I pee standing up, and other adventures in womanhood on the trail

For a long time, the woods were a man's world. Luckily we no longer live in the dark ages, and as society becomes more progressive woman are being welcomed in places where they typically would not be found. Although there are many women who hike the AT, I've still mostly run into men along the trail. Today I would like to share some of the awkward, and slightly embarrassing truths of being a woman in the wilderness. (Warning- if feminine topics make you squeamish, it might be time to stop reading)

Pretty in pink in the woods :)

1. I pee standing up. Thanks to some advice I received last year while in the White Mountains, I invested in a handy little tool called a P-style. http://www.thepstyle.com This is quite possibly the best invention in recent history. Men have always had the luxury of just being able to face a tree and pee wherever and whenever. Woman usually have to find a discreet location far from prying eyes to strip down, squat, and relieve themselves. With the p-style I get to conveniently pee whenever I want. It sound ridiculous, but this is awesome. When you are carrying a 35 pack and really need to pee, it is a pain to remove your pack and go running into the woods looking for a place to squat and pee. 

2. I sleep with strange men every night. Although I have a tent, the sturdy, dry shelters along the AT are more comfortable. The downside is that they are fairly popular so I'm lucky if I can find a small spot to lay my sleeping pad down, usually shoulder to shoulder with some random stranger I am just meeting for the first time. Luckily I've yet to meet anyone creepy, so along the AT this really isn't that weird. Everyone tries their best to maintain a respectable distance while still making sure everyone can fit in the shelter. Nothing inappropriate ever happens in the shelters, but to an ordinary person our sleeping arrangements probably seem rather bizarre. 

Home sweet home, with 10 strange men. 

3. Underwear is unnecessary. I started my hike with 2 pairs of underwear. After about 5 days I was already asking myself "why do I need these?" I've come to the conclusion that I don't. I honestly don't know why I ever thought underwear was required. It does nothing. Cutting down on weight and laundry- underwear has been eliminated. 

4. Periods suck. The gross reality is that on the trail, you have to follow leave no trace principles. This means if you bring it into the woods, you have to pack it out of the woods. Unfortunately this includes feminine care products. It is not fun to carry around a bag of used tampons for 4 days. Luckily if you push your body hard enough, like hiking 20+ miles day after day, your periods start to get lighter and less frequent. I'm sure there is a scientific reason for this happening, but I'm too tired to look into it. 

5. Soap is soap. In the real world, I had a slew of hygiene products: body wash, face wash, shampoo, conditioner, hand cream, body lotion, etc. In the woods you start to realize how unnecessary all those products are. I now have one product: Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap https://www.drbronner.com this is an 18 in 1 soap. Not only does it work to wash my body and hair, it is also used to wash my cooking pot and laundry! I don't know why we have hundreds of different types of soaps in the real world. This one does it all.

6. Animals aren't scary. I used to be terrified of insects, coyotes, birds, snakes, and pretty much any other wild animal. In my mind everything was intent on eating me. Reality is that there really is nothing scary living in the woods. Most living things are content completely ignoring humans that come into their habitat. The more you ignore the life in the woods, the more it ignores you. 

Just a little bee, no big deal. 

7. There are lots of weak men. I started the trail thinking I would be pathetic compared to the burly mountain men I expected to find on the trail. In reality I can out-hike at least 75% of the men I meet on the trail. I've found most men like to talk a lot. They know exactly how much each piece of equipment in their pack weighs, they can describe in great detail the specifications of their super high-tech supplies, and they definitely like to tell everyone around them just how impressive their recent exploits have been. But when it comes down to actually getting on the trail and hiking, I easily out pace most people I have met so far. Maybe it is because I am stubborn and competitive, but I've learned that I am a pretty damn good hiker. I hike hard and I hike fast, and I actually enjoy myself while I'm doing it. I don't obsess about my pack weight or what gear I have. I do the best with what I have and don't look for excuses. 

Hiking strong with my bestie. 

Overall I've learned that being a woman in the woods really isn't a big deal. I know many woman probably feel intimidated or fearful of coming out to the woods, but being here is the most liberating and empowering experience I have ever had.