Building an Inclusive Future for Outdoor Menstruators (I’m on the Cover of Mountaineer Magazine!)
When I was 14, I got my period while canoeing to an island with a bunch of boys at summer camp. Moving outdoors was my favorite thing to do – but at that moment, I felt panicked and ashamed of my body.
Half the world experiences menstrual periods in their lifetimes, and 100% of the population exists because of them. Yet, our culture teaches us to hide, neglect, and even suppress our natural cycles. Outdoor adventure culture is no exception. I’ve heard countless stories of menstruators hiding tampons up their base layer sleeves, periods coming unexpectedly on mountaintops, and leaders cracking jokes about participants being cranky during “their time of the month.”
As outdoor leaders and enthusiasts, we have the power and responsibility to remove the stigma around menstruation. After all, menstrual cycles are intricately linked with nature. If we claim to honor and respect outer nature, we need to normalize and celebrate our inner nature, too. By empowering menstruators to confidently manage the processes of backcountry periods, we foster a more inclusive outdoors.
Tips for period management in the backcountry
Build your backcountry period set-up
If you love spending time outdoors and also have periods, both will inevitably happen at the same time. Use these four steps to prep your gear for a period in the backcountry:
Learn your product options
Take time to try different period gear for different outdoor activities, and see which ones feel best for your preferences and sports.
Period panties: Underwear designed to absorb several pads’ or tampons’ worth of blood.
Pros: An environmentally sustainable option, many cuts and styles are available with different absorbency options.
Cons: Can’t be washed thoroughly on expeditions, and dirty panties need to be separated from clean. They’re heavier than other options, and not watersport friendly.
Tampons: Absorbent material that’s inserted into the vagina with an applicator or clean fingers.
Pros: Convenient to use and can be found at most retail stores. It’s easy to separate used products from new, and disposal is simple with a trash baggie.
Cons: Produces waste that must be packed out. Requires clean hands for insertion, and the string can cause uncomfortable chafing.
Menstrual cups or discs: A flexible vessel inserted through the vaginal canal that sits below the cervix to catch blood until emptied.
Pros: An eco-friendly option with a long use life (some disposable options exist). Lightweight and compact, and doesn’t cause chafing or distracting sensations.
Cons: To use effectively takes practice. Blood needs to be disposed of in a low-impact way, and the product is harder to clean in the backcountry.
Pads: Blood-absorbing material attached to underwear.
Pros: It’s easy to tell when the pad needs to be replaced, and using pads overnight (in conjunction with another product) provides additional protection from leaks while camping. Reusable options are available.
Cons: Can cause chafing. Not water friendly, and creates waste that must be disposed of responsibly.
Organize your backcountry kit
A great outdoor period kit will help you keep items together and clean. No matter what period products you use, your kit needs:
A container to store everything. Try using a reusable, sealable bag or plastic container with a lid to avoid generating waste by using plastic baggies.
A way to keep used and new items separate. Use one bag for clean supplies such as fresh toilet paper, pads/tampons, hand sanitizer, etc. Use another bag to store the used products. If you’re using a clear plastic bag for used products, you can make the bag opaque by covering it with tape or marker. Adding baking soda, aspirin, or coffee grounds to the bag helps absorb odor, if that bothers you. When you get back from your trip, restock all items in the supplies bag, and dispose of or wash the contents of your used bag.
Consider pre-made kits (especially if you’re a trip leader). Some small businesses make pre-assembled period kits. These are great for people who don’t want to find all the pieces themselves, or for leaders who want to be prepared if a participant forgets to bring supplies.
Going eco-friendly. If you choose to use a cup in the backcountry, your kit might consist of that supply baggie, a little squeeze bottle of biodegradable soap, and an extra bag to hold your cup or period panties when they’re no longer needed. To avoid generating toilet paper waste, you can attach a squeezable backcountry bidet to your water bottle.
Practice tools at home
Let’s be real: every outdoorsperson has had an awkward experience with pee, poop, or periods. Like all outdoor learning opportunities, there’s no shame in an accidental mishap.
Practicing how to use your kit at home will relieve a lot of stress when you’re in the backcountry. You want to feel familiar and comfortable with your system before heading out, so consider these tips before you go:
Check supply stock: Make a list of what you’ll need for your kit and save it in an easily accessible area (like your phone), so you have something to reference that will remind you what supplies need restocking.
Repackage supplies: Gather all your supplies and select the amount you need for your trip. Repackage these supplies into your kit to cut down on weight and space.
Test new tools: If you haven’t used any of the items in your kit, try them at home first.
Final pre-trip check: Before leaving on your trip, mentally and visually check you have everything you need to stay comfortable and clean.
Be a steward
When dealing with fluids and disposables, it’s important to minimize our impact on the environment. Being a mindful outdoor recreator means understanding an outdoor area’s guidelines and following Leave No Trace principles.
Wildlife considerations: There is no evidence that bears are attracted to menstrual fluid. Still, menstrual products are considered “smellable items” in bear country. Store any toiletries that have a potential scent in a bear-proof hang or container, including menstrual supplies and waste.
Trash disposal: Never leave anything in the backcountry. All menstrual products, including tampons and toilet paper, must be packed out with your trash. Don’t put pads or tampons into vault toilets – they take hundreds of years to decompose and could be found by animals or require removal by a ranger.
Emptying cups or discs: The best option for blood management is to pack it out, if possible (or if the area requires), in which case you can use a wag bag or sealable container. You must pack out your blood in alpine environments, like glacier or snow climbs. Where allowed, you can empty your cup into a cathole 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet from water sources, trails, and campsites. Fill your hole back in and mark it with a stick.
Washing period underwear and cups: Wash underwear and rinse cups at least 200 feet from water sources, trails, and campsites, and make sure to use biodegradable soap and broadcast used water (meaning, cast your water across a large area so it spreads out). Bring another pair of underwear that you can wear while your wet underwear dries. Always use clean, decontaminated water for washing.
Preparing for premenstrual and menstrual discomfort
Many menstruators feel discomfort in the week before their period starts. The time between ovulation (when the ovary releases an egg) and a period is called the “luteal phase.” During this phase, the body produces more of the progesterone hormone, which elevates body temperature (making it harder to cool off during energy expenditure) and slows digestion (making you potentially feel bloated or constipated). Increased progesterone levels also increase the body’s heart rate and respiratory rate (so your breathing may feel more labored), as well as metabolism (so you may feel hungrier and need to intake more calories).
To minimize premenstrual discomfort during the luteal phase, you can:
Make sure you’re taking in enough calories, and prioritize eating protein within 30 minutes after exercise to maximize muscle and energy recovery.
Get enough sleep each night and avoid overconsuming caffeine.
Pre-load electrolytes and hydration before a trip.
Ease premenstrual cramping with magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids the week before your period.
Eat foods rich in nitric oxide (like beets, pomegranates, watermelon, and spinach), if you’re prone to menstrual headaches.
Ask a doctor about magnesium supplements or additional ways to increase fiber intake if constipation is an issue.
When your period arrives, you might notice other symptoms such as cramping, fatigue (especially if you have heavy periods), or “period poops” — which are a real thing due to hormone fluctuations. Noting what is and isn’t normal for you and planning ahead can help you prevent or manage symptoms when they arise.
Research shows that you can perform your best during all parts of your cycle – so prepare for a great adventure, no matter what.
If your period is going to happen while you’re in the backcountry:
Track your patterns, signs, and symptoms ahead of time. Understanding your body and your cycle can help you distinguish between a normal bodily response and medical issue. There's no proven healthy and natural way to delay a period, but tracking it can help you prepare.
Avoid tight waistbands that aggravate stomach problems.
Wear period panties as a backup if you’re worried about leaks, or wear dark, patterned bottoms that can hide any visual signs of leakage.
Pack a clean, plastic glove in your first aid kit. In a pinch, the glove is helpful if your hands are dirty and a quick product change is needed.
Check the regulations of the area you are visiting to figure out what the best products are to bring.
How outdoor leaders can support people with periods
Getting your period in the backcountry shouldn’t be shameful. Unfortunately, embarrassment is common, and many people suffer in silence rather than ask a leader for supplies.
When trip leaders and guides bring menstrual cycle empowerment into their orientation materials and trip supplies, people with periods feel more comfortable and included. Remember, half the world has periods, so embracing and supporting menstruation is essential to creating a welcoming outdoor culture.
Planning for and accommodating periods on trips
Welcome packets, pre-trip emails, and website FAQ’s often cover topics like pooping and peeing but rarely discuss periods. Menstrual care is a crucial topic in pre-trip orientation materials. When planning your trip, here are questions to consider:
How does the location of the trip influence how menstruators will manage their period?
What supplies will be provided? What supplies does the menstruator need to bring? Where will a menstruator find supplies during the trip?
What is the expectation for pack in/pack out of bodily fluid and supplies?
Who should menstruators talk to during a trip if they need something?
Stay period-aware in the field
Outdoor leaders manage safety, comfort, and happiness for a group, and menstrual health is related to all three. Guides and trip leaders can build their leadership skills by considering these tips:
When demonstrating Leave No Trace practices such as catholes and where to urinate, address menstrual periods, too.
Use clear leader language. No “Aunt Flo,” “time of the month,” “curse,” or “special feminine needs.” Just say, “If you’re changing a menstrual product...”
Remember that menstrual products may be “smellable items” in bear country.
A full menstrual cycle may bring cyclical changes in how menstruators feel, think, act, and perform. Manage these fluctuations just as you’d manage any other group dynamic.
Review wilderness medicine training to know what is and isn’t normal during a period, and when to evacuate for a potential medical condition.
Embracing all our seasons
As adventurers, we appreciate the dynamic nature of the wild. Just as we encounter changing winds, rain, rivers, and terrain, a menstruator’s physiology is dynamic and constantly shifting.
I view the menstrual cycle as a set of four seasons. Why not embrace the adventure of each? Your period might be an inner winter, a time to slow down and reconnect with your roots. After it ends, you might feel an inner spring, with increasing energy and a buzz of inspiration. Ovulation might feel like an inner summer, when you can crush long days and perform in your brightest colors. And the premenstrual week might feel like an inner autumn, a time to prune back to what’s most important to you.
Nothing blooms year-round. A garden, the tides, animals hibernating... Nature’s cycles ensure that the planet has periods of high and low, push and pull, create and rest. We must remind ourselves that humans are the same way.
Since I decided to look at my period as a connection to nature, I’ve had my period at the top of Mt. Hood, in the depths of the Grand Canyon, and across the finish line of a 100-mile ultramarathon. In these moments, I feel connected to half of the other adventurers out there who know exactly what I’m experiencing.
Removing the stigma around menstrual cycles is just one way we can empower communities in the outdoors and reduce barriers to adventure. Together, Mountaineers can shift the way we think and talk about menstrual cycles so that our community feels prepared and empowered to get outdoors during all phases of life.
