Your periods don’t have to be a buzzkill for your travelling plans if you predict you’ll get your next period when travelling.
While you might want to reconsider participating in rigorous and physically demanding activities like trekking, or swimming in the ocean, there are a bunch of places to see and memories to make!
If you’re travelling to a new place, you may know the types of sanitary products available until you arrive, which is why it’s best to plan and pack ahead so that you can use the period products of your choice.
Period Care
If you use pads or tampons, you can pack them according to the duration of your trip and your flow. We recommend using a larger size to prevent leakage as you may not always have time to change your pad/tampon as regularly when travelling.
While it may not seem convenient to carry around boxes of supplies, it’s best to bring a slightly higher supply than you think you’d use. If you’re confident you can buy sanitary pads/tampons of your liking during your trip, then you can carry enough to get you through your first few days.
If you use a menstrual cup, then you won’t have to pack as much! You can still carry a few extra thin pads/panty liners to use for spotting and in case you’re not able to change/sterilise your cup in time. You can either carry a menstrual cup steriliser or a mild soap with no fragrance to clean it whenever you empty it.
Pain Management
A hot water bag or a heating pad can help soothe you and relieve you of period cramps whenever you get time to relax. While you may not get time in the middle of the day to use heat therapy, you can use a heating pad for 30 minutes in the areas where you feel pain before going to sleep.
If you take any pain medications for your periods, you should bring them to help manage the pain. Ibuprofen is a common drug used for pain-relief. You can also carry some snacks/tea bags which help in relieving period cramps like dark chocolate, nuts, berries, chamomile tea etc.
You may be well-equipped to manage your pain, but you should also avoid certain activities that you know would increase your pain and worsen your condition. This depends on your fitness levels, past experiences and period symptoms. For example, if you know that climbing too many stairs when on your period would cause you more pain, you should look for alternative plans or take breaks between walking from place to place.
Also read - Drinks that reduce period cramps
Extra Clothes
You may be using leak-free period products, but packing extra changes of clothes always comes in handy in case you stain them. Pack extra pairs of underwear and resealable bags for your soiled clothes. You’ll want to use your comfiest pairs of cotton undergarments.
You can also bring extra pairs of bottoms like gym shorts, or boxer shorts in case you need a quick change of bottoms after an accident.
Other Self-Care Items
For maintaining good personal hygiene while travelling and changing your products in different locations, it’s a good idea to carry the following:
- Unscented anti-bacterial wipes
- Hand sanitiser
- Detergent
These can help prevent the spread of diseases when changing your period products in different washrooms. The detergent can come in handy if you need to wash stained clothing.
Real-Life Tips
We reached out to our customers to ask if they had any tips they’d like to share about travelling when on their period. Here are some insightful responses we received:
“I always use an XL pad when travelling on a train or plane, especially if my flow is heavy. I have to change pads every 2-3 hours. I also bring some wipes and hand sanitiser. You may not have to change your pads after boarding depending on your flow. Just make sure to change into a new pad right before boarding.” - Anjali
“For the first two days of my period, I’ll usually just stay in. Whether you’re staying in a hotel or as a guest in someone’s house, there will always be something new to explore within a close range. I love taking walks and exploring new hotels. Having chamomile tea, dark chocolate and my favourite snacks helps me feel much better, and by the third day I’d be ready to head out again!” - Simran
“If you’re a cup user, be open to using reusable products for a few days in case you might not be able to clean your cup properly. Pack according to the location you’re going to. A cup is great for long travel hours, but if you can’t sterilise it properly between each change, you shouldn’t keep using it as you could give yourself an infection.” - Siddhi
