There’s a whole bunch of challenges for everyone when it comes to living in a van. You’ve probably thought all about how to downsize your possessions, where you’re going to get water or how you’re going to be able to dispose of your recycling. However it might not be until you actually move into your van that you realise there’s a whole bunch of things to consider which you just take for granted when living in a house. As a woman there are even more things you need to consider and so to help you with some solutions here’s my list of essential vanlife feminine hygiene products so you don’t get caught scrambling around when you finally make the move into your van.
She-wee
I don’t have a toilet in my van, I made the choice to save the space knowing that I would be parking in the wild more often than not so can always use the great outdoors. However, in the dead of night, when it’s cold outside I just want to be able to go to the toilet inside the safety of my van and so enter the pee bottle and the She-wee.
A She-wee is essentially an ergonomic funnel for you to go to the toilet with. It enables you to pee standing up and into a bottle with no mess. It can take a little bit of practice to get it right but once you have it down it’s really super simple. I can’t recommend this product enough and it’s an absolute must for any vanlife feminine hygiene list.
Feminine Wipes
As well as not having a toilet I also don’t have a shower in my van. I use the gym whenever I can. However on some of my longer trips I can often go a few weeks without being near enough to my gym franchise and so I need some way to freshen up. Where as people will use baby wipes or anti bacterial wash; your lady bits won’t thank you for that harsh tool and you will be well on your way to a yeast infection. Therefore I recommend a pack of feminine wipes, specifically designed for that task and soft enough to keep you fresh without causing you issues.
Reusable Makeup Removal Cloth
In an effort to reduce my waste I turned to a reusable make up removal cloth a few years ago and have never looked back. Where as make up wipes had a tendency to dry out my skin these cloths remove all of my make up with just a tiny amount of water. The cloth itself is super soft and feels like you are just washing your face rather than getting that greasy sheen you can get with make up wipes. Just throw it into the washing machine with your clothes every once in a while and you’re good to go.
Menstrual Cup
To be honest van periods are a bit of a ballache. I do try and make sure I have access to a toilet and a shower during my periods just so I know I can be comfortable and can keep clean. However when it comes to managing my van period I highly recommend a menstrual cup. They require changing far less frequently than other products and the waste is far easier to dispose of responsibly when you’re on the road; after all, you don’t want to be wandering around with a used tampon in your pocket while you look for a bin to dispose of it. For vanlife feminine hygiene I can’t speak highly enough about menstrual cups.
Dry Shampoo
This might seem like an obvious one to most of you but when you’re in a van without a shower dry shampoo is a must. To be able to keep your hair looking and smelling fresh despite showering much less frequently than most is amazing; looking like a respectable member of society all in 30 seconds is worth paying for. Before you set off in your van it’s a good idea to try and gradually increase the number of days your hair needs in between washes before it gets too greasy. Mine now lasts about a week before it feels unmanageable, which is normally enough time to find a shower.
So here are my top vanlife feminine hygiene products, I’m sure there’s plenty more you’d recommend so let me know what you use
