I have done a few lomg hikes and was looking for advice on "protection " from chafing etc... on long walks ,

I am looking for hints tips etc.. You know -use of talc , going commando that sort of thing...


all help will be appreciated

t

lycra shorts (of course under your clothes) or boxer briefs always worked for me along with gold bond.

Ditto on the lycra shorts. As you become conditioned to long distance walking the chaffing will stop and you can do it commando if you want.

They make this stuff called Body Glide that a lot of triathalon types use. It's like a solid deodorant stick. Scent free, not oily, etc. Even works on your heels for blisters and it has sunscreen in it too.

Imagine getting out of the saltwater and cycling for 100 miles in a wet suit? Your boys could get prety raw.

You can buy Body Glide at most running specialty shops, and I've seen it at some backpackng stores too.

I had a horrendous chaffing problem during my Appalachian Trail Thru-hike.  What killed it in the hot weather was going without underwear or liners in the shorts.  That made a huge difference.  Things stayed drier and there was just less stuff rubbing my skin.

When the temps started dropping I switched to compression shorts.  I went with hind Drylete shorts and then Hind Drylete tights for Autumn hiking. The shorts and tights take the rubbing, not your skin. The added advantage is that Drylete wicks sweat like crazy and dries real fast.

In military use, I'm not sure what you can get away with, especially in training where they tend to dictate your options.

i've heard of eunuchs not having this problem.

I have not tried it but I have heard of duct tape applied to areas of the feet that are prone to blisters. The tape must be applied before the blister starts. You will get more miles out of your feet.
just my $.02
Samuel

Wouldn't 2 pairs of thick hiking socks be better?

Ditto on the spandex shorts.  Also wash up when you get the chance.  Bring enough socks so that you can change every couple of days.  If you have to cut back, bring more thin inner socks and fewer thicker ones so you can rotate the inside socks daily.  Do some long training hikes/walks in your gear to get your body used to it as well.  Talc and vaseline always ended up wearing off on me after a few miles.  If you are only going a short distance every day it might be enought, but if you are covering a lot of ground go with liners.  One last thing that helped me was to switch to all synthetic clothing.  Smart wool or ultimax socks, ex officio shorts, and spun polyester T-shirts.  They are warmer when damp and don't deform as much when they get loaded up with perspiration.  

if your thighs are rubbing together, try losing some weight.

You callin' me fat ? huh , four eyes....


t