your face tuck your length into a hat. And if you have a hard time with ponytail weight giving you headaches or the tightness of braids is too much, leaving your hair down is a better option.
The hat will keep the hair away from your face while still being down. Choose a hat that makes you feel cute when you wear it! Backpacking is for the experience and the views, but if your hair in the photos is important to you, you want to look cute without it being a distraction. Picking cute accessories beforehand will help with that 🙂
- Three Ties
The three tie is easy. Tie your hair halfway back. So that half of it is up and half of it is down.
Now tie half of what is left in the middle of your head, just like you did before but above the nape and under the first tie.
Tie the last and final ponytail at the nape of your neck, securing the entire style.
You now have three ponytails tied together into one while being very secure and super cute!
4 Outdoor Hairstyles, and Trekking Hairstyles for All Lengths of Hair
- Headband Accessory
A headband accessory is great to use if you have a style that you are afraid will have pieces falling out from bangs or layers. Pick a cute headband before going out on your adventure to help you feel cute and help accessorize your outdoors hairstyle.
You can wear headbands on top of braids, french braids, ponytails, buns, and even under hats.
- Two French Braids into One
Combining two french braids into one is a cute backpacking hairstyle for long hair, short hair, medium hair, and curly hair.
You start with one french braid on one side of the head and angle the braid towards the middle of the back of the head.
Do the same with the other side.
Once both braids are finished you can either tie them into a ponytail or braid them together into one braid.
- Big Clips
Utilizing big clips is great for outdoor hairstyles because it can be used on all lengths of hair. Clips are great for half-back styles, twists, and even securing buns that are twisted up into the hair.
Clips are not as harsh on the hair as ties while hiking or backpacking because when you are out in the wind and sun the hair will be pulled on by the tie. Especially if you have a lot of hair and the weight creates extra tension on the hair, breaking the strands being held too tightly by the tie.
This isn’t always the case but clips are great for eliminating the issue of breakage due to tying hair too tightly.
- Tuck your hair into a Beanie
Beanies are awesome because they are so cute and easy to wear! You can either cover a style that you want to last longer on your trip, protect from the sun, wind, rain, or just keep your hair out of your face.
Using Dry Shampoo While Backpacking
If you are out adventuring in the great outdoors for several days at a time and your hair becomes greasy, dry shampoo will help with that issue.
Dry shampoo is great for backpacking, hiking, and camping because it comes in travel sizes that easily fit in your backpack.
How it works is dry shampoo is sprayed onto the roots of the hair, right on the oily part and the dry particles cling to the oil and dirt and when you run your fingers through your hair or tousle (ruffling) the roots it will make the dry shampoo fall out of the hair, with the oil it has absorbed and dirt that it clings to.
Though dry shampoo doesn’t make your hair feel cleaner it looks clean again.
How to use Dry Shampoo on Backpacking Hairstyles-
- Section out your hair from the middle part in horizontal sections.
- Use the spray and quickly spritz the dry shampoo across the parted section
- Continue using horizontal sections, about an inch apart, and spritz in the same way until you are about two inches above your ear. You won’t shouldn’t have to use dry shampoo that low on the head.
- Repeat this process on the other side of the head, using horizontal sections, about an inch apart.
- After spraying both sides of your head, flip your head upside down and shake out those roots using your fingers. Almost like you’re scrubbing shampoo in the shower, except it’s dry and you’re upside down.
Your hair might still feel like there’s thick and dry product on it and might not feel silky and squeaky clean, but it looks cleaner. And there is less dirt and oil sitting on your scalp than before.
Final Tips for Backpacking Hairstyles
Sunglasses are another excellent accessory for hiking hair because they can be tucked into braids and ponytails.
Baseball caps and visors paired with ponytails and braids. Singular braids, or ponytails, or piggy tails. But we’ll get into the ideas and combinations a little further down.
Camping Hairstyles – Easy Hair Tips for Camping
Camping Hairstyles Part II – More Easy Tips and Tricks for Camping
Hiking Hairstyles – 22 Quick and Simple Tips for Hiking Hair