ExOfficio
Men’s Give-N-Go Boxer Brief
- 94% Nylon
- 6% Lycra® Spandex
April 12, 2010
by Anderson Bowman
I am rather skeptical when it comes to under garments made from all synthetic materials. My limited experience has been one of comfort, but at the cost of a smell that is unspeakable and evil. Lucky for me, ExOffico has sent me a pair of Men’s Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs to wear on the trail this spring.
Despite being made of all synthetic materials, the Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs are supposed to be rather stink resistant due to the Aegis Microbe Shield that is built into the fabric. I will say that they are rather nice looking (black is the ONLY color for hiking underwear) and soft to the touch and I really do hope that they surpass my limited expectations in the stink department after some serious use this spring on the trails in Southeast Texas.
The first thing I did was try them on and this underwear is nice. They fit well and do not seem to want to ride up in the crotch, which can be an issue with loose fitting boxer briefs. Another little item that really impressed me was the fact that they have a functioning fly. A lot of synthetic boxer briefs I have used for hiking or exercise do not come with a functioning fly and I have no clue why. The frustration of having to completely drop your pants to use the potty on the move is not something a male should ever have to deal with especially just because your fancy underwear is not built for convenience.
So right out of the packet the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs have scored some points with me. Now all I have to do is put them through the ringer of hiking and trail running and see if they really hold up and survive or if they become just another casualty of my outdoors adventures.
Givin and Goin with ExOfficio
by Anderson Bowman
May 13, 2010
After a month of hard use I am pretty amazed at the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs. I have worn them at least every other day and on several occasions, two or three days in a row. Most of the time I just have them on for a couple of hours while I run or hike, but I have also worn them all day on several occasions. My goal for the first month was simple; if I was going to go outside and get sweaty, I needed to have the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs on.
I have hiked, run, and mowed the yard in the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs. My first fear was that they would develop a nasty odor from such high levels of use but the odors never materialized. After the first week of use they were washed, but trust me on the fact that they did not have the funk attached that I had expected. When I run, I sweat, and the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs have soaked up more than their fair share of it without giving back in what I refer to as “synthetic cloth special.”
I have washed these briefs once a week during the first month mainly as a precaution, but I am still amazed (from prior experience) that they have not developed some horrible and permanent odor. Synthetic fabrics always seem to do this to me, but not the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs. At this point (and after 4 washings) the antimicrobial treatment seems to be holding up and I will be paying very special attention to this feature as the summer progresses. My hope is that it holds up for the entire three months. If it does, then it will prove to me that the treatment is pretty durable. What this means in real life is that if used for hiking, they are going to be nice and stink free for a long time. I cannot remember the last time that I washed my hiking undies 12 times in a three month period. Maybe once or twice per month, but never four.
Another facet of the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs that I really like is how well they have held their shape and size. All under garments will stretch when worn day after day, but these still retain a decent amount of stretch after several days’ use. So far they have not stretched out between washings or gotten loose and bunched up in any uncomfortable ways. This is important to me because on lengthy hiking trips there are no convenient dryers on the trail to dry and shrink up ill fitting underwear.
Finally I want to touch on the drying factor. After a good run it takes me anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes to get back to the house. I cannot claim that the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs dry on the drive home, but there are large dry areas and large sweaty areas that are apparent when I get to the house. By the next morning, everything is dry, and this is just from sitting on the side of the tub. The material is also fairly soft and comfortable after air drying. It is probably not the freshest piece of clothing at this point, but it does not have a nasty, crusty, “been worn way to much” feel to it after drying over night.
I have been very pleased with the performance of the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs to this point. There are several over night and multi-day hiking trips in my near future which means that I will get a chance to wear these briefs for extended periods and see just how well they do when really abused.
Heating up with Ex Officio
by Anderson Bowman
June 30, 2010
As much as I think everyone has been wondering about it, there will be no pictures of me in the ExOfficio Give-N-Go Men’s Boxer Brief. I am not a pretty man without clothes and having on just my underwear does nothing for me either, so I can put that rumor to rest right now.
The last month in Texas has been hotter than even I like. The daily temperatures have been running around 95 F and that means lots of sweat, no matter what I am doing. Everything from fishing, to running, to day hiking, and everything in between is done in an environment that is brutal during the day and just a tad bit more bearable in the mornings or evenings.
The good news about all of this is that the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs held up to the worst that summer has to offer around here. I have done everything from fishing, camping, hiking, and running in these briefs and at this point I am pretty amazed.
The biggest test put them two was a three day trip in the Sam Houston National Forest. I hiking in to a spot I know and love on the shores of Lake Conroe. The weather was hot, the lake was wet, and the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs were the perfect underwear to have on.
Despite being sweaty, they held their shape pretty well and did not stretch out. The black color and good fit made them perfect swim trunks as well. They cover enough to keep me from being self conscious (never was seen though) and they work just fine for an afternoon swim when I do not want to get my hiking pants wet.
After the swim I only had to dance around in the heat for about 45 minutes before I felt the briefs were dry enough to allow me to put my pants back on. For the next couple of days, that was my daily routine; day hikes, fish, swim, and put the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs to the test.
After three (nearly four) days out I got back and decided to give the briefs the old sniff test. Yes, it is part of the job to sniff dirty clothes to see just how much trail stink they pick up after several hot days in the Texas heat. The good news that while they were not laundry fresh, the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs did not smell nearly as bad as I thought they should have.
This lack of over powering funk was something that the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs seemed to live up to pretty well. Even when I was wearing them to run three days a week and only washing them every two weeks, they never really stank like I thought they should. I have to give ExOfficio a big thumbs up on what ever their anti-microbial treatment is because it damn sure works.
After three months I have to say that the ExOfficio Given-N-Go Boxer Briefs are probably the best active/outdoor underwear I have used. They are not only comfortable, but well constructed and hold their shape even after several days of continuous wear. They dry fast and it takes a lot to get them really smelly and even then, they do not seem to hold a nasty odor too well.
I have an idea that these briefs are going to get even more abuse and use as the summer heats up. It is a good feeling to know that they are more than capable of taking what I have to dish out without sacrificing comfort, good construction, and a fashionable look.
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