Best underwear in hot weather

[Duffield1]

So we're planning our holidays for next year to a hot and humid destination, and thinking of the wardrobe we will need, we started talking about underwear.  What kind of underwear keeps you coolest in really hot weather?  For example:

• does skimpy or no underwear when you are wearing shorts keep you coolest, or does the sweating and friction on your shorts make for an uncomfortable experience?
• are natural fibres better or a wicking polyester/lycra/spandex mix?  My mum always told me cotton was best, but is that true in the age of tech fabrics, or even bamboo or silk-based products?
• do form-fitting or loose designs function best, and is it any different if you suffer with 'chub-rub' or chaffing in warmer weather?

[tecspec]

i would definitely no go commando! Having a sweat patch under your arms is one thing but sweat patches around the nethers....

I'm assuming cotton is the best fabric as it's breathable and wicks moisture.

As with regards of loose or tight fitting... being a larger lady I wear shorty leggings which prevent chafing.
For men I would think that tight fitting would be better.  There are some undies that come with a pouch to keep your bits cradled away from your legs. 

[P-Kasso2]

Having lived for 3 years in 100% humidity in Hong Kong and 10 years in Norway where the temperature once fell to minus 49 degrees C - I am (for once) in a position to offer some good advice especially about clothing.

The absolute best fibre for underwear is Silk. 

Please do not laugh.  Silk's thermal properties are astounding - explorers to the humid tropics and mountaineers to icy peaks and explorers to the Antarctic have all traditionally worn Silk.

In the tropics, why do you think Safari Suits are made of Silk?  The answer is because, as well as being an absolutely excellent insulation against the heat, Silk also has excellent 'wicking' properties - 'wicking' is the ability to of a material to draw water (ie your buckets of sweat) away from your body.  This is desirable in hot climates, unless you'd rather be forever clammy which is what happens with cotton and polyesters.

The downside is that Silk is traditionally more expensive than cheapo nylon knickers etc. 

However, online there are many Silk websites with lower prices and the best I have found is called Patra.com.  They have been trading for decades even before the internet was born, so are very reliable.   The quality of their garments is second to none.   Their prices are slightly higher than the price of shop-bought underwear but, in a hot climate, you'll be casting aside the Marks & Sparks knickers and wishing you'd bought Silk underwear instead.

Patra do a full range of underwear (T shirts etc) both for men, women and children so your whole family can be nattily decked out and you'll be the only ones not drowning in beads of sweat as you go sight-seeing.

There are two extra, smaller benefits of Patra Silk undies - and that is that a) they are extremely light so you won't need to worry about excess baggage charges and b) they can be swiftly washed out and will dry so quickly overnight that you won't need to pack dozens of pairs of spare Y fronts.

You could, if you doubt my wise words, google - the characteristics of Silk - or something similar and get a second opinion.