hygiene question!

[jackiemoo]

so ladies! we all get that time of the month. i have been desprate to know how woman thru-hikers who do the whole AT deal with it? advice?

[Nutbrown]

Get your doc to give you a bc pill that doesn't have an off week. That way you don't have to worry about it.

[One Half]

diva cup has been recommended on here before. I usually dont go out for more than a weekend so I just use what I use at home.

[HeatherDarnell]

I use a diva cup, but get tired of it after the third day. Have heard good things about natural sea sponges. They rinse pretty well.

[EBC]

+1 on diva cup/mooncup/keeper. Have used mine for entire period on the trail with no problem. I've never had to empty it more than twice a day (first thing AM and then again before bedtime), but my flow is pretty light. It might seem messy but it's no worse than packing out tampons, and SO much more comfortable. Just take a little soap and some water (maybe a wet wipe too) into the woods with you when you empty it out. Wash your hands, take it out and dump it, wash/rinse the cup, stick it back in there, wipe the undercarriage and you're good to go. It's not painful to insert and remove as tampons are.

FWIW, i've converted several friends to the cup, and we all seem to have less cramping and lighter flow since switching... YMMV. I've been using mine for 6 years with no problems. Feels so much better to not throw away used hygiene products every month! If my period hasn't started yet but i know it's coming pretty soon, i just stick it in there and i don't have to worry about it. Can't do that with a tampon that dries out your tissues and carries a risk of TSS. I actually look forward to my period since switching. Can't recommend it strongly enough.

[mag]

Ladies - While you may have heard that menopause is terrible... it makes many things, like hiking, so much easier! I just pack my Go-Girl and I am good!

[zombiegrad]

Just gotta pack it out! I used tampons without a problem. I was surprised to find that hygiene on the trail doesn't veer far off from hygiene at home--once you get some practice, that is. You use toilet paper or disposable wipes to clean up. You just don't get to shower everyday. Having an extra underwear to swap while you clean the used helps with hygiene regardless

[JenHikes]

I have a GoGirl, which I'll probably start with. I'm not sure I'll continue to use it if I want to lose the weight. It's just easier on my knees to use it
I'm also a huge fan of Lady Cup, which is sort of like the Diva Cup. Diva Cups don't fit me as well, so I switched to the Lady Cup about 2 years ago. It's totally worth it in the woods. I don't know how many times I totally forgot I was on my period in the woods and on long trips.

[WingedMonkey]

ok this might be a weird/silly question but i have been wanting to do a rebreather try day in a pool (they come up now and then), just for something fun to try out (don't have any plans to buy one). However, how does it work when you are swapping the rebreather between people hygiene wise? I have a buddy who uses a rebreather and i have seen the saliva goop that comes out of his counter lungs (or whatever they are called) so i was kinda worried about germs from other people...

Do they get cleaned between people? If not, is it very unhygienic to share a rebreather with someone?

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[jlo]

I was visited by aunt Flow my 2nd week out on my hike this summer. Fortunately it wasn't as heavy as usual (probably because of all the exercise) but the best choice I made was using those OB tampons that don't have applicators and just pantyliners. It made for less to pack out and I didn't have to learn to use a diva cup. It really wasn't that bad at all, just inconvenient. And having plenty of ziplocks, TP and wet wipes was very handy. I just did my normal thing, but used a wet wipe to clean my hands and had to pack it out.

[jlo]

Just gotta pack it out! I used tampons without a problem. I was surprised to find that hygiene on the trail doesn't veer far off from hygiene at home--once you get some practice, that is. You use toilet paper or disposable wipes to clean up. You just don't get to shower everyday. Having an extra underwear to swap while you clean the used helps with hygiene regardless

Yes, I forgot to add that I carried 3 pair of undies and so glad I did! Don't listen to those ultralighters who say only bring one pair or don't wear any at all. They crazy, man.

[Berry Belle]

I used OB tampons for a whole summer on the trail. I just dropped the used ones in empty foil packets that had contained food or hot chocolate, and I carried them along with the rest of the trash. I hung the trash in the bear bag. After a couple of months of hiking all day, my periods got lighter, so it wasn't really that much trouble.

[Berry Belle]

Yes, I forgot to add that I carried 3 pair of undies and so glad I did! Don't listen to those ultralighters who say only bring one pair or don't wear any at all. They crazy, man.

Couldn't agree more!

[Paisley1985]

I'll be tackleing this problem this week - my period should start during my hike. if not right before... I'm planning on using my Diva Cup (brining soap/hand saniier and wipes) but I'm brining a couple of pads/tampons just in case. My biggest worry isn't dealing with flow.. it's dealing with cramps. I get wicked cramps at the start and often all I can do is just curl up and let them pass - meds don't seem to do much for me. The best that does is Aleve. does anyone have any better reccomendations for painful cramps while hiking?

[modiyooch]

tampons with applicators removed, zip lock baggies to keep them sterile and and to pack them out, hand sanitizer. diva cup did NOT work for me due to very heavy flow. It was not a good experience to experiment with the diva on the trail. My biggest problem is that I never knew when to expect the visit.

[Berry Belle]

Ibuprofen took care of cramps for me. Nutella for the endless chococolate cravings

[Amanita]

I'm already on 3 month per period birth control, so I schedule my period around work/school/trail. On these pills it's not a big deal if you have your period a few weeks early/late (but don't skip it altogether!). So even if it's only been two months, if I find a "convenient" time to have my period I just stop taking the active pills and have it so that I can ensure it won't be visiting during my vacation, final exam week, ect.

As for cramps, I understand the super mega incapacitating cramps Being in control of when I have it, I try and line the worst few days up with a weekend when I won't have to get out of bed.

[HIKERJEN]

I'll be tackleing this problem this week - my period should start during my hike. if not right before... I'm planning on using my Diva Cup (brining soap/hand saniier and wipes) but I'm brining a couple of pads/tampons just in case. My biggest worry isn't dealing with flow.. it's dealing with cramps. I get wicked cramps at the start and often all I can do is just curl up and let them pass - meds don't seem to do much for me. The best that does is Aleve. does anyone have any better reccomendations for painful cramps while hiking?

The only thing that works for me is Aleve as well. I start taking 1 per day about 3 days before I start, and if i start feeling twinges of pain a day or 2 before I start, I take 1 aleve every 12 hrs. My Dr. told me I could take 2 aleve at a time, as that is the same as the prescription dose. Having the Aleve in your system BEFORE the cramps start is key !

[Echraide]

Hiking can mess with your period so I always carry tampons whether or not I think I'll need them (extra tampons are good fire starters and therefore dual purpose - ha). Used ones go inside two double ziplock baggies, one inside the other. The inner one contains baby powder which helps eliminate any odor. I bearbag them with the rest of my trash and just toss them whenever I hit a town.