1 Week. 1 Pair of Underwear.

We write these words while wearing a pair of underwear that we’ve had on for the last week. That’s more information than I wanted you are likely saying to yourself. But these are the lengths Spot Cool Stuff goes through to test products for our readers.

The underwear we are wearing, they are part of the Give-N-Go line by cool travel gear manufacturer ExOfficio.

ExOfficio touts their Give-N-Go underwear as being:

• Quick drying
• Water wicking
• Odor resistant
• Lightweight
• Breathable

The combination of those qualities supposedly makes it possible to go on long trips with only a single pair of unmentionables.

So how are we feeling about our underwear about a continuous week’s use?

Pretty good, actually.

Wearing a pair of Give-N-Gos is remarkably comfortable. The material they are made from—mostly nylon with a bit of spandex thrown in—has the perfect amount of stretch. Without getting too graphic about it, let’s just say this underwear stretches with your movements, staying close to your body where you’d want it to and loose elsewhere. Chafing does not occur even after significant time spent hiking, walking and being active.

Wearing Give-N-Go underwear is especially practical in hot climates and in damp conditions. Unlike cotton, which readily absorbs moisture, the Give-N-Go fabric does a decent job of repelling water. And when water does get into the material it dries quickly.

This quick drying quality makes Give-N-Go especially useful on hikes or extended budget backpacking trips. Wring a touch of Magic Soap through a dirty pair a few times, rise it out, hang it in the sun and 20~30 minutes later you’ll be good to go.

To our surprise, we liked Give-N-Go underwear so much that we’d wear them on a regular basis, not only for travel. But would we embark on a week’s trip with a only one pair? Um, no.

While Give-N-Go underwear is indeed odor resistant the key word there is “resistant.” The material is not odor proof. Though when making your shopping decisions it is worth noting that there are really two types of Give-N-Go material. There’s the “regular” kind, like that used in the men’s boxers. And then there’s the kind that includes the Aegis Microbe Shield, like that in the women’s briefs. This so-called “microbe shield” is a chemical that kills microorganisms on contact. What’s cool is that the chemical polymerizes with the fabric’s substrate, meaning it won’t fade or wash out over time. But even the underwear with the Aegis Microbe Shield becomes rather, shall we say, sub-optimal after a week of non-stop wear.

ExOfficio also uses the Give-N-Go fabric to make thongs, t-shirts, sleep capris and tank tops. We are fans of it all, especially the shirts. But when buying underwear to bring with you on a multi-day trip we strongly offer this bit of advice: Buy more than one pair.

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