How do I avoid chafing?

[John Fry]

I struggled with chafing in a big way, had it ruin more then one hike till I found the answer, skin tight spandex shorts
I wear both the UA brand, and the Walmart brand, the UA are more comfortable, and quite effective at eliminating odor; I wore them on a 3day/2night trip last spring as my only "unders" and not only did I not chafe, for the first time ever, they were as comfortable when I got home as when I put them on, and most surprisingly, they did not smell! (yes I smelled them to check) The walmart brand ones, they smell after a day of paintball, so I would not rely on them for back-country use.
(I got this kind, not from here though, http://www.citysports.com/citysports/product.asp?prod_name=Under+Armour+Men%27s+UA%AE+Boxer+Jock&pf_id=115867&dept_id=8426&s_id=0&dl_id=84&%22)

These have made such a tremendous difference in my hiking comfort, I now have 4 friends who "converted" and all agree, never go back to anything else for hiking!

[Matt Holmes]

As the above poster said- Under Armour.
This is by far the best stuff out there.
I remember in the Army doing tons of long road marches and when I got sweaty is when the chaffing started. Plus the boxers can start to bunch up at the bottom.
The UA are form fitting and after switching they kept me from chaffing.
Most shorts with liners do a pretty good job to, but typically I wouldn't wear running shorts on a hike. Too flimsy.

Go with the Under Armour and you will be more than happy.

[Steven Hanlon]

i wear boxer briefs with some bodyglide in the upper groin region. i used to wear REI branded boxer briefs, but they just don't hold up well. i have switched to ExOfficio and they perform much better. i don't have that "swamp" feeling on a hot day i did with the REI brand.

the bodyglide helps to keep things moving but does take some getting used to. i used to come home chaffed and raw in hot weather, now i'm just sore from big miles ;)

[Matthew Perry]

I hike in my kilt year-round and have found Body Glide and the Band Aid brand anti-chaff sticks work best. The trick is to stay clean…and of course, wear a kilt to "air out". If you wear a kilt, make sure you wear it REGIMENTAL!

BF

[Nick Gatel]

Usually not a problem I have, except in very hot conditions with a lot of sweating. For this situation I use the Ex Officio long briefs.

I have never needed to use the 'glides' or other treatments.

If you can provide ventilation to the area, then you will probably be okay. A doctor once told me that it is caused by lots of moisture and is a form of fungus.

[Scott Ireland]

I'll add my support for the Ex Officio boxer briefs as well – plus, generally start my day with some "Anti Monkey Butt Powder"…basically a talcum powder with calamine lotion mixed in with it.

[Patricia Combee]

Since we are doing the TMI thing, I figure, what the heck. I am female and wear mens briefs to backpack in. The leg seams are way less likely to chaff. I carry Sportslick just in case I start to feel chaffing; It seems to fix the problem.
Sexy it ain't, but it is all about comfort.

[Roger Caffin]

The chafing is usually due to bacterial growth. I find that a quick wash each night prevents it from happening – for months on end. Better than playing with chemicals.

I like the ExOfficio Sports briefs too.

Cheers

[drowning in spam]

So we pretty much agree that chafing is aided by? :
– losing weight
– boxer briefs or running/cycling tights
– Bodyglide or something slippery that's more persistent that vaseline

I don't agree with the bacterial growth. That's something else. It can certainly be an issue after you suffer from chafing, but in my case, chafing is certainly due to friction from being a fatty with thighs that rub.

I got bad chafing last week. I'm going to try the 2nd and 3rd while waiting for the first option to be effective, which is still probably a few weeks away. This sure wasn't a problem back when I was 138 lbs like Roger!

[John S.]

Chafing is due to friction.

Secondary bacterial infection (or other infection) could occur with chafing if the skin is broken.

[Roy Staggs]

I vote for ExOfficio Give-N-Go boxer briefs. Due to where I often work, I have about 20 pair of cotton boxer briefs and because of the amount of walking I do during a 12 hour shift, I am forced to use Bodyglide to keep my fat thighs from setting my pants on fire. I also have about 20 pair of synthetic boxer briefs from Wal Mart that I wear most of the time. They do an ok job of keeping things apart and non chafing unless I am really humping it then they don’t keep things cool enough. I have one pair of Under Armor boxer briefs and while they do an ok job of keeping the rubbing down, I don’t think they do as good a job as the Wal Mart boxers in wicking away moisture. That one pair was all I was willing to invest in. I just ordered 2 more pair of the Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs because I found them on sale. They are not inexpensive but they are the best in my humble opinion. By the way, I spent three weeks in India on two pair and could have done it with one pair. They do dry quick.

[drowning in spam]

Hopefully those Under Armor briefs work well enough for me because I just got back from picking up a pair, along with a big stick of Bodyglide.

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