Being on your period at the best of times is annoying, but when you’re hiking and don’t have access to a toilet and a bin it can be enough to want to delay a trip. You can choose to take the pill and plan your periods around a trip, but this doesn’t work for everyone. This post is about your options when your on your period mid hike.

The most common three options are tampons, pads and menstrual cups. Everyone will have their personal preference for off the trail, but on the trail you might not have running water or a bin.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to bring baby wipes and a ziplock bag to pack these out. I always bring them and rarely use them, unless I’m on my period, when they are a god send.

The basics:

	Disposable Tampons	Disposable Pads	Menstrual Cups
Day	Y	Y	Y
Night	N	Y	Y
Swimming	Y	N	Y
Light	Y	N	Y
Small	Y	N	Y
No Smell	N	N	Y
Reusable	N	N	Y
No Cleaning	Y	Y	N
Breathable	N	N	Y
Use times*	2-4 hours	3-4 hours	6-12 hours
Ease of Use	4/5	5/5	2/5

* depending on you

My personal preference is to use a menstrual cup. Get used to it off the trail first. After your first period of using it you’ll be a pro. Use pads as a back up while learning, to give you piece of mind. You’ll have to learn it all over again when you have to empty it in the squat position, trying not to get blood on your pants. Take extra wet wipes during your learning stages and have a practice in the shower. Once you’ve got the hang of it you get the luxury of it being so small and that it can always be kept in your first aid kit, so you’re fully ready for even those surprise periods.

If you’re not a fan of the cup. I’d use a mixture of tampons and pads to suit your trip. Personally I prefer pads over tampons when I’m hiking for a long time. They are heavy and bulky, but they are easy and stay comfortable over the days of constant exercise. Tampons do have their place, at the swimming hole, as well as a permanent part of your first aid for unexpected periods.

For those who are shy about being on their periods. A cup is great as you don’t have to sneak sanitary items in and out your pack multiple times a day. If you’re going the disposable route. Take an old dry bag or solid colour bag to put all your used ziplock bags inside.

A few extra things to be aware of:

• Be extra hygienic with your hands. Use a bit of hand sanitizer before going to the toilet. You don’t want to risk getting an infection on the trail.
• Whether you’re using a cup or not there will be blood in your waste, be aware of where you are leaving it. Bury a hole and keep away from water sources.
• Don’t burn your disposable waste, always pack it out.