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Having yourperiodwhile exercising ortravelingcan be, admittedly, inconvenient.
Getty Images/ ADragan
Its natural to be anxious about how youre going to deal with your flow.
Do you opt for a waste-free option like amenstrual cupor use disposable products?
Will cramps ruin your day?And what about blood-thirsty bears?
Luckily, there are a few ways to make hiking or camping on your period totally doable.
Heres how to make it easier.
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First, dont worry about bears.
Accumulated and easy-to-accesswastefrom your period, however, is a different story.
Like food left out in the open, it could potentially attract bears and other animals.
So if bears arent a factor when hiking or camping on your period, what should you consider?
If youre using a menstrual cup, think about how youll dump it and clean it.
Since theyre reusable, theyre also moreeco-friendlythan tampons or pads.
Just check that to keep your hands clean as well, Oldham says.
Disposable period products are the most traditional route you could take here, and they offer some serious advantages.
But,as a responsible outdoors-person, you have to carry all that waste out with you.
Dr. Dardik notes that this is also howtoxic shock syndrome develops, but only in very rare cases.
(Theyre also more likely to cause irritation, anyway.)
Period underwear might be an option for light flows and light hikes.
But thereisa limit to how much fluid they can absorb before they start to leak and are rendered ineffective.
But something like a pair ofperiod-friendly shortscould be helpful for days when your flow is lighter.
Youre going to want to over-prepare for cramps.
Its worth mentioning that health care providers have been recommending physical activity to reduce menstrual pain since the 1930s.
Were not going to suggest you go for a jog as treatment for intense cramps.
But if you find that some movement when youre dealing with cramps actually helps, that might explain why.
Granted, this doesnt mean you should just power through cramps when hiking or camping.
Definitely double-check youre prepared to deal with the discomfort.
First, bring more than enough of whichever pain medication usually helps you manage cramps.
Good ol hand warmers wrapped in a shirt could yield the same effect as a heating pad.
Just see to it to properly dispose of any trash once youre finished with this kind of item.
Find out if you’re able to skip your period altogether.
These methods all feature a week or so where you arent ingesting or absorbing hormones.
During that time, you bleed, but youre not experiencing an actual period.
Instead, the bleeding that happens during this time is called withdrawal bleeding.
Dr. Dardik says skipping your period in this way is a safe option when done correctly.
There is a chance that you might experiencebreakthrough bleeding, which is spotting that occurs between cycles.
