Feminine Hygiene

--Submitted By Brawny

If you have not gone through menopause, and backpack long enough, eventually you will meet your "friend" out on the trail. Thats what we girls always called our periods, while growing up. We'd say, "I met my friend today" or, "When do you expect your friend?" Quaint, but it gave us a way to talk about it when guys were around, leaving them clueless.

Mine accompanied me for 4 days to the Shawnee National Forest, in southern Illinois, and during the 5 days I spent in the Sawtooth Wilderness, Idaho. In 2000, I went on my first long hike (816 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail). I still got my period. Even while hiking almost 2,000 miles on the PCT in 2001, then thruhiking the Appalachian Trail in 2002, my periods were regular. If you are prepared, its just an inconvienence. Never stay home or let it cramp your style. Don't allow your friend to change your plans.

I don't have the medical knowledge to discuss suspending your period while on the trail. These methods all involve manipulating your body's natural processes through use of additional hormones. This is something not to be taken lightly, but discussed with your doctor.

I try to use regular unscented tampons, which are compact, control odors, and are a lot more comfortable than a sanitary napkin. A thin tampon may not be enough to prevent some leakage, thus requiring frequent changing, but the supers could lead to toxic shock syndrome. Avoid the scented also, to prevent possible irritation. In addition, I use a thin panty liner, as a backup, to save on laundry. These take up little pack space, and weigh almost nothing. This is the only time I wear underwear while hiking. I can assure the liner will stay in place, and the finder's string will not be visible.

I find the easiest way to change a tampon is in conjunction with voiding. Find a secluded spot, and dig a cat hole. Have everything you need in a fanny pack, sitting next to you . Place a tissue on the ground beside you, remove the used tampon and place it on the tissue. Void, and use a handiwipe, always wiping front to back. Place this also on the tissue with your tampon. Open the packaging on the tampon, being careful not to touch the inner product itself. Its very important to avoid a urinary infection. Use one more handiwipe to clean your hands, and use this to pick up all the used papers and place in a durable zip-loc sandwich bag. I always double bag because these odors are strong. It is recommended to pack out all your feminine hygiene products. These decompose slowly, and even if buried well, they may be dug up by animals, and they can resurface. Some experts suggest hanging this type of refuse away from your camp at night. If you need to void, without changing your tampon, be sure to tuck the "finders string" up out of the way to avoid contamination.
In 2004, I decided the finders string was just a hassel anyways, and cut them off now. This eliminates any secondary contamination.
While staying active helps to alleviate cramps and other discomforts associated with menstruation, remember to bring some tylenol or advil.

Women have been know to begin their periods out of their normal cycles when other women around them are "on the rag". If this happens to you, beg or borrow what you need, and do not be alarmed. Continue your trip, and chalk it up to experience.

Something I learned on the last long hike (over 2 months) is that if you run out of tampons, you can make your own from tissue or toilet paper. To do this simply take a foot long section of toilet paper, fold it into 2 inches by rolling it over. Then, roll it sideways until it resembles a tampon and insert. You will not have a finders string, so take care not to insert too far. If you should have any problems removing it, squat and push with your pelvic muscles. This really works. Again, in this type emergency, a pair of normal fitting underwear is very nice to have. Discard this emergency paper as you would any tampon.

Some women have expressed concern over the smells on their person, while hiking in bear country. In my solo section of a thousand miles, while hiking with my partner, or on the AT, I never experienced any unusual bear activity, even during the 10 times I had my period. Rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball (burnable as fuel) morning and evenings helped to keep the smell under control. It burns a little, but is very sanitizing. I used it on a regular basis.

In July and August of 2004, I hiked a section of the Continental Divide Trail with my life partner, Rainmaker. We began at the Canadian Border, hiking through Glacier National Park, renown for its grizzly bear population. The second day there, I got my period. I took additional measures to clean with rubbing alcohol, and double bag all paper, cotton balls and used tampons. At night, the double bagged used tampons, with used alcohol balls, would be placed in our bear cannisters. I kept myself especially clean for several days afterward, in case of spotting. I never experienced any threats or night prowlers because of my period. Rainmaker had read that intimate activity could cause smells which attract bears, so we suspended that as well, unless we were in a cabin.
If you have any additional information, or questions, I would enjoy hearing from you.

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