Wild Camping Tips for Women

Wild camping can be a daunting prospect for anyone new to the outdoors, but there are some additional challenges to factor in for women. Maybe I am just speaking for myself, but managing longer hair, sweaty kit, going to the loo, and periods are things which have required a bit of planning and honing over the years!

Which underwear to choose: Wearing merino underwear can be useful for its anti-odour properties. I find my decathlon merino trekking bra in particular usually dries overnight from the warmth of my body heat if I tuck it in my sleeping bag. If you are doing a multi-day trip you can take a few pairs of pants and wash these and hang them on the outside of your bag to dry during the day. Another tip if you’re comfortable with them is to consider using thongs as they take up significantly less space and weight in your bag (the ones meant for running tend to be made of comfortable, wicking material). Again - remember a spare ziplock bag to keep the used ones separate if you aren’t washing and drying them each day!.

Periods: During your period you have a few options to consider; what is right for you will come down to personal preference. If you know you will be somewhere where you’ll have some time and privacy to go to the toilet, and filtered water is plentiful (excellent hygiene is a must with these), you could consider a menstrual cup or disc. This is the most environmentally friendly option. Pads or period pants are another option and probably the least faff, but they can be uncomfortable to hike in and take up more weight and space in your bag once used. Most of the time, I am using tampons during proper wild-camping, purely because I can change them easier when having a wild-wee and often I don’t have the luxury of shelter to get myself sorted out with a cup/disc. Remember - you cannot bury the tampons - you’ll need to bring a bag to put the used ones in to carry them back with you.

Skincare: If you’re like me and have spot-prone skin, going for a few days without washing your face isn’t an option. I usually use water wipes on my face to get off the sweat and suncream. If you have a cleanser/toner you like to use, you can soak a wipe or cotton pad in it and seal it in a bag to use. I find this lighter and less risk of spillage than trying to take a travel container of the fluid. If you’ve got dry skin or are hiking for a longer trip, you might want to bring some moisturiser/serum. If I’m using these, I try to get my hands on the free samples that are in little single-use sachets. They usually last me a few applications if I use sparingly!

Hopefully this has given you a few options to think about when you’re wild camping. Do you have any top tips for women wild camping? Has this been useful? Do you have more questions? Get in touch to have a chat with us at @apex.mountainskills – we’d love to hear from you!

If you are looking to get out wild camping but just don’t know where to start, why not have a look at our Intro To Wild Camping class on our website where we go through what kit you will need, picking a campsite, packing your bag, pitching a tent, cooking, and more. Full details of all our classes and guided adventures are available on our website.

My first top tip is something we’ll cover in more detail in later blog posts – keep your pack light. This is not women-specific, but when you think of your pack as a percentage of your own bodyweight and consider that on average women weigh less than men, generally a heavier pack will impact women more. It is worth looking at each piece of kit and considering if you really need to take it, if there is another item you're already taking that could do the same job, or if there's a lighter alternative you can use.

My next tip is for those with long hair – plait your hair. If you can plait your hair (I love a French braid) then it saves your hair getting tangled and greasy, you can fit hats and helmets over it easily, and you don’t need to carry a hairbrush with you. I usually put some gel in my hair and plait it when wet so it stays put for several days (this hairstyle lasted me a full week when we trekked to Everest Basecamp!).

Another thing to consider is how you are going to handle personal hygiene. Although this is not something unique to women, we are more likely to suffer the consequences of poor hygiene for example with urine infections or thrush.

Keeping yourself clean: I find it handy to decant wet wipes into a sealed sandwich bag (big weight saving vs. bringing a whole pack!) and use these as required on my body - remember your foot care! Take an empty sandwich bag so that you can carry the used wipes back with you – never leave or bury them, even if they are “biodegradable”.