View Full Version : Wearing underwear?
Subie Love
12-08-2013, 15:47
I recently read an article about 9 things a thru-hiker wished they'd have known before starting and one of the things was to ditch the underwear from the get-go. Is that the general consensus or just this persons opinion? I'm about 95% done with all the gear I need for my '14 attempt, last thing I need are some shorts. I'm looking for some shorts with those sewn in underwear but I'm only finding those in tiny little running shorts. I know its not a fashion contest or anything but I'm just not wearing those. lol Do most people just wear normal hiking shorts without underwear or what?
It would be a stretch to say that most hikers don't wear any. I'd say definitely don't wear any made from cotton, and if your thighs touch when you stand with your feet together, I'd wear a pair of spandex shorts so that your legs won't rub together or carry some kind of lubricant or some baby powder. The main concern here is chafing...you don't want to be cold, tired, dirty, wet and hungry AND have your inner thighs rubbed raw.
Nautica makes some really great boxer/briefs. 100% synthetic. I was very happy with them.
Feral Bill
12-08-2013, 16:32
+1 on cotton underwear. Its like sandpaper when damp.
ChinMusic
12-08-2013, 16:36
I have always worn 9" Under Armour Boxer Jocks. That is until I hit the heat of the mid Atlantic. It was only then that I had to ditch them.
MuddyWaters
12-08-2013, 16:44
I wear spandex compression shorts, walmart brand mostly.
They dont dry as fast as Id like when sweat soaked, but I have never had an issue with them causing any issues. Ive worn them for more than 2 weeks straight. The crotch might smell like rotten shrimp, but they dont irritate me.
Not easy to find tiny running shorts for men today. In the 1970s and 1980s men had tiny running shorts, today the inseams are generally at least 5". Probably because men are so fat today. I have several pair of really light shorts, sub-2oz, and they all came from thrift shops, made of plain ol nylon, tricot used today is heavy.
Women have tiny runnning shorts still, not always a good thing either.
I like Ex Officio briefs but I'll probably switch to Smart Wool next year in the hopes of reducing the stink factor. I carry Patagonia strider running shorts with the integrated briefs but normally don't hike in them. I had some minor annoying chafing this year when I hiked in them for more than a few miles.
I use the Ex Officio for running as well. I wore cotton underwear on a 15 mile run a couple of years back ... let's just say that I will never do that again...
colorado_rob
12-08-2013, 17:35
Being from the Dry west, I was skeptical about all the Commando-mania on here.... then I started the AT last April, warm humid weather from the get-go and I quickly understood. Ditched the skivvies at maybe mile 100 or so, nicely chaffed at that point, quickly healed and never put them on again on the AT. I even later tried the built-in mesh shorts thing, dumped that too, just wore plain hiking shorts after that. Just my $0.02.
Columbia swim shorts with mesh brief. No underwear. Works great for me.
Gravesbrock
12-08-2013, 18:00
X2 on exofficio !
Chair-man
12-08-2013, 18:39
You'll have to give going commando (without underwear) a try and see if it works for you. I did and surprisingly going commando works for me. No chaffing either, not sure why.
would you wear two shirts if you didn't have to?
Exofficio & UA both get good reviews, but I noticed that Exofficio is nylon where UA is polyester (they both apparently have an anti-microbial treatment), so I still wonder which is better w/odor and which material is more comfortable?
RN-PCT2015, I've also been tempted to try a pair in merino to address the expected funk factor of synthetic, but I'd be concerned they won't dry nearly as well and feel kinda damp all day compared to UA or Exofficio?
Has anyone by chance tried poly v nylon v wool and noticed any differences?
Starchild
12-08-2013, 20:12
Bathing suit from VA to ME
4eyedbuzzard
12-08-2013, 22:40
Columbia swim shorts with mesh brief. No underwear. Works great for me.+1 on these. LLBean also makes something similar I believe.
X2 on exofficio !
Made the switch from Nike to ExOfficio this summer with good results. Have 2 pair so that I can swap them out.
RedBeerd
12-08-2013, 23:32
Love the exofficios as well.
If you want shorts with spandex/briefs sewn in but dont want running shorts look at the casual cycling shorts. They don't all have pads in the butt and you can get some pretty normal looking shorts
Subie Love
12-08-2013, 23:41
Love the exofficios as well.
If you want shorts with spandex/briefs sewn in but dont want running shorts look at the casual cycling shorts. They don't all have pads in the butt and you can get some pretty normal looking shorts
I'll def look into those.
I looked up the shorts below and found these...
Columbia swim shorts with mesh brief. No underwear. Works great for me.
+1 on these. LLBean also makes something similar I believe.
These don't have the mesh but I might pick them up to sleep in. I wish I could get a weight on them though.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/76905?feat=pprv
These have them mesh and pockets; I think they'll work for hiking in. Still researching but these are at the top of the list right now.
http://www.columbia.com/Men%E2%80%99s-Backcast-II%E2%84%A2-Water-Trunk/FM4008,default,pd.html
peakbagger
12-09-2013, 08:05
Columbia has some zip off leg nylon pants with mesh briefs that I use. For some reason they are targeted at fishermen. Hard to find this time of year. I buy two pairs and only carry one set of legs.
rocketsocks
12-09-2013, 08:11
I've never gone Commando, like Kramer, "My boys need support Jerry" But Poly anything, when wet, is like 3M's scrotch Brite...So I'm rethinking this hole area. :-?
daddytwosticks
12-09-2013, 08:14
Depends (pun intended). Cooler weather, I usually wear Walmart compression boxers under some sort of convertible pants. Warmer weather, I wear hiking shorts with mesh liners built-in. I believe there are many brands of hiking shorts w/these built-in liners available. :)
Take a careful look at the mesh liners of any pair you are considering. If the mesh feel rough or abrasive, it will be. If the elastic is exposed to your skin, it might not be so comfortable. I can't usually stand the mesh, it causes as much problem with rub, and the elastic, exposed or not, doesn't let that crucial line breathe for me, and I get rashes. I go commando, or use poly briefs, haven't tried merino yet (too pricey).
Talc based powders (Gold Bond, talc based baby powder, monkey butt) helps a ton, just use a bandana or something to wash the area clean at night to remove the day's funked up powder (if you need, do this mid day and re-apply as well), and let the area breathe through the night.
If you do start to get a rash, have some vitamin A&D ointment on hand, apply liberally after cleaning the area. Usually generic A&D ointment is cheaper than branded diaper rash cream, and at least as effective. Also can be used on your feet if you catch a long wet period to help reduce maceration or drying out, and being a petroleum base, helps a little with not letting the water soak back in as fast.
Also, genuinely curious, as a female friend asked me about it and I don't have a good answer for her; Do ladies benefit the same from commando on hikes as guys? I know for me as a guy, that cut of undergarments matters as well as material, and non boxer/boxer briefs cause rubbing/chaffing where the leg openings are on the inside, and I know the majority of women's undergarments are cut similar, so is it a problem solved well by commando, or more boxer or brief cut (boy short perhaps?) underwear?
Drybones
12-09-2013, 10:03
X2 on exofficio !
+1 for Exofficio...I'd never has bought these, they cost too much, but the wife got me two pair for hiking and I like them, they cost more than probably every other pair I've owned combined.
HikerMom58
12-09-2013, 10:21
Wearing underwear?
Yes, I'm wearing them! :D I don't have a problem with underwear while hiking but if I did, I would take them off... no prob.
RS makes me laugh...never disappoints! :p
rocketsocks
12-09-2013, 10:26
Wearing underwear?
Yes, I'm wearing them! :D I don't have a problem with underwear while hiking but if I did, I would take them off... no prob.
RS makes me laugh...never disappoints! :pWhatta ya wearin :D
HikerMom58
12-09-2013, 10:31
Whatta ya wearin :D
Nothin super exciting I can assure you..:>) I'm still smilin tho...
Traffic Jam
12-09-2013, 10:55
Also, genuinely curious, as a female friend asked me about it and I don't have a good answer for her; Do ladies benefit the same from commando on hikes as guys? I know for me as a guy, that cut of undergarments matters as well as material, and non boxer/boxer briefs cause rubbing/chaffing where the leg openings are on the inside, and I know the majority of women's undergarments are cut similar, so is it a problem solved well by commando, or more boxer or brief cut (boy short perhaps?) underwear?
Like you said, where there are seams, there can be chafing. I get chafed in compression shorts and underwear at the leg hems. For women, both choices (underwear or not) can lead to vaginal/urinary infection depending on what material is coming in contact with the crotch. The material needs to be moisture wicking, breathable, and seamless to prevent chafing and discourage bacterial growth. Form fitting is better than loose. Traditional petroleum-based anti-chafing cream in a female's vaginal area also promotes bacterial growth. Sooooo, while I haven't tried going commando, if the shorts or pants are a good material to inhibit bacterial growth, I think it could be beneficial.
Use the shorts with the mesh support lining. Don't go with the fancy hi tech stuff. It doesn't work. When it get's warm you will sweat a lot. the more air curculation the better. My advise would be to use the shorts with the mesh. Have another light weight pair, like boxers, to wear when sleeping. Rince out the mesh part of the shorts and they will be ready to go in the morning. If you do get the rash use hydrocortisone !% cream. It clears up the rash overnight.
daddytwosticks
12-09-2013, 16:52
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned kilts yet. Not for me, but I've seen other manly men hiking with them on. :)
I'd wear a kilt. I have before for other things, an love em. If I had one, or could afford to get one, I would.
Drybones
12-09-2013, 18:53
Wearing underwear?
Yes, I'm wearing them! :D ! :p
Anything else?
Drybones
12-09-2013, 18:55
I did go cammando once, didn't get all the soap out of the water bottle...
theinfamousj
12-10-2013, 02:21
, genuinely curious, as a female friend asked me about it and I don't have a good answer for her; Do ladies benefit the same from commando on hikes as guys?
Lady biology is a bit different than man biology. For one thing, we ladies have a constant, ongoing "drip" from our vaginas known as vaginal discharge. That, coupled with the fact that a lot of clothing manufacturers like to put a big four-way seam right in the crotch underneath the vaginas leads to chafing, irritation, and infection risk.
I have encountered some hiking pants with a smooth crotch and seams elsewhere, but it is something to pay attention to.
Also, synthetic fabrics don't breathe well and there is a serious infection risk if the moisture isn't wicked away. I can tell an absolute difference in at home panty crotches between cotton and anything-but - cotton even over the course of a few hours. Even my beloved Ex Officio bikinis. :-(
For myself - and every woman is different - I would go commando under a skirt but not under shorts with crotch seams. The reasons for this being that there are no irritating crotch seams with a skirt, and pure air is very breathable. I would likely wear undies when faced with crotch-seam-less shorts/pants, but that is simply to have a crotch-area barrier for natural discharge so as to keep my shorts cleaner longer (not doing this would be akin to wearing days old undies with a build up of semi-private discharge... Yuck!). Or I might use adhesive panty liners. I don't rightly know as I always go with undies because of the inertia of already having them and being used to them.
My thighs don't rub/chafe, so I don't know how my answer would change if they did.
But the universal answer is that hygiene to keep the vaginal area, especially, clean would be a greater concern for undie-less ladies than the equivalent area on commando dudes. Bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, and other fun ailments aren't... Aren't fun, that is.
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kmart/walmart standard cheapest swimsuit. they come in pleasing pastel colors. thighs rub, pin crotch of swim suit to the netting. wash every nite or every month. cold, wear some long john bottoms under the suit. rashes, vagisil for everyone.
The Solemates
12-15-2013, 22:12
another vote for ex oficio pants with built in liners. i never wear underwear.
CarlZ993
12-15-2013, 23:21
Predominantly, I wore Nike running shorts (~5" inseam) w/ built in mesh brief. One pair I wore & one as a spare. I wore them underneath REI convertible hiking pants.
I later added a pair of Patagonia Baggie shorts (w/ built in mesh brief) when it got really warm. I'd wear the Baggies w/o the pants (unless the bugs were too bad).
Never had any problems, i.e. rash, chafing, etc.