Camping Tips for Women

I often find that being a woman offers some challenges that men do not have to face. It is true for camping as it is in life, but let’s concentrate on the camping aspect.

First of all there is the peeing business. Let’s face it, it is not so easy for women. We need to find a private spot and take a lot of clothes off to go to the bathroom. That is why many women prefer camping where there are washrooms available.

On top of that we get periods. They are a terrible nuisance while camping. First we get PMS, then cramps. We need to remember to bring all those pads with us, then we need to go to the bathroom often. While male backpackers can go on without a shower for a long time and it doesn’t bother them, women need to take good care of their personal hygiene for health reasons. 

If you know that you won’t be able to have a shower or at least swim in a clean lake or river for the duration of your trip, then you need to bring a sponge for a sponge bath.

Hygiene can also be important for safety reasons. Menstruating women can be smelled by a bear from far away. However, some experts say that if a woman takes good care of her personal hygiene and uses tampons, the bear won’t smell her, but he can smell used pads or tampons. Therefore, it is crucial to store them as you would store any food item: in a sealed plastic bag.

In most families women tend to do more cooking and child-caring than men. We like to have more conveniences available than a one burner mini stove. Men, including my husband, are often amazed at the amount of things I pack for every trip. But every mother knows that extra clothes for the kids and their toys are really necessities for camping.

On the other hand it is really fun to be a mom and taking care of our families brings a lot of joy and satisfaction. Laughing, happy kids tell us that it is worth to sometimes go out of our comfort zone (that is our house) and commune with nature. Sure it is more work, but at least we can get our hair down.

Pregnant women can enjoy and often go camping as well. They should be careful not to lift or carry heavy stuff, avoid excessive sun and heat. They should be able to contact their doctor at all times, so wilderness camping should be avoided.