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Ok, this might be a ridiculous question/situation but it's my situation.

I'm at a football camp in boston until Friday, and I've realized I forgot to pack any underwear (I wear boxers), I have the one pair I came with. I'm going to be pretty active for these days, so far my current strategy is to go commando at night, and wear the boxers only when I'm exercising. I can't get any from people or a store, does anyone have any ideas/improvisation tactics?

JoErNanO
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Dylan McGrath
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    It's quite a statement for technological advancement that you have mobile internet access from wherever you are, but can't obtain new underwear. – Greg Hewgill Jun 24 '15 at 02:48
  • Yeah... That's Irony for ya... – Dylan McGrath Jun 24 '15 at 02:50
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    Well. There is always the ubiquitous Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=boxer+briefs&sprefix=briefs%2Caps%2C144 – Karlson Jun 24 '15 at 02:54
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    Go to one of your fellow campers and make them an offer they can't refuse. – Gayot Fow Jun 24 '15 at 03:02
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    Do you have to were boxer shorts while exercising? A lot of sport shorts are quite comfortable without any underwear. – RoflcoptrException Jun 24 '15 at 08:23
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    You're in Boston and there are no shops to buy underwear? You cannot be serious – Calchas Jun 24 '15 at 11:16
  • I get you're at a camp and your time is most likely very well controlled... but, really? No you time at all? Or there just aren't any stores at all within walking distance? Even a small convenience store might have some shorts (not underwear, but shorts) which you could wear out of uniform... – CGCampbell Jun 24 '15 at 11:41
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    Sadly you're a bit too early to use Amazon's emergency delivery. – Lilienthal Jun 24 '15 at 12:17
  • I would bet that if you talked to one of the coaches, they'd be willing to run to the store for you. – David K Jun 24 '15 at 12:30
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    I often wear the same underwear 2 weeks long. And no one ever said That i stinked. So don't worry –  Jun 24 '15 at 12:18
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    "I wear them front, I wear them back..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKG_L-fDk8U #BigHero6 – Shokhet Jun 24 '15 at 18:24
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    Money can solve many problems (though not ones involving words like 'inoperable', unfortunately). I bet the coaches or other organizers have folks around that can do a run for you, maybe even for free (plus the undies, of course) but it can't hurt to offer to reimburse for gas etc. Get your 'ducks' in a row and figure the size out and go asking, you shall find and be comfortable. I've taken my kid to plenty of baseball camps, and there are always such people around. – Spehro Pefhany Jun 24 '15 at 19:26
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    Why don't you just wear your towel? – iHaveacomputer Jun 25 '15 at 01:03

6 Answers6

61

Wash them in the sink before you sleep, let them dry as much as possible until the morning, if they are not dry by then, iron them a bit and they will be dry.

If you can't get a hold of an iron, put them in front of the A/C or the heater, do not block the airway totally, just let the air pass through the boxers and it will make them dry in no time.

Nean Der Thal
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    Ok, Thanks. This is a solid feasible solution. – Dylan McGrath Jun 24 '15 at 02:52
  • @DylanMcGrath Years ago I did it myself when I forgot to bring the right number of boxers once.. – Nean Der Thal Jun 24 '15 at 02:53
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    Do you have to sleep in the sink? – Greg Hewgill Jun 24 '15 at 02:58
  • @GregHewgill yes. (just because I didn't get you actually) – Nean Der Thal Jun 24 '15 at 02:59
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    Why do you have to let the sink dry as much as possible? Ironing a wet sink can be dangerous. – Gayot Fow Jun 24 '15 at 03:06
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    @GregHewgill I see what you did there ;) now fixed.. – Nean Der Thal Jun 24 '15 at 03:06
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    damn you native speakers... it is my third language :D – Nean Der Thal Jun 24 '15 at 03:06
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    You can also just put the damp boxers on and let your body heat do the work. (Amusingly, my phone wanted to say "booty heat"). Depending on the temperature and humidity, this may be more or less uncomfortable. – phoog Jun 24 '15 at 06:03
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    Hairdryers are also an option for drying small items/areas of clothing, if there are any available where you are. – CMaster Jun 24 '15 at 08:16
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    "it is my third language" Thank you for writing near-perfectly in the language I know, rather than one of the thousands that I don't. I always feel incredibly lucky that so many people make so much effort to speak English, and slightly guilty that I make very little effort to reciprocate. – David Richerby Jun 24 '15 at 09:14
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    @Davidricherby You know, it's never late to start. ;-) – Diego Sánchez Jun 24 '15 at 09:22
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    @phoog I think that's a bad idea.

    I'd add to not get any bad idea about soap: don't use normal soap on them! They will itch like crazy if you do.

     – Formagella Jun 24 '15 at 14:18
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    Another way to dry something in a hurry is to put it between two or more dry layers of towel and press firmly. This won't get the last bit so do it after washing and wringing but before leaving it for the heater or aircon. If you find the first time that despite your best efforts it does not dry enough then next day try the drying part without the washing part. (Oh and four days is nothing you big baby!) – hippietrail Jun 24 '15 at 14:23
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    @phoog: That depends on how damp they are, what the weather conditions are, what activity will be undertaken, how vigorous and long lasting that activity will be, and what material they are made from. If you're unlucky the result can be very uncomfortable chafing, which I've experienced many times as an international hitchhiker. The moral is if you forget to take enough pairs of undies, don't also forget to take talcum powder! – hippietrail Jun 24 '15 at 14:29
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    Just be careful where you leave them to dry. Knowing teenage boys, there is a strong chance your boxers would disappear, leaving you with nothing to wear. – David K Jun 24 '15 at 17:40
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    @hippietrail absolutely. The only time I've ever done this, the shorts were minimally damp, the weather for most of the day was very dry and cool (actually, an air-conditioned office), the activity was not vigorous at all (mostly sitting), and the shorts were woven cotton. Had any of these factors been significantly different, I expect I might have had a less acceptable experience. – phoog Jun 24 '15 at 18:31
  • @DavidRicherby frankly, there is very little reason not to learn English from a young age. It will almost always be useful in Europe and the Americas. However, for a native speaker, what should you learn? Mandarin? Maybe, but don't feel any guilt. – Gusdor Jun 26 '15 at 08:31
33

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned the infamous "flip them around" technique. Arguably you can use one pair of boxers for four days if you flip them inside out and front to back. Indeed boxers, and tighty-whities, have two degrees of freedom which produce four possible rotations. This doesn't really work with thongs due to the difference in surface area between front and back. Just for kicks here's a thread on a running forum discussing underwear and exercising (man I hope they're all kidding!).

For added comfort you should of course think of letting them dry as much as possible, or even washing them, since exercising in them inevitably means sweating in them. For completeness sake note that if you don't wash your sweaty boxers and rotate them four times you'll probably stink. A lot.

hippietrail
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JoErNanO
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    The mention of four days in the question did make me wonder if it was a deliberate set-up for this punchline. – David Richerby Jun 24 '15 at 09:09
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    @DavidRicherby Punchline? What are you taking about? I do this every day! :D – JoErNanO Jun 24 '15 at 10:47
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    I hope this is a joke – Calchas Jun 24 '15 at 11:15
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    This method fails because you can only keep clean cloth (with a VERY stretchy assumption that dirt cannot go through the cloth) touching your privates for two days, before you have to make the part that touched your junk touch your behind and vice versa. This answer is therefore not valid. – Mindwin Remember Monica Jun 24 '15 at 13:28
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    Your underwear has two sides. Use them. But from a sweat / skin oil perspective, they soak through pretty easily. – Peter Cordes Jun 24 '15 at 13:48
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    sorry but you can't flip this stuff front-to-back, the shape is totally different and since he's doing sport he'd quickly get an itchy red mark due to the pulling.

    Still, underwear is fine for 2 days, I'd try to wash after that. The fact that he sweats in it is bad.

     – Formagella Jun 24 '15 at 14:20
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    This technique works great for skidmarks but doesn't have much effect on "soaked with sweat". – hippietrail Jun 24 '15 at 14:30
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    Also, real underpants have six orientations before you have to double up! d-; – hippietrail Jun 24 '15 at 14:32
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    There's the infamous six day underwear that has three leg holes. The idea is rotate and flip. –  Jun 24 '15 at 15:29
  • @Calchas Why a joke? Dire times call for dire measures. – JoErNanO Jun 24 '15 at 19:58
  • So far I've been going with this method, chafing is a bit of an issue, but... well live and learn in hell. – Dylan McGrath Jun 24 '15 at 20:41
  • @DylanMcGrath Please please please try to wash your boxers at least after using them twice. For hygiene sake. – JoErNanO Jun 24 '15 at 22:07
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    @JoErNanO Dire times? The OP is in Boston, not deep in the Congo. OP can get whatever he wants. There is no more an excuse for having no underwear than there is an excuse for turning up stark naked (which at least would smell less). Even if someone thinks "no one notices the smell" trust me, we do, and it is not pleasant – Calchas Jun 24 '15 at 22:47
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    @Calchas It's a camp. They rarely allow minors unaccompanied trips away, and quite often something like a football camp won't even allow accompanied trips. If the OP is not a extrovert, he is likely not going to want to call attention to himself so that the requisite hazing from other attendees would occur. This can very well be dire times to him. How dare you put your own sensibilities on another, especially if you are an adult extrovert. – CGCampbell Jun 28 '15 at 12:25
22

I'm assuming you're at the 2015 BC Football High School Camp (Session II) - (quick Google search). Funny they did not list underwear in the Things to Bring section. On this page it mentions a Camp Store. Talk to someone at the store to see if they can pick some up for you. If money is an issue, have them contact someone (parent) who can figure that part out. Also, you could contact someone using one of the many numbers or email provided in the Contact Information section. This goal of this approach is to get some new skivvies versus the sink and iron approach. Also, check around with some of the other players to see if they forgot stuff too. Having a list of things for several people may help.

JoErNanO
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lacodajeff
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    they didn't list it because it's pretty obvious you will need underwear. ;) – user428517 Jun 24 '15 at 18:55
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    I'm really impressed on your detective abilities, yeah the store doesn't have them. But I'll try the rest. – Dylan McGrath Jun 24 '15 at 19:48
  • @sgroves Not true. I follow a checklist to pack my bag. If it is not on the packlist, I will forget it. But then, I use my own checklist. – Bernhard Jun 24 '15 at 20:51
  • Man, I miss BC. I got my degree from BC in 1996 - and I'm thousands of miles away these days. – Aleks G Jun 25 '15 at 19:36
  • @sgroves Pssh. I was second string offensive line. The one game I knew I was going to have to start and play (due to injury), i forgot my shoes. Just saying. To this day ( and that was 34 years ago ) it remains my single most painfully embarrassing night of my childhood. – CGCampbell Jun 28 '15 at 12:28
14

Inspired by the same-day delivery answer, I remembered there's a service called "Magic" where you basically text them what you want and they quote a price:

We have trained operators standing by 24/7 to answer every one of your requests. Send us a text message, and we'll get you what you want. We'll order what you need from the appropriate service (e.g. DoorDash, Instacart, Postmates, etc.), and deal with them so you just automatically get what you want, like magic...

and from the FAQ:

Q: What kinds of things can I use Magic for?

Anything you want. As long as it's not illegal. Seriously. Just try it.

It might be useful if you have no money or credit cards as someone else could do it for you.

I've no idea if they're any good, I've always wanted to try it when I'm in the states but never have. I'm mostly posting because I think it would be awesome to ask a random service to find and deliver you underwear.

Community
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SpaceDog
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8

You're at football camp? Someone else brought extra underwear. Barter for them.

talrnu
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4

If you have a couple of shorts with different length with you, you can use the shortest pair as underwear. Or even better, use swimwear - at least that dries quicker after washing them.

There's also: - Ask a friend - Ask a teacher - Ask a random stranger

Personally I'd just wash them, you might need to improvise with soap or shampoo. It's what I do on business trips: take 2-3 pairs and wash the most recently used pair every evening. As an added benefit this also means I don't have to wash a mountain of dirty clothes when I come back after 4 weeks of travel. Just make absolutely sure that socks are completely dry before wearing them.

Peter
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