Help! Camping for the first time and of course...

[Thegreatescape12345]

...I'm due on my period the day we go!
Any tips for handling this in the wild?!

I think I'd like to get a camping toilet just to put my mind at ease, even though we will only be there one weekend. We don't have a toilet tent and are borrowing all our gear so would need something that can be used safely in the tent porch or living area...

Sorry to be grim but would it be better to get something with liners so used products and toilet paper etc just gets thrown away with the contents? Or separate plastic bag for this, and get a bucket I can empty into the toilet?

We don't have much space in the car so if anyone has any recommendations, I'd be so grateful. I have my eye on This one, would this be suitable?

Hello. I love camping, although I'm a fair weather camper. Most sites I've been too have clean and well lit toilet blocks and showers. Are there facilities like that where you're going?

I have previously used a camping bucket with lid, lined with a compost bag and filled with cat litter (the natural wood chip sort that smells of cedar.) only for wees though! I just put it in the relevant bin.

How ‘wildly’ are you camping?

I absolutely love camping and we go regularly. However, I would not go wild camping with no toilet or shower facilities when on my period.

If this is your first trip, are you going to a site? As others have said, I would just rely on my usual methods and the toilet block. Period pants would be great if you don't already use them. I would think a tent toilet would be far more faffy and awkward, smelly and you have the added challenge of transporting it and disposing of the waste. Our car is usually pretty packed out with the tent, bedding and other equipment. We used to take an emergency potty for kids at night but even this is more faff than just heading to a toilet.

I’ve camped several times for longer than a weekend several times and have had periods while away. I have just used the campsite facilities which have always been clean.

Are you camping without any toilet facilities?

Sorry I wasn't very clear, absolutely not wild camping! I guess "wild" to me as we've never been before 🙈 so it's all a bit unknown. Last time I went was festivals in my teens... I'm now 38!

We are on a site, non electric hook up but good facilities. Using the loos shouldn't be a problem, but I usually tend to need a wee more often and wake in the night more when it's time of the month, and I thought night time might be easier with an option that doesn't involve a trek to the toilets.

We also have 2 little kids so partly to make it easier for them too!

We might be absolutely fine using the facilities, and I may well enjoy a night time wander in peace. but I think I'd have a bit more peace of mind with the option to go in the tent ☺️

I quite like a night time or early morning trip to the loo while camping - you see stars or the sunrise and it generally is a great reminder of being back in nature.
if you wee a lot maybe consider a she wee bottle rather than a whole toilet set up?
I would also take a big pack of wet wipes or feminine wipes and maybe some nappy type bags for freshening / cleaning yourself up in the tent.

If you were wild camping, you just bag it up and take it home with you.

Since you're not wild camping, you'll be fine just using the regular facilities.

The site will have a toilet you can use, campsite provide facilities.

I just use the toilets and showers there

I'll definitely be taking period pants, I tend to use a combo of these with tampons. The first few days is usually very heavy though so it just adds a bit of anxiety. I'm also thinking about when I first get up in a morning, sorry TMI but once I stand up and walk first thing in those first couple of days there's usually a gush and I need to get to the loo quickly!

Anyway, thanks for the tips so far, I will aim to use the toilets on site as much as possible for ease. I will still plan to get a tent toilet for peace of mind and the morning wee / gush 🙈, so if anyone does have any thoughts on the fold up on linked I would be super grateful :-)

Thanks, I'll have a look at those too, I've not thought of them. I guess it could be a bit messier being on my period . I'll definitely take wipes! I know there's one called a whizzer or something, but probably lots similar on Amazon.

What about using night time pads for the first day?

Ah so you don't want to be traipsing outside in case you have leaked,that's fair can't you just wear a night sanitary pad or double layer with the pants?

Have you considered period delay tablets? They're easy to get from online pharmacies, and you just take them a few days before you are due for however long you need to delay.

I'm heading to a festival in a few weeks and have some for then, as I have super heavy periods and I really can't be bothered with the faff of a period at a festival!

OP, I would take a bucket with lid for night time wees, and put sanitary products into something like nappy sacks or dog poo bags, knot up and put in the rubbish.

There is another v recent thread on the camping board about nighttime toilet trips, have a look through that.

I would just use the normal toilets? Most campsites have decent toilets and showers

Night time pad, and period pants and dark PJ pants. And walk to the normal toilets.

Emptying a bucket or a chemical toilet is just gross, if you are heavy it's going to be much more pleasant cleaning up in a proper toilet with a sink than in a dark, cramped tent.

No one wants to piss in a bucket next to where they are going to eat or sleep. Plus campsites aren't always the most stable, risk of it getting knocked over or spilling if more than one of you uses it in the night. You will also have to walk through the campsite carrying a bucket of your own piss to empty it.

I really really wouldn't bother. I've camped loads and whilst it can be a bit frustrating getting up in the night it's a hell of a lot less unpleasant than a pissy bucket. I wouldn't worry

I just wee next to the hedge in the dark of night, tbh. You'll probably be surrounded by sheep and cows doing exactly the same.

Changing a full sanitary towel while doing so obviously adds difficulty to this mission, but I have done it.

To put things into perspective, this is the advice given to kids as young as 14 and 15 doing the Ten Tors who spend two nights out on the open moor, in between walking 35- 55 miles. And if those girls can do it....💪

But why not go to the toilets?

It's a bit gross to piss all over a campsite when there's perfectly decent toilets. You've already left the tent

Long time camper here although my period days are behind me.

We used a bucket type loo just for nights and took it to site loos first thing. I used nappy sacks for sanitary products and disposed of them in the site facilities too.

You can get v low ‘bucket’ type loos in The Range and Go Outoors; on the way you can use them for extra storage and there are usually places to clean them on every site too.

Hope you enjoy the trip.

This. Tent is far more faff than just walking to the toilet. Wear a pad overnight as well as period pants if you need to. Take crocs or slides to walk in, you won’t be more than 5 min from a loo

Wtf? Just walk to the toilet! Disgusting to see on the site fir no reason

The last thing you want to do on your period is deal with the bucket toilet. Better to wear dark pants and make the walk.