Hiking can be a fantastic pastime and is definitely one of the best ways to explore nature. However, those long hikes can quickly turn into a nightmare when your legs and inner thighs begin to chafe. Worse, once the chafing starts, there’s not much you can do to lessen the pain. Therefore, it’s important that you know how to prevent chafing on a hike to ensure you don’t regret your decision halfway through.
Keep Yourself Clean
One of the most important things you can do to prevent chafing on a hike is to make sure you remember to properly wash, clean, and dry your nether regions before setting off. If it’s a multiple day trip, it’s always a good idea to wash up a bit at the end of each day.
Wear Synthetic Underwear
You might find cotton underwear more comfortable to wear, but they’re generally the last thing you’ll want to have on when hiking or doing any other strenuous activity where chafing could become an issue. The reason is that cotton will soak up sweat, which then causes the fabric to bunch up and rub against your skin. This wet skin and rubbing is a recipe to make you chafe almost immediately, which is why many people choose to hike in compression or bicycle shorts.
Treat Your Skin with Zinc Oxide
Another good way to prevent chafing on a hike is to apply a bit of zinc oxide cream to your inner thighs before setting off. This is the same stuff your mom probably used to prevent diaper rash (another form of chafing), and it can be effective at both preventing chafing and also treating it. The cream works to soothe and nourish sore skin and also provides added lubrication.
Powder Up
Using an anti-chafing powder or even corn starch is another great way to prevent chafing on a hike. Whereas the zinc oxide should be used before you start for the day, you can continue to apply the powder any time that your legs are starting to feel sweaty or sticky. The powder will both help absorb the sweat and also provide a lubricating effect.
In general, trying to avoid becoming too sweaty is obviously the best way to prevent chafing on a hike. This means make sure not to keep your shirt tucked in and even changing your underwear if they begin to get soaked in sweat. By taking all of these simple steps, you should easily be able to ensure that chafing doesn’t make your next hike miserable.
Featured Image from Lucaxx Freire/Unsplash
