Why you shouldn’t wear underwear on your walk

HShould many pairs of underwear to pack for a backpacker? One per day? No. A couple for every two days and turn them upside down after the first use to double their use? No.

The correct answer is: zero pairs.

I never bother with underwear when I’m backpacking, and I don’t think you should either. Here is why.

1. They have no value and have no functional purpose in the field

When it comes to long -distance hiking, underwear is like the equivalent of deodorant clothing. You will be constantly sweating cubes, rain and crossing mud and vegetation with access to showers and laundry, maybe twice a week.

Given all that, do you really think your underwear is doing something to make you less unpleasant?

In the civilized world, a underpant function is that you can change this smaller garment daily and keep its cleaner real pants for longer. On a backpacking trip, all his clothes will become universally unpleasant in 24 hours, and will remain so until he visits a laundry on his next visit to the city.

Even if you had to pack, say, six changes of underwear, enough for a clean pair every day, assuming a zero once in the week, your hiking clothes will still be twisted. It will not make the difference, and I dare to say that they could even make you feel rude than if you had not used them.

In any case, most hikers will resist the idea of wearing six pairs of anything in a long walk: it is a lot of weight that could easily eliminate their backpack.

2. They are just one more thing to follow up

Instead of staying cleaner, underwear is just one more thing to get dirty disgustingly. One more thing to do and be sure to wash and dry every time they wash the clothes.

Yes, they are small. It would only be a minor discomfort. But, why pass all that when you could omit all the headache?

3. They are a loss of money and base weight

Photo: Stephen (Sorry to choose you, Stephen)

It is possible that each pair of individual underwear does not seem much, but small things can accumulate quickly to overwhelm their base weight and budget.

You can get synthetic underwear for not too much money, but if you are looking for performance fabrics that reject moisture and will breathe well, which is part of the point of wearing underwear to start, they will cost some money.

And each pair will weigh a few ounces, a few ounces that could better spend on articles that are more essential or at least more fun.

4. Without wedges, without problems

Do I need to say more? TLDR: underwear is terrible.

Some real reasons for wearing underpants

I think they make no sense, but some hikers continue to swear for underwear for the duration of their walks. I must even admit that there are some edge cases where they might make sense to use them.

1. Your period

If menstruate, it may be good to have an additional layer of protection between you and your real hiking pants in case of leaks and others. I do not know any hiker to wear pads while they are on their way, but if you wear pads or pants, I would need underwear for this purpose.

2. Rocía

The rubbing is very real, and hikers tend to experience it in strange and unexpected places. Ironically, given the comparison I drawn previously in this article, I experienced the rub under my armpits in the AT and solved the problem by reintroducing the deodorant in the kit of my bathroom.

If you experience the rubbing in the groin area, an additional layer of cloth in underwear could help to rush moisture and reduce friction enough to provide relief.

If reducing the chafe is its goal, invest in a pair of synthetic underwear or decent performance, and choose a style that really covers the chafing area.

3. Polla protection

Do you remember that Olympic skier who received freezing in his penis a few years ago? Don’t let that be you. For the types of my audience: on exceptionally cold days, it will be grateful for an additional layer of fabric, especially something adjusted that keeps Sir Richard closer to the rest of his body by warmth.

4. Swimming

For those moments when it is not really advisable to take a skinny sauce, but you will not want to soak your entire hiking attire.

5. Personal preference

After a lifetime of being socialized to wear underwear, break that habit can feel … strange. Really weird. Without a doubt, some of you are judging me for my life choices at this time. My parents definitely read the head of this article, they said: «No, and they made an executive decision not to read this.

If going to the command feels strange or uncomfortable to the point that it is a constant distraction, it is probably not the right option for you. If you take away the enjoyment of the path, it is not worth it or financial savings.

In addition, you don’t have to have the answer right now. Through Hiking he takes a long time: he will have a lot of time to discover a system that works for you.

Graphic design by Zack Goldman

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