You probably don’t give much thought to the functionality of your underwear, but on a hike, it can be a pretty big deal. A rash from chafing thighs or a recurring wedgie tends to distract from the fresh air and beautiful views. The best hiking underwear will protect your sensitive bits from your hiking pants, keeping your nether regions as dry as possible.
Table of contents
- Trail-Fresh Underwear Reviews: Best Underwear for Hiking
- Best Synthetic Hiking Underwear
- Best wool hiking underwear
- Best Backpacking Underwear
- Best cotton-blend hiking underwear:
- Best Hiking Underwear For Women
- Best Underwear for Hiking
- Best Underwear for Travel
- Choosing the best underwear for your next hike
- FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Need More Advice on Gear and Footwear?
Note: Clicking the above links will take you to further information, current prices and customer reviews on Amazon
If you prefer your inner thighs chafe-free and all your bits feeling fresh, then check out both synthetic and wool underwear reviews of the brand’s best hiking undies we tried out below.
We’ve also put together a list of factors to look out for when you buy your next pair of outdoor delicates.
Trail-Fresh Underwear Reviews: Best Underwear for Hiking
Best Synthetic Hiking Underwear
ExOfficio Give-N-Go Mesh Sport Boxers
The Good…
- Dries real quick – great for washing on the trail
- Good moisture control and breathability
- Great elasticity – form fitting
- Comes in 9 inch, 6 inch inseam, 3 inch and briefs
- Long lasting antimicrobial treatment
- Machine washable, mesh weave – durable and lightweight
The Bad…
- Being 100% synthetic you do eventually get some pilling
- Tag is tricky to remove
These form-fitting boxer-brief style undies are made from a lightweight mesh fabric. The ergonomic design keeps all your bits and pieces comfortably out of the chafing zone, and the fabric feels soft on the skin.
Being all synthetic there’s always the odor-control concern, but these come with a molecularly-bonded antimicrobial treatment. Meaning it’s not going to wash out as easily as some do. This means if you plan a multi-day trip on a trail, then this is one of the best thru-hiking underwear.
What makes hiking underwear men love, is how quickly they dry. A weather-dependent drying time of between 2 and 5 hours makes these ideal for multi-day hikes. These boxer briefs are good value if you’re not keen on spending a lot on a Merino wool pair.
They also come in both men’s and women’s brief designs.
ExOfficio Give-N-Go Hiking Underwear for Women: Bikini Brief | Sport Bikini Brief | Hipster | String Bikini
See ExOfficio Men’s Give-n-go Sport Mesh Boxer Brief: 9 inch | 6 inch | 3 inch | Briefs
Best wool hiking underwear
Woolly Merino Wool Men’s Boxer Briefs
The Good…
- No interior tags, comfortable, flatlock seams and smooth waistband
- Good moisture wicking and breathability
- Excellent odor control
- 100% Merino wool – super soft
- Machine washable (not always a given with Merino)
The Bad…
- Price. But hey, it’s 100% Merino wool
If you just have to have the super-soft feel of Merino wool, then grab a pair of these best men’s underwear for hiking.
They feel like cashmere against your skin and are super comfortable. These boxer briefs for hiking deliver the moisture performance you expect from Merino, but it’s the odor control that sets them apart.
You can wear these for days straight without them getting funky – but please don’t, unless you have to! Even in warm weather, these undies shift sweat like few others and refuse to get smelly. The odor control alone is worth rating these pair as the best hiking underwear for men.
We also loved how these adapt to the contours of your body after a few days.
Best Backpacking Underwear
MERIWOOL Boxer Briefs Merino Wool Underwear Base Layer for Men
Looking for the perfect underwear to keep you comfortable during your next outdoor adventure? Look no further than MERIWOOL Mens Boxer Briefs! Made with 100% all-natural ultrafine 17.5-micron Merino wool, these briefs are both breathable and wicking, which ensures that you stay dry and comfortable while you’re active.
The merino wool also has high odor resistance, which helps to keep your undies fresh and clean. Plus, they’re washer/dryer safe, so you can easily take them off and put them back on again. Whether you’re camping, hiking, hunting, working, playing sports, skiing, snowboarding, or partaking in any outdoor activity, MERIWOOL Mens Boxer Briefs are the perfect choice for keeping you comfortable and dry!
What’s more, you can toss them in a washer/dryer or use its safe loop to hang-dry them on a carabiner off your backpack after washing. This design detail makes it to the top of our list as the best underwear for backpacking.
Best cotton-blend hiking underwear:
ExOfficio Men’s Give-n-go 2.0 Boxer Brief
The Good…
- Cotton component makes these feel cool and comfy
- Good sweat wicking, breathes well
- Breathable mesh fabric ensures good airflow
- Anti-odor treatment to resist odors
The Bad…
- More expensive than standard briefs
- Waistband fit might not suit everyone
The ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go 2.0 Boxer Brief is the go-to underwear for adventurers and travelers. Made from a breathable blend of nylon and spandex, these briefs offer a snug yet comfortable fit with their elastic waistband.
The mesh fabric ensures excellent airflow, while the quick-drying and anti-odor properties make them perfect for those on the move. The inseam is around 4 inches, providing ample coverage without feeling restrictive. Although a bit pricier than standard briefs, they offer exceptional comfort and performance for those who value quality.
If you don’t get too sweaty these could work for you. The thicker fabric and cotton make these comfy.
Best Hiking Underwear For Women
Women’s hiking underwear comes in several cuts, so you can choose the styles, from hipster, boy shorts, full cut briefs, hot pants style, cheeky briefs, and regular bikini-brief design. You want to take note of fabric features, as well as some design features.
On the fabric side, avoid any and all cotton, and go for synthetic fabrics like nylon, merino wool, elastane, and spandex. The fabric needs to have an antimicrobial treatment and should breathe well. That said, look for travel underwear since this will often mean that they will pack well, won’t ride up, are moisture-wicking, and are easy to wash on the road.
Avoid high-waisted or low-rise underwear. A mid-rise cut won’t get in the way of your backpack straps, and you won’t be pulling them up the whole day.
Ice Breakers makes a great pair hiking underwear with their Sprite Hot Pants or Ecoable Wool Silk Boyshorts, that offer the same performance you get from the guy’s boxer shorts we reviewed above. If you prefer bikini underwear, then we like Icebreaker Women’s Siren Merino Wool Bikini Underwear or ExOfficio Women’s Give-n-go String Bikini, since neither will give you a wedgie.
For those who prefer hipster briefs, Icebreaker Siren Hipkini Brief or Woolly Clothing Cheeky Briefs will give you that all day comfort for any outdoor activity.
If you don’t like full-cut bikini briefs, then Boody makes a nice pair of boyshort style underwear with a high bamboo rayon count, which is great for sensitive skin. For those of you who prefer thongs, Woolly Clothing Women’s Merino Wool Thong has flat lock seams, which means no rubbing or annoying stitching.
What about a Bra?
Of course, when it comes to underwear, you’re going to need a decent hiking sports bra too. All the same fabric selection criteria apply if you want to avoid a sweaty chest.
Finding a bra that fits right is part science, part magic, and a whole lot of trial and error. But there are some hiking-specific things to look out for:
- Pull on closure – no clasp at the back
- Racerback design – centre strap reduces contact with pack straps
- Wide centre gore (stretch band) for comfortable support
The Fittin Racerback Sports bras are a great choice if you’re looking for a good bra for hiking that doesn’t cost too much.
Best Underwear for Hiking
Our favorite underwear for hiking would have to be the Woolly Men’s boxer briefs.
They combine high performance with a luxurious feel that only Merino wool can deliver. The excellent moisture management, and that they refuse to get smelly make these ideal for multi-day hikes. The flat seams and inseam-gusset deliver great comfort and no chafing.
Best Underwear for Travel
What is travel underwear? If it’s comfortable to wear for a long time and dries quickly, then it could fit this broad term. When you’re traveling you don’t have space for 20 pairs of undies and don’t have time to find a laundromat.
If you can wash your underwear in the basin and have them hang dry overnight that’s perfect. Synthetic fabrics dry faster than wool or cotton, so they’re a good travel option.
ExOfficio Give-N-Go boxer briefs are great as hiking underwear but work well for general travel use too. Besides the good moisture wicking and breathability, they’re super light and dry fast. This, coupled with the fact that they don’t cost a lot, makes them our choice for the best travel underwear for men.
Choosing the best underwear for your next hike
Material and Moisture Management
You want your underwear to breathe well, wick away sweat, and dry fast. Right off the bat, this rules out cotton, which is horrible when it gets even a little bit wet.
The best fabric for underwear options is either Merino wool or a synthetic blend of nylon, polyester, polypropylene, elastane or spandex (lycra). Each of these has its properties.
- Polypropylene – Extremely light fibers, producing very thin fabrics. Polypropylene tends to get a bit rank faster than other fabrics, so it’s not a great choice for long-term wear without daily washing.
- Polyester – Lightweight, and dries fast.
- Nylon – durable, can get a bit smelly if not treated
- Merino wool – soft, comfortable, natural fabric that breathes well and is quick-drying. Naturally antimicrobial.
- Elastane and Spandex – Added to fabric to provide stretch in form-fitting underwear
Natural vs Synthetic Fabric
All-natural sounds like a good idea, so why not just go for Merino wool? With natural antimicrobial properties, comfort, and moisture performance it’s a great option.
At a price.
Merino can be quite a bit more expensive than synthetic fabrics. It has great moisture-wicking capability and is very breathable.
Merino wool has natural antimicrobial properties for long-term anti-odor performance. It doesn’t dry as fast as synthetic fabrics and is less durable. It’s an animal product so you also want to be sure that it’s ethically sourced.
Fabrics made from synthetic fibers are cheaper and lighter than Merino wool and are more durable too. They also dry quickly. They need an antimicrobial treatment to prevent odor, and this eventually washes out. Once that happens they can develop nasty odor problems.
If you want maximum breathability, then go for Merino wool. This is the best fabric for underwear, and often used in some of the best underwear for hot humid weather. But, if you’re looking to save a few bucks and want something super-light and durable, then grab a synthetic. Fabric with a high Merino wool content, blended with some nylon for extra durability gives you the best of both worlds.
Merino Wool
Merino wool is a luxury fiber made from the wool of sheep. It is renowned for its ability to keep people warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. Additionally, it’s highly breathable and resistant to odor, which keeps your skin dry and comfortable in warm weather due to its moisture-wicking properties.. This kind of wool has become a popular choice for base-layer underwear because of its superior performance characteristics.
It is the most popular base layer fabric because of its softness, breathability, and moisture management features. Due to these qualities, it’s popular and ideal for all types of active people. Merino Wool can be used in outdoor clothing for a variety of activities such as hiking, running, cycling, and skiing.
That said, one of the best things about merino wool is that it is machine-washable and won’t shrink or fade over time.
There are three main types of merino wool: fine, medium, and coarse:
Fine merino wool has long been the go-to choice for base layers because it offers the best balance between comfort and performance. It is soft, lightweight, and breathable, making it ideal for warmer climates or for wearing under other clothing that you don’t want to get too hot or stinky.
Medium-quality merino wool is also very soft, lightweight, and breathable but doesn’t have quite the same level of performance or durability as fine merino. While it does offer slightly better moisture-wicking properties, it still loses about 10% of its insulating value when wet. It’s best suited for baselayers in cooler climates where there’s little risk of sweating.
Coarse merino wool (not available in the US) offers more insulation than both fine and medium-quality merino but offers less breathability than fine merino.
Antimicrobial Odor Control
You’re bound to get hot and sweaty down there and the resulting bacteria is often what causes your undies to get funky after a day or two.
A good pair of hiking underwear will have antimicrobial properties that will combat odor and keep you fresher for longer.
Merino wool is naturally antimicrobial, while synthetic fabrics need treating to prevent bacteria growth. After a couple of washes, the antimicrobial treatment will wash out.
Some synthetic pairs have “molecularly bonded antimicrobial treatments” that last longer than the silver-ion treatment. (Score another point for Merino wool.)
Durability And Construction
If the label says it’s machine washable, that’s a good indicator that you’ve got yourself a durable pair. They’ll get some wear and tear from being worn on the trail, but going through the washing machine is the real killer of cheap fabrics.
The seams are worth considering. You want your undies to have flatlock seams and a wide inseam gusset, so they don’t rub up against your skin and cause chafing.
Weight and Packability
If you’re packing a few pairs, then weight and packability may be an issue. Lightweight undies made from thin fabric are going to make less of an impact in your pack than regular cotton ones would.
But let’s be honest.
You’re probably going to wear just that one pair and wash it after 2 or 3 days. If you buy a really good pair with proper antimicrobial odor control you could easily get away with it. Don’t expect to make many new friends on the trail though!
Cut – Boxers vs Briefs
Are you a boxers or briefs guy? If current sales trends are to be believed, you’re probably a boxer-briefs fan.
The cut of your underwear is very subjective.
A looser fit allows for more airflow, which is great. You may think this makes boxers a breezy choice if you tend to sweat a lot down there. Boxers aren’t great if you tend to chafe though. Also, they do tend to ride or bunch.
Form-fitting underwear like briefs, or boxer briefs that extend partway down your legs, are less likely to have you chafing. Figure-hugging fabric is going to do a better job of wicking away sweat than those with a loose fit.
Without putting too fine a point on it, there’s a good reason why the best men’s hiking underwear often has something called an “ergonomic fit”. This keeps any dangling bits securely out of the way of your thighs. If your underwear tends to creep up your leg, then go for the longer leg boxer-briefs.
Washing care
Keeping your undies clean on your hike is important. Getting rid of the sweat, salt, and dirt is going to help reduce chafing. A quick hand wash on the trail (with a bit of soap) will do the trick.
If you want to get super-fancy (and like being clean) try this Scrubba Wash Bag – at a price, it’s your laundromat-on-the-trail. Looks like a fun gimmick to me, I haven’t tried it yet!
If your underwear is made from a quick-dry synthetic, it should be dry in a few hours. Once you get home you’ll have to give them a proper wash. Check the labels to see if they’re machine washable before throwing them in the machine. You want to be especially careful when washing Merino wool.
A quick note on washing on the trail – please use a biodegradable soap and be sure not to pollute water sources.
FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
Most of the underwear we wear every day is made from cotton so that’s probably what you’re used to.
Cotton is fine for driving, working at the office or wearing around the house. It just doesn’t work when you get hot and sweaty when exercising, or hiking. Cotton feels great when dry, but the problem is that when it gets wet, it stays wet.
It doesn’t breathe well and is not exactly lightweight. Most people who say they don’t like synthetics or wool, probably haven’t ever tried a good pair of underwear made specifically for hiking.
They may have worn something made from a horrible, cheap synthetic fabric that didn’t breathe and started to smell nasty. Or they remember how itchy their last wool garment made them feel.
The reality is that the top-end synthetic fabrics are super-comfortable and Merino wool is soft and completely itch-free.
Normally our underwear is just the piece of fabric between us and our pants. It doesn’t need to do much else except be there.
When you start high-stepping, climbing, or walking double-digit miles for a few days on end, you start to realize that your regular y-fronts just aren’t up to the job.
You actually need your underwear to do a little more than just hang around. The reality is that ordinary underwear won’t give you the support, comfort, and moisture control that you need when putting in the miles.
If you’ve got sensitive skin you may find that Merino wool, soft as it is, irritates your skin. Or, you may get an allergic reaction to certain synthetic fibers.
If that’s the case you need to pay more attention to the fabric composition mentioned on the labels. You could try opting for hypoallergenic fabrics like bamboo rayon.
DANISH ENDURANCE 3 Pack Bamboo Viscose Boxer Briefs, Breathable Men’s Underwear
Bamboo rayon has similar properties to organic cotton but is more breathable. Companies like Danish Endurance make some of the best bamboo hiking underwear that some will find milder on their skin.
These are made from sustainable sources and have natural antifungal and antibacterial properties. The bamboo fabric breathes well, wicks moisture away, and is soft and comfy. It doesn’t dry quickly though and is a little on the heavy side which is why it’s not our first choice fabric for hiking.
Conclusion
It all comes down to comfort. The right fabric choice will keep you dry – and that’s half the battle. Wearing the proper hot weather hiking shirts, choosing the proper hiking boots, hiking pants and sweat wicking hiking socks are important for comfort whether in the backcountry or trekking Macchu Picchu.
If you want to avoid chafing, riding up, or bunching then make sure your underwear fits properly. A form-fitting pair may not be your everyday choice, but this cut works much better on the trail than loose boxers.
Seamless designs or those with flatlock seams might cost a little more, but will be way more comfy. The best hiking underwear may cost a bit more than your regular pair but your sensitive bits will be super grateful after a long sweaty hike.
Need More Advice on Gear and Footwear?
Here are some links to our most popular articles:
- Is Washing Boots in the Washing Machine a Good Idea?
- Best Women’s Hiking Clothes
- 11 Best Hiking Sandals Men- Step Up Your Hiking Game!
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Last update on 2024-10-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API