We’re here to talk about what is arguably the most underrated piece of hiking apparel. Hiking underwear provides you with an essential baselayer that is responsible for sustaining your comfort and performance through trying backwoods treks, but it is often outshined by contemporary outerwear. Still, with specialty undergarments ranging in price from $15 to over $50, it is important to know what qualities and benefits to look for in a pair of offroad knickers before shelling out your hard-earned green. What’s more, we guarantee the best hiking underwear will drastically improve your outdoor experience. Read along to discover our complete buying guide and detailed product reviews.
Best Hiking Underwear Buying Guide
What to Look for
A quality pair of hiking underwear is designed to last several days and endure countless miles without showing signs of wear or yielding to vexing bacteria. In order to live up to this promise they must be expertly constructed and feature premium materials and an ergonomic design.
Features for Consideration
Material
The ideal hiking underwear material is thin, breathable, and extremely durable. Nylon, lycra blends, polyester mesh, cotton, silk, and even Merino wool stands up well against the perpetual use and exposure to sweat, water, and regular washes. Flatlock seams minimize chafing and slippage. Meanwhile, the material should feel soft against your skin, provide adequate insulation, wick moisture, promote ventilation, and even fight off offensive stenches and harmful bacteria.
Durability
Ensure your skivvies are machine-washable and detergent-friendly. Repeated washes shouldn’t deter from the quality or performance of the material nor prevent the underwear from holding their shape.
Antimicrobal
While some materials possess natural antimicrobial qualities, most hiking underwear is coated with an antimicrobial treatment. This treatment helps fend off bacteria and smells, but harsh washes and repeated wear can strip it from the fabric.
Style
For men, the most popular style is a fitted boxer brief. This style provides full coverage of your netherregions as well as thighs. The shorts vary in length, but most are snug, low-rise garments that hug the hips. For women, styles include hipsters, briefs, bikinis, and even thongs. When considering a personal style, it is important to consider what elements you’ll be up against and for hong long.
The Best Hiking Underwear For Men – Reviews
ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Sport Mesh 6″ Boxer Brief
The ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go briefs feature an ultra-light nylon, lycra mesh fabric with a reliable antimicrobial treatment that doesn’t wash out. They weigh just over 50 grams but still afford to include a thick crotch reinforcement panel. The elongated briefs are stretchy, soft, and nonrestrictive, but still manage to avoid creeping or bunching up. We took these on a 3-day offroad excursion and can safely say they fought off stink and itch like a boss. The fabric never itched and we never felt clammy nor constricted. What’s more, a quick round into our washing machine and air dry session returned them to their original glory. The only downside was some minimal pilling that occurred when the fabric came in contact with the Velcro closures on our backpack.
What we loved:
Nylon/Lycra mesh was super light, breathable, and moisture-wicking
A solid linup of colors and pattern options
What we didn’t:
Suseptable to pilling
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Apex Men’s Merino Wool Boxer Briefs Moisture-Wicking Performance Underwear
If the idea of wool underwear makes your skin crawl, hear us out. Apex Men’s Merino Wool Boxer Briefs are made from 100% Australian Merino wool. This fabric truly makes for a super soft, itch-free fabric. The thin briefs provide thin form-fitted coverage from the waist down to the bottom of the thighs. They’re naturally anti-microbial, help control body temperature, and are even machine washable. Apex has managed to create a superior product that exceeds quality standards and still manages to price reasonably.
What we Love:
Ergonomic fly makes latenight bathroom breaks a breeze
Reliable during overnight excurions
Long thin material eliminates chafing and heat rash
What we didn’t
Prone to holes from wear and washing
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ExOfficio Men’s Give-N-Go Sport Mesh 9″ Boxer Brief
If you’ve had trouble with riding briefs in the past, these 9-inch nylon, lycra blended mesh nickers will cure you of your fitted underwear anxieties. Not only do they provide full thigh coverage, but the combination of the flatlock seam, low-rise waist, and sheer mesh fabric make for an unparalleled baselayer for all your outdoor and physical fitness needs. As a matter of fact, with a reinforced ergonomic fly and generous thigh panels, we think it is safe to say you could strip down to your skivvies for an impromptu swim, and your fellow hikers wouldn’t even recognize the difference the difference between these and bike shorts. Still, slip on a pair of these diamond-weave undergarments and you’ll experience the true freedom of breathable mesh as opposed to compressive nylon shorts.
What we Love:
Super long 9″ legs
Roomy enough to breath without swimming in them
Hip high contrast colorways
What we Don’t
Noisy when legs come in contact with each other
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High Sierra 3 Pack Performance Boxer Briefs For Men Breathable Moisture Wicking Nylon Underwear
High Sierra 3 Pack Performance Boxer Briefs are the perfect bargain for infrequent campers or hikers who aren’t ready to succumb to jock itch. The set includes two black and one grey pair of form-fitted nylon, spandex boxer briefs. They feature a butter soft flatlock waistband and ergonomic fly. Whether you are going on a day trek or sleeping under the stars, you can rely on High Sierra’s value briefs to prevent clammy, smelly, and other unpleasant situations.
What we Love:
Great value for the price
Compatable with machine washer and dryer
Anti-ordor technology
What we don’t
Extremely low riders
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Lapasa 2 Pack Men’s Sport Boxer Briefs Underwear Ultra Quick Dry Breathable Mesh For Travel Outdoor M16
A two pack of Lapasa boxer briefs is all you need to get you into and out of an outdoor trip of any duration. This blended nylon, spandex shorts extend midway through the thigh to provide you with a solid base layer. The material is efficient when it comes to wicking sweat and drawing moisture away from the skin. What’s more, the flatlock elastic waistband keeps them in place and discourages the fabric from riding up uncomfortably. Toss them in a machine washer to instantly return them to their initial state or opt for a rustic handwash and rapid airdry. Whatever your cleaning preference, these boxer briefs have no problem maintaining their shape and providing support in all the right places. On that note, we’re not really sure what’s to stop you from making these part of your non-hiking wardrobe too.
What we Love:
Two for the price of one
Ergonomic front panel and fly
What we Don’t
Occasional riding
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The Best Hiking Underwear For Women – Reviews
ExOfficio Women’s Give-N-Go Bikini Briefs
We’re big fans of ExOfficio’s hiking underwear line, so it comes as no surprise that the women’s Give-N-Go is an extremely reliable pair of bikini briefs. Feature trending colors such as black, hot coral, lupine, and nude, these blended nylon, lycra, and spandex undergarments look great and perform even better. The breathable mesh fabric is discreet, moisture-wicking, and odor-resistant. As a matter of fact, we only needed two pairs to make it through our a week-long summer hiking expedition.
Pros
Wash-resistant antimicrobal treatment
Virtually no panty line
Quality blended synthetic fabric
Cons
Inferior stitching frays
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ExOfficio Women’s Give-N-Go Full Cut Brief
The ExOfficio Give-N-Go Full Cut briefs provide modest, hip-hugging coverage for female hikers. They feature the same moisture-resistant spandex, lycra blended fabric as the aforementioned Give-and-Go bikini briefs but are intended to drape right below the belly button. The antimicrobial Silvadur finish eliminates odors before they start and can be rapidly air dried.
What we Love:
A modest option
Time-tested lycra, spandex material
Over a dozen colors to choose from
What we Don’t
Odors occasionaly cling to fabric
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Balanced Tech Women’s Seamless Bikini Panties 6-Pack – Assorted Colors
When you consider that you’re only spending a few dollars for each pair of Balanced Tech seamless bikini panties, it is nearly impossible to resist this colorful assortment of performance underwear. Choose from a wide range of color trios and you’ll have reliable coverage for hiking trips long and short. You won’t have to fret about a noticeable panty line either. Balanced Tech’s skivvies are tagless, seamless, form-fitted, and thin. What’s more, they are able to stretch without losing their form or scrunching up uncomfortably.
What we Love:
6 pairs for the price of one of the competitor’s
Wide range of color options
What we Don’t
Fabric is thicker than expected
Doesn’t wick moisture as efficiently as others
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Icebreaker Merino Women’s Sprite Hot Pants
The Icebreaker Merino Women’s Sprite hot pants are sporty, sexy, and super comfortable all at the same time. These skivvies feature a form-fitted design with forward-angeled side seams, a buttery soft elastic waistband, and a time-tested corespun baselayer. Plus, aside from being naturally antimicrobial, wool has the power to insulate or cool the body depending on its need. While a single pair of these costs more than several other synthetic undergarments combined, we consider them to be a hiking gear investment we’d gladly stand behind. Plus, the horizontal stripe motifs are total eye-candy.
What we Love:
16 colorful print options
Merino wool jersey corespun fabric
Mobilion stabilizer
What we Don’t
No leg elastics
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High Sierra 3 Pack Performance Women’s Bikini Briefs Underwear Athletic Nylon Ladies Panties
A three pack of High Sierra performance bikini briefs are all you need to get you through your annual week-long hiking trip or battle a week at the gym. The stretchy nylon mesh is the ultimate baselayer when getting outdoors and exercising. Featuring a low-rise bikini waist, flatlock seams, and a soft waistband, these hipsters look great and eliminate chafing, smells, and other distasteful side effects of enduring the great outdoors.
What we Love
Three pack for the price of one
Cool and dry
Mulitple colors
What we Don’t
Sold in predesignated packs
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Final Thoughts
Most people put a lot of thought into the purchase of a hiking jacket or pair of boots, but few address the importance of a solid hiking undergarment. However, when you consider the fact that your underwear comes in direct contact with your skin and add in the fact that packing light is essential, it is surprising to find that any tried and true hiker is willing to cut corners. If you are still squandering the opportunity to stock up on a moisture-wicking, odor-resistant pair of skivvies, consider the fact that the best hiking underwear is also great for a day at the gym or to take along when traveling. Plus, when you consider the fact that many of undergarments listed cost no more than generic underwear, the decision is a no-brainer.
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