butt cream?

Duct tape.

(kidding)

Desitin diaper creme or straight zinc oxide prior to hiking/running. I use both a lot (usually Desitin) for any running over 3 hours…yeah, the ugly side of long distance….

Works great! (Just make sure you wax beforehand)

Body Glide works. Or what Craig mentioned. Or go to a bike shop, they'll have a wide assortment.

I use this stuff on my long bike rides. Has worked well for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Chamois-BUTTr/dp/B004H4V6GC

Eric

I prefer the Bodyglide over the bike shop creams because Bodyglide is packaged like deodorant so you don't have to put your hand in your crack while backpacking.

Ick.

I have started to have chaffing issues, especially now I have taken up weightlifting and an getting bigger and stronger (including a bigger butt!). On a recent 3 day trip of the Scottish Highlands, I ended up really suffering with a sore bottom. In the end I applied a liberal amount of Vaseline which seemed to really help, and I was pain free for the rest of the trip. I also used the vaseline on my feet which helped reduce blisters despite sodden feet for the whole trip.

The thing my mom and now I have used my whole life is Bag Balm. It was originally used for cow udders but works just as great on the human bottom. It comes in a green tin and is a Vaseline based product, but other than that don't ask me what's in it. The website says it comes in various sizes including a 1oz tin but I just buy it in the 10oz version and repackage it.

I use Chamois Buttr also. Works great. Another reason I like it is that it can be bought in individual packets which are about the size of a a ketchup packet. I take one packet which is plenty for a several day trip.

LOL! but who gets to rip it off???? OMG.

Interesting, but searching around about similar topic here, it was suggested to use leukotape on the rash area because of the zinc oxide. That has to hurt when taken off. I think that's a bit too..too…well just that. I don't have a rash, just chafed and want to prevent/heal at the same time. It would be helpful if the product had multiple uses, too. (I think I just set myself up..)

Boudreaux's butt paste.

seriously, try it. Its legendary in certain parts of the country. Used on all my kids, clears horrible diaper rash overnight where nothing else worked.

Anything with zinc oxide can also be used for sun protection. It isn't pretty (lifeguard nose), but it works).

try underarmor heat gear compresion shorts as your base layer

Desitin, Bag Balm, or Chamois Butter, in that order. Diaper rash solutions are really good! Bag Balm is also excellent – and Chamois Butter is a standard of the cycling community.

Supplementary: something like cortisone can help initially to reduce the inflammation, and watch out for fungus setting in to the irritated skin.

Lots of good info.

@Richard: Good idea about starting with a base layer to keep me dry. I hadn't heard of using a compression short for women, so I looked at UA website and may try to find something locally who sells them just to look and see if they would fit.

The Bag balm seems good as well. I will try some of these products. I sweat so much now when I hike, even in the winter. Hot flashes are part of the problem, although those are not as often anymore. I know, TMI, but there are women who hike and read this forum and could be shy. : )

My neighbor suggested Balneol cream, too.

Sport Slick.

If you go the diaper rash way do NOT use Desitin! That stuff smells soooo bad. Even after 14 years I cannot stand the smell of it. Makes me gag instantly.

What I use on the baby – and what works great for bike rides – is Avenos diaper ointment or http://www.aquaphorhealing.com/ which you can find in the baby section of any store. The Aquaphor stuff is clear and comes in tiny tubes as well (Target has them, they come in 3 packs). It can be used even on feet for cracks, dry hands, etc. No real smell either. I use it on Walker's feet and also my husband's feet!

http://www.antimonkeybutt.com/ This powder is marketed as both an sweat absorber and friction fighter. I find it works better for me than body glide or bag balm when I'm sweating a lot. Enough for several days use hardly weighs more than a few grams, it is (relatively) easy to apply, and does not leave difficult residues on your garments. There are formulations for both men and women, with slightly different ingredients. I have found that outdoors stores that cater to hunters often have this stuff. The powder really helps to reduce discomfort, and I believe it promotes healing. I used bag balm for a long time before discovering this powder. I might still occasionally use the balm, but, if I only take one thing on a walk, it is going to be anti monkey butt.
Jim

Zinc oxide is one of my most useful pieces of kit:
butt rash
lip balm
sun screen
fire starter
dry skin
poison ivy remover and treatment
helps heal many skin conditions
and many more

Funny you should mention Boudreaux's butt paste. Two weekend I was on a group backpacking trip to the Forks of the Kern and one of the fellows who came along told us his nickname was Boudreaux given to him by his Dad as a testament to the effectiveness of this cream at curing diaper rash.

where's the kilt guys? :)

I pack a small container of Hydropel for my feet, but found it's also effective for chafing

+1

"Desitin diaper creme or straight zinc oxide prior to hiking/running."

Watch out for Bag Balm or other pertoleum based products. I am a cyclist and they work, but also stain your clothes.

The individual butt butter packets should work great.

expensive and probably overly so, but http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-C31863-Hydropel-Sports-Ointment/dp/B001FU5CEI (hydropel) is awesome for this. I use it to keep my feet from blistering up on wet hikes, but it also works for this purpose =)

Seriously..where are the kilt guys?
Thanks for the heads up on the Desitin and petro-based products. Although Body Glide and Hydropel must have some in them but I have used the Body Glide on my feet and never did anything to my socks. It will all be another experiment. : ) But I think Richard's idea from the start will be the first layer of protection and then some other product for more protection.