The “reviews” forum seems to be closed, so posting a gear review here.
For years I’ve worn Patagonia underwear for hiking, since it’s lightweight and quick drying. But it does tend to retain odor and can get rather nasty on a long hike, like most synthetics. The elastic in the waistband also tends to loosen over time, making it slip down in the back under my pack waist strap (that is so annoying!). So I’ve been looking for wool underwear for a while. I’ve tried a few different brands – Smartwool, a few others, and haven’t found any that are comfortable, long lasting, quick drying and have odor control. They will meet one standard, but not the others.
Last year I purchased a pair of women’s merino boyshorts from Ridge Merino, and they met all of my requirements. I’ve been super impressed with the comfort – not itchy, no binding or riding up in the legs, just the right amount of stretch in the nicely flat waistband, and quick drying. Mostly I don’t notice them at all, which is what you really want from underwear. After a while of wearing these (all my hiking this summer), I then purchased a lightweight hoody, and most recently a bra, plus more boyshorts. Obviously, I’m impressed by their products. The hoody is great for 50-60 degree hiking weather, when you need just a bit more than a Tshirt but not much. It is super light weight to carry. I haven’t worn the bra much yet. It doesn’t provide a lot of support, so if you need that, it wouldn’t work for you. When I’m hiking I don’t generally care so just a light layer is good. I haven’t worn it enough to give a thorough review of the bra. I am usually between size 12-14 and purchased size L in both bra and underwear.
I wear a lot of wool, although I won’t wear wool that is super itchy, so I am particular about the wool clothing I choose. I really like the boyshorts, and will wear them for all of my hiking from now on. I should also point out that I rarely hike in temperatures above 80, so I can’t say if these would be too hot in those conditions (I suspect so).
