Period pants & holidays - how?

[RockaLock]

I've used period pants for about the last 4 years.

I'm not sure they are going to work for my summer holiday this year, though, and wondered if anyone had any ideas.

We are going on a 3 week roadtrip type holiday in the US. It's going to be hot, and my period is due fairly near the start of the trip.

We are only staying a night or 2 at each place, and so I won't be able to wash or rinse them, as they won't have time to dry before I need to pack them up. There won't be time to use a hotel laundry service either.

I can't just leave them and pack them away in a plastic bag until we get home, because they will stink.

I think I'm going to have to use tampons etc again for this holiday, aren't I? I have tried menstrual cups before and didn't get on with them. Any bright ideas?

Can you not hand wash them in the hotel sink and dry them on a radiator/ by a window. If it’s going to be hot then surely they’ll dry quickly? Take a couple of pegs with you to secure them by the window or on the balcony. Would it also be worth getting a couple of extra pairs too.

I'd just use pads for this one, and go back to them next month.

Yes agree, use a disposable alternative just for this one month if you can.

Get a wet bag. They breathe enough that you won’t have odor problems even over a long trip.

I’d go disposable too

I'm not sure our hotels will all be the type to have balconies... but I am assuming that they will have aircon, so the room itself won't be warm enough to dry them overnight, I don't think.

I'll have a look at wet bags, thank you.

But yes, I think PPs are right and it will have to be disposables for this month. Which is OK.

Can you find a launderette to use and get them done one evening? You will almost certainly have some other clothes to wash too!

It's not ideal, but could you find some cheap enough so you can dispose of them after use? Or use disposable pants. Just thinking of how you can get the best product the easiest way. Unless you're travelling in a vehicle you can hang them up in!

If you are driving a hire car, wash them and let them dry overnight. When you pack the car put a towel on top of the luggage and put them on the towel to continue drying whilst you drive.

You can get eco friendly, plastic free, biodegradable disposables for this trip

Just wash and put on the heated towel rail - they’ll dry fine.

We were planning on doing laundry after the 2nd week, so maybe keeping them in a wet bag until then might work, actually.

@Ladyoftheknight I had been googling cheap pairs to throw away, but like you, I hate the idea of doing that! I'm not sure DH and the 2 DC (teenage boys) will want any hung up in the car

I think cheap pairs to throw away would be worse for the environment than eco friendly disposables. Id only be doing that if you find tampons etc uncomfortable and cant face going back to them.

You could try the disposable ‘Here WeFlo’ sanitary towels (organic, made from bamboo) or their tampons.

I’m not sure which pharmacies or supermarkets stock them but you can buy them on Amazon. (Btw they sell period pants too).

There may be a reason you can’t, but I would get a prescription for Norethisterone - delaying a period for that length may result in some symptoms but you could delay the one prior, thus skewing the next.
worked for me.

I use the Flo pads mentioned by @Roaminginthegloaming When I can’t use my period pants due to being away from home for an extended period / when our washing machine broke and we were getting our bathroom redone and I just couldn’t face washing them in the kitchen sink. They have a much softer and less plastic feel to other pads. Never tried the tampons though!

I use disposables. I personally can't wash my Modibodis well enough by hand to really get everything out and they don't dry fast enough on a heated towel radiator.

@ChristmasKraken I never plan to use a laundrette when on holiday. I may have used a hotel dry cleaner when I spilled something at dinner but I don't want to spend precious holiday time washing and drying my clothes.

Aircon is great for drying laundry as it is very dry air.

Hang them right in front of the Aircon and crank it up high.

If they aren't quite dry just leave them on the back seat or parcel shelf of the car until fully dry. If you don't want them visible on top of the bags in the boot covered by the parcel shelf.

However I wouldn't blame you for going back to tampons. I am planning to take some on holiday for convenience.

Though how long until you go? Any chance of shifting your period or stopping it with the pill?

Another vote for Norethisterone, takes all the worry out of it.

Tampons, with pads/ pantliners for the heavy days.

Moon pig