I read the earlier thread about chafing. My problem isn't covered there. I may need some help from people who know fabrics.

Usually I wear Ex Officio shorts or pants and have never had a problem with chafing. (Usually I hike in the Sierra Nevada, where humidity is not an issue.)

Recently I got a pair of Rail Riders' Backcountry Khakis. Wearing them on a cool-weather hike in Death Valley, I had chafing. I think it's the way the seam is sewn, or it simply may be the kind of material.

I could use something like Sportslick to overcome this problem, but, since it's a problem only with these pants, I'd like to do something to the pants themselves to make them (or at least the material that forms the seam) less irritating.

Any suggestions?

Hey Karl,

When I first got my RR Eco-Mesh shirt, the fabric felt so scratchy on me that I almost returned it. I thought it would result in chafing. I kept it and have since either gotten used to the fabric, or the fabric softened up - I don't know which.

If the chafing is caused by a seam, it's obviously a bad design and not the fabric. I recently got the Eco-Mesh pants and fell in love instantly. They are geared more towards warm weather pursuits, but try a pair on if you get a chance. The thing that impressed me was the feeling like there weren't any seams at all. It was like wearing silk! They are very thin but amazingly tough - their maiden voyage was through 9 hours of slot canyon in Southern Utah getting scraped against sandstone walls. They didn't show any signs of wear despite the solid abuse. And when RailRiders says "quick-dry fabric", boy do they mean it!

So... I guess my suggestion is throw the pants in the wash a couple times or just take them on a few more hikes and see what happens. If they still don't work for you, it would be a good chance to see what RR's customer service is like.

Edited by splproductions on 06/15/2008 19:12:47 MDT.