Hiking boxer briefs or briefs: which should you choose?
By day three of a trek without washing, the crotch rubs with every step and the fabric holds on to yesterday’s odour. The UNDER boxer briefs have a longer cut that extends down the thighs and stays in place, helping prevent the friction that causes irritation. The JULIOZ briefs weigh 58 g in size M, don’t ride up during activity and don’t bunch under trousers.
If your thighs rub when you walk or run, choose the boxer briefs; if you want minimal fabric under your trousers, choose the briefs. Both are designed for people spending consecutive days outdoors without access to laundry facilities; the UNDER stays fresh even on races of several hundred kilometres.
Seamless or dual-fabric: what helps reduce chafing
Under a loaded pack, your trouser waistband presses against your hips, and even a small seam can mark your skin after a few hours. The UNDER is seamless, eliminating friction where it meets your trousers. Its crotch design leaves your legs free on steep climbs. Compare the two models:
- Weight: 58 g for the JULIOZ briefs in size M, 100 g for the UNDER boxer briefs.
- Construction: seamless on the UNDER; two fabrics placed according to body zone on the JULIOZ.
- Waistband: wide elastic on the UNDER; flat elastic with no raised seam on the JULIOZ.
- Fabric: quick-drying on the UNDER; stretchy and highly breathable on the JULIOZ.
For a long outing, choose the seamless boxer briefs. Its waistband stays in place without squeezing your waist, even when you bend.
Polygiene StayFresh odour control: several days without washing
At a mountain hut or on a bivvy, you can’t wash your clothes every evening. Both models feature Polygiene StayFresh technology, which limits the growth of odour-causing bacteria. The treatment is built into the fabric: it changes neither its breathability nor its feel, and lets you go longer between washes over several active days.
In the evening, rinse your base layer at your overnight stop and leave it to dry: the UNDER fabric dries quickly. Take two pairs on a multi-day trek: wear one while the other dries.
What size technical boxer briefs should you choose?
Boxer briefs that are too loose bunch under your trousers within the first hour. Choose your usual size in the UNDER. Its close, second-skin fit keeps the fabric against your skin to wick away moisture. If you’re between sizes, choose the smaller one for a more secure fit.
Both models are worn next to the skin, under hiking trousers, shorts or tights. Under trail shorts that already have built-in briefs or fitted shorts, they’re optional: decide what feels best on a trial run.
Thermal long johns and shorts with built-in briefs: complete your kit
In winter, “caleçon” can also mean long johns worn under trousers. Find these thermal base layers, in merino wool or synthetic fabric, in our men’s thermal base layers ; find the full range in our thermal base layers.
For trail running, several shorts have a built-in layer: briefs in the ASPE and fitted shorts in the LAVAREDO. See our men’s trail shorts and trousers. For women, the THABOR shorts have built-in briefs and the RESTONICA has built-in fitted shorts. Find them in our women’s trail running shorts and trousers. For your feet, choose hiking socks which also help prevent chafing.
