Cure/prevention for butt chafe?

[dloome]

I get the butt chafe, and it's no fun. I wear very lightweight, loose fitting, well ventilated running shorts when I hike, so I've done all I can do there.

So what causes the chafe? I don't sweat excessively and I keep my ass pretty clean by trail standards. Goldbond helps some, but I'd rather just learn how to prevent it in the first place. It seems to be exacerbated by high mileage days, but I'm not going to cut the mileage I like to do just to prevent a sore ass.

Anyone who's battled chafe care to way in on anything that helped you?
Thanks

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

I have had success with Desitin Ointment (a product for diaper rash)

[rafe]

Body Glide. Or Gold Bond. One or the other.

[vipahman]

Use thin seamless bicycle shorts in place of your underwear and the chaffing will be history. I've thrown out my Gold Bond as I've never had a problem since. The chaffing is usually caused by the seams in the underwear. It works in wet or dry, hot or cold conditions. I never hike without them now!

[stuco]

Get some non cotton boxer briefs. Lose some weight. I'm fat and I often get chub rub myself. It can be a REAL downer.

[Footslogger]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.

Start carrying some "wet wipes" of some sort (make sure they do not contain alcohol) and wash yourself off at various times during the day.

'Slogger

[Toolshed]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.
'Slogger

This should rank as a top ten Item for thru-hiker to know!!!

[The Weasel]

This should rank as a top ten Item for thru-hiker to know!!!

Footslogger is 100% right. It's not chafing - that results in dry skin, only, which take a LOT of work. It's the combination of dry skin (from chafing) with salt causing inflamation. In addition to wipes, an aspirin (not ibuprofen or acetominophen) will help.

The Weasel

[oldfivetango]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.

Start carrying some "wet wipes" of some sort (make sure they do not contain alcohol) and wash yourself off at various times during the day.

'Slogger

Why no alcohol Slogger? Does it dry the skin out or something?
Thanks.
OFT

[Footslogger]

Why no alcohol Slogger? Does it dry the skin out or something?
Thanks.
OFT

=====================================

Well that ...and the fact that if you DO have a case of chafe going on the alcohol causes added burning and irritation.

'Slogger

[moxie]

=====================================

Well that ...and the fact that if you DO have a case of chafe going on the alcohol causes added burning and irritation.

'Slogger

Drink the alcohol, you will never notice the chafe. Also if you see Jester in a skirt with no underware remeber he has beans and franks under that skirt. Of course with his hiking beard jester shoulddn't be confused with a hot babe unless you have drank lots and lots of alcohol.

[Nean]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.

Start carrying some "wet wipes" of some sort (make sure they do not contain alcohol) and wash yourself off at various times during the day.

'Slogger

I'll agree. Washings ones ass is always a wonderful idea! More than likely it's your gear that needs to be washed. Keeping your clothes (and pack!!) rinsed out will go a long way in preventing chaff or rash.... anywhere.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.


'Slogger

Whelp, this is an olr thread, but since it's back up, the advice above is on the money.

The last two years I've started carrying a cheap dish sponge and small plastic cup and taking a nightly sponge bath on trail, paying close attention to any place that is prone to chafing. Using enough water is key in this process as there needs to be a sufficent amoubt to disolve and wipe away the salt crystals that are dried on the skin, this is also why wet wipes never worked for me, they aren't nearly wet enough. After the sponge bath, any place with early signs of chafing gets wiped down with a liberal amount of purell. In the morning I repeat the purell step before hitting the trail. These two steps have made a night and day change to my hiking and reduced my on trail chafing issues from terrible to almost non-existent.

[rocketsocks]

Wear whatever you want ...they key is keeping the salt residue from your sweat from drying and rubbing you raw. Period, paragraph, end of subject.

Start carrying some "wet wipes" of some sort (make sure they do not contain alcohol) and wash yourself off at various times during the day.

'Slogger

I hear this a lot, gotta remove the salt. And I'm not saying you're wrong, you're prolly right! But I'm a curious critter so I need to be sold. What say the scientists around here? Are salt crystals forming and cutting and cafing on some Å not seen by the human eye? Are our underarms super saturated? What's goin' on here?

[blw2]

I hear this a lot, gotta remove the salt. And I'm not saying you're wrong, you're prolly right! But I'm a curious critter so I need to be sold. What say the scientists around here? Are salt crystals forming and cutting and cafing on some Å not seen by the human eye? Are our underarms super saturated? What's goin' on here?

great question!
only theorizing here.....I'm a mechanical engineer so not scientist that would know a lot about this sort of physiology..... I'll look forward to more knowing folks' answers too!

but something sure does serve to make those areas sticky. sweat is water carrying impurities, right? Water alone isn't going to do that, so it must be the impurities...As I understand it, sorta like pee in that regard....so the salt isn't necessarily sodium chloride, but it's something. Probably some oils in there too that attract dirt. And who knows what that attracts bacteria. The bacteria probably irritate the skin on many levels, even by leaving their own secretions....
By bet is , the "salt" statement is an over simplification. There's probably a lot of stuff going on in that chemistry.
Point sums up well though, to clean it off.....

[rocketsocks]

great question!
only theorizing here.....I'm a mechanical engineer so not scientist that would know a lot about this sort of physiology..... I'll look forward to more knowing folks' answers too!

but something sure does serve to make those areas sticky. sweat is water carrying impurities, right? Water alone isn't going to do that, so it must be the impurities...As I understand it, sorta like pee in that regard....so the salt isn't necessarily sodium chloride, but it's something. Probably some oils in there too that attract dirt. And who knows what that attracts bacteria. The bacteria probably irritate the skin on many levels, even by leaving their own secretions....
By bet is , the "salt" statement is an over simplification. There's probably a lot of stuff going on in that chemistry.
Point sums up well though, to clean it off.....

Agreed, cleanliness is key. I was also thinking the materials we used these days in shirts, I don't recall chafing in days gone by while wearing cotton, but the polyesters of today are virtually indestructible scourering pads, like 3M's scotchbrite. Many of wicking shirts also have what I'll call an aggressive knit with hooves and lands like a heat synque to provide an abundance of surface area exposed which facilitates evaporative cooling...anyhow, these are my thoughts, fun to think about.

[Sovi]

I hear this a lot, gotta remove the salt. And I'm not saying you're wrong, you're prolly right! But I'm a curious critter so I need to be sold. What say the scientists around here? Are salt crystals forming and cutting and cafing on some Å not seen by the human eye? Are our underarms super saturated? What's goin' on here?

Ever worn a ball cap and seen the sweat dry on it leaving the white lines? Makes the hat stiff and rough? That is salt residue. Same thing happens to the tops of boots if your socks aren't tall enough. Salt is crystalline, whether in it's original state or dried from being mixed with sweat/water. Very abrasive and the description of sandpaper is spot on. Lubricating the affected area is a good preventive, but keeping the areas clean/dry is also effective. Only need mediated post chafe to encourage healing.

[skyhiker2]

Rubbing = chaffing

Stop the chaffing by removeing the rubbing factor.

The rubbing factor will be somewhat different for each person. Find out whats rubbing on you?

[Alligator]

'Slogger's on the money. Baby wipes.

[highway]

I get the butt chafe, and it's no fun. I wear very lightweight, loose fitting, well ventilated running shorts when I hike, so I've done all I can do there.

So what causes the chafe? I don't sweat excessively and I keep my ass pretty clean by trail standards. Goldbond helps some, but I'd rather just learn how to prevent it in the first place. It seems to be exacerbated by high mileage days, but I'm not going to cut the mileage I like to do just to prevent a sore ass.

Anyone who's battled chafe care to way in on anything that helped you?
Thanks

If by "butt chafe" you are referring to chaffing in the upper thigh area, where your legs rub together, I suspect that it might be caused by the salty residue left behind (no pun intended) by successive layers of the evaporation of your perspiration there.

I have solved it, so far, by not wearing the loose fitting underwear you referred to but rather tight fitting ones, with legs 3-6" in length. This way it is the two layers of the stretch fabric rubbing together at my upper thigh, rather than the two layers of my epidermis, covered with various layers of sharp salt particles acting like sandpaper..

But, thats my observation only