From my “extensive field research”, I have found that a hot, humid climate is the recipe for discomfort in the nether regions.

Since hot and humid is the typical weather in Southeast Asia, I figured I’d better start looking for a sturdy pair of boxers before our nice 3-year trek. For this I did a fair amount of research, yes, believe it or not, on underwear.

I wanted a pair of underwear that would last while remaining comfortable, staying fresh (without a proper wash) for a longer-than-normal period of time, and they had to be able to dry quickly.

Enter the Ex-Officio Boxers. These boxers have not let me down.

I initially purchased two pairs, thinking I could rinse one pair while wearing the other, and while this was a great strategy it only took one 10-day rafting trip in Nepal to realize there is merit to the “rule of 3″.

So I mail-ordered a third pair from home – thanks, Mom – and now live a life of luxury. Rinse when I want to, just switch pairs if I don’t. (All luxury is short-term and relative when you’re living life out of a backpack).

These boxers are incredibly lightweight and come in a variety of colors and designs to fit most preferences – or most importantly, to figure out which one was the dirty pair without having to do the sniff test.

They pack up into a nice size, and they dry extremely fast. In more humid climates you usually can’t expect much from air-drying clothes, but I have, on multiple occassions, washed these while in the shower, put them on, and within 10 minutes have found they are only slightly damp, even in the high humidity. Incredible. These are definitely a must-have for the long-term traveler.

Bring or don’t bring?: BRING

Note: Ex-Officio also makes briefs as well as boxer-briefs, for those of you so inclined. While I haven’t tried these designs due to their ‘restrictive’ nature, I would suspect their quality to be as top-notch as the reviewed boxers and are well-suited for those feeling ‘sportier.’

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