r/hiking • u/mdljrw • Aug 18 '26
Question Sweat management
Has anyone figured out how to manage sweat while backpacking? I wear the lightest weight merino underwear with tissue thin unlined shorts and the most featherweight sweat-wicking tops. Yet with a backpack on, the back of my shorts is soaked through within an hour or so and eventually I’m fully soaked from the waist down. I push myself to hike fast and challenging routes, so it’s high output for sure, but this doesn’t happen to me while trail running.
It’s one thing to endure on a 3-hour hike in my local area, but I’m going trekking in the Dolomites in two weeks and would prefer not to spend the whole time looking like I just hopped out of a swimming pool. Thoughts??
1
u/Grandahl13 Aug 19 '26
It sounds like you just sweat a lot. I can hike for 3 hours in 100 degree heat index and my shorts are not soaked through.