ExOfficio has a 25% off sale all this month (plus free shipping) on Give-N-Go briefs and boxers. While I realize the idea of spending $18.00 ($13.50 on sale this month) for a pair of underwear is not something that men generally do except for the wife or girlfriend at Christmas, I decided to try a pair of these last year.

Not only are they worth every penny, but I have since bought another dozen pair and actually wear these everyday. Of all the camping/backpacking/survival gear I have ever purchased, I would rate these toward the very top of the list for the best value for the dollar. I have told a few people about these and without exception, those who have tried them end up switching to these exclusively.

As far as shirts go, the ExOfficio Air Strip Lite is a great outdoor shirt. Like their underwear, these shirts aren't cheap ($80-$85 depending upon the size) but be careful if you are buying online, as the three colors I have look absolutely nothing like the color swatches shown on their website.

These shirts are long sleeves with roll-up tabs, a 3-position sun collar, UPF of 30+, loads of venting, and reasonably sized pockets. I generally layer one of these with an Under Armour Heatgear wicking T-shirt in the summer (or a Coldgear Blitz mock turtleneck and North Face Paramount zippered fleece jacket in the winter) topped off with a TNF Anorak waterproof shell.

If you happen to have a Boy Scout outfitter nearby, BSA just recently came out with what they are calling an "activity" shirt that is made by a company called VF Solutions. Except for the lack of the 3-position sun collar, it is virtually identical to the Air Strip Lite, but sells for only $32. There is a small tone-on-tone BSA logo on the chest, but it certainly doesn't look like a uniform shirt, and for $50 less it's hard to beat.

For pants I really like The North Face Paramount convertible pants, as I've never had a pair of hiking pants that fit me nearly as good, although the length of the shorts is probably an inch or two shorter than I'd go with if I were buying dedicated shorts. Then again, if you're zipping off the legs you're probably more interested in cooling off than making a styling statement. TNF offers these in short, regular, and long (30", 32", and 34") inseams so it's pretty easy to find a pair that fits well.

Jim