The surprise-period kit: school, work, car, locker

A period can start in a maths class, on a job site, or halfway down the highway. This Column is about being ready for that. It covers the basics that suit any kit, then what to add for the format you use. It does not tell you which format to use.

This Column is for everyone who menstruates, and for the people who help them pack.

The basics for any kit

Readers often describe a small set of things that go in a kit:

• a small pouch to hold it all;
• a spare pair of underwear;
• spare trousers or leggings, if there is room;
• a sweater or hoodie that can be tied around the waist;
• unscented wipes and hand sanitizer;
• a bag for a used product, if there is no bin nearby.

Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) writes plain guidance on this in its menstrual health guide. It says “body cleansing wipes or hand sanitizer can be used when washing is not practical”, and that “non-scented body cleansing wipes can be used externally”. For used products, it says “A sanitary pouch or sealable waterproof bag may be needed to carry used products until disposal containers are available”.

One rule applies to every format. The same guide says: “No period products should be flushed down a toilet”.

Add what you use

Period pads & liners.

Pack: a few period pads, and liners if you use them. DND suggests liners “when menstrual flow is light”.

After use: a used period pad is wrapped and put in a bin. DND says disposables “can be discarded with regular household waste once they have been wrapped or contained”.

Timing: change times for period pads are in “Period pads and liners, explained”.

Tampons.

Pack: tampons in the absorbencies you use. Health Canada says: “Use the lowest absorbency that will meet your needs”.

After use: Canada’s Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (SOGC) says tampons “should be disposed of in the garbage, and not flushed down the toilet”.

Timing: this is the one timing rule a kit must carry. Health Canada says: “Do not use tampons until your period begins. Do not use them as a precaution because you expect your period to start on a given day, or to control other types of discharge.” It also says: “Change your tampon every 4 to 8 hours, and do not use tampons overnight.”

Cups.

Pack: the cup, in a breathable pouch. DND says reusables “need to be stored and carried in a sanitary pouch or sealable waterproof bag until it is possible to clean them”.

After use: away from a sink, one cup maker says you can wipe the cup with toilet paper or a damp paper towel, or carry a small bottle of water. It says: “If washing isn’t possible, it’s totally fine to reinsert your cup and clean it thoroughly later when you have access to water”. Full cleaning is in “Cleaning a cup or disc”.

Timing: the instructions for your own cup give its wear time.

Discs.

Pack: a reusable disc travels like a cup, in a pouch. Disposable discs travel in their wrappers.

After use: one maker says its disposable discs “are single-use products and cannot be washed and reworn”. It says to wrap a used disc before it goes in the garbage. A reusable disc is cleaned as its maker describes.

Timing: the instructions for your own disc give its wear time.

Period underwear.

Pack: a spare pair, and a sealable or wet bag for the worn pair.

After use: DND says reusable products “must be rinsed out by hand, using running water until the water runs clear”. That can wait until you are home. Care is in “How to wash period underwear, any brand”.

Timing: your pair’s instructions give its wear time.

Reusable period pads.

Pack: spare reusable period pads, and a sealable waterproof bag or wet bag for used ones.

After use: the same DND rinse line applies. Care is in “Reusable period pads, explained”.

Timing: your reusable period pad’s instructions give its wear time.

Comfort & care.

Whatever you use, the basics above cover it: a spare pair, wipes, sanitizer and a bag.

A note on words: some sources we quote here say “women” or “pads”. We keep researchers’ words so we report their findings accurately. In our own words, we say “period pads”. The Reading Room is for everyone who menstruates.

Do not use tampons until your period begins.

Health Canada

Where to keep it

At school. Readers describe kits in school lockers, with spare underwear, trousers and a hoodie. SickKids’ AboutKidsHealth, written for parents, says: “Make sure your child has pads readily available and knows how to use them.”

In a bag. Some readers keep a single tampon in their bag at all times. Health Canada’s precaution line above still applies: carry it, but do not use it before your period begins.

In a car or truck. A solo contractor describes keeping period pads in the truck. Cars get hot in summer. One UK maker says to store its products “in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight or high humidity”. Whether heat in a parked car changes a product is not described in the sources we checked. “Do period pads and tampons expire?” covers storage.

At work. At a federally regulated workplace, the law has required products since 15 December 2023, in each toilet room of a workplace the employer controls, or, where that is not feasible, in another private spot. Staff on planes or trains may find them where they “keep their personal items”; drivers, at “the employer’s main depot, dispatch office, or head office”. The details are in “Period products at work: the federal rule in Canada”.

Why periods surprise us

In the first years. The SOGC says: “Especially in the first few years of menstruating, your period may be very irregular.” AboutKidsHealth says “the period can take several years to become regular”.

The usual range. The SOGC says a period “comes every 21-35 days”.

With PMOS (formerly PCOS). The SOGC says irregular periods are “the most commonly reported symptom of PMOS”. That includes oligomenorrhea: “infrequent periods, more than 35 days apart/ fewer than 6 periods in a year”.

In perimenopause. The SOGC says: “Women may experience irregular menstrual cycles that may include skipped periods, shorter cycles, or unusually heavy or light bleeding.” “Perimenopause periods: flooding, skipping” goes further.

In everyday life. Readers describe periods that return without warning after giving birth. Others describe losing track of time, and some link this to ADHD. Many describe the effort of tracking: paper calendars, phone reminders. These are readers’ experiences, not medical facts.

When to ask. The SOGC lists changes worth investigating. They include “Your period stops for more than 90 days (and you are not pregnant or on extended regimen birth control)” and “Periods that become irregular when you usually have regular periods”. If your cycle changes, or something doesn’t feel right, that is a conversation for a healthcare provider. This is where the Editor stops and a healthcare provider begins.

Out of products? Free options in Canada

Here is where to start. The full, dated list is in “Free period products in Canada”.

• 2-1-1. Call 2-1-1 or go to 211.ca. In most of Canada, it is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day. “You do not have to give your name or personal details.”
• Food banks. Food Banks Canada’s Find a Food Bank page has a map and a search. Not every food bank has period products, so it is worth asking.
• Northern communities. Moon Time Connections describes itself as “a national Indigenous-led period equity group”. It sends period products free of charge to northern communities, on request.
• At work. Federally regulated workplaces must stock “tampons and menstrual pads” in toilet rooms, or another private spot where that is not feasible.
• At school. School programs exist in several provinces. BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador have them on government pages. On 29 July 2024, Ontario announced a new three-year agreement to provide “more than 23 million free menstrual products to students”.

Periodica does not run or fund any of these programs.

Printable checklist

What this is not

This Column describes what goes in a kit, in the words of health bodies, a federal department, makers and readers. It did not test any product or compare brands. It does not rank formats or name a best kit. Two people with the same flow pack differently, and both are right.