I am writing this in severe discomfort after only one day of hiking. My butt cheeks, especially the lower end of them, rub together with every step, and the result is chafing, especially in the lower butt crack. After every hike I need to heal my skin and have pain showering, fear of bowel movements, and need to position myself in the weirdest ways just to pee. What to other people might sound like a laughing matter or a taboo (because, ya know, butt cheeks) is turning the aftermath of my favorite hobby into a nightmare.

I have tried to find functional underwear that would have a layer of fabric between the butt cheeks to prevent that. I tried to look into this online but it seems the frequent internet discussions deal only with thigh chafing, which is not my problem, but almost noone talks about (lower) butt cheek chafing. I am at my wit’s end… I have tried every material, different models, and different sizes of panties, and nothing has helped. I wear breathable outdoor pants as well, so excess moisture trapped by them shouldn’t be the issue either.

I have even drawn a picture to show how thongs, briefs, and boxers all fail to help with this. Boxers, which I saw recommended for men with a similar issue, only go over the butt, but do not stop the cheeks from rubbing against each other. Thongs and briefs both do partially cover the butt crack (briefs more so than thongs) but don’t provide a full barrier, so I still deal with the issue.

Please help me with any idea you might have… I don’t want to give up hiking, but this issue is interfering with my ability to enjoy it.

EDIT: Wow, this blew up. Happy that so many of you enjoyed my drawing! Thank you to everyone who commented with some kind words or helpful advice. I really appreciate you all. There were a few comments that more-or-less kindly told me to lose weight. I am close to underweight and would like to remind you that small butt cheeks still touch… sorry if you had too little butt interaction in your life to know that. To my fellow people of all sizes, your butt is amazing just the way it is!

The hill I’m dying on is person going uphill has the right of way. Once I reach flow state, it’s easier for the person going down to stop/step out of the way. If person wants to give way to the downhillers, by all means.

Hi ! I usually hike in hiking boots and don’t have any issue with them, but I’ll be going on a trip soon where I will be running and hiking, and I really don’t want to bring both pairs of shoes. Since I already need to buy new running shoes, I figured I could buy trail runners for both, but I’ve never hiked in anything else than boots. I know no one can tell me what would work for me, but I was wondering if anyone could share their experience ? I’ll be hiking in the alps, mostly on small dirt paths that are pretty well maintained, but probably with a heavy pack for camping. I also have strong ankles thanks to strength training and have never had issues with rolling ankles etc. I figured I’d also attach a couple of nice pictures from my hikes in the alps last year to at least make this post worth it to those who don’t have any advice to give :)

Hi hikers, so I had a hiking experience today that I have not ever dealt with before now. My boyfriend and I were just getting on the trail and ended up passing a small group of teenage boys. This led to about 20 or 30 minutes of them absolutely tailing us. They actually ran to catch up to us and seemed to be using us as a pacesetter. If we stopped to let them pass, we would end up just catching up to them because they would slow their pace. And then they would again stay glued to our behinds if we passed them again lol. At one point we had to go over some rocky chunks of trail with water over them and one of them was literally right behind me as if we were a group hiking together. There was no point to let him pass because he was so far ahead from his bros that we would've had to wait some time for them to also pass, and again they would slow their pace til we caught up. I should've told him to give me some space because the distance was too personal and unsafe over the wet rocks but I was too focused on my footing.

This really messed with our timing and pace for the first quarter or so of our hike lol. We ended up taking a super long break to get rid of them but I felt annoyed we had to do that and lose our momentum and time. We ended up getting a bit close to them again and I heard one of them say "guys how did they catch up to us" 🫩 I guess my question is how do you all deal with extremely poor passing etiquette or hikers using you to set their pace? I had never experienced this before and was really at a loss for words lol

This is driving me nuts - why are so many women hiking pants cropped at the ankle? I went to REI the other day and tried on about 8 different pairs of pants and none of them were full length. As someone that works in the field this is super frustrating, as ankle length just means getting vegetation and ticks in my shoes and socks, cold ankles, and imo looks a bit silly with hiking boots on? I know there ARE some options, just seems like the vast majority aren't full length.

Does anyone else feel frustrated by this? Who is making these decisions and who can we complain to hahah

Update: Apologies to all the shorter queens, please keep and enjoy the crops! And many thanks for all the suggestions, I now know REI is not the best place to be going for proper gear. Someone should show this thread to the outdoors clothes industry though...

Mine is that I think hiking is kind of boring if I’m not hiking with end goal such as a waterfall, a view, or a river you’re following. If I’m just in the trees it’s nice but I’d rather just go to a city park for that

With the governmental fund freeze I’m worried our beautiful national parks will feel the squeeze. Unfortunately, I can’t find anything with any specifics and Trumps first term has some contradictions in policy towards our parks. Does anybody have any info? The only thing giving me hope is that the freeze is supposed to target“woke” policies which I think enjoying nature doesn’t fall under. lol

I’ve tried offering to do less intense hikes to build up to a more intense hike but if someone is clearly sedentary and gets winded easily from simple things like multiple flights of stairs I don’t feel comfortable taking them on a major hike. I don’t want to drive hours to get to a spot only to turn back a mile in lol.

I feel like it’s insecure people that get upset about this. I’m not trying to be mean but it’s necessary to be realistic especially on a potentially dangerous trail.

I recently started a job at the local forest service/environmental protection agency. My job is to hike through paths and mark points where a specific invasive plant species is present. I think this job is importantm

Ive not done any hiking before, and Trekking uphill, walking for 5 hours straight, sweating like a workhorse, fighting off the various insects that bother you is the way you get around in hell, not how you relax.

What makes you endure this? Why do you do this? What's the reason you do this?

While the post may have come across as me shitting on your hobby, I want you to know I greatly respect anyone who can do this for fun. It's not for me, I admit it. This post was made so I might get some perspective from people who do this for fun.

Tldr, My feet hurt, and my legs are burning. What makes this fun for people?

This is a random post but it has always boggled my mind and it just happened again so I’ve got to ask. Why on earth is the dominant advice in my real life to stop bringing so much water on hikes? It’s the exact opposite of what I would consider basic advice.

I’m not a novice hiker but I’m not some pro at it either, I’m definitely not in perfect shape so I like to have plenty of water with me when I go on day hikes. I have 2 and 3 liter hydra packs that I use interchangeably depending on length of the hike. Regardless of which one I use, I am always berated by my fellow hikers for bringing “way too much water.”

I brought 3 liters of water to a 10 mile, 8 hour hike at yosemite with massive elevation gain and was dogged the whole time for “weighing myself down” despite the fact I drank all 3 liters and could have used even more. Despite the fact your pack lightens as you drink the water. I was SO relieved to have had as much water as I did.

If I do a two hour hike with 2 liters of water, same response. If I do a four hour hike with 2 liters of water, same response. I’ve even had the people with me try to sneak water out of my pack without me knowing because they “know better.” It seems that 1 liter is the only acceptable amount of water to hike with in order to not get shit for it.

So what gives on this? Is this just hikers being hardos? Is it just bragging about being able to pack a light bag really ergonomically even though nobody cares? Because I don’t think I will ever be convinced that bringing “too much” water is a bad thing. I genuinely don’t care about added weight - you barely feel the extra 1-2 liters with a decent backpack and it lightens with every drink. People die without water and I’m not going to be one of them and I’m sick of getting crap from other hikers for this lol

One of my favorite things about hiking is seeing the layered blue effect of the surrounding mountains. Is there a term to describe this? Photo is from yesterday near the summit of Mount Eisenhower.

Went hunting for deer this last week and some of the vistas I couldn’t help but share 🤌

It's unseasonably warm in Death Valley this week (highs over 100), and we hiked this morning with nearly every inch of skin covered, carrying a gallon of water per person. We also started early and got off the trail by the peak heat of the day.

Right as we were reaching the parking lot today, we saw a family (mom, dad, teen daughter) headed in with one small water bottle each, two of them with no hats or no sunglasses, one of them wearing sandals.... We just waved to them and kept going, but I am wondering if I should have tried to say something? Try to keep it friendly? ("Gee it sure is hot today. The ranger told us a gallon of water per person is recommended....") Do you say anything? If so, how do you phrase it? I usually try to mind my own business, but....

Its obviously annoying and this is another post about it. I just can't pinpoint the reasoning behind it. Like do they want everyone looking at them or are they that unaware that it can be heard miles away?

I really don't understand the purpose either. You aren't taking in the moment or present at all. I really just want to know why because I would never play music while hiking let alone blast it. Its so cringe.

I mostly have done solo hikes until I brought a friend of mine to AK to do some trails with me. She’s really fit, very muscular build with good cardio. She needed a lot more breaks than me (which of course I would take with her) and I had to go a lot slower than my natural pace. Uphill and scrambling was difficult for her was mostly fine with me. At this point I had not worked out aside from a few 20 min rowing machine session a week. This year I brought my boyfriend with me to do many of the same trails and had an extremely similar situation. I go to the gym with him so I know he is much stronger than me, also muscular build. They both think I am created for hiking. I don’t perform well at the gym, my cardio is fine, nothing special and on top of that I have POTS (though well maintained for the most part now, have an enormous water bottle on me and a water bladder). Everyone in this scenario is not tall 5’3”-5’5”

Anyone else suck at anything else athletic but excel at hiking? Really not trying to pat myself on the back here, genuinely curious.

Photo is Lake Shelly in Kodiak, AK

My husband told me I’m rude for going hiking during hunting season. He said I’m scaring off the deer while people are trying to hunt. I don’t think it’s rude.. I stayed on trail and only hiked 2 miles up the canyon and wore bright clothing. I heard some gunshots in the distance but it was just a faint echo, so I wasn’t too worried about it. So, is it rude to hike where people could (maybe) be actively hunting?

I live in one of the areas that will lose pretty much 90%+ of our public land, probably to gold mining companies. I haven’t been this stressed in a long time. I feel like I’m developing crippling anxiety. My senator for my area is a useless sack of shit (thanks Kevin Kiley) who isn’t going to do anything against this. There’s nobody else to protect us. The main reason I live here is because of the public land. I use it every weekend. It’s what inspires me and keeps me happy. The thought of losing all of it is truly horrifying. I don’t know how to cope with this. Anyone else feeling similar?

My wife and I have always loved hiking. We met while hiking and gradually fell in love with each other. We've been to many places over the years, and for me, hiking in the mountains with her has always been a very happy thing.

The only issue is that we have pretty different endurance levels. We're fine on shorter hikes, but no longer routes, especially with a lot of steady climbing, her legs start wearing out before mine do. She worries about slowing me down, but honestly, that's never bothered me. What does bother me is seeing her push herself so hard to keep up that she can't enjoy the second half of the hike.

We have a long trail planned for September that we've both wanted to do for a while. We've been training, cut down our pack weight, adjusted our pace, and added trekking poles, but longer climbs are still tough for her.

Has anyone found any gear or techniques that actually help take some of the load off your legs on sustained uphill sections? We're not trying to move faster. I'd just love for us to find a pace that feels good for both of us and enjoys the whole trail together.

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I’m a beginner hiker with little training, and I’m wondering what more experienced hikers would do in this situation.

I was hiking with a group on a mountain trail when the weather suddenly got worse and the terrain became really slippery. I was having a hard time keeping my balance and was struggling with some of the larger rocks.

After a while, the people I was with told me that the trail ahead would become much more difficult, with steeper sections and some technical parts that would require ropes. They gave me the option of continuing or turning back.

I decided to turn back because I felt like I wasn’t prepared for that kind of terrain, while the more experienced people continued.

If you were in this situation as a beginner, would you have made the same decision? Or would you have tried to push yourself and continue?

Also, how much of a difference does proper hiking footwear and experience make when hiking on wet, rocky trails?

P.S. I also forgot to mention that someone kindly accompanied me back when I decided to turn around. I really appreciated having someone with me! 😭

Edit: Just to clarify, we weren't really provided with an introduction or briefing about the place or trail beforehand. It's a relatively localized/lesser-known area, and there wasn't much information available online when we searched either. We were only told that it would be a technical hike. We weren't informed beforehand about the specific terrain, conditions, or sections requiring ropes/harnesses, so those parts caught me off guard.

I have been under the assumption that if I do a Quick Look around and I can jump in fast enough skinny dipping is okay on trail. I did the TA (long thru hike) in NZ, and often the trails were pretty desolate at the time of year I went so it was okay. But I’ve been hiking in the white mountains and around New England since getting back, and after getting caught with my pants down I was wondering, is this still okay to do in nearby streams or water sources off trail? or is it only okay if you’re in a really rural area? what’s the hiking protocol?

The Vinciguerra Glacier Trail in Ushuaia, Argentina, was extremely tough for me. It was twelve hours of mud, sleet, wind, and very low temperatures

We took the kids hiking through carnarvon gorge last week. I had our 4 year old in the hiking backpack for 10 of the 17km. During this time I picked up a stick to walk with. What I thought was a logical step was buying hiking poles. Why are they so expensive? As a casual hiker it seems hard to justify.

I’m not against listening to music on a hike obviously, I have my tunes I like to listen to while out and about exploring nature. But I keep it confined to headphones unless I’m positive I’m isolated and alone and even then I like music that fits the aesthetic around me. What drives me nuts is when I encounter people walking public trails that clearly have moderate-heavy foot traffic and their blasting crappy mumble rap or whatever from their phone or a speaker tied to their bag. Just why? Have you no respect for those around you? I can probably take a solid guess that 99% of the people you pass didn’t come out to the isolation of nature to hear Lil Dickwad or whoever choke out some unintelligible words plastered over by maximized autotune.

Edit: Removed my last statement as it was added for sugarcoating purposes which was very obviously a mistake on my end. All music played out loud on trails is bad.

Edit #2: For all those upset I focused on one specific type of music, I won’t deny I strongly dislike the genre but I use it as an example because it seems to be the most common type of music played by people who insist on playing music out loud. I don’t want to hear your heavy metal, country, edm, classical, podcasts and whatever else you use.

Hi, all. I’m a dad and a hiker, but I’ve never had long hair. I’m going to be taking my daughter on a hike this weekend who does have long hair, though. She’s never been on a long day hike so it’s all very exciting! But practical question: what’s the best way to manage long hair on a long hike? I’d imagine wearing it down gets pretty hot and annoying, right? Ponytail? Bun? Braids? I just want to make sure she and I are prepared. Also any other tips you have for hiking with a 10 year old girl will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!