Don’t mean to sound to graphic, but sometimes when I’m hiking, I have had a problem with chaffing in my groin area. I have another hiker friend who says he has had the same problem. Does anyone have a solution that works to prevent this?
Backpackmac
Umm......chaffing
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#2
Easy, just don’t sweat in the groin area.
Seriously though there are a couple of options that help in preventing but nothing is a cure all as far as I know. Gold Bond powder is suppose to work great and heard vasoline as well. The only problem is that it must be reapplied every few hours while hiking, even more so on the hotter days. You can also buy the shorts with a liner that aid in keeping everything in place and minimizes movement. I used them this year and sometimes the liner was irritating itself. The year before I disregarded all types of underwear and it worked for me. But there are gonna be days when it is so hot and you hike so far that nothing will stop it from occuring. It seemed to me that the longer I hiked the less susceptible I was to it.
Ganj
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#3
I had problems to with chaffing near groin and thigh areas. I bought these north face shorts (wish i knew what material they are, i cut the tag out). They are soft and stretchy material, kinda like bike shorts. I wear those on the trail as underwear and then throw a normal pair of shorts over them. Haven’t had any chaffing problems since.
A-train
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#4
Maybe I should have let Bushwhack address this one, but since he’s asleep and I have insomnia…he had a similar setup to A-train’s. He wore kind of a danskin bike short under his regular shorts…that seemed to really do the trick. We saw/heard of some nasty cases of chaffing on the trail. One guy had crimson semi circles halfway down and aroundhis thighs. He said he was okay, but that had to hurt!
Bramble 01
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#5
Okay, I’m awake now. Look in the womens section of any good sporting goods store. Lycra Spandex shorts in a neutral color, un less you like paisley, medium for a 3" waste. Who says you can’t cross dress on the AT? Don’t chaffe a bit.
Bushwhack
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#6
We always joked we should change my trail name to Uncle Fester. With the chafing, pack sores, poison ivy… I was a mess. It all stopped when I picked up a kilt at the outfitter in Harpers. The mooning of tour busses by accident in Shennendoah increased, but the chafing literally stopped. Once you go kilt, you’ll never go back.
Grimace MEGA '01
Grimace
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#7
I was told by a guy that I saw on the trail that he wore pantyhose everyday to combat the problem of chaffing. Said he didn’t have anymore problems once he used this as his solution. He would cut off most of the leg part of the pantyhose so that they could be hidden by his shorts so that no one knew he was wearing them. Haven’t tried this myself so have no idea if it works. Adds an extra demention to the discussion of the cross dressing mentioned above. 
Pushing Up Daisies
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#9
I have tried most of the above ideas and most work quite well. The kilt is a very good way to go. Vaseline works but is quite messy. A better alternative is a product my wife introduced me to. It is called Body Glide. It is a lubricant that is non-petroleum based and is applied like roll on deoderant. It is sold in high end running stores. It is very effective under the arms to prevent shoulder strap irritation as well. It also can help in preventing blisters.
Forrest Phil
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#10
Or was that the other one? I used a medicated powder in all the nether areas as a matter of coarse: feets when I dip in the river, peaces parts. I got all the rag for “you carry foot powder!”. No blisters! Also seemed to help to wash up every night and get the salt off especially if you sweat like hell.
Another point of interest…or not is one small break in the 'oll bio-membrane and the cooties come right on in. I believe Aswah or maybe it was Heald that had mushrooms growing from his crotch. I’ll hang with the good powder chaff or no. Ever do a twenty walking side saddle?
Bushwhack
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#11
I never got chaffing hiking, but with ultramarathoning, I’ve had bad 'bouts with it, my advice, listen to Bushwhack and get the womens lycra spandex shorts, those have saved me in the past. I’ve tried body-glide, that works too but it’s a hassle on 6-8 hour affairs, I can’t imagine how much of a hassle it would be after 6-8 months! Well, not much really of a hassle, but a permanent fix would definately be unpadded biker shorts or bushwhack’s aerobic shorts.
PS- Lonewolf, are you coming to Mountain Masochist? I’ll be there (Matt Kirk)
Sweeper
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#12
I went with the women’s “brand” of shorts because they were made of brushed nylon and grabbed your thigh like cotton. Most biker shorts seemed to slippery and road up my leg on an up hill.
Bushwhack
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#13
The outfitter in Kent, CT carried ‘Sport Slick’. Valley Girl
used ‘Body Glide’, available at sporting goods stores, and it
worked for him.
I only chaffed on high mileage days, over 15 mi., even in July.
I’m sure it’s sweat/salt and the boys hangin’ low. Washing
at days end seemed to help.
Did Roadrunner make it to Katahdin? She had the drive to make it.
Scamp
Scamp