Hiking & Hygiene: Everything a woman needs to know for staying clean on trail.
- Julia Sheehan
- May 28, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 23, 2021
In the event you find yourself planning or starting your first backpacking trip you may have some questions on how to stay clean on trail. As a woman, I believe that we have a few different challenges than men when it comes to staying clean while we are days away from running water or a shower. So let's dive into what system I currently use to stay clean miles deep into the wilderness.
**Let's be clear that the term woman, lady, or female can mean many things and it is very important to understand that who identifies as a female, woman or lady is someone we support and deserves to be in nature. Everyone deserves to be in nature and just because someone looks different than you does not mean these resources are not for them.**
Washing
Washing ourselves on trail is something that can seem nearly impossible. Imagine you are 40 miles from the nearest town, you haven't showered in days and your face is covered in dried salt crystals from hours of sweating in the sun. You get to camp and can not bear the thought of forcing your sticky and crusty dirt covered legs into your sleeping bag. What is the easiest way to combat this filth?
My number one recommendation for staying clean, or as clean as possible is to pack out wilderness wipes or baby wipes. There are small travel sized baby wipes, but I tend to pack out the large packs as I tend to use them for more than just cleaning myself. There are many uses for wipes on trail.
Other than a sad attempt at a wipe bath in your tent minutes before you doze of to sleep, you can use them to clean your pot, or any other dirty piece of gear you have. They are great for crusty boogers too!
Peeing
There comes a point on trail when nature calls and you have to find a tree to crouch behind a tree and pee. There are many ways to relieve your bladder of its contents. Lets break them down here.
The Old Pants Down Crouch Down
This method is the most common as it requires no tools. Simply pull the pants down, and try not to pee on your ankles. This requires some skill and aim and usually some type of pee rag to clean off the spray, that lets face it, happens to all of us. Enter the pee-rag. Many women use a bandana or a micro fiber towel. I personally use and LOVE my Kula cloth.
Learn about the Kula and why so many women choose this as their go to pee rag:
If the Kula cloth doesn't suit you, a simple micro fiber towel with a loop to attach to your pack is here to save the day:
The Standing Pee Device
If you are looking for a different way to pee on trail that doesn't involve showing your entire ass to the world around you, there have been amazing advancements in women being able to stand while peeing with their pants on! How you ask? Enter the FUD (female urination device)
PStyle (shop here)
Made of rigid plastic
The rounded back edge is used to wipe with so there are no drips!
The pStyle can be cleaned with soap and water, wet wipes, or shaken vigorously and washed at the next convenient time. It is also dishwasher safe.
$11.99 & 0.8oz
SheWee (shop here)
Stand up and take control, and avoid the filthy festival portable loos, and grim public toilets!
Simply unzip and go!
Made from recyclable Polypropelene. Use your extension pipe when wearing bulky clothing and keep it in your carry case.
$15.00 & 3.53oz
Go Girl (shop here)
Allows women the convenience of going to the bathroom standing up
Medical-grade silicone-pink tube
Reusable can be washed with soap and water
Includes a reusable storage tube with a baggie and tissue
$12.99 & 3.84oz
Number Two-ing
If you are in the wilderness long enough, there will come a time when your bowels will decide for you that you are beelining it off the trail and looking for a place to dig a 6 inch hole.
As the children's book says, "Everybody poops" and it's time we talk about it. I have had so many people ask me how I take care of business while on trail. In the off chance that you are not near a bathroom or privy, sometimes we have to make our own toilet.
The Cat-hole
Any hiker with experience has probably had to dig a cathode. We are taught that it needs to be 6 inches deep and at least 70 paces or 200 feet off trail according to Leave No Trace Principles. This helps keep contamination risks low as well as preventing the awkward eye contact with the pooping hiker occurrences to a minimum.
I recommend the Deuce #3 from TheTentLab. It is the biggest of the trowels they make and is still less than ONE FREAKING OUNCE. This is the right size you need. Big and sturdy enough to make the hole required but light enough to not even realize it's in your pack.
Just ask my friend Wheelz. She lost her trowel and didn't even realize it for days!
$24.95 | 0.97oz | 8"x 2.6"
Packing out your TP
There might be instances that you may be asked to pack out your used TP in certain wilderness areas. In some desert areas, where rainfall is scarce and winds are increased you may be asked to pack out your TP. This might seem nasty but is recommend in areas where decomposition takes far longer than in other climates.
The way that most experienced hikers pack out their TP is in a doubled ziplock bag. It's easy and simple and prevents leaking.
Expert tip: I always use a baby wipe post number 2, to help keep myself clean, and throw it in my trash bag. DON'T FORGET to use hand sani after each bathroom visit.
a standard backcountry toilet kit
Period talk
As a woman we have to talk about something most men know nothing about. Our loving period. Since hiking the AT I had an IUD placed and no longer have to experience the joys of menstration on trail, but in the event this is not an option for you, let's talk about navigating your period on trail.
While researching period tips before hiking the AT there were so many articles addressing this and I wanted to be prepared.
Menstrual Cups
While researching how to survive my period on trail I read a lot about using a menstrual cup on trail, so in preparation I purchased one and learned how to use it. As I learned how to navigate the world of having a silicone cup suctioned inside my vagina, I realized one thing: this was going to be difficult on trail.
Not only did I have to use my finger to release the suction of the cup, meaning inserting my sometimes trail-filthy finger in there, I realized that would create two problems. A bloody finger, and possible introduction of infection causing nasties into my lady parts. Without running water, I didn't want to be forced to use my crucial, filtered water to clean my cup and my bloody hand.
Also the cup should be boiled frequently to keep clean. I simply couldn't see myself boiling it after finishing my Knorr rice sides after dinner.
There have since been menstrual cups made that have suction release valves, which makes it a bit less like your cervix is being sucked out of your body when you pull the release tab and do not require inserting your finger as far into yourself to retrieve the cup.
If trying a menstrual cup interests you here are the top brands most women recommend.
The Diva Cup $24.63
Lunette Menstrual Cup $39.99
Dutchess Cup $12.99
Tradish Tampons and Pads Method
After researching silicone menstrual cups and realizing that there were added challenges to using those on trail, I opted for the traditional method of tampons.
I packed out my new tampons in a ziploc, and when changing them out, I simply put the used tampons in a separate ziplock and when I arrived to town I simply tossed the used trash into the bin! Easy-peazy-lemon-squeezy. Remember to always use hand Sani before and after each change out.
Expert Tip: if you dont want anyone seeing your used tampons, pack out a family sized pack of M&Ms and use that to store your used goods. It’s discreet and opaque, just don’t get that bag mixed up with your actual bag of treats!
Also if you’re neevous to talk about it with your trail family, just realize that we all have bodies and should normalize talking about our absolutely normal functions!
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