Underpants!

Ninja Marmot

10/12/2001 at 08:50

I have always worn pure cotton next to my nether regions; legions of experts have told us that if we don't then we risk an attack of the dreaded candida albicans. I hate tights, too. Yuk.

Now, I have read recently that when out on the hills, one must wear moisture-wicking synthetics everywhere (and yes, it includes THERE). Where does that leave we ladeez? Are we supposed to risk the dreaded thrush to avoid a chill-factor? Any advice welcomed.

Hedgehope Aztec

10/12/2001 at 08:57

In a word; Silk.

Ninja Marmot

10/12/2001 at 09:39

My other half is getting excited at the very thought.
Perhaps I can persuade him to wear some soft silk boxers - purely in the name of research, of course.......

Jon Doran

10/12/2001 at 09:44

Anti-bacterial material? You can get stuff incorporating silver threads even, which might be good. I'm not sure that damp cotton next to the skin would be that great for you anyway?

Silk is nice, but in my experience, tends to wear relatively quickly under outdoor duress (ie: it gets holes in, but maybe that's just boxers...)

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com

Hedgehope Aztec

10/12/2001 at 10:06

Jeannie try:
Silk. Woops, wrong one!! Expect your other half would rather you wore those than

Hedgehope Aztec

10/12/2001 at 10:11

These ones.

Cut and paste isn't going well this morning!

joan collins

10/12/2001 at 11:38

I find no problems with wearing cotton; maybe the advice is targeted more towards men, sweaty beasts that they are.

I do own some Patagonia silkweight underthingies though, and the main advantages I find with them are that they pack down a lot smaller and they dry out more quickly after washing (in fact if you wring them out well you can put them on straight afterwards). I don't think they're really worth the money unless you're going on an extended ultralightweight trip though.

Silk has similar advantages when it comes to packing and washing, but as Jon points out it doesn't last too well.

Ninja Marmot

10/12/2001 at 11:44

Jon, anti-bac would have the opposite effect as it is a friendly bacterium that protects us against the dreaded thrush (which is a yeast and not a bacterium at all). Certain conditions supress the flourishing growth of the nice bacterium - like taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, wearing synthetic fibres next to the skin, using soap in delicate areas which can unbalance the natural pH level etc.

BTW, the silver threads may look nice but they sound rather prickly. ;0)

Mike D - I'll share those snippets with my beloved when he comes home. I expect he may be hogging the Internet for a while!

Jon Doran

10/12/2001 at 11:52

I'm a tad dubious about the silver threads - a mate of mine was wearing one of said garments. He smelled like an old BR ticket collector...

OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com

Sally Hotchkin 1

10/12/2001 at 12:15

I've used the socks with the silver threads in and they sometimes seem to work and sometimes don't. It's difficult to tell whether or not your feet would stink if you didn't have them on, but I'm prepared to believe that they do help. Most of the time I emerge smell-free.

Ninja Marmot

10/12/2001 at 14:54

But, Sally, it's a well-known fact that:-
Girls Don't Smell.

Mark Phillips

10/12/2001 at 15:42

I will usually only wear natural fibres next to my skin with Lycra shorts being the only exception. I use them instead of pants as they prevent my legs from chafing :o

I'm sure you really wanted to know that!!??!!

M

Drew

17/12/2001 at 12:48

hmmmm... interesting... just use silk, or DryFlo, or Helly Hansen or sommat like that.

bryan crick

18/12/2001 at 11:57

I have spent a fortune on so called wicking anti-smell bio thingy super pants and they are crap! so I went back to good old cotton which I get from M&S and they work fine and dry fairly quickly on my pack. I did try their silk and they were ok but took almost as long to dry and cost more so I went back to good old cotton.

Carolyn Otley

19/12/2001 at 17:01

So, am I the only person who thinks wet cotton undies are terrible? Rather looks that way.... but I think there's nothing worse than having to walk round in wet knickers for the rest of the day after you sat down on something damp....

Not that I'm suggesting spending huge amounts of dosh on some fancy (and most unflattering) Dryflo creation. A trip to M&S, or anywhere similar, should yield a good collection of supplex or tactel undies that dry out much quicker. And they haven't resulted in any nasty infections yet.

Of course, if you want to spend the dosh, I could reccommend a rather nice range of Calvin Klein undies and crop tops that are rather more flattering than Dryflo and dry just as quickly.....

Mark Phillips

19/12/2001 at 22:09

How about checking before you sit down : )

M

Chris McSweeny

20/12/2001 at 15:19

I agree with you about the cotton undies Carolyn, but got most of mine from a Cotswold sale, when they were getting rid of a load cheap. Mostly used under running tights for orienteering. I did actually pay almost full price for a pair of HH (IIRC) windbriefs, with a nice windproof front panel - definitely the bees knees for blokes when it's cold and the wind's blowing...

Carolyn Otley

20/12/2001 at 15:39

Are you sure you wouldn't prefer the Buffalo version, Chris? They too have the windproof panel, and fur to match. Needleports claim they're the most-purchased stag-do present in the shop......

Chris McSweeny

20/12/2001 at 15:40

What are you suggesting, Carolyn?

Carolyn Otley

20/12/2001 at 15:54

Just that they'd be even better and keeping you warm....... and probably even more unflattering......
Why, what did you think I was suggesting??

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