Anyone that’s traveled for an extended period of time understands the importance of having the right clothes for an active lifestyle. These clothes are usually lightweight, moisture wicking, odor repellant and easily washable.

In preparation for my work-and-play adventure in Central America, I received the AYG 365′s boxers and t-shirts made (in the USA) by Polarmax. Before even opening the packages, I immediately appreciated Polarmax’s green initiatives—their packaging indicates they use recycled materials and try to reduce their environmental footprint on the planet. They’re also a funny bunch with messages like “only dry wood here,” “feels like buttahh,” and my favorite of all, “able to leap tall buildings and hold buns of steel!”

I set-off on my 3½ month adventure with a full backpack and the confidence that I was carrying enough travel undies to be lazy with laundry and shirts despite many sweaty days of travel. So far, I’ve taken my Polarmax clothing on hikes through rural mountain communities in Nicaragua, long rides on re-purposed school buses (AKA “chicken buses”), runs in unfamiliar places (see Notes from Guatemala: Every Run is an Adventure), and relaxing sunset views on rooftops.

Boxer (Briefs): XTRdry Cotton, 4-way Stretch and Tech Silk, $24.95 - $29.95, www.polarmax.com

The Good: My mother always told me that the most important thing to have when traveling is enough clean underwear…Polarmax meets the criteria in a variety of styles and types.

The Bad: A couple of pairs are a bit, shall I say, breezy, and one is too small—nothing that Polarmax can’t solve by adding extra fabric or a button on the frontal area.

The Ugly: I hope future employers and people who Google my name don’t make too many judgments about me for writing an underwear review. I could have gone further by modeling them but restrained myself.

I am 5’7” with a runner-type body, so I typically wear a size small or medium for regular clothes and a small in nearly all technical clothing. Polarmax has a large variety of styles and fabrics, so I received two pairs of boxers and two pairs of boxer briefs to test out. As expected, some pairs fit better than others. But all pairs make do when I’m running low on undergarments after not hand washing my laundry in a sink for some time. More specifically:

• XTRdry Cotton Boxer Briefs: I absolutely love these boxer briefs. I could not have imagined an athletic cotton that had all the soft feel of cotton, minus the downsides of sweat, weight and slow drying. These fit really well, in part due to the 4% spandex in the material. They have become my go-to pair. I’ve also enjoyed using them as running boxers too. What more could you ask for but a pair of boxers for everything you want to do.
• XTRdry Cotton Boxers: These boxers are identical to the boxer briefs, but with a bit more legroom since they’re not briefs. They work well for a regular day in jeans and even for hiking around. They are the epitome of travel underwear in boxer form.
• Tech Silk Boxers: These boxers are identical to the XTRdry cotton boxers, but are instead made of a technical fabric. Great for travel! My only complaint is that they are in need of a bit more fabric in the front (see the conclusion).
• 4-Way Stretch Boxers: I am a big fan of synthetic boxer briefs for running. I was excited when I saw this pair thrown into the bunch. They’re made of 14% spandex and another technical-sounding fabric. After trying them on, I found that either the fabric didn’t have enough spandex or my tree trunk thighs are too big from running—I’ll assume the latter. Also, it’s hard to say this without airing out too much dirty laundry, but the front is way too breezy.. If the sizing were better, or perhaps if I had mediums, these would be a regular go-to for running and other activities.

Despite these sizing issues, all of the boxers and boxer briefs fit the “perfect for travel category.” They’re excellent for hand washing, air drying and beginning your next activity.

XTRdry Cotton T-Shirt and Tech Silk, $24.95 - $29.95, www.polarmax.com

The Good: Discovering that some cotton can be great for sweaty adventures and activities—shirts can be worn more than three times without being washed.

The Bad: Not all sizes are alike from fabric to fabric.

The Ugly: If I want to call attention to myself in a foreign country, bright red or turquoise definitely assist in this task.

From running lots of races, I’ve acquired lots of race shirts with all sorts of brands, sizes and fabrics. I have discovered that no two technical fabrics are alike. Some fabrics feel good and some don’t. A size small in one fabric is a large in another. The same case is made with the Polarmax shirts. These shirts are made out of the same materials as the boxers. I love the feel of both of the shirts, but fell in love with one shirt in particular.

• Tech Silk T-Shirt: The bright turquoise tech silk shirt I received has a great feel and functions well in hot and sticky weather. However, even in a size small, I was swimming in this shirt.  If it was a perfect fit, I’m sure it would be a go-to for everything I do.
• XTRdry Cotton T-Shirt: I love this red shirt. As with the XTRdry cotton boxers, this shirt performs just as well in its cotton and spandex combination. Before even departing for Central America, I took this shirt on several runs in sticky-humid weather and for a day on the largest aerial tree wire course in North America. I find myself wearing this shirt a lot as a day-to-day shirt and for my outdoor activities. The fabric is soft, the fit is close to my skin but not too tight and it handles moisture well. I even rung out my sweat on the sidewalk after a humid run and it dried soon after. Best part of all is that it doesn’t hold odor like most tech fabrics. I wore it multiple times with no need to wash the shirt—yeah, yeah…gross, but it’s great when you’re not in the mood to hand wash.

Sizing is not great for the tech silk, but perhaps in the future the sizing will be improved to be a truer small—suggestion, add spandex. As for the performance cotton, it rocks. I’m a convert! I would recommend both of these shirts for travel, adventures and your day-to-day trudge through life.

 

 

 

 

 

Tags:  apparel backpacking boxers camping columbia sportswear cotton hiking polarmax tech transdry travel travel shirt underwear wicking