Tricks for chafing...

[mdionne]

of the nuts?

[Blue Jay]

1) Stay as clean as possible in the areas that chafe. I use a collapsible (sp??) bucket, well away from water source.
2) Some type of lubricant like Body Glide.
3) When it rains wear a skirt (kilt if you are not macho enough to wear a skirt). You do not need a wet diaper of material between your legs.

[the goat]

A+D Ointment (the medicated kind)

lubes and heals at the same time.

[MedicineMan]

i carry a small film canister with cotton balls soaked in alcohol, at night before sleep i'll wash the crotch and pits wiht a cotton ball.....in the morning i use gold bond powder and reapply maybe after lunch....this prevents for me.

[Earl Grey]

You get used to it after a while and your body adjusts.

[Just a Hiker]

Try Bag Balm....it's used for cows udders. It's great stuff for chafing.

[Tinker]

Unscented baby wipes and Body Glide - no undies, loose shorts.

[Tinker]

Oh, yeah, loose shorts with fairly long legs.

[dirtnap]

sidestep to avoid chafing.

[gibsygoldtop]

i swear by body glide

[mrc237]

I use Witch Hazel at night and corn starch for day time. Cheapest dryest way to avoid/treat problem. Look at any powder the active ing. is corn starch. BTW anyone know where and how corn starch is produced?

[bigcranky]

NO COTTON UNDERWEAR. That's the most important thing.

I like to wear tight fitting shorts. Golite makes two shorts that work, one Compression short and one looser, but still fairly close-fitting. (Stride shorts and Terrain shorts.) The idea is that the nylon rubs against itself, rather than having your skin rub. These shorts have mesh liners, so I don't need to wear or carry underwear, and they weigh about 4 oz.

For me, loose fitting shorts just make the problem worse. I can't imagine wearing a kilt, but I know that some hikers are happy with them.

[Skidsteer]

I use Witch Hazel at night and corn starch for day time. Cheapest dryest way to avoid/treat problem. Look at any powder the active ing. is corn starch. BTW anyone know where and how corn starch is produced?

Byproduct of making whiskey?

[FHThiker]

NO COTTON UNDERWEAR. That's the most important thing.

I like to wear tight fitting shorts. Golite makes two shorts that work, one Compression short and one looser, but still fairly close-fitting. (Stride shorts and Terrain shorts.) The idea is that the nylon rubs against itself, rather than having your skin rub. These shorts have mesh liners, so I don't need to wear or carry underwear, and they weigh about 4 oz.

For me, loose fitting shorts just make the problem worse. I can't imagine wearing a kilt, but I know that some hikers are happy with them.

x2...I also carry a small container of baby powder...works like a champ for me. Oh, and I own a kilt, but it's the wool (expensive!) type...much too heavy & nice for hiking, but I'd hike in one if I could find a microfiber kilt

[peter_pan]

Baby powder works fine.

Pan

[highway]

stretch boxers, shorter version of the stretch shorts cyclists use, made of something like lycra and poly. Wearing them while walking you now rub slick material against slick material instead of sweaty thigh against sweaty thigh. Get them in black. Get them from Asics, which is what I use, because they are so light, or anymajor company selling running shoes, etc, or good clothing items. Ex Oficio makes one but it is heavier and the legs are longer, which means they may stick out beyond your hiking shorts..

This way you forget having to lug around the oils, balms, creams, body glide, etc., to deal with the affliction after you get it. With these runner's tight boxers you eliminate the chaffing before it can develop. It sure works for me. And I sure hate the chaffing of those nether regions. I almost stops most forward motion. But to cure it once you have it...wash well, apply zinc oxide ointment and it is gone next day

[Kerosene]

Body Glide works well to prevent chafing, although I'm looking into Hydropel.

[highway]

my only objection to something like an oilish bodyglide on a long distance hike (or even a short one) is that if you apply it each morning to your upper thighs before hiking, it would seem to become a very unsanitary place after a number of days hiking and applying it without having the opportunity of washing it off. It must even accumulate upon ones cloths in that area as well and has to begin breeding the 'nastys' until it all can be washed. I think body glide must have been designed for the runner who could come home and shower and put on clean clothes each night, a luxury the long distance hiker may not always have. It does burn if you do put it on after your chafing develops, though. For me anyway and I use it, but not while hiking, for the above reasons. But those are just my thighs...someone else's might be different!

[Old Grouse]

Oh, yeah, loose shorts with fairly long legs.

Tinker, are you bragging?

[Kerosene]

my only objection to something like an oilish bodyglide on a long distance hike (or even a short one) is that if you apply it each morning to your upper thighs before hiking, it would seem to become a very unsanitary place after a number of days hiking and applying it without having the opportunity of washing it off. It must even accumulate upon ones cloths in that area as well and has to begin breeding the 'nastys' until it all can be washed.

Hmmm, I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary, on my clothes or skin, after using Body Glide periodically for 5 days.