Hiking, backpacking, camping and climbing all ask a lot from the layer closest to your skin. Good outdoor underwear should feel soft, breathe well, move with you and stay comfortable through hours of walking, scrambling and changing conditions.
Most technical underwear relies on polyester or nylon. TENCEL™ Modal offers a softer, plant-derived alternative for people who want performance-minded comfort without making synthetic fibres the default.
THE BEST UNDERWEAR FOR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Whether you’re hiking, backpacking, camping or climbing, the right underwear comes down to a few essentials: breathability, moisture management, stretch, a comfortable close fit and minimal rubbing.
The goal? Underwear that moves with you — and that you can forget about once you’re out there.
Polyester and nylon dominate technical hiking underwear for good reason: they’re lightweight, durable and designed to manage moisture.
But they’re also synthetic, fossil-fuel-derived fibres — essentially plastic worn directly against your skin.
If you’re trying to reduce synthetics in your wardrobe, you don’t have to leave those priorities at the trailhead.
TENCEL™ Modal offers another way.
TENCEL™ Modal is a soft, breathable fibre made from wood-derived cellulose. NICO blends 95% with 5% elastane for stretch and recovery, creating underwear that moves with your body without relying on polyester or nylon.
Smooth against the skin and lightweight to wear, it’s an easy choice for long days hiking, climbing or exploring — and just as good for winding down at camp.
Soft. Breathable. Flexible. Less plastic.
TENCEL™ MODAL VS BAMBOO
“Bamboo” and TENCEL™ Modal are both plant-derived, but there’s an important distinction.
Most soft bamboo underwear isn’t made from bamboo fibre. It’s rayon or viscose made from bamboo cellulose: the plant material is dissolved and regenerated into a new fibre. That means you can’t assume the finished fabric retains the natural properties of the bamboo plant.
TENCEL™ Modal is also a regenerated cellulosic fibre, but its origin and production are more transparent. Lenzing makes TENCEL™ Modal from certified or controlled wood sources, with identification technology that allows the fibre to be traced.
And for long days outdoors, there’s another reason we like it: TENCEL™ Modal fibres absorb and release moisture, helping support a drier microclimate next to the skin — alongside the softness and breathability you want when hiking, backpacking, climbing or camping.
“Bamboo” tells you where the cellulose started. TENCEL™ tells you considerably more about the fibre you’re actually wearing.
BREATHABLE
Helps keep things comfortable when the trail gets warm.
SOFT AGAINST SKIN
A smooth, lightweight feel for long days of movement.
STRETCHES WITH YOU
Moves easily through climbs, scrambles and kilometres on foot.
LIGHTWEIGHT & PACKABLE
Takes up barely any room in your pack — handy for multi-day hikes and camping trips.
PLANT-DERIVED
Made primarily from wood-derived cellulose rather than polyester or nylon.
SHOP TENCEL™ MODAL FOR THE TRAIL
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HIKING UNDERWEAR FAQs
The best hiking underwear should be breathable, comfortable, flexible and able to move with you without bunching or rubbing. Many technical options are made from polyester or nylon. For hikers looking for a plant-derived alternative, TENCEL™ Modal offers a soft, lightweight option that feels comfortable against the skin for long days outdoors.
TENCEL™ Modal is the best choice for hiking, particularly if you want to avoid underwear made primarily from synthetic fibres. It is soft, breathable and made from wood-derived cellulose. NICO blends TENCEL™ Modal with a small amount of elastane to provide the stretch and recovery needed for movement.
Look for underwear that fits close to the body without feeling restrictive, moves with you and has minimal fabric or seams that can bunch and rub. Breathable, lightweight fabrics are particularly useful for hiking, backpacking and other activities where you may be moving for hours.
For backpacking and camping, consider comfort on the trail as well as what you’ll want to wear at camp. Lightweight, breathable underwear that takes up very little room in your pack is ideal. For multi-day trips, pack enough pairs to change out of underwear that becomes damp or sweaty.
Climbing underwear should stretch with your body and sit comfortably underneath close-fitting clothing or a harness. A soft, close fit can help minimise bunching as you climb, while flexible fabric allows greater freedom of movement.
Many technical hiking underwear styles use polyester or nylon because these synthetic fibres are durable, lightweight and commonly used for moisture management. If you’re looking to reduce synthetic fibres in your wardrobe, TENCEL™ Modal is a plant-derived alternative made primarily from wood-derived cellulose.
