View Full Version : Chafe and skirts/kilts
When people say they had less chafe hiking in a skirt or kilt do they mean butt chafing or between the thigh chafing? I have never had any chafing but my thighs do rub together. I'd like to try hiking in a skirt that doesn't have shorts inside because I really like the freedom and ease of movement of hiking in my skirt, but the shorts inside seem to defeat the advantage of skirts, which I see mainly being that you can add/remove leg layers without getting undressed.
So, thigh chafing? Is it a problem in a shirt?
Well I have never hiked in a skirt/kilt, but would assume if they help it is because you get better evaporation of sweat/moisture than with shorts/pants. I also do not think that they could have any impact on butt chaffing - only thigh - but that is a guess.
I have experienced both kinds of chaffing and they were easily eliminated with some body glide or your favorite equivalent. I always hike in swimming trunks or hiking pants (depending on conditions). As I am sure you know, being a long distance hiker, you get callus's in the rub areas after a time and chaffing happens seldom after that.
Just Bill
05-04-2015, 18:34
A skort is a fashion item, serves no purpose for hiking other than the modesty/cute factor of looking like you're wearing a skirt.
Mainly you're talking thighs on the chafe issue.
Although better ventilation helps monkey butt too.
Besides better ventilation, hygiene is often easier. You can easily wash/rinse off your groin a few times a day without getting undressed. Same goes with swapping out undies. When it is very hot I typically carry two pairs and change them just like you would change socks, giving them a quick rinse out in the process. I like to wear ExOfficio briefs with mine.
The main cause of chafe is build up of salt crystals on your skin and clothes, the only fix for that is frequent washing (body and clothing).
A bad seam or construction on your clothing being the second most common. Body glide does help, and it is true that given enough time you develop a callous (assuming you first get a good bout of chafe to start). Coconut oil works great too, but unfortunately its melting point is so low it's hard to carry when you need it most.
Number three is the problems you develop from a hot moist environment, various forms of crotch rot as well as the same maceration issues you can get on your feet. The skirt solves the ventilation problem, but you still need to wash off any dried salt from your evaporated sweat.
The other advantage is modesty. If you ignore the social issues dudes have with wearing a skirt. It is a more modest garment. My non-hiker wife really likes hers because when we pull up to a local forest preserve parking lot she can slip into the skirt and shuck off her town clothes easily. Same application on the trail.
Modesty is also there when you go to the bathroom or need to wash your groin. A guy pissing is relatively modest regardless of the clothing, but in a skirt either sex can squat without hanging your ass out for the world to see. As mentioned, wetting a bandana or wash cloth and cleaning up is easier and fairly modest.
SBHikes- If you'd like to try one of mine shoot me a PM, I'm looking for some feedback on fit and function.
My skirt is calf length, has a few tricks, and is under 3 ounces.
HeartFire
05-04-2015, 21:13
A skort is a fashion item, serves no purpose for hiking other than the modesty/cute factor of looking like you're wearing a skirt..
I beg to differ here - a skort - that has shorts under the skirt keeps the thighs from rubbing (I think this may be a girl thing). Yes, they look cuter than shorts, the skorts I own have loose baggy shorts, so you can pull the leg over to squat and pee, so there is the modesty thing, and the easy of peeing on the trail without dropping your pack and dropping your pants.
Eagle1979
05-04-2015, 21:50
Just Bill, did you forget your Vagisil Anti-itch Medicated Wipes?
thecyclops
05-04-2015, 22:11
A skort is a fashion item, serves no purpose for hiking other than the modesty/cute factor of looking like you're wearing a skirt.
Mainly you're talking thighs on the chafe issue.
Although better ventilation helps monkey butt too.
Besides better ventilation, hygiene is often easier. You can easily wash/rinse off your groin a few times a day without getting undressed. Same goes with swapping out undies. When it is very hot I typically carry two pairs and change them just like you would change socks, giving them a quick rinse out in the process. I like to wear ExOfficio briefs with mine.
The main cause of chafe is build up of salt crystals on your skin and clothes, the only fix for that is frequent washing (body and clothing).
A bad seam or construction on your clothing being the second most common. Body glide does help, and it is true that given enough time you develop a callous (assuming you first get a good bout of chafe to start). Coconut oil works great too, but unfortunately its melting point is so low it's hard to carry when you need it most.
Number three is the problems you develop from a hot moist environment, various forms of crotch rot as well as the same maceration issues you can get on your feet. The skirt solves the ventilation problem, but you still need to wash off any dried salt from your evaporated sweat.
The other advantage is modesty. If you ignore the social issues dudes have with wearing a skirt. It is a more modest garment. My non-hiker wife really likes hers because when we pull up to a local forest preserve parking lot she can slip into the skirt and shuck off her town clothes easily. Same application on the trail.
Modesty is also there when you go to the bathroom or need to wash your groin. A guy pissing is relatively modest regardless of the clothing, but in a skirt either sex can squat without hanging your ass out for the world to see. As mentioned, wetting a bandana or wash cloth and cleaning up is easier and fairly modest.
SBHikes- If you'd like to try one of mine shoot me a PM, I'm looking for some feedback on fit and function.
My skirt is calf length, has a few tricks, and is under 3 ounces.
http://litbloc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/4p9r5.gif
texas&fla
05-05-2015, 03:17
Skirts will not help with thigh chafe if you are prone to it. You need a skort or boxer briefs .. You need fabric in between the rubbing skin. The last time I wore a skirt hiking with normal bikini undies...I ended up walking very oddly after several miles. Not fun.
I hike with a kilt with loose mens boxers underneath, but i have rarely had chafing before a kilt. My DH, OTOH, has serious chafing issues and wears compression shorts under his hiking shorts. Still gets rubbed. He just tried a kilt for the first time last weekend. He wore his compression shorts under, and said it was the most comfortable thing he has ever worn in public!
Just Bill
05-05-2015, 07:45
Heartfire-
The loose baggy shorts part is the important part. The extra flap of fabric to convert said pair of shorts from short to skort don't do anything the shorts aren't already doing.
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/chafing-causes-treatments
"Dress right. When exercising , wear proper-fitting, moisture-wicking clothes, such as those made with synthetic fibers. Do not exercise in cotton. Compression shorts, such as those worn by cyclists, may help reduce thigh chafing. Also, less is more when it comes to dressing for exercise. If it is warm outside, consider running without a shirt if you are a man and in only a jogging bra if you are a woman. Lastly, choose exercise clothes and bras that have smooth seams to avoid rubbing."
Cyclops- hard to maintain yer perspective with one eye I suppose... thanks for helping out the OP though:)
Eagle- I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume yer just sharing a tip, and not being a pointer.
More than a few hikers have given it a go.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/monistat-soothing-care-powder-gel/ID=prod6143714-product
Chafing, not to be confussed with Chaffing, comes in many flavors with many solutions.
The fabric layer does solve a sensitive skin issue that some have, my apologies as that ain't the ailment that first comes to my mind, but it is common enough. If that's you, then you probably need clothing, not a skirt. (short, compression short, boxer, whatever.)
And there is a type of chafing that gals deal with having nothing to do with your activity level or cleanliness.
Men are also privy to this to a lesser degree, just ask Itchy Balls and Foreskin, GAME 2006.
Other issues solved, most other hikers and folks out in hot weather for prolonged periods of time develop chafing specifically from the salt crystal issues. This is often further irritated by the flatfelled seam construction common in men's clothing. Check your inseam first, and compare your cargo shorts to your running shorts. Or just wear a skirt.
Secondary to that is the various forms of crotch rot that have to do with hygiene problems common among scumbag hikers who don't wash up between town stops.
Francis Sawyer
05-05-2015, 09:53
Can't we just hike and forget about all the cross dressing . I like to wear a bra when I hike because it's a handy place to store stuff.
For me wearing a skirt would not be cross-dressing.
I forgot about the modesty convenience issue. A long time ago I brought a skirt with me when I went trekking in Nepal and I was glad I did. I started out wearing shorts and local people would point at me and snicker. So I needed to cover my legs at all times. I didn't hike in the skirt because it was long and flowing. I hiked in pants, but in town I put on my skirt and went to a local water source to wash myself off under the skirt. I even took off my undies and washed them, too. I did this in front of a bunch of men just hanging out and they didn't even notice me, that's how modest and accepted it was. Laughed at walking in shorts and totally accepted naked and bathing myself under a skirt.
So yeah, being able to wash your nethers without the whole world seeing would also be great.
I could wear some boxer briefs under them. I would wear undies anyway. I don't mind wearing mens briefs. Nobody will see them and I can still use my lady J with mens boxers. I guess that means wearing a skirt would be cross-dressing for me after all.