Under Armour HeatGear Boxerjocks
I made the switch over to long pants last year as a preventative measure against tick borne illnesses like Lyme disease and to thwart black flies and mosquitoes. However, wearing long pants can be a challenge when the weather warms up and you start to sweat more. It’s times like these when you need good wicking underwear that will move moisture away from your skin and prevent thigh chafing.
So far, the best solution I’ve found are Under Armour 9" compression shorts, but they are just too hot to wear in summer. However, I recently discovered another model of Under Armour underwear called HeatGear Boxer Jocks
The material used to make HeatGear boxer jocks is a lot thinner and lighter weight than the fabric found in normal UA compression shorts ( 5.0 oz vs. 3.4 oz in 9" length, size XL) and they have a looser, less supportive fit in the crotch area which is far more comfortable, but could potentially pose a problem on high mileage days due to increased friction between body parts. (Was that discretely said?)
Last weekend, I tested 6 and 9 inch pairs of HeatGear boxerjocks on two 10 mile, fast paced hikes, wearing a fulll pack in hot and humid weather. I sweated a lot, but not nearly as much as I would if I had been wearing my heavier Under Armour compression shorts. Both of the leg lengths I tested worked fine, but the 6" pair soaked more around my important parts and between my thighs than the 9" pair, which I suspect is simply because the shorter pair has less fabric. This could become an issue on higher mileage days and being paranoid about such things, I am going to use the 9" pair on my next backpacking trip instead of the 6" pair. I hope to bag another 20+ mile day in the next week or so on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont, which wil be the ultimate test of this new underwear.
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i recently did a 100 mile trek over 5 days with the 9″ pair, with no chaffing, and i am known to chaff after anything 12-15 miles…I highly recommend them as i will be wearing them on any hike above 10 miles
Great endorsement. I also normally hike 15 miles/day but will be doing a lot of 20+ days this year.
I’ve used the 9″ boxerjocks under rather extreme conditions as a base under my military clothing. Up hills, down hills, running, tracking, etc. I absolutely love these over the Heatgear compression shorts which I originally used. Especially in those situations when I didn’t have the opportunity to change clothes for 2-3 days. Kept me from chafing, wicked sweat away and generally held up in the, uh, support role very well. I just wish UnderArmour would make them in colors other than white and black.
I was a Deputy Sheriff up until about a month ago and wore the Under Armor’s while on duty. When backpacking, however, and singularly for the stink factor, I went with the inexpensive merino wool boxer briefs from Minus 33 and haven’t had an issue since. For the price and performance, they are a must take for me.
I’ll have to check these out – been very happy with my existing UA’s, but could always do with a lighter pair. Interesting that the 6″ and 9″ wick differently..
these look great I will have to try them. Nice design change for the website.Looks good.
I’m a fan of the Exofficio boxer briefs which work great, but at $25 can be a little high. For $5 less, I’ll have to give these a shot next time I’m ready to buy some new ones! Also great to hear that they come in different lengths!
I also got to use the shorter length this weekend on a very strenuous 3 day backpacking trip and they performed excellently in warmer weather. I am sold on both length and plan to buy more of them this week.
I used these UA boxers while hiking in Arkansas during the summer. It was hot and humid as you may have guessed. I brought two pair to alternate over a four day period. These guys would not dry in the humidity. Even overnight they still were damp. I’m going to try them again in the Sierras this summer, which is a drier climate, and I hope they dry or maybe I’ll just go cammo…
The best way to dry them at night is to wear them in your sleeping bag and let your body dry them – but for me the most important benefit of these guys is that they completely eliminate chafing, wet or not.
Interesting strategy…. I shall try that. That probably would have cooled me off in Arkansas/July; however, it could initially be a little cool in the Sierras.