Years of feminist rhetoric have helped me to understand many things. I am hearing rumors of underrepresentation, of income disparities, and of incalculable microaggressions. It’s a bit hard to stomach, but now that my eyes are open I can see what’s going down.

Being woke isn’t easy. There are hard truths to unpack and new realities to integrate. And, if you’ll allow me a moment of intersectional vulnerability, I must admit that the greatest of my personal challenges is letting go of my deeply ingrained belief (thank you, patriarchy) that women do more in the bathroom than nose-powdering.

I’m still not exactly clear on everything you all do in there. But I know about a few things and it’s my responsibility to share a bit about how you can do those things on the island.

While your campsite is near a pit toilet and a water source, you will not always be at your campsite, unless you want to be totally lame. You might be on the other side of the island when nature calls. And this is pristine wilderness, so you will be expected to pack out all of your trash. Taking a little time to learn about how to handle your business in the great outdoors is a good use of your time.

Managing #1

While not absolutely necessary, you might want to get one of these:

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There are other brands, different designs, and different colors (I personally think the olive is lovely). But the idea is the same. Flow is directed away from you in a manageable and predictable way.

I actually do have partial experience with this very item. We were out driving around somewhere when one of my daughters (she might have been around four or five at the time) really had to go. We pulled over, got this little device into position and it was pretty rad, to tell the truth. When you get it, try it out in the shower a few times. Ask Sister Randa– with sufficient mastery, you might even be tempted to write your name in the sand.

You can also get a cute little carrying case for it, and I think you should.

Managing #2

People freak out about this. Don’t. Once you’ve properly fertilized the earth, it’s hard to do it any other way. You might have to be housebroken again. It’s that good.

You can put together a little kit. I’ll tell you what goes in mine.

1) a cathole trowel like this:

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It’s for digging your hole. And it’s graduated so that you can make sure your hole is at least six inches deep. That’s like some wilderness code, I guess.

2) several sheets of toilet paper

3) some hand sanitizer (I don’t like the alcohol-based stuff and this works really, really good):

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I put all of that, along with an extra empty one-gallon resealable bag, into another one-gallon resealable bag. That’s my kit.

When it’s time for action, I grab my kit and my canteen. I find my spot, dig my hole, and get ready to feel the breeze. Once finished, I bury my business, put any dirty toilet paper into my extra resealable bag, seal it all up tight, wash and sanitize my hands, throw everything back into my kit and I’m done.

This little graphic might help you to further refine your technique:

Managing #3

I don’t have a #3, but I’ve been around enough active women to pick up a few tricks. OK. Maybe one trick, but it can work really, really good. In fact, it might change your life and save the planet all at the same time. Let me introduce you to the Diva Cup:

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The packaging has flowers and that little gold medal, which is all you really need to know. But if you’re all like Debbie-doubting me, click this link and read the thousands of reviews.

Remember- you need to pack out all of your garbage. That alone might be incentive to try this thing out.

I don’t have much more to say, but if this contraption is at all interesting to you, I suggest you try the Diva Cup (or any menstrual cup) well in advance of your trip. There is a learning curve, but it’s all awesome after that. Ask Sister Mona.

This brings up the possibility of the purificatory bath, or ghusl, while on the island. You have the ocean, of course, though that’s a two-mile round-trip hike from camp. This is a matter for our Cloud Women, Sisters Siham, Mona, and Yafa to sort out.

They’ll do their homework, God willing.

And I’ll do mine. In the next post we’ll cover some of the delightful flora and fauna of Santa Cruz Island.

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