Rebecca's Question:
Hi! I plan on hiking the AT beginning in March of 2002 from Georgia to Maine, which I am extremely excited about. There is one aspect about the journey that I am concerned about and that is what does a woman do when she gets her"monthly friend" on the trip? I have talked to men who have hiked the AT but need a woman's answer. What about disposal, coping, etc...I know it is a personal question so I apologize although I need to find an answer! Thanks so much!

—Rebecca

Karen's Answer:

	Karen Berger Meet Karen Previous Answers Hiking Forums

Dear Rebecca —

Thanks for asking a question a LOT of other women are wondering about.

Warning to the guys hanging out here: You might want to run for cover this week. But first, consider printing this one out for your girlfriends and wives if they hike — or if this question is the reason they don't.

First, I'm going to recommend a terrific book: Women and Thruhiking on the Appalachian Trail by Beverly Hugo, which discusses the issue in detail, as well as just about anything else a female thru-hiker would want to know.

But let me cover some of the basics here:

Getting your period on a thru-hike is a slight inconvenience, nothing more. (Many women actually skip periods or find that the flow lessens quite a bit.) You'll probably want to experiment a bit to see which kinds of tampons you're most comfortable using when you're stuck somewhere without a toilet. Those with applicators make for more trash to pack out, but they may be more convenient to use. In addition, I always carry ultra-light pads (the super skinny ones). That way, if I happen to be one a trail with a lot of other hikers and not a lot of trees and bushes to hide behind, I don't have to worry about imminent accidents. This is especially true on rainy days. Using pads gives you more freedom to pick and choose when to take care of yourself. Keep some TP in a pocket, and during"that time of the month" keep your supplies in a handy place where you can get to them easily.

As far as disposal, carry a bunch of small ziplock bags for the daily trash, and a larger one where you can stash the small bags together. You'll find more opportunities to dispose of trash on the AT than you will on other trails — there are sometimes trash receptacles at road crossings and trailheads. If you can't find a place to dispose of sanitary products, you'll need to pack them out with your other garbage.

While it's not acceptable to bury the trash (animals will just dig it up — yech!), you may be able to burn it. If you were to be hiking in the fragile desert and alpine areas of the West, I wouldn't recommend this, but on the AT, there are plenty of places where it's perfectly acceptable to make fires (New Jersey and Connecticut being two exceptions), so you can certainly burn your trash at the end of the day.

The bottom line: Having your period in the woods is not really any bigger deal than it is at home.

Have a great hike!

Karen