Comfortable & Quick-Drying Women’s Underwear for a Campervanning Hiker

Lowe Alpine Dry Flo – the original and the best. These are still keeping me comfortable after fifteen years! I am gutted that Lowe Alpine have stopped making them.

Runderwear Women’s Running Hot Pants, around £20. These are designed for runners and have a boxer-style fit. I find the seamless design is comfortable to wear and chafe free on long hikes. In many ways these are closest to my much-loved Lowe Alpine underwear. I haven’t tried them in extremely hot weather yet but my guess is they will perform well. The waistband is elasticated and feels substantial and I thought this might affect their quick drying properties but after handwashing they dried overnight in our ‘van. Two years in these feel good as new.

Ortovox Women’s Hot Pants with Merino wool, an extravagant £40+ worth of knicker. These are a generously-sized pair of pants, they feel soft and are like wearing what I imagine gossamer to feel like. I like to wear and buy natural fibres and the breathability of merino wool is refreshing to wear. They claim to be durable for years of use but only time will tell how robust they will be, they feel so delicate. I have had merino wool t-shirts that have lasted decades and others that haven’t done so well. They are a tad loose around the legs but they are still great under lycra cycling shorts. They wash well and dry overnight too. After four years they are still fantastic to wear, are my choice for a long hike and I splashed out on another pair in black.

Athlecia Women’s Mucht Seamless Hot Pants. At £25 for a pack of two, these are good value. The lightweight synthetic fibre fabric feels cool to wear and they are seam-free but the cut isn’t generous. These would suit you if you want more discrete underwear that isn’t high waisted and might be better on someone with a flatter stomach. I find I am constantly having to readjust this underwear around the crotch, not an attractive look! They wash easily and dry quickly but are not comfortable enough for hiking. After giving these a good trial I decided they weren’t comfortable enough to wear. They are still at the back of my knicker drawer!

Microfibre Boxers Ladies High Waist Shorts. For everyday use at home, when quick drying isn’t important, I wear microfibre undies for walking and cycling. The big downside is that they don’t dry quickly enough for hand washing and drying in our campervan. They would suit anyone who uses the laundry facilities when you are away or takes all the washing home. Unfortunately, the small company I orginally purchased mine from is no more, so I began the search for something similar. After many internet rabbit holes I found Outfigured. Their ComfyStretch Boxer Shorts are soft and easy-wear and wash well. At the moment they are only available from size 14 upwards. I would normally be a 12/14 but being so stretchy, their 14/16 works for me.