A note from one of favorite folks, your backcountry guide Christie Conway.
Guides choice! I’ve been using pee funnels for over 10 years. There are lots of different styles and brands, but I like the simplicity of the P-Style and other brands like it such as the Tinkerbelle & EllaPee (all on Amazon).
*EllaPee is my current favorite (I bought 5 so I have one with all my outdoor kits). I do not recommend the pure silicone ones or the ones that you have to assemble (Too flimsy and sometimes you don’t have time for that!).
◦ PERKS— you don’t have to walk a mile away to drop your pants when in the alpine zone or any other open terrain. You just do as the men do and turn your back and unzip your zipper! You will save your nether regions from hundreds of mosquito bites. It will actually save you so much time. If convenient enough, you don’t even have to take your backpack off! Works even in a climbing harness! Lightweight yet worth its weight in gold.
◦ Practice—yes, you might pee on your hand or your shoe the first time. Practice at home standing at the toilet or in the shower. There are actually lots of articles, blogs, & videos with tips and tricks. I could go into a lot more detail here, ask if you need more deets! Then start packing it on all your hikes, bike rides, skis, etc.
— if I walk past a stream or pond I’ll give it a quick rinse and flick, and will also lie it in the sunshine by my tent. I’ve also not done those things for a while and they don’t get gross or anything. Low maintenance!! 10/10.
◦ Try me if pee funnels sound weird and you still don’t wanna deal with TP! A great woman-owned brand of cute and functional reusable pee clothes that clip to the outside of your backpack.
One side is super absorbent and anti-microbial, and the other side has a nice design or picture. You’ll squat to pee like normal and wipe with the absorbent side.
While backpacking or at camp you can give it a rinse, but keeping it clipped to the outside of your pack or in the sunshine does a good job of preventing bacteria.
Normal TP & discrete trash baggie
◦ If normal TP is the only way for you, make up a little kit for yourself. Have a small stuff sack with a flattened roll of TP inside of a gallon bag and a separate empty gallon baggie for used TP, a lighter, and maybe hand sani.
We do not leave TP behind. Most places we burn and then bury the TP because of various environmental factors make it extremely difficult for TP to decompose. Or just pack it out. But we don’t just bury it or leave it on the surface. So be prepared to pack out a little trash baggie of used TP, or once you have a full baggie, dig a hole and burn it all. Or burn as after each time you go to the bathroom (Guides will talk to everyone about this regarding pooping, too).
Will bears be attracted to me while I’m on my period?!?!? No, you’ll be fine 💁🏼♀️
◦ For those of us who have periods, I cannot recommend switching over to a reusable cup enough, for camping and regular life. The reduction of waste and amount of money you’ll save is amazing!
Lots of online resources for you to explore here, but I’ve also been using a DivaCup for 10+ years. They’re so simple and take up no room. Lot of other styles and brands out there, do a little research and see what interests you.
Okay so you’re on your period on a backpacking trip — you have the Divacup, what do you do?? I’ll dig a hole and pull the cup out and dump it in the hole. Having some TP and baby wipes here is nice to clean up yourself and the cup. Once all clean, insert cup, burn TP, cover the hole, then go back to camp and wash your hands.
◦ Ol’ reliables. Pack more than you think you’ll need. I’ve experienced and heard from other women constantly over the years that backpacking trips can have weird impacts on your periods. It’s a lot of physical effort, you might be around other women, your food and water and sleep intake will be different…. So pack a few extra and be flexible
PACK IT ALLLLLLLLL OUT. We absolutely do not bury pads or tampons. They will not burn. They must be packed out. To keep it discrete, either use a smaller lightweight dry bag or an opaque ziplock, or cover the outside of a gallon ziplock with ductape. Inside of this bag, have another gallon bag or a few quart sized baggies where you’ll put the used pads/tampons. Having multiple layers of baggies containing the used items is good!
◦ But don’t bring the whole pack. I’ll allocate 2 per day (one for my face, one for whatever else, both for X…etc). Count them out, plus a couple extra, and bring them in a ziploc.
◦ Of course we know not to hike in cotton. When it gets wet, it will stay wet and zap away your body heat. , letting your lady parts breath can feel really nice, especially on a long camping trip where you’ll be wearing synthetic everything.
◦ But I like to pack a couple pairs of cotton undies. Maybe I just sleep in them after I do a baby wipe bath. Maybe I wear a pair for a day or two then go back to synthetic or wool. Feeling clean and fresh down there can really boost your overall attitude 🙂
◦ It’s part of the adventure!! Even if the water is cold, you’ll feel refreshed and sooooooo much cleaner. Again—this can boost your mood and feeling of cleanliness by a LOT!!
◦ Plus it’s fun 🙂
