Overview: Men’s Hiking Underwear & Shorts
Underwear acts as a moisture (sweat) transfer layer to keep you reasonably dry “down there”. This guide highlights some important considerations about materials, design, fit, weight, and performance criteria when selecting a pair of hiking underwear (or shorts).
The most popular underwear material is polyester, sometimes with a little Spandex (Lycra) mixed in for a stretchy fit. Merino wool is a great choice that minimizes odor when worn for several days in a row, but isn’t as durable as synthetics. Some people go commando (no underwear), which can be a bit uncomfortable if you wear abrasive nylon trekking pants, and on hot days, can result in sweat accumulation that can cause inner thigh chafing. Others replace underwear with a typical running short that has a liner brief in it. If you suffer from inner thigh chafing (or have never hiked long distances in warm weather), consider selecting a tight-fitting “running short” – they fit like tights but are short, with inseams ranging from 6 to 11 inches.
Weight Targets
The lightest polyester briefs will weigh in the range of 1-2 oz. Merino wool and Spandex blend boxer-briefs with longer (6″+) inseams can be less than 4 oz if the fabrics are thin.
How to Save Weight
- Quantity: Bring just one pair of underwear/shorts (men), or one set of bra / shorts for women (menstruating women should bring a 2nd set of underwear / shorts). Every few days, do laundry (rinse and/or wash) and hang to dry in the sun.
- Material Type: Polypropylene and polyester are the lightest fibers, especially when constructed in very thin fabrics. Nylon, Spandex and merino wool are slightly heavier.
- Amount of Material: Briefs are made with less material than boxers, so are lighter. Shorts with shorter inseams are lighter than shorts with longer inseams, but longer inseams protect better from chafing. Commando is the lightest way to go – 0.0 oz!
Performance Considerations
- Odor Resistance –Merino is the best for long term wear. Polypropylene has a reputation for rankiness. Some so-called “odor-resistant” fibers are treated with various antimicrobial materials that might work when the undies are new, but tend to “wear out” over time, unlike merino.
- Dry Time –Polyester dries the fastest, merino wool and spandex dry the slowest. Something to consider when you are wading deep and have to continue hiking, or are doing some afternoon laundry.
- Fit –Looser fits ventilate better (airflow is good!), but more form-fitting underwear is more resistant to chafing. More form-fitting underwear with elastic leg cuffs may stay in place without riding up and bunching/binding, which is pretty nice for steep climbing when you’re high-stepping.
- Waist Band –Waistbands can be a blessing or an annoyance. You’ll have to experiment. The key is not to buy a size too small, or it will create discomfort by rolling and binding on long days.
What Our Guides Use
Ryan J – I chafe. Briefs and commando are out. Merino is my favorite material for underwear, but because of chafing, I’ve worn out too many pairs of merino boxers to count. These days, I go with short tights used by runners. I like the color black, and shorts without “underwear waistbands” so I can wear them alone around people without feeling like I’m waltzing around in my skivvies. I like an inseam in the 6-10 inch range, and I look for the lightest weight polyester / nylon / spandex blend I can find – something less than 4 oz in a size “M”. My all-time favorite pair of trekking undies – the original GoLite Stride shorts, which I still love and use.
Eric – Tight, form-fitting spandex is not for me, but Ex Officio Boxer-Briefs seem to have the right amount of stretch for a good fit without being restrictive. I find them comfortable even into the second week of a long trip.
Andy – I prefer Patagonia Silkweight (a.k.a. “Daily”) Capilene Boxers. They remain cool in hot temps, reduce chafe well enough for me, and with odor-resistant fibers, seem to feel clean even after 7-10 days in the field.
Pat – Ultralight and minimalist for me: the Rab Dryflo 80 brief only weighs 1.4 oz.
Ryan C –Â I wear Ex Officio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs. Long and snug for chafing resistance, fast dry time, with no unusual accumulation of stinkiness beyond what I perceive to be my own normal ;) One under-the-table (sic) feature is the nicely-shaped pocket that keeps the cajonnes off your legs (note: this feature is found on the Sport model). Guys know this to be a feature…
Recommendations
The following products represent our guide-curated recommendations for participants in the Wilderness Adventures program.
Patagonia Men’s Strider PRO Shorts 5″ Inseam
Guides’ Comments: This is a running short with built-in liner – a great option if you prefer to hike in real shorts.
ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs
Guides’ Comments: Customers love these, as evidenced by strong reviews found all over the internet. A durable option for chafing resistance.
SmartWool Men’s NTS Micro 150 Boxer Briefs – Wool
Guides’ Comments: Great stink resistance, and extraordinarily comfortable next to skin. They are somewhat form-fitting, but don’t have the confining feel of a compression short. More durable than we expected for merino wool.[/caption]
Guides’ Comments: If you prefer loose-fitting polyester underwear, and don’t want to break the bank, this is a solid option. For a little softer feel (and a little higher price), take a look at the Patagonia Daily Boxer-Brief.
More Shopping Resources
- Shop underwear at Backcountry.com | Patagonia.com | REI.com
About Guides’ Notes
Guides’ Notes are gear briefs outlining a specific category of gear as a resource that has been developed for participants in Backpacking Light’s Wilderness Adventure Treks program. It includes an overview of the category, tips for saving weight on gear in this category, as well as very specific product recommendations from our Guides, with links to purchase those products online.
Disclosure: the product links above may include affiliate links. Backpacking Light receives a small commission on sales when you place an order via one of our affiliate partners if you visit their website by clicking on an affiliate link. This helps support our efforts, thank you!
Discussion
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I prefer my briefs in a dark color, so that after their morning rinse in a stream/lake, they dry faster when fastened to the top of my pack with diaper pins during the next morning’s hike.
My hiking undies du jour are Ex Officio boxer briefs but I’ve found that since I have thunder thighs, I have to go with the 6″ inseam. Â The 3″ inseam version tends to ride up on me resulting in some chafe. Â It was mildly awkward on the trail this weekend when I was elbow deep in my pants pulling my underwear down (for the 12th time) and a stealthy hiker walked around the corner.
My only requirement for my clothing is that it mustn’t stink worse than me, and the Ex Officio meet that criteria. Â They hang dry quickly so assuming I do my best to wring them out after washing them, they are mildly damp the next morning and are fully dry within the first hour of hiking. Â This also works well when I’m traveling as I only tend to bring a carry on and one, or at most, two changes of clothes in the carry-on bag.
I also like the Under Armor boxer briefs. Â I bought some a few years ago that are mostly (all?) spandex. Â They are also comfortable and I still wear them in the front country. Â I bought a pair within the past year and noticed that they have gone to a fabric that’s eerily similar to what Ex Officio is using, to a point that I think they are trying to emulate them.
Great point. I am always looking for more innovative blends, but most brands want to keep shoving the same stuff down customers’ throats. Many people think bucket polyester and nylon are in the same synthetic category but very different. I would never put polyester anywhere close to my nether regions because of its links to male infertility and because it traps of heat. Nylon/spandex blends are my go-to. I love Real Men Apparel V-Fly Boxer briefs. They have them in both modal/spandex and Nylon/Spandex. The V-Fly is super convenient. You can pick them up on Amazon or directly here Real Men Website
Since Jared has raised the dead here, I’ll chime in, too.
I have stout thighs and suffer chaffing when I walk/hike for any extended time. I bought a pair of 2Undr briefs a while ago on a whim and now they’re all I wear as I have zero chaffing issues in them. They have a “joey” pouch that cradles your wedding tackle and it actually works. Super comfy!
(note: i have no idea what synthetic blend they’re made of, and since I’m 56 tears old I don’t care bc infertility to me is a bonus)
From the 2Undr website: “84% Poly, 16% Elastane”.
Resurrecting the past happens when one cruises forums after midnight. 2Undr is a great brand with good designs / construction and a lot of their products are nylon/spandex. Part of the preference comes down to feel. Nylons are cooling and can feel a lot more silky smooth versus polyester.
Me Undies
MeUndies does have a range of products but a range of materials so you have to be diligent. But if you find what you want the prices are generally very competitive for the quality.
I read the article and the full first page of this companion thread before I realized how old it was. Anyway, good topics never expire, so it was still interesting.
For the most part I’ve settled on regular length merino boxers. It’s comfortable and feels much less grose when worn for multiple days.
I’m not really bothered by the lower wear resistance, they still last me a good while and long enough that I’d consider changing them anyways.
For a garment that is worn so close to damp areas of my body pretty much 24/7, undergoes more wash cycles and a higher replacement frequency than most other garments, I think there may be both health and environmental benefits to choosing natural fibers. Both for socks and underwear this typically equates to wool for hiking and travel and cotton for almost everything else.
That said it’s a never ending dilemma to come up with the perfect combination of underwear, shorts and pants combo for summer hikes.
I like the all-in-one running shorts with integrated boxer liners for how well they stay in place. I have a skinny a… lower back so regular shorts and pants have a tendency so sagg. But I’m also a fan of modularity, and separate boxers, shorts and pants makes for a much more flexible system, especially when taking into account washing on trail, using my underwear as makeshift swimming wear for the occasional bath/cool down and switching from shorts to pants (summers aren’t that hot around here, so pants are usually required for the evening section).
So for the convenience of having shorts that stay on I use all-in-ones when it makes sense, usually day hikes.
I also have Brynje Arctic long boxers with wind resistant material covering the crown jewels. Great for early / late winter skiing when the high temps are to high to warrant WPBs, but when you can get seriously cold winds in exposed areas and cold drafts when descending down the mountain in chill afternoon temps.
I guess I’m quite set in my ways at this point, but a couple of takeaways from the article is to have more black underwear to promote quicker drying times, as well as looking into some underwear that can pass as short tights in a pinch.
Lately I have been using for T8 Commandos for three season hikes. Very light and breathable.
https://t8.run/en-us/products/m-commandos?variant=39881947381825
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