Peeing, Pooping, and Periods: A Guide to Personal Hygiene in the Woods
By: Jess Lancial
Jess is a county naturalist, Wander Women guide, and avid outdoorswoman with lots of experience peeing, pooping, and menstruating on the trail. Doing field work with a crew of men, traveling in third word countries, and leading backpacking trips with high school kids has helped Jess learn the triple P’s (peeing, pooping, and periods), and staying hygienic always require unique solutions. Jess is here to offer tips and tricks that can be used for traveling, backpacking, or just the casual day hike.
If you have any questions for Jess, e-mail hello@wanderwomeniowa.com
First and Foremost, Leave No Trace
The Leave No Trace principles were created “to encourage outdoor enthusiasts to consider the impacts that they leave behind, which will undoubtedly affect other people, water and wildlife.” You can find all seven principles here. Specifically, you can find Principle 3: Dispose of Waste Properly here. It is very important to follow these principles in order to keep our impacts on nature as small as possible. Here are some key points for leaving no trace when it comes to human waste such as urine, poop, and menses.
Pack it in, pack it out. Pack out all wipes, toilet paper, tampons, and pads.
Deposit solid human waste (poop and menstrual blood if using a cup) in cat holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. A camp trowel will help you with this job. Cover and disguise the cat hole when finished. Try not to touch feces with your trowel. You should feel comfortable sleeping on it.
Urinate in an area thick with hummus and drainage or on rocks in non-vegetated areas.
To wash yourself, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap (Dr. Bronner’s). Scatter used water.
Peeing Strategies and Tools
Strategies:
Find a place to pee that is at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trail.
Urinate in an area thick with hummus and drainage or on rocks in non-vegetated areas.
Wear moisture wicking underwear - they dry quickly and oftentimes are antimicrobia.. Cotton absorbs moisture and stays wet, which isn’t great for pee droplets.
Tools:
Pee-rag:
A lightweight microfiber (high-absorbent) towel or a traditional cotton bandana. Like a dried-out sponge, microfiber towels are not always immediately absorbent. In contrast, cotton absorbs immediately so you can wipe quickly. And since you’re only wiping a few drops, the dry time is insignificant.
Make a pee rag using one-quarter of a square bandana. Tie a knot in one corner for a handle, and to help attach it to the outside of your pack via a clip or stretchy cord.
To those who may question whether a pee rag is sanitary, consider that ultra-violet rays from the sun are one of earth’s most powerful disinfectants. A pee rag on the outside of a pack is probably cleaner than the toilet paper rolls in many public bathrooms.
Kula Cloth:
From the Kula Cloth website:
A Kula Cloth™ is the first of its kind - an intentionally (and obsessively) designed reusable antimicrobial pee cloth!
In a wilderness setting (or heck, even at a porta potty!), it's very important to have good hygiene. Traditionally, we either pack in excess amounts of toilet paper and/or employ the 'shaking off' method (aka 'drip dry'). Neither of these are good options. A pee cloth is a way that we can stay comfortable AND have a positive impact on the environment at the same time.
Kula Cloth™ is perfect for: hiking, backpacking, mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, motorcycling, fly fishing, going to concerts, space travel, camping, rollerblading, skiing, golf, snowshoeing, ice fishing, horseback riding (not on the horse, mind you), underwater basket weaving, motocross, snowmobiling, archaeology expeditions, boating, quidditch matches, travelling, ice skating, sailing, spelunking, canyoneering, musical mountaineering, any type of running (trail, road, ultra), frisbee golf, yoga, ATV riding, treasure hunting, deep sea fishing, hunting, orienteering, curling, geocaching, rock climbing and... well... pretty much, you get the idea. The Kula Cloth™ is designed for people who are passionate about adventuring intentionally while simultaneously being awesome. If you're questioning whether or not you are awesome, please don't. You are.
Moisture-Wicking Underwear:
Moisture-wicking underwear are breathable and made from material that helps to keep you dry, thus helping to prevent chafing, infections, and even unpleasant scents. They are usually quite easy to wash up and dry quickly (hang them from your pack to dry). There are many brands to choose from. A few of our favorites include:
Female Urination Devices:
Female Urination devices (FUD) are devices that allow you to stand up while peeing. There are many brands to choose from. We have been told that practicing with these devices is a must!
Pooping Strategies and Tools (Hey, everybody poops!)
Tools:
Poo kit - a waterproof bag to carry supplies, ziplock bag for disposing of toilet paper and wipes, baby wipes, trowel, toilet paper, biodegradable soap (wash hands often with soap since antibacterial soap doesn’t kill giardia)
Bidet – squirt bottle with Dr. Bronner’s soap and water. The perineal squirt bottles you get after having
a baby work really well for this.
Strategies:
Zip lock toilet – pee and defecate into a ziplock bag - if you use this method, you MUST carry the bag out with you.
Tree balance – hold on to a tree while defecating or peeing to keep balance
Log throne – sit on or lean against a log while defecating to please knees
This article has some great pooping positions and strategies
This video from REI is really great too
Period Strategies and Tools
Tampons
Pros:
You can bring tampons without applicators to take up less space
You know the routine and it works for you
Quicker
More sanitary in the fact you aren’t inserting dirty fingers inside your vagina
Cons:
You have to carry them in, which takes up room and ounces in your pack
You have to pack out every single used tampon and pad in a special waste bag. (It’s important not to bury a used tampon or pad in your cat hole because animals dig them up.)
Menstrual Cup
This is a flexible silicone or rubber cup you insert to catch menstrual blood. Many companies make them. You buy one and reuse it, often for years. Brands may have different sizes based on your age, flow amount or childbirth history. Once you insert the cup—it’s a different process from inserting a tampon so read the manufacturer’s instructions—you can keep it in for up to 12 hours. Then you remove it (again, follow instructions) and empty the contents into your “cat hole” (the hole you dig for bathroom use during a backcountry trip).
After you empty out the cup, rinse it with clean water if possible, or wipe it out with tissue, and reinsert it. You can do this as often as you need to. Some women even pee on the cup to rinse it while on the trail, then wash it in camp. You may prefer to use the cup only at night or only during the day. Typically, a cup can be boiled for a thorough cleaning. Most come with a small drawstring storage bag made of breathable cotton.
Pros:
A cup is reusable and lightweight, so you only have to bring one item instead of multiple tampons/pads that get heavy after use.
It eliminates waste, making it more environmentally friendly than tampons.
You’re not exposed to bleach, dioxin or fibers found in some tampons.
Cons:
Inserting and removing a cup takes practice—it’s important to practice at home and use the cup during one or two periods before you go on your trip.
Lack of soap and water to clean your hands and the cup can be a deterrent for some women. I suggest bringing latex gloves into the back-country if you are worried about dirty hands to eliminate the chances of bacterial infections.
Pads
Pros:
Easy to use
Quick
No vaginal insertion required, which helps to keep your fingers clean
Cons:
Bulky and take up a lot of space
They can cause chaffing and infections
You have to pack out every single pad you use
Periods Underwear:
Period underwear are special underwear that are designed to hold period blood, much like a pad does. However, period underwear are not bulky, and they’re reusable. Many people like to wear them as back-ups when using a cup or tampon. They also work well for incontinence. There are many brands to choose from, such as:
Pros:
Easy to use
Comfortable
Can be used as a back-up to a menstrual cup
Reusable
Cons:
They need to be washed and dried
Limited holding capacity
Pricey
How to Carry and Store Your Hygiene Items
Once you’ve decided what feminine hygiene items you’re going to bring, you can make a “go kit.” This is a sack containing a clean bag to carry products in, and a waste bag to carry used items out.
By keeping all your items together inside the larger kit, you just need to pull out one bag when you reach into your pack for your supplies. Some women, however, prefer to keep the two completely separate.
Clean bag: For your main bag, grab an ultralight 4-liter to 8-liter roll-top stuff sack or dry bag. I prefer dry bags that I can carry outside of my pack so I can unclip and go when necessary. Then, add the following:
In a 1 gallon or quart size ziplock bag, keep your tampons, liners, and pads, or whatever method you choose.
Hand sanitizer (small bottle)
Pre-moistened wipes in a zip-top bag (1-3 per day), or toilet paper removed from the cardboard roll.
Biodegradable soap (small amount for washing hands and underwear)
Waste bag: Zip-top bags are the best way to carry out used tampons, pads and toilet paper to contain odors.
1-1 gallon ziplock bag
Several snack or sandwiched sized ziplock bags for disposing of used tampons and pads. I like to bring doggie bags, dispose of my used tampon into the doggy bag, then place my doggy bag into snack ziplock, and then store in the 1 gallon bag. Tip: To further help with odor control, include a dry tea bag or ground coffee. Not recommended for areas that require you to bear bag.
Ways to make a waste bag from a gallon-size zip-top bag:
Completely line the bag with aluminum foil so the contents remain private.
Cover the bag with duct tape; this weighs more, however.
Backcountry Hygiene Tips for Your Period
Wash your hands with soap and clean water when you’re in camp, and use hand sanitizer while on the trail.
You can bring pre-moistened UNSCNETED wipes to clean your hands before and after inserting or removing the menstrual cup or tampons. (While some feminine wipes are made especially for cleaning out the menstrual cup when you can’t rinse it, some cup manufacturer’s advise against using wipes or sanitizer on the cup itself.)
Bring along a few nitrile medical gloves to use when inserting or removing a menstrual cup or tampon to avoid getting your hands messy. They’re good to have in your first-aid kit even if you don’t use them, but they do create extra waste to manage. (Put them in your waste bag and carry them out with you.)
Washing Clothing
If I have to wash during a back country trip, I wash only two or three things: Underwear, socks, and bandana/wash rag, and sports bra.
Take one ziplock bag and fill it with warm water (I save my left over boiling water I use for cooking. Put a drop of biodegradable soap, and add your clothing you want to wash. Seal the bag and shake. Scatter dirty water 200 feet away from campsite, then rinse clothing item and set out to dry. I usually attach the item on the outside of my bag and sundry when hiking. With this method, I only need two pairs of socks, and underwear and I’m able to reduce weight in my pack.