FEMININE HYGIENE IN THE SWAMP

Okay ladies, this one's for you! We receive questions and concerns about feminine hygiene in the swamp pretty frequently, but don’t worry, it’s really nothing to get your panties in a bunch about. There are ways to navigate through staying comfortable, using the bathroom, and dealing with your period that allow you to still have a great time on a Swamp Base Trek. Don’t let any of those aforementioned things keep you from participating in high adventure!

Let’s start with some comfort tips. As a larger chested lady, occasionally heat rash can flare up where my sports bra and life jacket overlap. Wearing moisture-wicking, quick dry clothes can help a lot with this, but my biggest lifesaver has always been a chafing product. Gold Bond powders work okay, but I find the moment I get wet or in the water, that powder disappears and reapplying it can sometimes be a challenge once your crew is underway for the day. My solution to this is a chafing cream. I personally like Boudreaux’s Butt Paste. It lasts all day and provides immediate relief. Other brands work great too. If you don’t like the chafing cream left over on your fingers, they make gel sticks for chafing as well. 

I also make sure to carry a personal first aid kit with things that I like for comfort. Plenty of ibuprofen, Midol, or whatever your pain relief of choice is can be great, and an added bonus, you can be discrete by not having to dip into the crew first aid kit when you need it! I also carry Dude Wipes (they aren’t just for dudes). They are great to help you feel and smell fresh after a long day on the water. I find them especially useful on the first night at the Turtles and the second night at Rougarou Island. Pick a scent you like to help you feel even more comfy. 

Next, let’s talk about urination. You should stay hydrated on your Swamp Base trek, and if you’re doing that well, then you will need to pee. During high water in the summer, it can be a challenge to find dry land during the first day of your trek. You will have a chance to visit porcelain with the ability to flush at least once a day, (I’ll talk more on this later) but at some point, you will encounter a trail pee break. For about 80% of the time, if you prefer to potty break on land, you can normally find a shoreline. However, on the first day of paddling, that can be difficult, and you will need to be prepared to take a pee break in the water. Taking a quick swim is a great way to cool off, refill your energy tank, and empty your bladder.

Potty breaks at our overnight locations are a little unique as well. We have a primitive bathroom on the Turtles and on Rougarou Island (don’t worry, once you make it to Camp Atchafalaya you’ll see those familiar thrones again). At the Turtles, we have bivy bags and absorbent pads for human waste. You will go to the restroom into the bag, tie the bag off, place the bag in the receptacle in the restroom, and that bag is bagged again (triple bagged in total) to be carried by your crew to the disposal receptacle on shore. Should urinating into a bag really not be your thing, you can use the urinal in the primitive bathroom with a FUD (female urinary device) like a SheWee, Go Girl, or Tinkle Belle. FUDs can be helpful on trail as well. If you really don’t want to get into the water and cannot find land, you can use a FUD to pee out of the canoe while standing. I know, there can be a lot of "firsts" during a high adventure trek. LOL!

At Rougarou Island we have a primitive pit toilet. So, no need to pack out any human waste, just be sure to dispose of your toilet paper properly in the toilet paper receptacle and not into the pit. At some point, you'll probably need to use the primitive restrooms, but I will also include a list of all the flushing toilets you will encounter on trek so that you can time out restroom visits as well. 

Day One: You will only get to see one flushing toilet at the hotel before you depart for the bus ride to the trail head. I recommend revisiting it right before you board the bus.

Day Two: You will get to visit a toilet around 7:30 - 8:00 AM at McGee’s Swamp Tours before you board the boat for your swamp tour. You will see this restroom again when your swamp tour returns around 9:30 AM. You will also get to visit a restroom around 3:00 - 4:00 PM at a supply pickup point along the trail.

Day Three: You will arrive at Camp Atchafalaya between 2:00 and 4:00 PM and have toilet access there continuously.

Day Four: Camp Atchafalaya restrooms all day! Hurray!

Day Five: Camp Atchafalaya restrooms before you leave in the morning and then should be back in town by 2:00 to 3:00 PM for all the restrooms you want once you get off the trail.

A lot of these options apply when you need to go number 2 as well. The best advice I can give, and what I personally do, is to do my best to time my bowel movements out to when I can visit a flushing toilet. You may also dig a cathole and poop on trail when land is available. For number 2 emergencies on trail there is a method at Swamp Base referred to as an "Aqua Dump." As the name implies you do your business in the water. Your Trek Guide can fill you in on the finer details and best practices should you need to take one. Sometimes participants are excited to try it out, others dread it and hope they never have to do so. I personally have no desire to ever aqua dump, and have paddled around a thousand miles and have never had to. With a little planning, you probably won’t have to either if it is something you do not want to do.

Okay ladies, we have covered day to day comfort, urination, and bowel movements. It's time to discuss periods on trek. Having your period on trek is not that different from having it on a regular camping trip. There are tons of different products to choose from and too much advice can be overwhelming. There is period underwear, menstrual cups, pads, tampons, there’s even period swimwear. The bottom line is do what makes you comfortable. Use the product or products that you are familiar with. 

Personally, I like to wear tampons on the first day of paddling, because I know I will probably be in the water that day, and wear pads on the other days because that is what I am more comfortable in. I avoid swim breaks and use the restroom on land when I need to. I have been on my period for several treks now and still have had great experiences. If it was my first time on a Swamp Base trek, I would plan for more tampon days, because getting in the water is super fun. 

I know a lot of the stress and worry comes from the questions: Where will I change my products, and how do I store/ dispose of my used products?

The most challenging day for changing products is the first day when land is difficult to find, but if we have lower than normal water levels, this really isn’t an issue. When land is not accessible, you may have to change your product in the canoe. Have a few empty ziplock bags easily accessible to store any soiled products or waste paraphernalia. You can dispose of your ziplock bags once you reach the waste receptacle at the overnight locations. You do not have to carry it with you your whole trek like when backpacking. Also, you don’t have to worry about bear bagging anything at Swamp Base either. Once you reach the Turtles on the evening of the first day, there are land or restroom facilities located fairly close for the next several days of the trek. You may be faced with a few of the high water challenges on the last day of the trek, but there is far more dry land accessibility on day five.

Check with your Trek Guide once you arrive to see what kind of water levels there currently are on trek. If you are nervous about anything, tell your guide and Swamp Base Preaux Staff during your medical check-in, and they can give you advice and help you find land should you need it. If you know you will need to visit the shore for any reason, especially on the first day of paddling, giving your guide notice ahead of time can help them locate land for you, or give you a realistic expectation of when you will see dry earth again. 

My name is Gina Guilbeaux and I am the Program Director of Swamp Base. I have been on countless treks in all sorts of conditions. High Adventure treks are so rewarding in so many ways. Don’t let the fear of feminine hygiene keep you away from this unique experience. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss anything more, please reach out. Myself and our Assistant Program Director, Ava Thibodeaux (who has paddled more trek miles than anyone... ever!) are both women and would be happy to talk about our experiences or address concerns you may have. 

If you have found a product that helped you on trek, please feel free to leave a comment.