Beard research
 

"I ski (XC) in the winter. I run in the winter. I cycle in the winter. I have a beard. People have been saying, "A beard keeps you warmer."

Sure it sounds good, but has anybody ever really tested this theory? In the interest of science, I thought of cutting off my beard for a winter to determine if it would be colder without it. Thinking about it for a while, I realized that this was no good. Maybe it would be a warmer (colder) winter this year. Maybe I would forget how cold (warm) it was last year.

I needed a control! Another person was no good; their perception of cold may not agree with mine. I had only one choice. Shave half of my beard."

http://mudhead.uottawa.ca/~pete/beard.html

Now I know the truth. A beard does keep you warmer! :D

Re: Beard research
 

hahah, that guys pretty hardcore for science..makes me want to grow mine out for the winter because it gets cold walking to classes

Re: Beard research
 

If you have a beard and are unsure, just take a frosty cold, unopened canned beverage. Place it against your beard. Then compare that to placing it on your cheek or neck, where there is little or no hair. There will be no question after this little experiment.

I am in cold, windy Wyoming. It is a balmy 2 degrees, in the "bananna belt" portion of the state at the moment and I am glad that I have a beard. They take more time and effort than I expected to keep presentable. However, it makes a difference IMO and I am outdoors quite a bit.

~Prag