Pantyhose for warmth?

[susiegear]

Hello, a few years ago when I worked in construction a few of us found that pantyhose were great for keeping warm. I know........guys wearing pantyhose. have any of you tried this? it seems like a great lightweight alternative for hiking in cooler temps. thoughts? Thanks!

"Susie"

[g00gle]

* ...imagines himself strolling down the trail in a pair of black fishnets.

Oh, boy! I'd probably be shot at first sight. :D

[Just Bill]

When I was a scout, we would buy men's hosiery, basically calf high pantyhose to use as liner socks as the commercial liners were very expensive and these were cheap. The "try on" socks from shoe stores work too.

Being in construction, I have run into ladies who also swore by the trick. I have heard of some runners using them as well to prevent windburn.

Unfortunately for most of us (gents in particular) if you don't shave your legs or have very fine hair wearing skin tight long underwear of any type gets very uncomfortable after a day or two. I found even a typical Duofold skintight long underwear uncomfortable to unbearable by day 3 for this reason. So if used, I size my stuff a bit loose now.

I don't have a link handy- but fishnet long underwear is very popular in Finland, Norway, etc. Many of the BPL folks seemed to get on board with it as well, though I never tried it personally. The fishnet stuff is meant to be worn under other layers though, the principal being simply that you create a layer of trapped air but let the skin breathe as much as possible. So wearing them by themselves is really only handy for your next nightclub visit.

Point being- your idea is sound... and assuming you already own them, why the hell not try them on a hike to see.
The question then becomes do you like wearing them every day, if they can make it on a 3-5 night trip, or if you would find yourself sending a pair in every maildrop because of runs and snags.

as a bonus... I would think you would get some mild compression sleeve type benefits if they worked out.

[nsherry61]

Used'em years ago. Compression pantyhose do work a bit. I find them a bit warmer than not, but any capaline or other synthetic long johns, even silk-weight, is warmer and more durable. I would probably like the compression hose in my old age where I would benefit more than when my circulation system was younger. But, what I found, years ago, was sure, they're warmer than no long underwear, but, I don't find that slightly warmer quality worth it. I either don't wear long underwear, or wear warmer long underwear, the super-light very slightly warmer than nothing quality isn't import to me.

[Hoofit]

Only ever wore them once, dark green, one cold night back home in the English winter....
My excuse was that a group of us were heading out for a fancy dress party and I thought I made a fine Robin Hood. Not too sure why as I don't remember ever seeing Robin Hood in a pair of tights but there you have it, it was the seventies, an early start on the 'green movement' perhaps?!
After a few bevvies, ( lots of beer), we made a quick stop on the highway at a truck stop for some grub. So much for my get-up, a trucker peered over at me and blurted out, " Peter Pan, right"??!!

[susiegear]

Thanks everyone for your input. I think this winter i will give it a shot and see how it works out. i was thinking of using them as an added layer to long johns when its a bit colder than planned. I havent weighed a pair of them but I imagine that they are under an ounce for some added warmth and take up very little space, seems like a good deal to me.

[gypsy97]

I love capilene and they kept me plenty warm. I also added a pair of leg warmers, the knit "socks" go from ankles to up over the knee. After hiking for about 10 minutes I would start pushing the leg warmers down, below my knees, then about calf high, and then scrunched up around the tops of my boots. If I stopped for a break I could pull them back up to keep warm. I think panty hose would keep you warmer but they aren't nearly as easy to put on and take off as the capilene pants, and the leg warmers were a perfect addition in cold weather because they were so easily adjustable. You can sometimes find leg warmers at yard sales, and there are online companies that sell them.

[Slo-go'en]

I've often wondered if nylons would keep ticks off the legs, but the durability is likely not very good.

[Walkintom]

Used em. Woolies work better though.

[swisscross]

I must have been drunk when my wife talked me into dressing up in drag for Halloween.

It was pretty cold that year and I froze my arse off.
I guess they might work a little under some rain or wind pants but not under a dress.

[Pedaling Fool]

They still sell pantyhose?

As I was growing up all the ladies wore pantyhose and everyone made fun of Joe Namath for wearing pantyhose:D

I don't know when the ladies stopped wearing them, but lately I've noticed that all women have bare legs, not that I'm always looking...OK, I'm always looking, but only in the interest of social studies:p:)

[booney_1]

of course now they make running tights like under armour cold gear. There are tons of off-brand tights available...

[rafe]

Silk makes a good base layer and won't raise as many... eyebrows.

[kayak karl]

my father wore them because of ticks. at least that's what he told my mom when she found them in the glove box.

[gpburdelljr]

"I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK......"

[beaudetious]

Wore 'em in the Army while standing in freezing conditions in Germany. Wore 'em once because I couldn't handle the ribbing from my buddies.


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[MuddyWaters]

Old duck hunting trick

[bikebum1975]

When I was a scout, we would buy men's hosiery, basically calf high pantyhose to use as liner socks as the commercial liners were very expensive and these were cheap. The "try on" socks from shoe stores work too.

Being in construction, I have run into ladies who also swore by the trick. I have heard of some runners using them as well to prevent windburn.

Unfortunately for most of us (gents in particular) if you don't shave your legs or have very fine hair wearing skin tight long underwear of any type gets very uncomfortable after a day or two. I found even a typical Duofold skintight long underwear uncomfortable to unbearable by day 3 for this reason. So if used, I size my stuff a bit loose now.

I don't have a link handy- but fishnet long underwear is very popular in Finland, Norway, etc. Many of the BPL folks seemed to get on board with it as well, though I never tried it personally. The fishnet stuff is meant to be worn under other layers though, the principal being simply that you create a layer of trapped air but let the skin breathe as much as possible. So wearing them by themselves is really only handy for your next nightclub visit.

Point being- your idea is sound... and assuming you already own them, why the hell not try them on a hike to see.
The question then becomes do you like wearing them every day, if they can make it on a 3-5 night trip, or if you would find yourself sending a pair in every maildrop because of runs and snags.

as a bonus... I would think you would get some mild compression sleeve type benefits if they worked out.


Seriously runners getting windburn?! That's a new one to me. I'm a biker(pedal) there you can get windburn.


Regarding wearing pantyhose yeah that's something the world doesn't need to see me in. I'm a fat hairy beast wouldn't be a purdy site. :4:

[Deadeye]

it worked for Joe Namath

[Yankee15]

I lost my long johns and replaced them with some UL tights from Target similar to these:

http://wheretoget.it/look/601124

I think the sunny design increased warmth

[Viper2016]

I'm in support, not "hose," but of the silk option. I've used silk in the past for both base layer in cold temps and as sleep wear to increase rating of the bag.

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[squeezebox]

So what kind of undies is a guy supposed to wear under pantyhose?

[Traveler]

So what kind of undies is a guy supposed to wear under pantyhose?

The well dressed trail enthusiast will have silk under pantyhose of course.

[Datto]

Men, save the pantyhose for the bank.

For the trail, bring a woman wearing pantyhose. Much warmer that way,


Datto

[Gravytrain]

Wore them on really long marches in the Army, but not to stay warm. Wear them under your wool socks, as they will help prevent hot spots and blisters. The nylons reduce the friction, and because it is a relatively loose knit, it allows the wool to wick away the moisture build up. Only got made fun of the first time, but at the end of 25 miles in full battle rattle plus my PRC-119D (38 pounds alone) and no blisters, that ended pretty quickly. Feasibility on a thru-hike? No idea. Probably best for a day or section hike.

[Slo-go'en]

It seems pantyhose have morphed into leggings, which are very popular with the ladies these days. Not sure if they make them for men, but I guess those are called "long johns".

[Mikerfixit]

In the 80's we called them racing tights. I usually wore mine under a pair of shorts for modesty. They are still available for both men and women. Its like a thicker base layer made of spandex and polyester. The leggings my wife has are mostly made of cotton.

[Ankle Bone]

I remember long ago Jack Nicklaus said that golfers wore them all the time on cold windy days during the early part of the season.

But this was before silk base layers were available

[tiptoe]

At one point, my husband refereed lacrosse. On a particularly raw, wet, and windy early spring New England day, before base layers were a "thing", I suggested to the refs on the field, all men, that they consider wearing panty hose underneath their shorts. No one said a word, but the looks I got were priceless.

[Five Tango]

my father wore them because of ticks. at least that's what he told my mom when she found them in the glove box.

He was telling the TRUTH as I knew a forester who used them back when we were over run with deer and little seed ticks.Of course I am assuming your dad spent time outdoors or she would have never bot the story.

[nsherry61]

I remember being told about panty hose in Boy Scouts when I was young, probably about 1976. I remember trying it then. What a bunch of hooey!
For me, I've never found either panty hose or the super thin running tights to make much difference for me. In fact, they generally make me feel colder even if that feeling is a sensory illusion. On the other hand I find mid-weight and heavier weight tights and long-johns quite effective.

I think this whole thing is a big myth propagated either by guys that like to rationalize their desire to wear women's underwear or like to think about other guys doing so. ;) Either way is fine by me. Heck, I encourage it. More of us should indulge more often in what makes us happy . . . like backpacking while wearing whatever goofy tights, kilts, running shorts, knickers, knee-high socks, or nothing that puts that special smile on our faces. :banana

HYOH!

[JNI64]

Hello, a few years ago when I worked in construction a few of us found that pantyhose were great for keeping warm. I know........guys wearing pantyhose. have any of you tried this? it seems like a great lightweight alternative for hiking in cooler temps. thoughts? Thanks!

"Susie"

Ok I worked construction as a plumber all my life, back when it got cold really cold all winter long and I've never known anyone to wear pantyhose to keep warm! (Carhartt yes) .

Susie? Susiegear?? A man????

[Five Tango]

Knee high liner socks get the job done for me and they never "run".

[Mr. Bellamy]

Joe Namath was famous for wearing pantyhose during the winter games. In case you don't know who Joe Namath is, he was the quarterback of the New York Jets, champions of Super Bowl 3. He can now be seen doing medicare commercials in late afternoon.

[cmoulder]

One alternative is to use some polyester long underwear. Certain design considerations make it much more convenient when it's time to irrigate the vegetation or write your initials in the snow.

[atraildreamer]

"Only ever wore them once, dark green, one cold night back home in the English winter....
My excuse was that a group of us were heading out for a fancy dress party and I thought I made a fine Robin Hood. Not too sure why as I don't remember ever seeing Robin Hood in a pair of tights but there you have it, it was the seventies, an early start on the 'green movement' perhaps?!
After a few bevvies, ( lots of beer), we made a quick stop on the highway at a truck stop for some grub. So much for my get-up, a trucker peered over at me and blurted out, " Peter Pan, right"??!!"

So Hoofit, being from England...you missed the movie?

[FollowMrMuir]

Although it is very hard getting the pantyhose on the duck legs

[COMEBACK JACK]

For me it started when i was in the Army Keeping warm in the winter, then it was great for keeping the ticks off in the summer. Now days it is silk to keep a little warmer, they just seem to be more durable too.:banana

[BillyGr]

Wore them on really long marches in the Army, but not to stay warm. Wear them under your wool socks, as they will help prevent hot spots and blisters. The nylons reduce the friction, and because it is a relatively loose knit, it allows the wool to wick away the moisture build up. Only got made fun of the first time, but at the end of 25 miles in full battle rattle plus my PRC-119D (38 pounds alone) and no blisters, that ended pretty quickly. Feasibility on a thru-hike? No idea. Probably best for a day or section hike.

Could probably do the same idea with dress socks that are non-cotton, to give the same effect of preventing friction between the wool socks and your skin.

[Five Tango]

Personally,I don't wear them because they make my butt look big!(sorry,couldn't resist....:banana)

[JNI64]

Only on my non- binary days. ( sorry, couldn't resist either....:) )

[smithjv]

What was the old duck hunting for??

[Traveler]

Joe Namath was famous for wearing pantyhose during the winter games. In case you don't know who Joe Namath is, he was the quarterback of the New York Jets, champions of Super Bowl 3. He can now be seen doing medicare commercials in late afternoon.
I think it was his commercial for "Beautymist" panty hose that he was famous for, there are no references to his playing games wearing pantyhose though the legend of that commercial has spread that direction over time. I recall the commercial at the time and how it quickly became the talk of the sports world. This short blurb explains it.

"In 1974, Super Bowl MVP and New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath shaved his legs and put on Hanes Beautymist pantyhose for a national commercial. “Now, I don’t wear pantyhose," Broadway Joe said in the TV spot (http://www.adrespect.org/common/adlibrary/adlibrarydetails.cfm?QID=44&clientID=11064). “But if Beautymist can make my legs look good, imagine what they’ll do for yours.” The commercial was considered risqué and controversial at the time, but sales of Beautymist pantyhose skyrocketed, and Namath became an in-demand spokesman."

As trivia goes, this one is a pretty good way to winning a few bucks at the bar!

[Traffic Jam]

Last week, I hiked in 30* wearing mid-weight tights under hiking pants and my legs were cold. Today, I hiked in 27* so added a pair of pantyhose and my legs stayed warm. Conditions and trails weren’t the same…last week there was snow on the ground and very little elevation change but in both cases, wind wasn’t a factor.

Unfortunately, what I gained in warmth was lost in freedom of movement. Three layers is too restrictive…four if you count underwear.

[Time Zone]

I suspect lots of elevation change makes a big difference (esp. on the "gain" side), but any differential in breathability of the material (tights vs pantyhose) might factor in as well.