Is any wool underwear as cool as a mesh synthetic (Exofficial Give and Go)

[Phong D]

I am thinking of giving wool a try for the antimicrobial properties.  If they are anything like wool socks I would expect it to stay cleaner than normal underwear.  I have never bought them because I hike in deserts alot…sometimes 90 degrees.  Can anyone compare them to something like an Exofficial Give and Go synthetic mesh underwear?

Thanks!

[Mark Verber]

I have been pretty pleased with icebreaker antatomica 150gsm briefs. I get around 600 days of wear before they need to be replaced.  my give and go lasted a lot longer.

[Phong D]

Hey Mark, how do they compare in terms of getting hot with the mesh give and gos?

Could you see yourself hiking in warm weather with them?

 

Thanks.

[JCH]

I tried the smartwool and icebreaker boxer briefs and was very unimpressed.  Too hot, dried slowly and showed signs of wear almost immediately.

I was a ExOfficio Give-n-Go fanatic until they changed the material and waistband.  Still have 12 pair that are going strong, and I hate to think about having to retire them someday.

These are not of the quality of the old GnG, but I like the 32 Degree boxer Briefs. They are close enough and much much cheaper, not to mention better IMO than the current GnG.

[Mark Verber]

When it’s 95F and I am pour sweat, nothing is particularly good.  I found the antatomica acceptable, but not as good as the GnG… but it’s fractional difference, not a factor of 2.  When I don’t need protect from abrasions the best option for me are Xoskin Compression Shorts with nothing over them.  Keep chafing at bay and is fairly air permeable

As to the anti-microbial… I noticed the merino being a bit better that synthetic when I wore the same pair multiple days in a row… but I stopped doing that. I wash them each night, squeeze out water with my towel, and then hang.  When above freezing, they have reliably dried overnight

 

[Phong D]

Huh okay.  I might stick with the GnG’s.  But it doesn’t say anywhere that it has any antimicrobial treatments.  Curious if anyone knows any synthetic underwears that do?

EDIT:

So the 32 degrees ones mentioned above say the do have anti microbial treatments.  I found this at costco for an even better deal.  You have to be careful with costco though, sometimes its not the exactly the same.  This one is labeled differently but I think it might be the same, based on properties, materials, and the 32 degree site only listing one kind of mesh underware.

https://www.costco.com/32-degrees-mens-comfort-mesh-boxer-brief-6-pack.product.4000259465.html

 

[JCH]

@Phong D – Certainly not conclusive, but the photo(s) of the black pair on the costco site are the exact same as the photo of the black pair on Amazon.  That 6-pack at Costco is about the same cost as 1 pair of the GnG.  Worst case is you have 6 new pair of everyday shorts :)

I can vouch for the effectiveness of the 32 degree treatment…I have worn the same pair for 4 days on winter temperature trips (not by choice) with no issues at all.  Not sure that anything would hold off the stank during a hot sweaty trip.

Begin brand eulogy: ExOfficio decided some time ago to stop making everything except underwear.  About that time they changed the GnG significantly…new material, new waistband, no anti-microbial treatment. IOW they downgraded everything about the product while simultaneously increasing the price to $30/pair.  The ExOfficio that I knew and loved is gone.

[Phong D]

I know what you mean about ExOfficio!  The shirt I used on the PCT and other hike for years was the ExOfficio Air Strip.  It had great venting and even didn’t look bad.  Years ago I tried to find it again and couldn’t.  Their site was replaced by only underwear!

[Zero Flight]

I used to love ExOfficio undies but they changed something in the magic formula several years ago and I haven’t had good luck with them since.

For sweltering temps, I’ve really enjoyed Duluth Armachillo.   They’re a synthetic that really does feel cool (even if they’re not actually), almost a satin-y feeling but doesn’t stick like that and doesn’t rub the wrong way, they dry very fast, and are pretty light weight-wise.

For anything but sweltering, my go-to is Saxx Quest 2.0.  They’re a bit more substantial than the Duluth in every way so stand up to a lot of abuse, but still synthetic and dry quickly when I do a little washing up.

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