BECAUSE WE ARE ALL WONDERING: PEEING AND PERIODS WHEN WALKING ST. JAMES’ WAY

How will I pee when being on the road and what do I do when I am having my period? These were two of the first questions I had once I decided to embark on my foot journey to Spain. (What am I going to eat? was the very first one – and probably my most frequently asked question in general – but we will not cover that one in today’s post). So let’s talk about peeing and menstruating when walking St. James’ Way, shall we?

I drink a lot, which means I use the bathroom a lot. Unfortunately, bathrooms are not always available when you want or really have to use one. That said, you can do several things:

  1. You can ignore the urge. This is probably not something you should make a habit out of, as the stuff really has to get out. Attempted this during my first practice walk and it messes too much with my brain; I’d rather pee and stay sane.
  2. You can squat. This generally works fine, unless you are in an open space and you are uncomfortable bearing your butt or, alternatively, there is lots of wind going on and you do not want to walk around with wet shoes or pants. I have tried this technique multiple times and I must say, whatever squatting position I employ, I never accomplish a situation in which I have an empty bladder and dry clothing.
  3. You can use a Female Urinary Device (F.U.D.) – otherwise known as a pee funnel – which enables you to pee whilst standing. Sick. Yeah, thought so too. I used the biodegradable cardboard ones for a while and they work fine. Do note that in public places an upright peeing female still seems to be considered as odd. Recently, I purchased a reusable one. It is dry in a sec, easy to use and… it’s purple ♥️ No more bare butts or wet pants, just do your thing whilst standing. Genius.

Periods are a next level problem though, especially when you flow is heavy and lasts longer than a few days. Not having constant access to a toilet, or a bin for that matter, makes using tampons (or pads) a pain since you have to change them every so many hours; taking your waste along in a bag and messing with toilet paper and disinfectant hand lotion just seems too much work. Yes, there is an easier way: menstrual cups. Insert it, be absolutely amazing for up to twelve hours without giving a single fuck about your period, remove it, empty it, clean it, and repeat. * Easy as.

Who would have thought? The pee funnel and the menstrual cup: two, at first sight perhaps slightly odd, creations that could solve your peeing and period problems in the blink of an eye. Buen Camino! ; )

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*Before use always read the detailed instructions in the user manual provided with your menstrual cup. It will take a bit of practice, but it is worth it!

BOOTS, CHECK: FINDING THE RIGHT FOOTWEAR FOR YOUR CAMINO

Considering I was going to hike 2500 kilometres, I was well aware that I would probably need some specific gear. Though not entirely sure what “specific” would imply I figured that, as a pretty experienced camper, it couldn’t be that difficult to sort out what I would eventually take with me or not. Three nights and two mornings of online activity later, I discovered that the resources providing information regarding “hiking gear” in the broadest meaning of the word, seemed to just never end. Ranging from lightweight self-inflatable mats to sporks, 3-season tent reviews, the benefits of merino wool, non-gtx advocates, intriguing layering systems and walking pole discussions… I had about 55 tabs open and thought I was going mad. It was just too much information and I did not know where to start.

So I asked myself: After your first hike, what was the thing you wished for most? Besides more food, which does not really qualify as gear, the first thing that came to my mind where shoes. I required a good pair of shoes. Bingo. I asked Google:

“hiking shoes”

“hiking boots or shoes”

“hiking boots shoes or trail runners?”

“hiking two seasons boots”

“gore-tex wiki”

“hiking long distance gore-tex or not???”

My online search for shoes continued for about a week. I read up on what shoes would be most appropriate for my journey, I read about ankle support (“Is it necessary?”), the discussion around gore-tex (“Your feet will get wet anyway!”) and discovered all hiking shoes and boots were not going to make me look any better, so I decided not to worry about aesthetics. Reading the diverse and, often, contradicting opinions and arguments on a wide array of forums, I concluded that there was only one way to find the right footwear: to fit some.

That said. I headed to an outdoor shop here in Amsterdam, walked in and told my story to one of the employees. I explained her about my doubts concerning shoes with ankle support, my preference for shoes without gore-tex and also provided her with the information that I was going to walk 2500 kilometres and would be carrying about 10 kilograms on my back.

I was in there for two hours (!) before I made a decision.

During these two hours, I fitted a f*** ton of hiking shoes, boots and trail runners and this is what I figured out whilst actually wearing the footwear:

The (low) hiking shoes and trail runners did not do it for me. I do admit their weight is ideal, however, the absence of ankle support whilst standing and walking didn’t feel right. The slightly heavier boots with the ankle support on the other hand, immediately influenced my posture and made me feel more grounded, which I consider being a plus when carrying weight on your back.

I personally prefer leather shoes over waterproof shoes. Why? To be honest, I cannot really put my finger on it generally eating a plant-based diet. Anyways, the two main reasons are the durability of leather boots and their ability to naturally repel water.

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Every shoe or boot has a different fit and every foot is different. The front part of my feet are wide whereas my ankles are relatively small (yeah, picture that, how odd), This meant that I did not fit the boots of certain brands, some of which were highly promoted amongst hikers on the Internet. What I am trying to say is that, even though there is lots of useful advice online, try to find the right shoe for you.

Eventually, I went home with the Tatra Lady (leather) from the German brand Hanwag. The boots fitted my feet perfectly, they provided excellent support and I will be able to use them after walking the camino. To make sure that these were the right ones, I have tried them on at home a couple of times and I can tell you, these are absolutely it!

Love,

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