View Full Version : period concern in the woods....
heay ladies. i have been hiking for about 1 year with my boyfriend. we do mainly day trips but did a 3 day overnight in the white mountains which was amazing!
gotta silly question i can't ask him cause, well, how would he know lady stuff.
i'm scared of the thought of encountering bears and bears have strong sense of smell.
what do we ladies do when we have our periods? i want to avoid overnighters with my period. i'd feel uncomfortable and dirty and would hate to think i have the scent of blood on me.
but i would hate avoiding a great trip cause of my monthly.
i would be clean as possible but sometimes the flow is really heavy!
what do you suggest? how to dispose of maxi pads? i'd hate to bury them and it's not like there's a smell proof garbage can around!
do you bath in a river? i know it already has river life in there but would hate to bath in it and add stuff to it.
these may sound like silly questions but they are ones that aren't easily found in a backpacker magazine! and are questions that women face when out in the woods!
thanks...
shiverz....
I was just in the Smokies and it happened to me....a week early...no provisions...had to hike 7 miles off a side trail so I could take care of things.
No bears came and got me.
And you have to pack out everything. Animals will dig up stuff and there is nothing worse than seeing some used products on the trail :eek:
I usually carry a red bag, in the bag I keep a couple of zip locks and some squares of aluminum foil to wrap things in.
It works for me so far.
Some women use something called the keeper which eliminates the need fo carrying out used products.
I am sure they will be chiming in soon.
Don't let it keep you out of the woods.
I use aluminum foil for wrapping as well. Wet wipes are a godsend. I use a lot of those too.
I use aluminum foil for wrapping as well. Wet wipes are a godsend. I use a lot of those too.
yes, wet wipes are a godsend!! i used to do the aluminum foil for wrapping, worked well....since reading some other threads tho, i got The Keeper and have tried it here "at home" and will definitely be using it this time while i'm on trail for the next 5months!! sooo much easier and cleaner feeling and less to carry and deal with...
yes, wet wipes are a godsend!! i used to do the aluminum foil for wrapping, worked well....since reading some other threads tho, i got The Keeper and have tried it here "at home" and will definitely be using it this time while i'm on trail for the next 5months!! sooo much easier and cleaner feeling and less to carry and deal with...
my bad..i use the Diva Cup, which is like the The Keeper except not made of Latex like the Keeper...
4eyedbuzzard
05-03-2008, 14:14
Bears really like bacon, oreos and pretty much all other other human food(the bacon and oreos were the favorites of a cub who wandered into our campsite in the Smokey Mountains - a very brazen young bear). The legend that bears are attracted to menstruating human females is a myth that originates from a 40 - 50 year old grizzly attack in either Yellowstone or Glacier Nat. Park. There is no correlating scientific evidence that bears are more likely to attack menstruating human females than non-menstruating ones.
http://www.myccr.com/press/articles/article.php?article_id=22&printer=1
Pokey2006
05-03-2008, 14:34
The Keeper/Diva Cup...it took me months of constant use to get used to it, but now that I am used to it, I use it all the time, even when I'm not backpacking. It's amazing how "clean" you stay with it. I have fewer accidents and messes with it than I ever did with pads or tampons.
It's also easy to find a spot well away from your campsite, dump it out, mix it into some dirt and dilute it with water -- when you're done it's like it never even existed! I found it helped my peace of mind with regards to attracting wild animals, as well as being convenient and clean.
I just had this issue at the beginning of my section in April. I use tampons, ultra-thin pad, and lots of wipes. I discard everything into an plastic bag and then put them into an Opsack. Opsack's are made by the same company as Ursack bear bags. They look like big ziploc bags, but are 17,000 times stronger at holding in smells. They are also waterproof up to 200ft--Navy Seal tested. These work! I got them from the Ursack site. They come 3 to a pack. They are 12.5" X 20". They only cost around $12 per pack. I also put my food in one.:)
skinny minnie
05-03-2008, 22:15
what do you suggest? how to dispose of maxi pads? i'd hate to bury them and it's not like there's a smell proof garbage can around!
do you bath in a river? i know it already has river life in there but would hate to bath in it and add stuff to it.
- bathe away from water sources. Use biodegradable soap and a pack towel. Even before I bathe I wipe down with a wipe first. Just helps me feel cleaner/wipes away some of the surface grime.
-never bury trash, always pack it out. :)
-I swear by body wipes. They work great for keeping you feeling fresh.
-Some people may not like this suggestion but if you are on the pill already... just skip the placebo ones and jump right to the next month.
- If that isn't an option... I personally just use tampons and have no problem. That and the wipes work great. TP and a plastic ziplock in a plastic bag to pack things out. I would not want to use a pad while exerting myself... just seems like a real pain/easy way to feel unclean. Just be really meticulous about staying clean/keeping a fresh tampon in. Use a wipe every time. This is just what works for me, at least.
Blissful
05-03-2008, 22:50
I answered in the other thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11624&page=6). :)
Gray Blazer
05-03-2008, 23:49
The only time a bear has ever tried to get in bed with me by making it's own entrance way into my tent was, coincidentally, when my ex was sleeping with me and she was on her period. We never had food in the tent and we wouldn't even bring gum or candy wrappers into that tent and there were other people around sleeping in tents. So why did the bear choose us? He must have heard that myth that 4 eyed was talking about. We could not come up with any other reason. Call it an old wife's tale. My ex is an old wife. Just saying.
Pokey2006
05-04-2008, 00:08
I'm with you Gray Blazer. I'd rather assume that bears are attracted to menstrating females -- and take precautions based on that assumption -- than to dismiss it out of hand and end up the victim of a bear attack. It doesn't hurt to take a few precautions, such as cleaning up away from the campsite, hanging used/dirty pads or tampons, or avoiding using pads at all.
Gray Blazer
05-04-2008, 00:13
I'm with you Gray Blazer. I'd rather assume that bears are attracted to menstrating females -- and take precautions based on that assumption -- than to dismiss it out of hand and end up the victim of a bear attack. It doesn't hurt to take a few precautions, such as cleaning up away from the campsite, hanging used/dirty pads or tampons, or avoiding using pads at all.
I don't know how well she did all that. I know we wern't burying anything. Good news is the bear was ripping into my side and my ex and him both woke me up and I started beating on him and yelling and he took off lucky for us. If I laid there and pretended I was dead I might be.
Pokey2006
05-04-2008, 00:35
Scary story! If that happened to me, I'd be dead of a heart attack!
mark.k.watson
05-04-2008, 10:19
My wife used to be a volunteer at a wildlife sanctuary and would feed the different animals, including one black bear. She would feed him at least 3 times a week and often more. Every time, for two years, she had her period and would feed the same bear he would act "funny".
So are bears more likely to attack when women are on their period??? All I know is they can definatley smell it.
There is a bunch of helpful info on the female hiking forum thread. We have all been where you are. Don't let it ruin or restrict your hiking plans. Actually, on bears, the only place I had a concern was in grizzly country out west. Years ago we were told it could be an issue with grizzly bears. I have neve heard of Black bears having a problem and I have given them plenty of chances since it seemed as if I was always having "it" during a hike. Do bear bag your "nasty bag" though except for the stuff you need in the middle of the night.