*Please note some of these products may no longer be available to purchase on the website*
This week, I am going to tell you what kind of underwear to wear. For me, this is not a decision to rush through, and having the right underwear can make all the difference. Whether I am getting ready to sweat it out in my drift boat on a long August day on the Roaring Fork, or bundling up to clear ice off of my guides on the lower Provo in January, my ExOfficio Give-N-Go undies are the first thing I reach for when I wake up.
Comfortable
The most important factor in my underwear decision will always be comfort. If the fabric directly next to my skin is uncomfortable in any way, then the underwear are useless. Everyone has that pair of undies in the drawer that just don’t fit quite right, and we all know that they only come out during laundry emergencies. The ExOfficio Give-N-Go boxers and boxer briefs are made with a tag-less waist band to eliminate itching and rubbing. The stretch diamond weave mesh fabric commands the boxer briefs to stay right where they belong all day. These are quite possibly the most comfortable travel/active next-to-skin layer out there.
Quick Drying
Cotton kills. Those two words should govern the way we prepare ourselves for time in the wilderness. It is easy to load up on all of the latest Simms and Patagonia insulation and outerwear while overlooking the most important layer. A new Gore-Tex jacket is great, but if your cotton tighty whiteys directly next to your skin are wet, you are in trouble. The ExOfficio Give-N-Go underwear line is extremely quick drying even in cold, humid weather. As a guide, I get wet almost every day, and it is critical that I dry off as fast as possible. No other pair of underwear dries as quickly in my experience.
Durable
When you pay top dollar for high tech, quick drying underwear you expect them to last. I have tried numerous other name brands and they have all left me a little disappointed in the durability category. It seems like other underwear brands use the thinnest fabric possible to reduce drying time. That may be fine for the casual user, but when they get used every week, they wear out way too fast. My three pairs of ExOfficio underwear are older than I want to talk about on the internet, and they are showing no signs of giving up.
While we may not be in control of what obstacles each day throws our way, we are in control of how we navigate those obstacles. I know for a fact that I perform a lot better when I am wearing my favorite undies. Ask anyone you know who has a pair and they will tell you the same thing. These underwear are worth every penny. The fly shop has these and other fly fishing underwear and base layers available for anglers. Who know that outfitting yourself with the proper apparel goes a long ways towards a successful day on the water.
Andy “Otter” Smith, Guide and Content Writer
