Technical Details
Ex-Officio Give-N-Go Briefs.
I should start by explaining that the photo here is a stock photo from Ex-Officio. My arms are not that hairy. OK.
Ex-Officio make two similar models of briefs: the Briefs shown here and some Sport Briefs. The latter are shorter in the waist, but otherwise identical as far as I can see. I will focus on the Briefs because I find them much better for walking.
Incidentally, Ex-Officio actually call them "Brief," in the singular. This is the same as talking about "trouser" - I can see the logic, but I can't do it.
The company claims that the fabric "air-dries within hours" and is "extremely breathable, moisture-wicking, odor resistant finish." I can confirm the fast drying bit. I would say 'fairly breathable' as they do get just a little sweaty during a hot Sydney summer day of 35 C and 80% RH - but so does the rest of me. I can neither confirm nor deny the 'odor-resistant' bit.
Frankly, the fabric alone is not enough to justify them. But look at the photo here of a range of (Australian) underpants. On the right you can see the Ex-Officio ones compared to two other sorts. There is a big difference in the bulk of the waistbands. On the left we have some (Australian) underpants with similar flat waist bands - but look at how the elastic has curled up during use. The Ex-Officio waist band does not curl up.
Comparing waistbands.
The third feature I like is the design. The Briefs are taller in the waist region than many other (Australian) underpants. But the other ones seem to fight many hipbelts, getting either pushed down (most often) or pulled up. Neither is satisfactory. The waist region of the Ex-Officio Briefs is flat enough that they seem to stay nicely in position on my waist despite the movement of the hipbelt.
Field Testing
Drying socks on the pack.
These Ex-Officio Briefs have been my choice for a three-month long walk through France in 2007 and a two-month long high-altitude walk through Switzerland in 2009. They have also been used for pretty well all my other walks in Australia in that time - walks typically under seven days, but up to nine or ten days occasionally.
In Australia I usually don't bother with a spare pair, so maybe the odor-resistant bit has some truth to it. But in Europe we often wash our socks and underwear every few days - depending on opportunity. Sometimes it took a couple of days for our wool socks to dry properly, but the Ex-Officio Briefs seemed to dry within a few hours in the sun - strung across our packs.
I should add that the pair of Briefs I took to France in 2007 also went to Switzerland in 2009 and are still in current use. To say 'long-life' seems appropriate.
Specifications
| Manufacturer | Ex-Officio |
| Web Site | www.exofficio.com |
| Model | Give-N-Go Briefs |
| Main Material | Body Fabric: 94% Nylon/6% Spandex |
| Waist band | Elastic webbing 32 mm (1.25") wide |
| Colours | Black, white, green, blue, charcoal |
| Sizes | S to XXL |
| Weight (measured) | Medium: ~60 g (2.1 oz) |
| MSRP | US$18 |
What’s Good
- Comfortable
- Quick drying
- Long life
- Stay up
What's Not So Good
- Nothing really comes to mind
Disclosure: The manufacturer provided this product to the author and/or Backpacking Light at no charge, and it is owned by the author/BPL. The author/Backpacking Light has no obligation to review this product to the manufacturer under the terms of this agreement.
Reader Comments
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Forum Index » Editor's Roundtable » Ex-Officio Give-N-Go Briefs Review
(rcaffin) - BPL Staff - MLife
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe
I am normally a Medium, and the Medium fitted me.
Cheers
(PedroArvy) - MLife
Locale: Melbourne
I've said it before and I'll say it again (somewhere on this site), women's underpants are lighter and dry faster - even if you are a man.
(Darveniza) - MLife
I have been a happy Ex-Offico briefs walker for some years.
Locally (Brisbane Australia) I have advised at least one person who was proud of going COMMANDO (i.e. no u/pants) not to because of the prevalence of ticks & often leeches with dangers therein. I remember one hilarious occasion of Grant calling in at small rural hospital North Queensland with a TICK IN HIS NAVEL after our removal efforts failed. Leeches in the eye are also an interesting scenario which we best solved via salt water then sterile saline solution (now always in our first aid kits for eye injuries so possible in thick scrub).
LOU D
(ngatel) - MLife
Locale: Southern California
>I'm not a brief(s) sort of guy but I do wear, enjoy, and prefer--in all situations--ExOfficios in the boxer style.
For the middle-of the roaders in the crowd, the boxer briefs solve the chaffing problem and they look soooo good as far as the "package" is concerned (this, according to my wife, who is an student of such matters). ;-D
Stargazer
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ditto.
(toomanyarrows)
Locale: Southeast U.S.
I wear 34 pants, and the mediums are a good fit. I bought a couple pair 2 years ago, and since picked up enough to wear daily. I really like mine and my wife likes them too.
(jcolten) - M
Locale: MN
I've found Boxer briefs to be great for all the same advantages mentioned above.
But Champion brand has worked well for me at about half the cost.
They are light, fit well, are very breathable, the waist band stays flat and they dry quickly.
Last July in New Mexico I put them on wet after washing them (and myself) and they were dry less than an hour later. But I can't say I know that'd work as well in other climates.
(willbelighter) - MLife
Locale: Bay Area
Must weigh in here. I spend my summers doing research in the West Bank; I take a minimal amount of clothing and whatever goes needs to be comfortable and durable. Based on those two conditions, I decided on Ex Officio boxer briefs last year.
The smell, the mindbending eau-de-vagrant small-children-leave-the-room-and-animals-give-you-censorious-looks SMELL, after just two weeks, was so offensive that I stopped wearing underwear altogether. My colleagues eventually made a joke out of it, but given that in rural Arab culture bad smells are associated with bad omens, it was shaping up to be an actual impediment to my work.
This year, took Icebreaker 150 boxer briefs. No smell. Arguably less chafey. International incident averted. Your mileage may vary, but I am an ex-ex-officio user for life.
(rcaffin) - BPL Staff - MLife
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe
Hi William
Did you wash them?
I have worn my two pairs continuously for two to three months while walking in Europe, and the smell was never really noticeable. We washed them every 2 - 3 days.
Cheers
(RobertL) - F
I've been using the Icebreaker 150 wt boxer briefs for two years and they honestly can't be beat. They never get the synthetic "wet" feeling, dry uber fast and stay cool when it's hot out. I wore the same pair continuously for two weeks on the CT in 2009 without any problems. I've tried all sorts of synthetics but I don't know how nylon compares. Unless there's something dramatically superior with nylon compared to other synthetics, merino wool is the way to go.
Edited by RobertL on 10/14/2010 21:41:12 MDT.
(T.L.) - MLife
Locale: Wisconsin
To respond to Matthew:
I have the Ex-Officio boxer briefs as well as some Smartwool boxer briefs. I like them both, but I have to lean towards the merino wool. I wore them for a week straight in August while hiking through Glacier NP, and they were always comfortable, dried quickly, and kept odors at bay. About every other day I would wash them in a creek, wring them out, and put them right back on. They were dry within a half hour.
However, while neither pair shows signs of wear yet, I'm anticipating the Ex-Officio to hold up better.
(mountainlaureldesigns) - F - M
Locale: USA
The XL fits me right and I wear Levi's 35 waist.
Note that the number - 35- on US pant sizes have little relation to any actual measurement.
(rcaffin) - BPL Staff - MLife
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe
Hi all
Ron (MLD) has asked me why didn't I give them a 'Highly Recommended' rating. It's a very good question. Can one give a pair of underpants a 'Highly Recommended' rating? Um ...
Maybe I should have given them Highly Recommended instead? Does anyone have experiences which would mitigate against that?
Cheers
(dennisphelan) - MLife
Locale: Pacific Northwest
The Ex-Officio is a great brand and does everything they claim. I prefer the boxer style, One downside is that for home use; they tell you not to put them in the clothes dryer. Not a big deal, just a pain to sort and hang up.
(Eugeneius) - MLife
Locale: Nuevo Mexico
I believe I donated my Ex-Officio Give-N-Go briefs to the local Goodwill, the waistband was awful on me. They chafed me like mad, rubbed me raw in the inner thigh region by days end. I wear a pair of Smartwool Boxer briefs when I wear pants on trips, these are the most comfortable I've found so far. They're swimming hole approved. Typically, I hike in New Balance split running shorts with wicking liners and have no issues.
(nerdboy52) - MLife
Locale: "Alas, poor Yogi.I knew him well."
Apparently the Smartwool underwear wears out quickly:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=8213
. . . unless they've changed the design/ formulation.
Any thoughts?
My quest: the search for the perfect underdrawers.
Stargazer
(JRoan) - MLife
Locale: Vegas
Ex-Officio boxer briefs are the best I've tried...don't leave home without them!
(edhyatt) - MLife
Locale: The North; UK
Highly recommended - yes, for me.
I have tried/worn/discarded/lent to friends (who aren't friends) a vast selection of shreddies in the past...
Paramo Cambia - so so...Mont Bell Silk - great but fragile (maybe it is me), North Face coolmax - dire, Helly Hansen - worse, North Face Seamless - OK, Odlo mesh - great if hard to find and durability an issue, Marks & Spencer microskins - excellent and cheap (eat your heart out Colonial Cousins :-)...
Ex-Officio - 5-6 years of wearing these now (not continually I hasten to add); great balance of 'don't know they are there' - 'easy to have a pee out off' - 'wash n wear' - all good - durable - they are great.
I even wear them to work most days; outside my suit ;-)
(willbelighter) - MLife
Locale: Bay Area
Roger, washed them every three days. It may be a matter of body chemistry... :)
(nerdboy52) - MLife
Locale: "Alas, poor Yogi.I knew him well."
> the waistband was awful on me.
I think the waistband is the weak link on the exo boxer briefs. They rise too high and seem a bit uncomfortable after a long day.
Thus, I fold the waistband down onto the brief. Problems solved, at least for me.
BTW, based on the discussions I ordered a $45.00 (gulp) pair of the Smartwool boxer briefs for experimental purposes. ;-)
I'll let ya'll know how things are hangin' after I wear them for a weekender this weekend.
Briefly yours,
Stargazer
Edited by nerdboy52 on 10/19/2010 16:27:20 MDT.
(upalachango) - MLife
I'm a boxers kind of guy but have to say I love wearing the ex-oficio boxer-briefs. I've since bought a pair of their boxers (accidental, thought it was boxer briefs) and another boxer-brief. I prefer the box-briefs to the regular boxers.
I don't have any smell issues with mine and generally wash them every other day or so. They feel great, protect against chafing (which actually has never been too much of problem) and are probably the coolest underwear next to cotton out here in the desert.
I'll also say the ladies seem to highly approve of them as well; they love seeing the glutes.