Date: 2017-01-29
To: Gear Review: (Women's) Undergarments
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This might be a very lady-oriented post. I mean, if any of you guys out there want recommendations on which bikini underpants fit my booty the best or just really neeeeed to know why I loved my sports bras so much, go ahead and keep reading, I'll try not to judge. Just be warned: there are no pictures (that would be weird.) and I'm going to talk about lady fit issues.Okay. I'm going to start with underpants and then talk about my brassiere and socks after. Super personal stuff but I couldn't find much information on it when I was researching so I want to give all you hiker ladies my personal take on it. I recommend everything I used, so this won't be a pro/con type of update UNDERPANTS: ExOfficio Sport Mesh Bikini BriefFull disclosure: I started with no underwear. BAD DECISION, for me at least. I knew within a week that I was going to run into chafing and general cleanliness issues unless I got myself some damn underpants. These ExOfficio sport mesh underpants are awesome and I started carrying two pairs. They have some anti-microbial schtick that keeps them from getting extra disgusting. My recommendation is: DON'T WEAR COTTON unless you carry lots of pairs. My normal routine at the end of the hiking day was to bird-bathe in my tent (a.k.a. wash my whole body with a bandanna and some clean water mixed with peppermint Dr. Bronner's) and rinse out the "active hiking pair" that I wore that day. I'd wear my other set, my "sleeping pair" to bed that night. The next morning I'd put on the pair that I washed the night before and hike all day, repeating everything again that night. If I was going to be unable to shower or do laundry for more than 4 days, I'd switch the "sleeping pair" to active hiking duty around day 4 (depending on how sweaty or dirty the days were) and either not wear anything to bed or really wash the heck out of the first set and wear those. It's not a good idea to wear dirty clothes that close to your body - that's how chafing starts! Also, the best thing you can do to combat chafe is to wipe/rinse/wash the salty dried sweat and grime off your body before bed every night. It definitely helps keep your sleeping bag cleaner and less smelly, too. BRA: Panache Underwire Sports BraI'm a chesty lady. Can't help it. I need underwire and full coverage, 100% of the time. Lots of other hiker women wore stretchy built-in style sports bras (or nothing at all!) and were totally fine. I would not have been. If you are also a chesty lady and require round-the-clock support, these bras are FANTASTIC and I have worn them for many years. I did have to change sizes in Connecticut because I lost weight, but I've never been "slender" enough to be able to go braless. The Panache sports bras are pretty expensive but they are extremely comfortable and have a durable underwire and three-hook clasp that makes it impossible to accidentally unclip. My favorite feature is a hook-and-ring setup on the straps that can be used to turn it into a halter-style bra (like, the straps go from being parallel to being connected in an X). I would use the halter feature during the day and then unhook it at night. I wear support continuously, so I packed two bras. One was for hiking, the other was only for sleeping after bird-bathing or when my laundry was in the washing machine in town. PLEASE keep in mind that Panache uses "UK" sizing, so you need to measure yourself according to their specs or go to a fancy shop that carries them and try them on there. It's not the same as Victoria's Secret. SOCKS: Darn Tough Socks Of course.By Massachusetts, I knew NOBODY who wore anything other than Darn Tough wool socks. They're simply the best and Darn Tough has the best lifetime guarantee of any sock manufacturer out there. Plus, they're adorable and I love them. I had one of the Boot Socks Cushion (a heavier weight) for cold weather and for sleeping, and two of the Micro Crew Cushion (medium weight) for hiking. I carried three pairs because wearing salty, grimy, crusty, stiff, disgusting socks are AWFUL for your feet, and if there's anything you want to keep in tip-top shape while on a thru hike, it's your feet. I'd change out socks about every 3 days and if I needed to go longer I'd wash them thoroughly in a mix of clean water and Dr. Bronner's by sticking everything in a plastic bag and shaking it (like a hiker washing machine!) until the water turned brown and nasty.You think I'm joking, but this was my water after washing one pair of socks. YUCK.In conclusion, bring enough undergarments so you can change them out often enough to support your personal comfort. Some people carried far more pairs of underwear or socks than I did, and some carried far fewer. It's personal preference, but this is what worked for me. I tried to go in to a town for a shower and laundry about once every 7-10 days, so keep that in mind. I wasn't the type of hiker to go weeks without shower or laundry - I wouldn't have been able to stand the smell of myself and my clothes would have gotten too grimy to be hygienic.Any questions!? Think I should add more info somewhere? Feel free to email me at elleoutdoors@gmail.com!Disclaimer: I did a LOT of research before starting my thru-hike but my Gear Review series is about my personal experiences with my choices of gear and everything might not be true for everyone! Decide carefully, my hiker friends, and get things that work for you