[pct-l] underwear & feminine hygiene

[Kris Wallace]

>  Psycho wrote:
> "Please weigh in on this issue (with stated gender), as well as any tips
for feminine
>  hygiene on the the trail ... (sorry guys)"

I'm a woman and I like having 3-4 lightweight, quick-drying, non-cotton
underwear.  If I need to, I wash a pair with a tiny bit of organic Dr.
Bronner's soap and wear them while they dry (this feels good on a hot day).
-- Of course, I do not wash them in a water source, but far away from water
sources by pouring a little water over them, scrubbing them, then rinsing.
I like to have a clean pair for when I get into a town to put on after a
shower.

As for feminine hygiene:
There is a wonderful thing called a Diva Cup (google it).  No more buying
tampons, no more running out of tampons when I'm hundreds of miles from
town, and no more packing out used tampons!  I will just carry my
(ultralight) Diva Cup, catch the blood as it flows, and find a suitable
place to empty it as needed. -- A suitable place would be to dig a little
cathole 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails.
If you aren't careful removing it or don't empty the cup in time, things
could get a little messy. If that happens and I have enough water on me,
I'll just clean up. If I need to conserve water, maybe I'd want to carry
little wet towlettes with me during my periods, or maybe a little bottle of
hand sanitizer would be enough.  I recommend getting used to one before a
hike so you can practice using it without spills.  You don't need to clean
it each time you empty it -- just stick it back in.  At the end of my cycle,
I'd wash it with a little Dr. Bronner's.  It makes so much more economic and
environmental sense than tampons -- for all of life, not just hiking.