Menstrual cups while camping and climbing

Menstrual blood definitely isn't the cause of global warming, or other LNT items, but I would say please do your best to pack everything out as a rule. And with rules there are exceptions too.

Something I also think is that as a white person I especially feel a great responsibility to LNT. I have the priviledge to get out--and often--on land that truly belongs to indigenous peoples and like to consider that while I am out.

All this said I am a bit annoyed with men coming on the thread for whatever reason to give input about how people with ovaries should deal with their waste. It is not something we need to be educated on. 

Karinia Gaston wrote:

Scrape your knee? Jail. Bloody nose? Jail. Period? Right to jail

I wouldn't wash my cup in a river simply bc I don't want e coli in my coochie.

About the leakage during running or climbing, that could definitely be due to the softness or fit of your cup. Some people find that softer cups lose their seal with too much movement or pelvic floor pressure. Firmer cups might help, but have you ever tried a menstrual disc instead? Since they sit in a different spot (up behind the pubic bone), a lot of folks find they’re more stable during high-impact activity. REI actually has a great guide on managing your period while camping and hiking. 

I actually created a menstrual disc applicator for this exact reason. It’s reusable, works with most popular disc brands, and has been super helpful for times when I’m on the go, climbing, or out camping. Just makes the whole process feel a lot more manageable...

You may need to try a bigger size and see if you get a better seal, also i think the fill up and if you add pressure to your abdomen it could make it “overflow” if that makes any sense.
as far as cleaning, dump it, wet wipe, and re-insert. If you have soap and water, even better. 

I found a cup to be pretty uncomfortable and the fear of changing it in the wild was stressful.. especially outside. I did however switch to a menstrual disc and found it overall way better! It was more comfortable for me when emptying my bladder as well as being able to "self dump" (empty the disc with your muscles rather than taking it out) which allowed me to wear it much longer until I was in a better place/situation to deal. 

Jen Nwrote:

I found a cup to be pretty uncomfortable and the fear of changing it in the wild was stressful.. especially outside. I did however switch to a menstrual disc and found it overall way better! It was more comfortable for me when emptying my bladder as well as being able to "self dump" (empty the disc with your muscles rather than taking it out) which allowed me to wear it much longer until I was in a better place/situation to deal. 

I'll have to try that and look into it! I love the idea of a self-dump feature and didn't know about that.