It was a sunny day in the mountains; we enjoyed an eight mile hike and built up a sweat.  Now we are at a patio restaurant.  The sun is still shining and my outer clothes are dry.  But the breeze picks up, and I begin to get cold. I feel the dampness of my unmentionables.  Earlier in the restroom, I also had difficulties pulling them up and down because of the dampness of them sticking to my skin.  Later I know that I will have a painful rash.  It is at least three hours before I get home and can change.

I believe that this is a common problem, but nobody really wants to talk about it.  It is embarrassing to talk about the rash that is so much like a diaper rash or the dampness that clings to the cotton clothing for too long making us uncomfortable.  There is a fix for the problem though.

It took me some time and reading before I even knew that there was an alternative to the traditional undergarments.  Of course I knew about sports bras, but not being an athlete, I didn’t know that there were undergarments that could help alleviate the problem.  But, reading blogs and personal experiences, I started picking up on the fact that there are indeed moisture wicking undergarments as there is clothing.  I have a few shirts, and I like how they keep my back from becoming soaked during a hike. So, I went to my favorite place to investigate purchases, Amazon.  I found a large selection of underwear and began reading the feedback.  Basically what I found out was that the preference was a very personal thing.  I looked at the comments regarding the durability and the ones posted by curvy women.  Then I finally chose by cost and durability.  I bought a three pack of Balanced Tech Women’s Seamless Bikini Panties.  Then I looked at the moisture wicking sports bras.  I found the same issue there and used the same criteria for that purchase.  I bought Champion Women’s Curvy Show-Off Sports Bra Mesh.

When my package arrived, I was excited to try out the garments to see if they would help me.  I planned a hike, donned my clothing, and set out.  The underwear was very comfortable and light.  They fit well, almost like I wasn’t wearing them.  They never slipped nor bunched.  At the end of the hike they were damp, but they slid over my skin without any sticking.  Later in the day I was still comfortable in them, and I never got a rash.

The sports bra wasn’t as pleasing as the underwear.  First the fit was off.  I had more coverage in a bikini, and that is not good for an overweight full figured woman hiking over the hills.  Then I noticed that I was damp, and the dampness didn’t go away very fast.  I think I had the same results with my normal sports bra and better coverage.  I didn’t notice the damp marks on my clothing though, but that is not a typical experience for me.  That only happens on the hottest of the days hiking.

So the results:  I would spend the extra money on the moisture wicking underwear but not on the sports bra.  Trial and experience are the best lesson for me, and I am happy to have found a solution for the rash and dampness.