I remember my first period in the backcountry like it was yesterday. I was听20 years old and I was camping on the north shore of Minnesota. I didn鈥檛 think much of it and packed what I normally used: a couple tampons per听day and some toilet paper to clean up.听I didn鈥檛 take into consideration that I wouldn鈥檛 have access to running water, a toilet, or a trash can to dispose of my waste. What followed was a week of听scrambling to figure it out听and a couple of ruined shorts. Since then, I鈥檝e greatly changed how I handle my period in the woods, all while being a better steward of our environment.
, you must pack out all toilet paper and hygiene products, which includes tampons and pads. These items 听because they鈥檙e typically made from synthetic materials or contain plastic, so it鈥檚 very important to follow LNT principles with those. I came across听Animosa鈥檚 听in early听2017 and since then it鈥檚 been on nearly every backcountry trip with me. From a 12-day Boundary Waters paddle to a seven-day float on the Green River in Utah, this pack has given me peace听of mind when camping during my time of the month. The听kit makes it easy to carry out waste until I get home and keeps everything organized and in one place.
Go With Your Flow packs come in three sizes: the听听($24) for single-day excursions, the听 ($34), which is larger for multi-day听trips, and the听听($54), which is a bundle of both the Mini and the Clutch. I use the Mini most frequently鈥攊t stays in my work bag and gets transferred to my daypack for hikes on the weekends.听Included in every pack is everything you need to have a clean, safe period in the woods. The only difference between the different kits听is the amount of product included and the size of the pack itself. Here鈥檚 what comes in the Mini size:听
- Waterproof听carrying case with button closure
- Three hypoallergenic听personal wipes that don鈥檛 contain any chemicals that will affect your pH balance
- Three sealable disposal bags made from Biofilm, a biodegradable听material made to contain odors
- One reusable听disposal pouch to store all听your waste in听
The system is intuitive to use. I use the pocket听method with the disposal bags to keep my hands and gear clean. With this method, the bag听acts like a hand puppet, allowing you to remove your tampon and pick up waste without getting your fingers dirty. Once听everything is contained in the bag, you simply fold over the end and remove the plastic covering on the adhesive strip, seal, and place in the disposal pouch. I haven鈥檛 had any issues with smell and have found that the disposal pouch does a great job at eliminating leaks and spills.
The Clutch size is听big enough to keep other toiletries in, so it becomes my whole Dopp kit in the backcountry. I pack hand sanitizer, toothbrush and toothpaste, face wash, and extra tampons in the bag to keep everything I need in one spot. Plus, when I go to throw听my bear bag at night, I know all听my are in one place.听
I liken the Go With Your Flow pack to a store-bought听first-aid kit. Sure, you could听assemble it yourself, but buying the preassembled听kit ensures you have everything you need in one bag. I tend to get more than one use out of each听disposal bag, but Animosa also sells听听of听wipes and bags for $7.