Gear Closet: Polarmax All Year Gear Underwear

As active outdoor enthusiasts, adventurers and world travelers we certainly love our gear. Given the opportunity, we'll go on about how well our sleeping bags, tents and down jackets perform under the worst of conditions. We'll pontificate for hours on end about our much we love our favorite pair of boots or how well our backpack can carry a load.  We even seem capable of discussing the benefits of various weights of fleece with anyone who will listen. One thing we never seem to discuss however is our underwear, choosing instead to keep our skivvies to ourselves. But as we all know, what we wear under our other clothes can play an important role in our comfort as well, sometimes making or breaking our travel experiences.

There is an old adage in the outdoor community that says "cotton kills." This rather grim proclamation refers to the fact that clothing made out  of cotton is one of the worst things to have on  your body when you get caught out in the wild. Cotton doesn't breathe well at all, it is horrible at wicking away moisture and forget about getting it dry once it becomes wet. This is a problem that extends not just to cotton t-shirts but to cotton underwear as well, which is why Polarmax decided to create high-tech briefs that perform as well as the rest of our gear.

The AYG Xtrdry Cotton line of underwear incorporates everything we like about cotton but brings it into the 21st century with performance qualities that we expect from synthetic fabrics. Soft and comfortable against the skin, these briefs are also highly breathable, quick drying and excellent at wicking away moisture. Add in anti-bacterial and anti-odor qualities and you have a piece of clothing that performs well around town or when jetting off to explore a foreign country.

For those looking for an even higher level of performance, Polarmax offers the AYG 4-Way Stretch line of performance underwear. Designed for more active adventures, the 4-Way Stretch briefs are great for hiking, backpacking, climbing or other demanding outdoor pursuits. They share the same qualities as the Xtrdry Cotton (quick drying, moisture wicking, etc.) but are made from synthetic fabrics that give them a bit more of an edge in extreme circumstances.

As with all good gear, the AYG line is very versatile. In fact, the "AYG" in the name stands for "All Year Gear," which is a reference to the fact that these garments can be worn in any season. With their excellent breathability, we'll stay cool in the summer, while the performance fabrics will provide plenty of warm in the winter as well. In short, these are excellent base layers for daily life or extreme adventures.

As someone who enjoys traveling light, one of the things that I enjoy most about the AYG apparel is that they are easy to keep clean. The anti-bacterial/anti-odor features also come in handy on extended trips as well. Those features allow me to take only two or three pairs of these underwear with me when I travel, washing them as needed in a sink in a hotel room or even a stream at the end of the day. And because they dry so quickly, they're always ready for use the next day. This saves room in the backpack and doesn't force me to compromise comfort while on the road.

The AYG lines of underwear are available in a variety of styles and colors with options for both men and women. They are also affordable and happen to look good too. Oh yeah, and they just so happen to perform as well as any piece of technical clothing you have in your gear closet. Which is exactly what we need out of our skivvies.