The Other Fly –The Ridiculous One in your Baselayer

[AJ Groff]

+1 on the Paradox brand at Costco. Although they don't have much wool, they have no fly, and seem to have held well for me the last couple years.

[Link .]

I prefer mine without the fly :)

[scree ride]

and a good bath. No more flies.

[Mobile Calculator]

…

[Delmar O’Donnell]

A truly informative and entertaining thread.

I'd like to nominate Doug I. as poet laureate of BPL, do I hear a second?

[VA S]

Ok, lady chiming in. For MOST of my outdoors clothes I buy men's stuff – bought a men's 800 fp hoodie just last night – and always have. I am 5'11" with broad shoulders and most men's stuff just fits better… BUT I HATE MEN'S base layers! I tried a pair of my ex's once in a cold situation…while I did wear them – hate to be cold – I hated the extra material and SPACE, lol. I think you should just buy a few pair of women's long underwear and give it a shot. I ADORE my Pat. Cap4 baselayers….warm, stretchy and low-rise.

Good luck!

[Delmar O’Donnell]

That brings up a good point.

Why do I want all the waistlines lining up at exactly the same point, anyway? Why not allow the baselayer to be low-rise?

[spelt with a t]

Because depending on the size/shape of your butt, low rise could mean "slips down and requires constant hiking up." Something to consider.

[VA S]

I agree that having all my waist bands lined up – or worse – my base layer waist ABOVE my pants waist, is not a good thing. Yeah, you don't want toooo low, but low enough to not have 'bunching'. For me, that means I wouldn't buy base layers in the 'Junior' or 'teen' area of a store….not that they sell them(?)But I think any reputable brand will consider that most of us don't have quite the girlish figure we used too, lol. )Even being pretty tall the average low-rise base layer is not all that low…) But, again, when I read the reviews on say, Sierra Trading I avoid anything that says it rides high.

[Buck Nelson]

On most of my baselayers I immediately sew up the fly, but am still left with an unnecessary wad of triple layer fabric in the front.

I just looked at several sets of long underwear bottoms. All the flies were two layer. Do you really have triple layer flies?

If you feel the fly is unnecessary, that's totally your call. But why do you want to sew up the fly? Is maybe four square inches of doubled insulation (in likely the best place to have doubled insulation) really a significant problem, or just one of things that peeve a person?

[Anonymous]

"Do other guys really use these?"

Oh yeah, a lot.

"What's wrong with just pulling down your pants? That's more reasonable than asking your unit to take two or three reverse bends!"

In the winter in sub freezing weather, with a 30 mph wind? Try it once and then ask the unit. After it thaws out. I'll bet it would volunteer to do a half dozen reverse bends before it went out in that kind of cold again.

[Anonymous]

"I've often added a layer in the fly area and I know many other men who do as well."

I used to use a pair of briefs with a GoreTex patch sewn into the crotch by the manufacturer. Worked like a charm, and it had a fly.

[Nick Gatel]

"Hey Doug, put a sock in it! (so to speak)"

Caution some folks may find this link offensive, but the sock has met the local tests for civility.

The Sock

:)

[Jerry Adams]

Don't google "codpiece"

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Gee, Buck, you sound so incredulous! You’re not practicing to be an attorney, are you? To answer a few of your questions:

> Do you really have triple layer flies?

Uh…yeah. You’re forgetting the turned over hem, aren’t you? On the piece I’m examining right now, in some places the fly is FIVE layers thick, where a turned hem crosses under a seam. Makes for a bunched wad of fabric in all the wrong areas, if you ask me.

> But why do you want to sew up the fly?

You’ve never gotten yours unintentionally hung up in the fly mechanism? Maybe we’re anatomically different, but this happens to me a fair amount. Even though I don't use the fly, it is a lurking trap door. You fly-boys are aware that lots of mens briefs are made withOUT the trap door these days? Might even say it's something of a trend.

> …really a significant problem, or just one of things that peeve a person?

How do I answer that? You say poe-tay-toe, I say puh-tat-oah, It’s irritating enough I am looking for alternatives. Satisfactory?

You cold weather guys have given me a different perspective on the fly, though. I seldom carry my unit into really cold weather (being a desert dweller myself) and I can see that manifold layers of insulation, and a tiny trap door for access, and maybe even a gore-tex vestibule, might actually come in handy in sub-freezing weather. So, point taken, metaphorically speaking.

Since this thread got so much attention, I did a bit of research and found another hilarious thread, where 228 people voted on whether they use the fly for urination (including apparently 32 women who voted). In the longstanding tradition of open-mindedness and a profound respect of diversity, the thread is primarily devoted to abusing and mocking people who pee differently than themselves:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=631563

Let’s just say that the fly has been manfully defended in this thread. You like ‘em, I don’t, and I guess I’ll be buying women’s underwear. Now if I can just keep ‘em away from the wife.

PS: Thanks to all who submitted flyless alternatives, I'll be checking those out.

[spelt with a t]

I saw a knitting pattern for that kind of sock before. Wish I would have saved it.

[Nick Gatel]

Well Delmar,

I have to admit that this thread is much more entertaining and fun than 99.99% of the gear threads.

[spelt with a t]

That thread is hilarious, oh my.

[Gerald L]

I first joined BPL for the great advice and experience of the community (and of course the gear deals) but am now quite alarmed. First it was the JMT pencil dilema and now the 'fly' or 'no fly' debacle. I am so confused! I'm thinking of just selling all my gear and buying a motorhome. Or do you think a lighter weight tent tailer would be a better option? : /

[Nick Gatel]

It's all good. Don't limit yourself.

[Justin Baker]

I've never used a fly before. Only inadvertently while wearing pajamas.

[Anonymous]

"Or do you think a lighter weight tent tailer would be a better option? : /"

As long as it has a fly. ;o)

[Ed Biermann]

Delmar. Boxers or briefs?

Mature men in tighty whities gives me nightmares

[Anonymous]

The women of BPL must be shaking their heads and rolling their eyes at us… thinking to themselves, "tsk tsk, do they ever think about anything other than their 'precious' packages???"

[John Hillyer]

I would never use baselayer pants with a fly. I never use a fly and want to be able to wear the baselayer as an outerlayer if conditions warrant and wouldn't ever do that if it had a fly.

[Author]

Posts