Skivies

OK, Im new to long distance hiking. Read numerous, very informative posts about gear and such. But what do you guys use for underwear?? I know it sounds silly. I plan on doing a section hike of the PCT this year in Oregon. I've heard NO COTTON. Got the base and outer garments assembled, so what do you guys and gals use for skivies? Go commando or what?

Thanks,

Raggs

Sometimes spandex running shorts most times nothing.

I've got some cotton/poly blend briefs from Target that dry quickly--lik3e in an hour in the sun. I take two pair on my trips...and always find time to wash them with my socks...

I love Underarmour Boxers.

Not the super compression fit shorts they make... the boxers. They rock.

And they are easily washable, and they dry in like 30 minutes.

I'll often go on long motorcycle rides intersperced with hiking... Underarmour stuff lets me pack really light... one set of socks, one pair of boxers, one undershirt. Wash that stuff every night, and everything else on top of it, can go for days and days.

Cotton in summer is probably fine. I don't wear it for camping in winter, although that is what I normally wear. I have some synthetic briefs made by Jockey that work well for me.

I hike in shorts; have never liked long pants (in winter, I layer longjohns under the shorts.) I wear nylon shorts that have built-in nylon or polyester mesh briefs, which eliminates the need for separate underwear. For one or two nights, I just wear them without washing; for longer trips, I take a second pair of shorts.

Patagonia Baggies are my favorite. Others that work include REI's OXT shorts, and I've also used various "water sports" shorts (swimming suits.)

Patagonia capilene briefs - lightweight and quick drying, but a bit fragile, so I save them for longer trips. On short excursions, just about anything will do.

I'll give second thumbs up for these. I believe they call them Boxer Jocks. 9 days on the river in Grand Canyon, very wet conditions with extended day hikes. I soaked myself at every creek crossing and they dry out in between. Rinse them with some camp suds, good to go. I also used them in central Texas for my training hikes under very hot and muggy conditions. I have never once been chafed from them. The only problem is, besides the price, the white ones have a permanent Terracotta tint from the muddy Colorado River.

I wear the black ones.

And the price is really high. But I've had one pair for around 4 years now, of constant use, and they are as good to go as the day I bought them.

I think spun knitted dog fur are the driest and warmest, but you can more easily obtain Duofold winter briefs from campmor.

oh maybe you didn't mean winter? In dry summer conditions whatever you wear normally are probably ok but take two pair on a long hike. In damp conditions cotton is really bad as when you wear wicking long underwear, ALL of the sweat will be transported into your cotton skivvies and I have removed them with a pair of scissors on my knife.
Jim

Thanks for the replys. "Spun knitted dog fur". I'll allow there's just about everything concievable in this world, but thats a new one on me!

Raggs

Raggs
actually our past member Polarpark from Russia makes all of her families socks from fur of the family dog (true, I'm trying to get a pair from her in trade), why did you think they keep sled dogs anyway?
Jim

Hysson (see my avatar) will be glad to furnish the dog hair for anyone who wants to spin it!

Does anyone want to discuss ladies' briefs, or should we start a special ladies-only thread?

As windy as it is here In Portland today, I'd think Hysson would want to keep all the hair he's got! Scrapped my Angels Rest jaunt today cause of it.

Mouse said
"Does anyone want to get into ladies' briefs,"
_____________________________________

is that an acceptible thread for a family oriented forum?

but sure why not, some of us wear kilts...
Jim

I make it a point to always try and get into ladies underwear whenever possible

BF

OOPS, VERY poor word choice. Let's say do any ladies want to discuss ladies' briefs?

That i've gotta' see...JimShaw in FURR PANTIES

Maybe not........

BF

raggs, this is hair that Hysson has already shed. Big gobs of it come off him every day, year around!

Ya know, Jim did come up with a viable option for all that dog hair. I never would have thought, except for fire starter(think lint). I did a search on it, pretty impressive and $.

But if the Ladies wanna chime in on their preference for said hiking undergarments, post it. We all learn from experiance.

Thanks again,

Raggs

So Bigfoot,
I suppose you were in Portland today to ride the bus on no pants day? My wife says "Hey we're from San Francisco how come we never heard of it?"
We don't have buses here in Sisters Oregon. Darn - I guess I could have walked down to the doughnut shop in my leopard skin thong huh? with the matching leopard skin tank top - Me Tarzan - Maybe central Oregon isn't ready for that yet...
Jim

Nor is most of anywhere else!?
Another image we'll never get out of our minds...

I hike in cotton skivies, but only in hot weather and did you notice I said HIKE, NOT SLEEP.

There are few things more miserable than trying to sleep in wet, cold, damp cotton skivies. I think that is how the sleep naked myth got started.

There is one member of this forum that tries to convince his female companions that they should sleep wearing only a coonskin hat.

Kaya (see my avatar ) also has plenty of undercoat that she will happily donate to anyone with a spinning wheel. Come spring, when she blows her entire winter coat, she will have more than enough for the whole family to have socks or skivies.

To answer the OP, I wear nylon mesh underwear. Dries very fast (less than 10 minutes).

I'm already in ladies' briefs. Bwah!

In short: gals and guys have different equipment, and therefore different needs.

Some gals cannot live without cotton. Some gals have ongoing issues of an infectious nature that have some... icky... consequences. So they wear cotton, or synthetic with cotton crotch, undies.

There were endless arguments in a women's forum elsewhere that a couple of guys started and kept going on this subject, insisting that this wasn't true, that gals should be able to wear wool, or this or that synthetic, without a problem. But the reality remains - gals wear cotton for specific reasons, some gals can wear other stuff without issues, and it's totally personal preference. Seriously - there really is nothing wrong with a pair of cotton panties in any season as long as you keep them dry and tend to proper hygiene.

On longer outings I've used ex officio synthetics with a cotton panel. Most short trips I don't bother and just take cotton bikinis. Somehow I've managed to have sufficient base layer/mid layer/outer layers to keep my body comfortably warm despite having (gasp!) cotton underneath.

Underwear is just a little more important for anyone with lady bits. Can be a health issue. I have yet to run into anyone of a female nature who's comfortable going commando.

Really? I love commando, though it does take a bit of getting used to.

MNS

Just because I haven't met you yet doesn't mean you don't exist.

LOL... I'm just surprised you hadn't run into anyone else of the female persuasion who admits to commando.

MNS

Another vote for shorts that have mesh liners. Dive in the lake for a swim and you wash your shorts at the same time. Plus the mesh liner is cooler than any underwear I've tried.

Having brought up the subject of ladies' undergarments: I definitely can't do commando. I suspect that most women can't. I have tried all-cotton, nylon with cotton crotch (forget that, especially in hot weather) and the very pricey but very comfortable Ex-Officio briefs, made of synthetic fabric but in well-ventilated mesh. I now use the latter exclusively because they are the most comfortable and best-ventilated, especially in hot weather. I unfortunately am subject to the ailment euphemistically known in TV commercials as "overactive bladder" so need to wear pads. There are actually a couple of good things about that--first, it eliminates the need to carry anything in the first-aid kit as compresses for severe bleeding (in fact, my mountaineering first-aid course instructor recommended sanitary pads for this purpose). Second, I don't need to take a change of undergarments. The bad thing is having to get up several times at night. I've discovered that I'm actually better off not to restrict fluids at bedtime--restricting fluids makes the ailment worse. And no, I won't take the highly-advertised medication--one of its side effects is possible dehydration during prolonged exercise.

I have read that both NOLS and the BPL lightweight backpacking courses recommend cotton briefs for women and taking at least two pair.

I take one pair of Cool-max briefs. I wash them every night- do not need them for sleeping. Briefs are not essential and for those few occasions when I cannot dry the washed pair, I just do without. Cool-max works really well for me - quick drying, breathable and light too.

OM - I too have to get up at night as much as three times! This is what we get as a result of old age and birthing babies. It really is not bad - gives me a chance to look at the stars.

When it was bad was during my early October trip. For some reason being too cold (I didn't have enough insulation under me) made the bladder thing much worse. I would just begin to warm up when I had to go outside again. It was well after midnight before I got to sleep! The moon and stars were really beautiful but it was hard to appreciate them at 18* and with no sleep! Interestingly, I didn't start shivering again until I got back in bed (and then only on the ground side).

I use running shorts and cut out the liners. I just keep myself clean.
I rinse the shorts out at least every other day. The extra air flow
keeps away chaffing. I do have to be aware when I sitting in public.

[/quote]
The only problem is, besides the price, the white ones have a permanent Terracotta tint from the muddy Colorado River. [/quote]

Or is that "tint" from something else that is causing the Colorado river to get so "muddy"?

I'm just sayin' that it might be time to change your underwear and I'm also guessing that the only place those underwear need "to go" is in the trash.

I recently got into an eco-friendly kick, so I'm phasing out manmade materials where I can. It's probably silk boxers for me.

A third vote for the underarmour briefs. I have a white and a black pair, and they have both been in operation for 4+ years. Used both for athletics and hiking.

I never liked the netted shorts though. I guess they take some getting used to.

I like boxer briefs, 1 pair for a 2 week hike.Wear for a week and turn inside out for the second week!lol!!