How to Survive a 10 hour Bus Ride (On your Period)

I intended to fly from the mega-city of New Delhi to the quaint yoga/meditation mountain hamlet of Dharamshala. Unfortunately, the tiny aircraft I was supposed to fly in couldn’t handle the monsoon weather and I ended up bussing 10 hours overnight to arrive in the rain-drenched town perched on the slopes of the Kangra valley.

This bus ride was long and had zero bathroom stops, which I thought was a bit tricky. But at least it was overnight and I had plenty of snacks. Two weeks later, I decided to be bold and took a 10 hour daytime bus ride from Dharamshala to Manali. And then I got my period.

Here are my tips if you ever find yourself with 10 hours on a rickety Indian bus ahead of you:

Pack a lot of snacks

I packed fresh fruit in a Stasher Bag for one of my snacks.

This is, and will always be, my number one travel tip. The bus driver assured me that we would be stopping for lunch. We did not stop for lunch. And I can’t eat gluten, so even if food is provided on a flight or a bus, I usually can’t eat it without suffering the consequence of extremes stomach pain later. I packed fruit salad in a Stasher Bag and stocked up on every Indian snack I could find at the local grocery store that didn’t have gluten.

Bring multiple bottles of water

My Nalgene has a Life Straw filter in it so I can feel safe drinking any water! I’ve also got a collapsible bottle that packs away that I can use when I need it, like hiking or on long bus trips.

On my first long bus ride in India, we got pampered with blankets and bottles of water. On the second bus? We didn’t get sh*t. And there were not any stops where we could easily hop out and grab a bottle. Fortunately I brought two bottles of filtered water with me that I filled up the night before. I also have a Life Straw water bottle filter, so I can feel confident drinking tap water that would otherwise be pretty iffy.

Advocate for yourself if you have to pee

Stay hydrated, but be mindful about when bathroom stops are (if they even exist!) Ask the bus driver when the next stop is, and if you really have to pee, ask them to let you off the next time they pick someone up or have to refill gas. Peeing on the side of the road with a full bus for your audience might not be ideal, but neither is peeing your pants or getting a UTI. I wore my SheFly pants for each bus ride so I was prepared if I needed to go with this back-up plan. Fortunately I managed to make it between actual toilets.

Carry a Kula Cloth or Toilet Paper

I carry my Kula Cloth on my daypack so I always have it with me.

It’s rather likely that the bathrooms you do stop at will not have toilet paper. Bring your own or you might have to deal with icky wet panties for the rest of your time sitting on a hot and crowded bus. Even better yet, get a technical pee cloth like Kula Cloth so you’re always prepared and don’t create more waste.

Dress in Layers

Sometimes the AC doesn’t work and you’re stuck in a sweltering sweat lodge with 48 local farmers. Sometimes the AC works too well and the woman next to you decides you ALSO need the fan on and you might as well be sitting in an ice chest with wheels that’s barreling down tiny mountain roads. And sometimes the temperate fluctuates between extremes as the AC comes on and off throughout the ride. Dress in layers so you’re ready for anything.

Pack an inflatable pillow

I’m super gross and disgusting in this picture but LOOK HOW COMFY I AM. Sea to Summit, if you’re reading this, pls sponsor me. <3

This one is a game-changer. Buy a backpacking pillow like this one and bring it with you everywhere. Now you can nap comfortably in any situation! Napping is my passion and I am now able to pursue this passion far more often. Its wonderful.

Find ways to entertain yourself

10 hours is a long time to just stare out the window at the blissful countryside rushing by. And I find it quite difficult to read on bumpy mountain roads. This is where podcasts and audiobook come in. Download a variety so you can mix it up when you get bored, and download your favorite playlists as well.

Be ready with period products that actually work!

My Thinx underwear and Nixit menstrual cup. And chocolate is a period product too, right??

Bleeding every month kind of sucks. It especially sucks while traveling. I’m the girl who’s bled through her jeans on no fewer than three international flights. It’s embarrassing, smelly, and uncomfortable as heck. I was very worried about this bus ride. But fortunately I’ve upgraded my products since those harrowing flight incidents. I used my Nixit menstrual cup on this trip with great success. The cup can be left in for 12 hours with no problems (no risk of toxic shock here!) and it barely leaked at all. To catch any leaks, I used my Thinx underwear. And I wore my black Wool & dress over my SheFly pants just in case anything got through, so I could easily hide any tell-tale red marks. This additional precaution didn’t turn out to be necessary! (I do always fly with a change of underwear and pants in my carry-on now, just in case.)

Enjoy the journey

Long bus rides can be tough, but they are a great way to see the places you’re visiting and understand how the location you’re traveling to fits into the greater topography of the region. I had no idea that Dharamshala was tucked so high up in the Kangra valley until I took a bus alllll the way down to the flat grasslands below. Look out the window, talk to whoever sits next to you, and have a great ride!