View Full Version : Change of Underwear? (Well, thermals?)
StorminMormon
10-14-2010, 14:02
I'm going to be on the AT next month and I've purchased a set of capilene 2 (top and bottom) to wear on the trail. I'm going to wear some underarmour heat gear sport-boxers underneath and I'll have 3 pair for the hike.
However, I'm sure (even though it's going to be cold) that I'll be sweating on my capilene tops and bottoms, so I'm wondering if I should have a second pair to wear on day 2, try to rinse out pair 1 and if they dry (you know, sometimes things just don't work out the way you like) then I'll wear pair 1 again on Day 3.
Or should I just not worry about it? Just change my underwear each day and take one set of capilene and just wear it all three days?
Also, what should I wear in my sleeping bag? Should I get (depending on your answer above) a 2nd pair or a third pair and use those "just" for sleeping? I just don't want to go buy a bunch of capilene if I don't have to. I live in South Carolina and don't do a lot of Winter Hiking as it is...so I'm weighing my options.
Thanks in advance!
StorminMormon
10-14-2010, 14:04
... and I'll have 3 pair for the hike.
Sorry, just to clarify...three pair of underarmour boxers.
If you're there mostly to hike, then only bring one set of thermals or none at all. If you do bring them, wash them when you're sweating or not at all. Only bring two pairs of boxer briefs, one on you and one in the pack.
You don't need to wear anything in your sleeping bag. I can understand trying to keep it clean, but you could wash yourself before getting into the sleeping bag. I do need to sleep with underwear on though, so if you're the same you may want to get the second pair cleaned before reaching camp.
StorminMormon
10-14-2010, 14:55
I found some other posts on here and I'm seeing similar responses. I'll be honest though...a third pair of underwear seems like a small price to pay to keep "the family jewels" happy. I can understand toughing it out on the thermals and under most circumstances (since we are talking capilene, here)...they'll dry out after a quick rinse...but I think I'll carry an extra couple ounces of underwear and call it even. If nothing else, the third pair can just be my "sleeping" underwear.
Wear a kilt, they breathe well and you can wear your capilene under it if it's too cold. :)
LIhikers
10-15-2010, 15:25
I'm going to be on the AT next month and I've purchased a set of capilene 2 (top and bottom) to wear on the trail. I'm going to wear some underarmour heat gear sport-boxers underneath and I'll have 3 pair for the hike.
However, I'm sure (even though it's going to be cold) that I'll be sweating on my capilene tops and bottoms, so I'm wondering if I should have a second pair to wear on day 2, try to rinse out pair 1 and if they dry (you know, sometimes things just don't work out the way you like) then I'll wear pair 1 again on Day 3.
Or should I just not worry about it? Just change my underwear each day and take one set of capilene and just wear it all three days?
Also, what should I wear in my sleeping bag? Should I get (depending on your answer above) a 2nd pair or a third pair and use those "just" for sleeping? I just don't want to go buy a bunch of capilene if I don't have to. I live in South Carolina and don't do a lot of Winter Hiking as it is...so I'm weighing my options.
Thanks in advance!
For a 3 day hike I wouldn't bring any extra clothes to hike in, except a pair of socks.
For sleeping I always carry a set of "sleep clothes". A long sleeve tee shirt, a pair of very thin long underwear, and some socks, made of the same type of materials hiking clothes are made of, all carried together in a zip lock bag constitute my sleep clothes.
Then I'd have some wipes and clean clothes waiting for me to change into, in the car, at the end of the hike.
Everyone's tolerance to the cold is different. I'm heading out to Pennsylvania to do a section of the AT next week. I won't be bringing any thermals. I've found that nylon outer pants are nearly as warm as thermals and are much better tolerated in town ;). Not only that, but they're much, much more wind resistant than long underwear, which I appreciate when I have to get up in the middle of a windy night. Now I'm not saying that I don't use thermals (I've become fond of very thin merino woolies), I just don't use them while hiking unless the temperature is in the low teens or below.
Listen to LIhikers. right on.
Trailbender
10-18-2010, 12:02
I found some other posts on here and I'm seeing similar responses. I'll be honest though...a third pair of underwear seems like a small price to pay to keep "the family jewels" happy. I can understand toughing it out on the thermals and under most circumstances (since we are talking capilene, here)...they'll dry out after a quick rinse...but I think I'll carry an extra couple ounces of underwear and call it even. If nothing else, the third pair can just be my "sleeping" underwear.
You could do the most efficient thing and wear women's underwear, they weigh a half ounce at most, have the same wicking ability, and are softer and more comfortable than men's underwear. I used 3 pairs on my thru, and combined they were still lighter than one pair of men's underwear. Men's underwear to me are inefficient and obsolete.
fredmugs
10-18-2010, 13:33
I do not hike in my cold weather clothing as I tend to sweat a lot. I put it on before bed and then take it off in the morning. That way I only need one pair of thermal clothing.
Speakeasy TN
10-21-2010, 19:54
:eek:
You could do the most efficient thing and wear women's underwear, they weigh a half ounce at most, have the same wicking ability, and are softer and more comfortable than men's underwear. I used 3 pairs on my thru, and combined they were still lighter than one pair of men's underwear. Men's underwear to me are inefficient and obsolete.
Geez here's a visual I don't need dancing in my head, crammed into a shelter in a storm!!!!!
Trailbender
10-22-2010, 04:08
:eek:
Geez here's a visual I don't need dancing in my head, crammed into a shelter in a storm!!!!!
You gotta think outside of society's brainwashing, and pick gear that works, no matter what. I tented almost all the time on my thru anyways. I did get up to pee when I was in a shelter, and if anyone ever had an issue with it, I wouldn't have let their small mind bother me a bit.
IMO you won't be needing any thermals for your legs while hiking. I'm a wimp in the cold and don't need any until the low 20's, and even then I only use silk-weight. Anything more than that and I overheat.
For a 3 day hike i take two pairs of Under Armor boxer breifs and one set of Under Armour cold gear. I do not hike in long underwear as I get too hot. What works for me is is that once I get to camp i take off my wet hiking shirt and boxers then put on the cold gear and put my wet shirt and boxers over top of them then layer again with fleece pants and jacket. The cold gear keeps my skin dry and warm and the wet clothes dry really fast being sandwiched between the cold gear and my fleece.
TheYoungOne
10-27-2010, 16:19
You could do the most efficient thing and wear women's underwear, they weigh a half ounce at most, have the same wicking ability, and are softer and more comfortable than men's underwear. I used 3 pairs on my thru, and combined they were still lighter than one pair of men's underwear. Men's underwear to me are inefficient and obsolete.
You know if you go with women's thong underwear, you can save even more weight :D
TheYoungOne
10-27-2010, 16:32
I'm going to be on the AT next month and I've purchased a set of capilene 2 (top and bottom) to wear on the trail. I'm going to wear some underarmour heat gear sport-boxers underneath and I'll have 3 pair for the hike.
However, I'm sure (even though it's going to be cold) that I'll be sweating on my capilene tops and bottoms, so I'm wondering if I should have a second pair to wear on day 2, try to rinse out pair 1 and if they dry (you know, sometimes things just don't work out the way you like) then I'll wear pair 1 again on Day 3.
Or should I just not worry about it? Just change my underwear each day and take one set of capilene and just wear it all three days?
Also, what should I wear in my sleeping bag? Should I get (depending on your answer above) a 2nd pair or a third pair and use those "just" for sleeping? I just don't want to go buy a bunch of capilene if I don't have to. I live in South Carolina and don't do a lot of Winter Hiking as it is...so I'm weighing my options.
Thanks in advance!
Why not get a pair of Capilene 1 or some other lightweight base layer. This way you have something "different" and if you find that the #2 is too heavy and makes you sweat you can drop down to the #1 for the 2nd day of hiking. I would also bring either 3 pair of boxers, or do what I do, I bring 2 boxers, and one pair of cheap athletic/soccer shorts. This way you have something a little more comfy to sleep in and more modest to walk around camp with.
StorminMormon
10-27-2010, 19:07
Why not get a pair of Capilene 1 or some other lightweight base layer. This way you have something "different" and if you find that the #2 is too heavy and makes you sweat you can drop down to the #1 for the 2nd day of hiking. I would also bring either 3 pair of boxers, or do what I do, I bring 2 boxers, and one pair of cheap athletic/soccer shorts. This way you have something a little more comfy to sleep in and more modest to walk around camp with.
http://www.columbussupply.com/images/products/firetools/1000669black.jpg
I'm basically doing that. For my underwear, I wear the UnderArmour Heat Gear 9 inch boxers . And no, those aren't my abs. *sigh* These things breathe very well and are good at keeping you dry. Where they really steal the show is in preventing chaffing. I have yet to find a pair of underwear that do a better job at that!
I'm wearing capilene 1 and 2 on top, and capilene 2 on bottom (over the boxers). I have a pair of LLBean all nylon convertible hiking pants. If I get a little too hot in the capilene 2 bottom then I can unzip my pants at the knees, or just take the capilene off altogether. After wearing the capilene for a couple days (just around town) I'm finding that this stuff holds true to the "very low odor" claim. It's amazing - wool just doesn't stink after a day or two...and maybe even longer.
So, I have 3 pair of the boxers. I know that may be a bit much, but it makes me feel comfortable. As far the capilenes....I'm just taking one pair and they'll get worn each day.
Unless you are very cold natured I can't imagine you would have to hike in anything more than the boxers and you convertable pants.
StorminMormon
10-28-2010, 12:37
Well, I'll be hiking above 4000 feet during November, so I'm taking the capilene 2 bottoms just in case. I agree, I'll probably be fine - but I'm going prepared for just about anything.
Trailbender
10-28-2010, 15:25
You know if you go with women's thong underwear, you can save even more weight :D
Well, you can't take a dump in a thong, and also, it is too revealing where panties cover enough to still be modest.
I'm basically doing that. For my underwear, I wear the UnderArmour Heat Gear 9 inch boxers . And no, those aren't my abs. *sigh* These things breathe very well and are good at keeping you dry. Where they really steal the show is in preventing chaffing. I have yet to find a pair of underwear that do a better job at that!
I also wear 9 inch boxer briefs to prevent chafing. I just found out that Target carries a 9" inseam synthetic brief under the Champion C9 brand. It's only $9 versus the $20 for the Underarmour. I bought a pair, but sadly I'm still too fat for them to fit...maybe in another month. They do seem like they'll be good though. They feel lighter than the UA, so hopefully they breathe better. I do feel like the UA is rather hot.
Trailbender
11-01-2010, 23:01
I also wear 9 inch boxer briefs to prevent chafing. I just found out that Target carries a 9" inseam synthetic brief under the Champion C9 brand. It's only $9 versus the $20 for the Underarmour. I bought a pair, but sadly I'm still too fat for them to fit...maybe in another month. They do seem like they'll be good though. They feel lighter than the UA, so hopefully they breathe better. I do feel like the UA is rather hot.
Not gonna be lighter than panties, trust me. You also won't feel as sexy. Also, diaper rash ointment rocks for chafing, carried a tube my whole thru, works great as sunscreen as well, as long as it has zinc oxide in it.
Not gonna be lighter than panties, trust me. You also won't feel as sexy. Also, diaper rash ointment rocks for chafing, carried a tube my whole thru, works great as sunscreen as well, as long as it has zinc oxide in it.
I seriously doubt diaper rash ointment would work for chafing, but worth a shot since boxer briefs don't solve all chafing. Also, the ointment adds weight back. Isn't ointment for treating? Prevention is so much better. Anyway, being near 45% body fat sucks. I won't attempt to go without boxer briefs until I shed another 55 pounds. Being lean allows for more options, less weight and more comfort.
MedicineMan
11-02-2010, 05:51
Too much clothes....its a weakness Americans have at home and on the trail.
Last month I wore one pair of smartwool briefs 12 days in a row with no problems and no stink. Carried one pair of smartwool socks on my feet for 4 days, changed them out at day 5 and again at day 10...no extra socks in the pack. Wore the same BPL merino hoody daily too; during the coldest (to me) I slept in it too for 4 nights in a row. Some stink up more than others, but it wasn't like I was seeing many others on the trail or in the shelters, 2cd to third week of October gave a lot of solitude with the exceptions of the tourists on top of Bromley and Stratton where it was a zoo.
I did use the Mtn.Hardware kilt on this trip...before leaving home I hit it twice with the spray on silicone and it worked great with a packa and gaiters.
Trailbender
11-02-2010, 06:53
I seriously doubt diaper rash ointment would work for chafing, but worth a shot since boxer briefs don't solve all chafing. Also, the ointment adds weight back. Isn't ointment for treating? Prevention is so much better. Anyway, being near 45% body fat sucks. I won't attempt to go without boxer briefs until I shed another 55 pounds. Being lean allows for more options, less weight and more comfort.
I used it on my whole thru for chafing, it does work. It also works as sunscreen. Yeah, it adds weight, but I needed sunscreen anyways, and you won't sweat this off as easily.
StorminMormon
11-02-2010, 08:18
Too much clothes....its a weakness Americans have at home and on the trail.
I'll have to agree with that. I'm taking some extra clothes (not much, just a little extra) on my next hike. Obviously I'm doing this for comfort. I'm going to be hiking with my wife and so we are looking to have an enjoyable time and want to be comfortable.
Having said that, I will agree with you that we (especially Americans) are quite in love with our clothing. I'm learning more and more about how to make one set of clothing last a lot longer. It's even easier these days with all the wool we use in everything.
I sweat a lot...just naturally. I bought my first Capilene long-sleeve top a month ago and wore it all day. I couldn't believe how dry I was throughout the day. I can't wait to buy some capilene short sleeves when things warm back up again. That stuff is awesome!
StorminMormon
11-02-2010, 08:22
I seriously doubt diaper rash ointment would work for chafing, but worth a shot since boxer briefs don't solve all chafing. Also, the ointment adds weight back. Isn't ointment for treating? Prevention is so much better. Anyway, being near 45% body fat sucks. I won't attempt to go without boxer briefs until I shed another 55 pounds. Being lean allows for more options, less weight and more comfort.
Doubt not...because ye see not. Seriously, it works. You don't have to wait until you are chaffing, you can put it on before you hike! It just lowers the friction between your thighs and or "butt cheeks" (if that's where you chafe). If you wanted to, even just simple Vaseline or even neosporin from your first aid kit will work.
For me, boxer briefs do the trick - but if I'm having a particularly difficult time (for whatever reason) some Vaseline , or (as mentioned above) something with zinc oxide in it is magic! Love that stuff.
Underwear? I just wore hiking shorts with the built in liner and thermals if it was cold. Not once did I get a case of the rot.