A different chafing question

[Karl Keating]

I read the earlier thread about chafing. My problem isn't covered there. I may need some help from people who know fabrics.

Usually I wear Ex Officio shorts or pants and have never had a problem with chafing. (Usually I hike in the Sierra Nevada, where humidity is not an issue.)

Recently I got a pair of Rail Riders' Backcountry Khakis. Wearing them on a cool-weather hike in Death Valley, I had chafing. I think it's the way the seam is sewn, or it simply may be the kind of material.

I could use something like Sportslick to overcome this problem, but, since it's a problem only with these pants, I'd like to do something to the pants themselves to make them (or at least the material that forms the seam) less irritating.

Any suggestions?

[Ryan Gardner]

Hey Karl,

When I first got my RR Eco-Mesh shirt, the fabric felt so scratchy on me that I almost returned it. I thought it would result in chafing. I kept it and have since either gotten used to the fabric, or the fabric softened up – I don't know which.

If the chafing is caused by a seam, it's obviously a bad design and not the fabric. I recently got the Eco-Mesh pants and fell in love instantly. They are geared more towards warm weather pursuits, but try a pair on if you get a chance. The thing that impressed me was the feeling like there weren't any seams at all. It was like wearing silk! They are very thin but amazingly tough – their maiden voyage was through 9 hours of slot canyon in Southern Utah getting scraped against sandstone walls. They didn't show any signs of wear despite the solid abuse. And when RailRiders says "quick-dry fabric", boy do they mean it!

So… I guess my suggestion is throw the pants in the wash a couple times or just take them on a few more hikes and see what happens. If they still don't work for you, it would be a good chance to see what RR's customer service is like.

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