how do girls deal with this while hiking the A.T. (prefer not to use hormones or pills)?
A friend on mine hiking in 2005 will be faced with this and she is not sure how to manage it.
Thanks. TD.
traildawg
Girls and periods
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#2
Tampons - just pack 'em out. Triple bag them in bear country. It really isn’t all that much trouble. Often the period is lighter and may be skipped entirely because of the change in diet and exercise level. Cindy Ross talked about having her worst cramps on the days she climbed the biggest mountains - but you just grin and bear it if it happens to you.
Ginny
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#3
Always carry tampons and whatever medication you use at home. Strenuous hiking affects women indifferent ways. Some of us are regular, while others skip periods. Always carry enough tampons for one cycle. I’ve never tried using pads on the trail, because I don’t believe they would stick to my sweaty shorts liners. Never put tampons or pads in privys. Never bury them. Put them in a ziplock bag and pack them out. If you wrap the bag with foil, the foil will mask any odor. Baby wipes can be used to clean yourself.
We deal with this every month at home. It’s really not any different on the trail.
yogi
yogi
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#4
periods can be super light on the trail sometimes, and even the light-flow tampons can be too much “protection.” i would recommend panty liners as an alternative. but for sure, pack either one out.
zero
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#5
Posted about this ages ago. Here, line #2.
http://www.trailforums.com/index2.cfm?action=detail&PostNum=1704&Thread=2&roomID=7&entryID=13109:girl
Bramble
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#6
Something interesting happens when a woman is outside for months at a time, living according to the patterns of the sun and moon.
Her cycle will likely adjust to the phases of the moon.
Ovulation on the new moon and menstruation on the full moon. It may be due to living in all natural light instead of artificial indoor lighting. It is facinating.
Island Mama
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#7
Something interesting happens when a woman is outside for months at a time, living according to the patterns of the sun and moon.
Her cycle will likely adjust to the phases of the moon.
Ovulation on the new moon and menstruation on the full moon. It may be due to living in all natural light instead of artificial indoor lighting.
Island Mama
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#8
Another interesting oddity is that women living together or working closely together often get into the same cycle. When I’m feeling moody, I’ll ask my friend at the next desk, “Are we PMSing this week?” and usually the answer is yes. Over the past three years, our cycles have now coincided.
Ginny
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#9
From a males perspective I feel it is the most logical to burn the tampons in a good hot fire, a real scorcher. I spent 4 summers hiking with 12-17 year old girls in ADK’s of New York. Just a metter of bagging it up and at night burning it. Some may argue the sense of being unsanitary or attracting game. Not at all, in 4 years I never a problem. And you will find that a real scorcher of a fire will take care of most trash.
Ktr
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#10
thanks for serious answers to a ? that I wasn’t sure about. I wonder if burning them will work; sure would beat packing them out.
Oh, and come prepared! For yrs, I was regular, but the first time that I was in the mountains for a week, my period started 9 days early. Lovely. I had to stop to buy tampons; (& the price of the tampons was 3-4x what they regularly cost me.)The cashier said that the change in elevation made alot of women start up early; tho like the above post, it could be the opposite too.
Thanks
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#11
Hey TrailDawg.
Tell your friend to leave w/ enough OB tampons for at least a full cycle. Chances are, she may skip a few months, but this is normal…of course it’s better to be prepared than to just assume you will skip a few months.
You can also let her know the bright side of it all, if you want. For those skipped periods, there will also be skipped cramps!! They eventually come back, though, as do the periods (normally). 
bearbait
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#12
I know you said no hormones or pills, but I used the patch while hiking. Just change it once a week, instead of taking a pill every day. Pretty easy to keep up with and not likely to peel off or anything. Instead of skipping the fourth week of a patch, just keep wearing it through and it’ll stop your cycle. My doc said you could do this for up to six months, but then should let yourself cycle just to be healthy.
Xena
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#13
That thing made you hike all funny and chase hobbits and wanna eat poodles. “Do you think that lady’d mind if I ate her poodle?”. Don’t deny it. Poodles N’ Noodles, Poodle Pot Pie, Shikapoodle? 
BW
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#14
On or off the trail, if you are having major cramps, you might have an imbalance in your system. I used to have PMS so bad my room-mates would rush me to the hospital because I was passing out, majorly dehydrated, etc. and the hospitals would rush me right in past others. It took years to find the solutions … and tried getting off pill (still off), changing diet, changing exercise, even tried therapy for it, etc. and finally have no symptoms/no cramps at all (most months) and must watch the calendar to even tell when it’ll arrive so I’m prepared. I take an herbal thing called Estratone to balance my hormones and my diet is similar to Atkins but not exact. It may seem strange but therapy actually helped alleviate symptoms some months. This is not to mean it’s all in your head … I just think stress can make it worse so therapy de-stressed me. I’m no longer in therapy but the Estratone and diet seems to be doing the trick for me now. I think a combination of things is the key for me. Once you find the right combination, the results are so good you wonder why you put up with all that pain for so many years.
Don’t give up … I used to believe doctors and women who said “it’s just the curse women have to live with.” That’s not true, you can get pain free naturally. Work with your doctors but since every body is different, you’ll need to become the expert on your own body. There’s a good book to help you identify your specific needs on this … it’s called “PMS Self Help Book: A Woman’s Guide” by Susan M. Lark, M.D. Subtitled: “A Woman’s Guide to feeling good all month. The first Completely practical all-natural master plan for relieving over 150 symptoms of PMS.”
Leslie
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#15
Somehow I can’t see being at a shelter full of guys and casually dropping my dirty tampons into the fire - no way.
Besides the embarrassment factor, after the first month or so, fires were a rarity for me. I don’t suppose I have a fire on the trail but once every two or three years now. Given how frequently the AT passes near towns, it isn’t that much of a problem to pack it out.
Ginny
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#16
Xena,
I’m glad you mentioned the birth control patch. For someone who has a hard time remembering to take pills (like yours truly), i’ve been thinking that the patch is the way to go for my thru hike. Did you notice any side effects? Did you still have cramps and a small period, or did you skip yours altogether?
Thanks for your help.
~MS
MS
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#19
I wanted to add one thing I’ve found very useful which is carrying baby wipes. I use them instead of tp. I carry them in a ziplock with another ziplock for packing out the used ones. I also use them to help clean my hands (especially nice when using o.b.). They’re heavier than t.p. because of the moisture but i have the feeling I stay a lot cleaner as a result.
April
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#20
Ginny,
I do see you point, however… it is a small perpsective out there when you consider why you’re out there. Other hikers should be mature enough and also realize the issue of “packing it out” for females. I spent 4 summers dealing with this issue with teenage girls non the less. The key is, cover it in a bag and either add a touch of white gas or flash powder.
Ktr