Free Bleeding On The Colorado Trail by Mallory “Baja” “I reached into my pack to pull out the emergency pads I took from the hiker box in Lake City. As I unwrapped one, I immediately smelled something floral “Shit”... these were scented pads. Knowing my body’s sensitivity levels, I decided to avoid risking a UTI and put the pad away. I rifled through my pack trying to figure out a new plan. I thought back to Carrot Quinn’s book Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart, when a member of her trail family got their period and she lent them a sock. Unfortunately, my socks were too dirty and only a slightly better option from the scented pad. Not sure what I expected to find, I pulled out one pair of ultralight underwear and a buff. I put the underwear on and decided to use the buff as a pad at night, then I would free bleed during the day until I got to Durango, the last town on trail. The thought of my blood and trash juice stained shorts made me laugh. This trail was clearly not done with me! So, I made my game plan. I figured I could get two uses out of my underwear by turning them inside out, I could use rocks to wipe with, and filtered water to clean up. Not great, not horrible” Link in Bio to read the full article.