...and another question: Hair Dryers

[E. Graham]

Our experience as tent-campers for three weeks this past July has prepared us to boondock and dry-camp most of the time in the new Casita we'll be getting soon. One problem remains, however: drying my hair with a hair-dryer.

Most of the time, this won't be an issue --- air-drying is fine for the campground and hiking. On occasion, however, a hair dryer will be desirable.

What's your experience been? Is any product worth the cost?

Thanks for any input!

E. Graham

[Byron Kinnaman]

Our experience as tent-campers for three weeks this past July has prepared us to boondock and dry-camp most of the time in the new Casita we'll be getting soon. One problem remains, however: drying my hair with a hair-dryer.

Most of the time, this won't be an issue --- air-drying is fine for the campground and hiking. On occasion, however, a hair dryer will be desirable.

What's your experience been? Is any product worth the cost?

Thanks for any input!

E. Graham

Generally speaking heating with the 12 volt system isn't going to work very well while camping. They're power hungry will eat all the power in your battery quickly. I looked at one that draws 14 amps. I can just hear the power being sucked out the house battery.

[Greg A]

This summer the Microwave ran fine with the AC running, but everytime my wife fired up her hair dryer with the AC it blew the circuit. As Byron said those things are "power hungry." That was on shore power, so I can imagine what they'd do to a battery....

[Dave Mac]

Camping and hair dryers.... This would cause an argument with me and the wife.
As long as you don't look like this:



Leave the hair dryer at home.....

[Brian B-P]

12V hair dryers exist, but seem fundamentally hopeless to me. A typical "lighter" style of 12V accessory power socket is only good for 10 amps, and 10 A times 12 V is only 120W. You couldn't give away 120 watt AC hair dryers... they're usually about ten times that power. The low setting on a common 120V AC hair dryer might only need 300 watts... but that's still 25 amps at 12V, which is a lot for a small RV battery and the wiring to 12V accessory outlets.

At some campgrounds, the central washroom facilities include power outlets. Sometimes they are only for low-power devices (such as shavers), but some are suitable (and intended) for hair dryers. That opens the option of taking the regular AC-powered hair dryer, and not trying to use one in the trailer at all.

[Steve L.]

Hmmm. Perhaps some variation of the ol' 4-60 car air conditioner.

Lessee. If you part your hair on the left, stick you head out the passenger side window while going 60 mph. If you part your hair on the right, out the driver side window. Part in the center? Out the moon roof. Got a comb over, out the rear hatch back.

[Greg A]

Dave, I look like that, but still leave the hair dryer at home...

So far we're all guys talking about something none of us probably bring.
When the womenfolk find this topic we may get shredded..

[E. Graham]

Gentlemen:

Thank you for your input! I'm truly astounded at how many men have had experience with hairdryers (12V or otherwise) and were kind enough to share it. Who knew?!

As you point out, some campgrounds do have 120V receptacles, and when they exist, I use my 120V hairdryer. When 120V is not available, I have been creative: during our stay at Donner Memorial Park, I've poached the 120V receptacle in the Holiday Inn's public restroom and in the public restroom at Jake's on the Lake.

However...there are (big sigh) places that don't have 120V outlets, hence my question.

Your answers (and I really do thank you for them) lead me to conclude that a 12V is not worth purchasing. I will continue to poach or to air-dry.

Thanks, guys!

E. Graham

[Pete Dumbleton]

Here's another suggestion -- Back in a former life when there was a female in my life, they used to make hair dryers that used something like Butane cartridges for heat production. Dunno if they still make 'em.

Anything that produces heat will be a HOG at 12V!! That's why the reefers in 12VDC mode suck down batteries left and right.

[Herb P]

Your answers (and I really do thank you for them) lead me to conclude that a 12V is not worth purchasing. I will continue to poach or to air-dry.

Start the car, put the blower to 'vent', close all the vents but the passenger door side vent, and crank the heat up on the heater...

[Greg A]

As I said earlier... The womenfolk are going to shred us..

At least this explains Herb's hair in his camping pics...

[Gina D.]

I looked at one

why?

[Herb P]

At least this explains Herb's hair in his camping pics...

I'm officially "old" now. The other day, Jakob was drawing a picture of me (he's 5.95yrs) and colored the top of my head brown; then switched to a grey crayon for the sides...

So my coiff days are apparently over. Time to focus on my beer gut.

[Connie M.]

Butane curling irons are available, but I've never seen any butane blow dryers.
Sorry to sound so mundane - you guys are on a roll !

[Rick B]

I find my need for a hair dryer diminishing as every year passes

Rick B

[Pete Dumbleton]

Butane curling irons are available, but I've never seen any butane blow dryers.
Sorry to sound so mundane - you guys are on a roll !

Maybe I was thinking of curlers; it's been a while. Thinking about it, a hair dryer would suck up a lot of butane in a hurry. Best to rely on shore power or restrooms or just cut it short

I was once giving myself a haircut and wound up shaving it all off -- Prior to that I had the usual fear of losing all my hair, but now it's gone (the fear, and some hair...).

[E. Graham]

I googled "butane hair dryer" and found three patents for one; unfortunately, no company is yet manufacturing any of them.

However, as I use the heat of the hair dryer to shape or style my hair rather than to dry it, it occured to me that a butane hair curler (Braun makes one) might accomplish the same ends.

Thank you for the idea of using a butane-fueled product!

Cheers,
E. Graham

[Gina D.]

Long Long Ago, in my youth, when dinosaurs roamed the earth..

I had (Still have, come to think of it) a friend that refused to go camping unless she had access to an outlet so she could curl her hair.

Hubby found her a butane curling iron.. and the excuses went away.

Yes.. I have witnessed this appliance myself, as early as the 80s, with jaw dropped.

[Michael Pupeza]

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<div class='quotemain'>
I find my need for a hair dryer diminishing as every year passes

Rick B
[/quote]
Yes, I agree!
BUT!
There is a valid use for these devices!
Amateur (And Professional?) Astronomers use these devices to remove the DEW from their optics
It's actually not a good solution as the optics dew up again right away, but, if used judiciously (?)
can be a help on certain nights of Observing!
If you are watching with your binocs, and they fog up - use the 12V 'hair dryer'!
Mike.....>

[Connie M.]

Blow dryers are good for thawing pipes, too. We have 2 at home - one for hair and one for industrial use.