You know that sage advice our mothers supposedly passed on to all daughters: “always wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.” Well, that popped into my head this week when I was thinking about what clothes I would pack if I had to evacuate quickly. This is especially important if I anticipate staying in a temporary shelter. It’s an easy decision for me, since I’d pack exactly what I bring on all my travels. And the MOST important article of clothing is of course the underwear.
Think about it: if there’s a chance you’ll be wearing the same pair of under drawers for several days, you want to have the sans pareil of skivvies!
In my humble opinion, your “go to” undergarment should be Ex-Officio. I personally love their Give-n-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini, but any will do. They never chafe & they absorb odor like you wouldn’t believe. If you want to break the bank, Icebreaker is a brand that all the hiking blogs love to rave about. But $40 hotpants are just a little much for me — I haven’t reached that diva status yet. Instead, my silver medal choice would be Spanx Lounge-Hooray. I haven’t tested them out on a long sweaty hike, but they’re certainly the most comfortable pair I’ve ever owned & they “hold stuff in” a little better than the Ex-Officios. Patagonia Active Hipsters also get good reviews online, so I think I’ll try those sometime in the near future.
Now before you pass out at the $22-$24 price tag (yes, that’s 1 pair), let me tell you that I never pay full price. Sites like Amazon, REI, Backcountry & even Ex-Officio will often put these on sale. The ones on sale tend to be odd colors, but hey — who’s gonna see those puke green undies? Except maybe the paramedic, if you DO have that accident your mother warned you about. 🙂
Have your own favorite “go to” underwear or “never again” underwear? I’d love to hear what they are so I can compile a list of “Top Travel Underwear” & “Worst Underwear EVER.” Leave a reply below if you’d like to share.
5 Comments
Some years ago I read some advice that made sense about packing underwear for traveling. It suggested that instead of tossing your almost completely worn out underwear, set it aside until you’re ready to travel. Then pack it, wear it, toss it. No dirty underwear to wash when you get back home! Don’t care to know what hotel maids might think of this idea!
Great idea! Not sure if I have enough old undies that I’d be willing to part with, but Eric sure does! A unique solution, I’ll definitely add to the list.
I have ex-officio underwear, but they are pretty worn out over the years. I saw a commercial about fruit of the loom breathable micro mesh underwear. I got a package of 5 pairs from Penney’s (on sale & with discount) for around $14—usually around 24 for 5 pair. I Love them! Very comfortable and the price is excellent even if they don’t last as long as my ex-offico!
Is that the commercial with the bridesmaid? I’ve been wanting to try those — thanks for sharing Wanda, now I definitely will. Looks like they have cute colors, so no puke green for me 🙂
Yes. The commercial with the bridesmaids ?