TrekHound.com

 

Flickr Photo Credit: Conor Lawless

Let’s face it, ladies. There are no tampons on the road less traveled. In fact, there are times when it’s fairly difficult to find any sort of feminine hygiene products at all. What’s a girl to do?

Well, the most popular option I’ve read about and tried is called “The Keeper“. It’s an eco friendly alternative to tampons, and you can take it with you wherever you go, using very little luggage space to do so. The company even makes an alternative version in silicone, for those women who are allergic to latex.  Word of advice: you’ll definitely want to test drive this option at home for a few months before hitting the road.

In addition (or instead of), you may want to explore the washable cloth pad option. Many of the larger health food stores have them, or you can order them online. You’ll also probably want to spend some time researching different designs that meet your comfort standards specifically. If you are needing to penny pinch in this area, here are some links to help you out:

• Hillbillyhousewife.com A fairly detailed page on the concept and method. Includes directions, images and patterns, as well as links to other sources of information on the subject.
• Kristinsclothpads.com A pattern for purchase to make all sizes of pads, from mini-maxi, and post partum.
• Another how-to page for sewing your own pads.  This page has more information on the subject, as well as instructions on the process.

I’ll be honest. This is not a transition I wanted to make. In fact, I made the journey kicking and screaming. And, I’ll probably use the disposable version on the road wherever available. However, after spending nearly an entire day in Costa Rica hunting down a place to purchase any type of feminine product, I decided that I’d best not be counting on finding them in some of the more remote travel locations at all. Hence, my exploration into the world of alternative feminine care. 

While I probably wouldn’t have made or even considered this transition if I wasn’t about to spend six months trekking God knows where (we’re going to just see where we feel moved to go), I have to say that it is liberating to not have to carve out as much space in my luggage, and also to not have to plan on spending such an inordinate amount of time tracking down the necessities instead of actually enjoying the trip.

I hope this was helpful, and would be interested in any other road goddess tips on how to manage these items successfully under extreme conditions.  

Posted on October 24th, 2006 by Myscha Theriault
Filed under: Travel Tips