When asked about gender, 39% of Burners identify as “women” and 1% as “fluid”.
Burner Valkyrie from Camp Rockstar (2 & C) has shared some useful information for the fairer sex.
I’m bringing a new theme camp this year with quite a few virgins. One of the ladies contacted me seeking info about having your period on the playa. she stated that there was little info out there on the subject and she was embarrassed to ask. So I wrote this and I hope burners.me could share it with their lady audience.
Dearest Ladies,
I’d like to open the conversation and share some helpful information about a Burning Man inevitable….. Getting your period on the Playa.
I had my period my first year at Burning Man and what I can offer from that week is that full body glitter is a bad call when you are on your period and are cleaning yourself in a bucket with a spray bottle.
It’s going to be gross and a pain in the ass (you are on your period in a Porta Potty…) but here are some tips to ease the pain and take great care of yourself:
1. Baby Wipes – you will use more than one package of baby wipes to clean yourself throughout the week. Feet, nails, ears, nose… and your nether regions. Remember wipe front to back and take special care of your butt if you are resting your bare booty on a bicycle seat. Butt rash is a thing and thank goddess for the Hiney Hygiene Station. (Seriously)
2. Waste Management – at Burning Man you have to take everything with you and this includes your trash. The Porta Potties are 2 1 ply only. So what do you do with your used baby wipes, tampons and pads?
Ziplock lock bags. Bring a gallon sized Ziplock bag (decorate with colored duct tape to red flag as your personal item) and deposit your waste there. This is an important aspect of having a MOOP bag, backpack, etc. If you are using a utility belt I would recommend a smaller sized Ziplock bag. When you return to your camp you may deposit your baby wipes and tampons in your camps burnable trash (paper) receptacle. Pads (because of the plastic) go in the regular trash.
MOOP (Matter Out Of Place) maintenance is a very important aspect of the Burning Man experience. My first year I was gifted a great little MOOP bag to keep me accountable for my trash. A simple cloth drawstring bag works great. You can hook it on to your backpack or belt loop with a Carabeener. Your MOOP bag is a great place to keep your Ziplock Period Bag.
A small toiletries bag would also work well to hold your Ziplock Period Bag.
Some find this essential
3. Tampon, Pad or Diva Cup? – Whatever works for you! I’ve used all three at some point on the Playa.
I will say this –
the Diva Cup is the most environmentally friendly and cheapest option and dramatically cuts down on the waste that YOU have to carry. Always make sure your hands are clean (baby wipes) before you remove or deposit the cup and always bring water with you when you empty the contents in the cup in the porta potty so you may clean your cup. Aaaaand baby wipes…
Tampons are the easiest to put in and remove however you still need those baby wipes and you have to carry all the dirty pon pons with you. ( I hope somebody appreciates that I just said pon pon).
Pads are great if you want to air yourself out at night. Still a lot of trash. If you are a heavy night bleeder like me then you might want to prepare yourself with some special period pants (black) in case of inevitable accidents.
4. Sex on your Period on the Playa – Do it if the moment strikes you and if you have baby wipes, a towel and an indifference to pulling out your tampon in front your partner.
5. Gifting – gifting feminine hygiene products is an awesome and very much appreciated way to participate at Burning Man. I had a great time “decorating” a Porta Potty at last years Burn with an assortment of lady products and incense and took special pride when my camp mates preferred my Potty over the others.
6. Yeast Infections – if you know you are prone to this awful inconvenience prepare ahead and bring the necessary meds and vitamins with you.
7. Get a massage! Take advantage of the rad shower camps at Burning Man and pamper yourself on your period! Take a class related to femininity! Dive into your hippy side and connect with your goddess energy and take a moment to reflect with the Moon. Take this opportunity to make your period a positive experience by giving special attention to your sacred femininity. Burning Man is a sacred place and a home for women especially to feel safe and expressive.
In closing, I can’t stress enough diligence in regards to cleaning your body parts when you are caring for your cycle. Be efficient and plan ahead. Be smart and find ways to pack small. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns, comments or “howdy’s”.
Love,
Valkyrie
Camp Rockstar
2:00 and Cinnamon
Not sure if this will be seen, but I am going to BM this year and will possibly have my periods. I do like to wear pads in the evening and so was wondering, did you find a way to wash out your lady bits apart from using wipes? I mean it can get really messy otherwise so…as you did give the suggestion about getting the appropriate underwear, would love to know how you operated in those cases. Thanks a bunch!!
Preventing and treating calcium deficiency is one of them.
s, the gardening sector remained strong as people turned to the simple satisfaction of home growing, coupled with the
produce of cheap, healthy vegetables. There are lots of available garden decorations that we can use to beautify our garden.
Some more LadyBurner advice:
KEEP YOUR VAG HOLES CLEAN
(I did NOT write this nor take credit for this epic valuable piece of information) As funny as it is, its good advice
I am going to write this under the assumption that you are all fucking grown ups and you you know how business operates down south. Also, this is based on my personal knowledge and experience. i did not google for fact checking and details.
Camping and partying can take their toll on our vaginal health. immune systems are compromised, bodies are depleted, and we aren’t always at our hygienic best. . . and then there is always the hot hot sex to be had. these elements alone can result in a fucking train wreck if you aren’t careful. and then you factor in that the Playa dust is uniquely Basic. Our cunts are by nature acidic. The combination of these two environments can affect women in a variety ways, both mild and severe. your natural disposition is a factor but so is the actions and preventative measure you take.
-Apple Cider Vinegar
i will mentions this over and over and over again. It is different from other vinegars because it has “mother” in it, similar to kambucha (which is also great to drink out there) drink it, wash in it, get it all up in your business (external use only unless drastic measure need to be taken. internal use can CAUSE problems). it is the magic bullet for physical maintenance on the playa. (not ALL apple cider vinegars still have mother. bragg’s is a safe bet.)
– Clean Panties
Duh. . . change your panties often. . . more often than you would in the default world. i bring three pairs for every day I’m on the playa. not that they always get used each day but it is nice to have more than you need in the department rather than less.
Storing your panties properly is also key. I put each days panties in their own sandwich sized zip lock bag. this may seem excessive to some. But by doing this you insure that you do not destroy all of your panties by digging around on a hunt for the desired pair with bacony fingers and drug addled brains then dropping them by accident spilling fresh clean panties all over your dusty tent floor and spilling your newly opened beer onto them in your panic to pick them up. ( i would never do such a thing :^P ) better safe than sorry on the pantie front i say!
– Pantie Liners pantie liner pantie liners!
This may be the easiest and most helpful day to day tip i give you. always wear a pantie liner. change them often often often. carry them with you when you leave camp. as much as we all wish we could have clean panties on at all times. . . it just doesn’t always happen this way. often you don’t make it home before your panties have officially “bitten the dust” by wearing a pantie liner you can always have clean(ish) panties. The pantie liner also serves as more of a barrier against the dust than just fabric.
– SEX!
Sex is in the default world already a huge source of everyday infections and imbalance’s. At burning man where showers are few and personal hygiene dances on a razors edge, our immune system are compromised and our PH is already at risk. Sex can be a sticky situation (pun totally intended). so here are some preventative pro-active steps you can take so that you can fuck like dust bunnies all week long.
! ! ! PEE AFTER SEX ! ! !
this may prove to be a tempting piece of advice to ignore. Laying in your tent under the sweet ether of after sex bliss. Shoe-less and naked wrapped in sleeping bag comforts. you may not want to drag your freshly tussled tuckas along that harsh road to the porto. So buy a fucking pee funnel! pee in a gallon jug with your funnel and return promptly to your post coital bliss. but don’t forget! or you will suffer!
WASH your (and your partners) genitals before and after sex. If you cant get to some serious bath water. . . then at least use baby wipes. Studies have shown that washing before and after sex greatly reduces (off the top of my head i am remembering it as %35 less likely) the risk of infections. Both mild and serious. Of course. . . don’t rely primarily on washing up to reduce your risks of std’s! duh! But by getting clean before you get down and dirty (and after) you greatly reduce the risk of infection.
Men’s cum is super basic and like i said before. . . our cunts are the opposite. Many of us are in “fluid bound” relationships where the risk of std’s is minimal and other forms of birth control are used or not needed. I recommend that while you are on the playa you either use a condom or direct the semen away from your sweet honey pot. it can be an overwhelming basic factor that leads to the demise of your tender toi. not all of us can make such a sacrifice. cumming in unison with your partner inside of you can be just tooooo delicious to deny. if this is the case. . . a secondary preventative measure can be a strong apple cider vinegar rinse/wash (! external !) after sex. you can rinse the vinegar off so you don’t smell like pickled cunt or if you feel like your going south bellow the equator already, leave it on.
For the Squirters. . . puppy pads! at home i use rubberized flannel but with out a way to wash and dry your laundry puppy pads can save the day! they are disposable and absorbent!, towels and extra bedding. Good luck!
-Wash
Everyday hygiene is also key. Dr Bronners soap (NOT peppermint for me. . . too intense for my tender member) and apple cider vinegar are best! i also will add a splash of apple cider vinegar to my wash cloth or bath water to cut the dust (i just try to avoid using so much that i smell like I’ve been pickled) carry baby wipes around with you as well. i sometimes add bronners and/or apple cider vinegar to my wipes for good measure. you can quickly wash up any time! Including time you might want to get laid away from your home camp. (great for general purpose use as well)
-Diet and Supplements
I am not going to list all the supplements you should take for general health and to maintain a healthy immune system because DUH. . . you can figure it out. However i will say that a strong immune system is your best defense against all infection. Your cunt is not excluded.
Some specific things to bring are Probiotics (shelf stable probiotics are no good, look for refrigerated probiotics that include a food source to the living bacteria to thrive on, if you do not it is most likely the bacteria in your probiotic are already dead or will die in your system before reaching your gut), Azo (cranberry extract. for UTI prevention), ceyenne pepper in veggie capsules, odorless garlic extract (maintain internal acidity). and again, the burning man magic bullet. . . taking shots of apple cider vinegar on a regular basis help greatly with your internal PH balance.
Cran extract taken as a preventative measure is key! if you end up needing to take antibiotics while you are there you are pretty much guaranteed to end up with a painful yeast infection due to the basic PH of the external environment.
Eat pickled, salted foods and garlic-y. Drink lots of water! or course. but keep in mind that you need salt in your system with that water.
-On Your Period?
For some reason is seems like EVERYONE gets their period while they are at burning man. it is really annoying! It is safest for you to just bring enough supplies with you as if you might get your period. whether you are expecting it to come or not. how horrible would it be to NOT have what you need? You CAN NOT put your tampons and pads into the porto potties nor is it a good idea to just toss them into the general trash because they can be really smelly and gross. Zip lock baggies are your best bet. you will have to cart your tampons around with you in a zip lock until you are at your trash bin (not a public bin please, remember, your blood contamination is YOUR responsibility) and then you can dispose of it there. as long as it is all sealed in plastic it shouldn’t be an issue for you. another method is burning your cotton tampons. . . but please do not burn synthetic materials! like many pads are made of. but personally. . . i don’t want to re-open that zip lock baggie up at all. . . i would just rather toss it in my trash and forget about it. . . all sealed up of course! since i have SUPER heavy night time bleeding i often will resort to using “puppy pads” or a towel underneath me to insure i don’t ruin my bedding. also, of course, common chick period logic applies. . . wear dark colors, take ibu. . .etc etc.
Most commercial baby wipes and tampons have non natural fibers in them that are not safe to burn. Better to thrown them all in the trash. Unless you are sure you have biodegradable baby wipes (Seventh Generation, or my favorite Swipes Loving Wipes) and organic or all natural cotton tampons.
Interesting, but in fact, it’s reason number 9281 for why it’s better to be a guy than a woman.
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Damn, it’s awesome to be postmenopausal! You’re gonna love it my dears.
2 of your 3 photos are Pee Funnel Camp pics. I believe 2013 was Pee Funnel Camp’s last year, so be prepared this year and BYOPF. I’ve tried a bunch and my fave is the Pstyle, gifted to me by a campmate in 2012 (thanks Neon!).
Amendment to my comment:
The glorious Pee Funnel Camp lives! YAY! Big love for Pee Funnel Camp!
Thanks Burners.me, for the whole story.
http://burners.me/2014/08/03/burnier-than-thous-ruin-it-for-everyone/
Thanks Pollyanna for pointing us in the direction of that story. It’s hard to say if they still live, since other commenters have pointed out that the ticket story was from 2012. They’re not on the camp list for this year or 2012, and 2013’s Theme Camps have been hidden by BMOrg. If anyone has any further updates, please share.
So, this will be my third burn and I’ve gotten my period both times I’ve been to the playa as well as at countless festivals and in the middle of backpacking trips…. any way you look at it, it’s definitely an inconvenience, but I have found a solution that seems to work pretty well for me in terms of waste reduction, protection, etc. I bring a few of the reusable Softcups with me to the playa and they’re awesome. Like the Diva Cup, Softcups are a type of menstrual cup, but since they don’t have a stem, you can have mess free sex while wearing one. They take a little getting used to, so I recommend trying one out before the playa if possible. I hope this helps!
It’s not fun to have to carry around THAT ziplock bag but I recommend always keeping a few spare ones in your bag. Also, if you’re not shy about it, tell your lady friends! They will be more than happy to help and PAMPER! There’s always some female oriented camps too that give you a good foot rub and even a camp that will clean your lady parts (if that’s what you’re into).
this year is my 6th burn and will be my FIRST when i DIDNT have my period on the playa. This makes me immeasurably happy as i will finish about a week before the event. im still going to bring my lady kit, because you never know and there are neighbors. My first year i started the last day – which explained my crankiness and super emotional experience during the week; but i remember my second year when i was caught off guard on Wednesday without any lady things. the begging every girl i saw was humiliating and i remember checking the stash and doing mental tampon math making sure i had enough to finish the week. Even if you arent expecting it – always bring a stash. the climate, the change in eating habits can easily bring your lady business in a couple days early!
I Think u mean the Portia are 1 ply only…
Portos, damn auto correct