www.incontinentsupport.org

So Ive been planning a trip to thru hike the PCT, and during this planning I began having trouble with bladder control. Now wearing 24/7 I'm at a point where i need to factor this issue to everything in my life. So I'm wondering if anyone out there has experinced something like this and what you did to accommodate incontince.

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Bob

I have not done any backpacking since my bedwetting returned as a regular issue.

I've done some camping, but the proposition of packing in or out diapers on a through hike is too much.

If you figure anything out, please report back.

since you are only dealing with bladder issues, would a condom catheter and a leg bag not work better then trying to carry new and used diapers while on the trail. draining the bag at every washroom break should make it easier then having to change on the trail.

I have never worn one so I am not sure how it would work out.

I did this once decades ago. I did hike out everything over a two day period. Very roughly speaking, as the weight and space of my food food and water ran out, the weight and space of my diapers increased the same. (Though it felt like my pack was getting heavier with each mile).

I just kept them in seperate air tight ziploc bags (and in different pouches than my food), and tossed them all out once I got back to the base camp.

Be vigilant about getting a contact rash from your diapers too. Use lots of ointment (not cream), and also wear a onesie/ underwear briefs/ whatever to keep them from sagging.

The problem with that, is that you don't carry all of your water in. You usually use dehydrated food, and carry a water filter.

Good point. I didn't have a filter (or even ponds/streams) with me when I did it back then, so I did carry my water with me.

I'm sure filters have come a long way in 20 years so that would make a lot more sense. Of course your pack really would be getting heavier then. That would be a problem.

I wonder if there would be an option to burn trash/diapers, if camp fires are allowed anyways. I can't imagine that would smell good though.

Thanks for everyones respns! I normaly wear M4s, but I was thinking of going with a pull up type protection allowing me to try and empty my bladder every 30min to hour druing hiking to reducing changes. Im not to keen on caths though I had a Cystoscopy test done and didnt really like the feeling of something going up that way. Also i still have untill next year to figure everything out, hopfuly I can uo with something by then.

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Bob

Hi Bobsan,

A condom catheter is non-invasive. It it put on like a condom, with sticky stuff to keep it from coming off, like this slightly explicit anatomical drawing shows:

http://img.webmd.com/dtmcms/live/webmd/ ... 05_001.jpg

I just want to add my two cents worth on the use of a condom catheter. As an RN I have applied many condom catheters. Some will stay in place while others fall off. If you want to go with a condom catheter I suggest that you try before you go on your hike. It may work for you or it may not. If it works for you it is a great system.

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RetiredRN

Yeah Brian, when I started backpacking in the 90's filters were OK, but they are much better now. I have a katadyn pocket micro filter. It uses a field serviceable, silver impregnated, ceramic filter that filters up to 10,000 gallons of water down to 0.2 microns.

If you spend more than a few days (I've done up to 14 days at a shot) in back country, the weight of the diapers would probably become unbearable. Just the difficulty of packing in enough fresh diapers would be complicated.

Incidentally, you can't burn diapers. I mean, technically you can, but you have to boil off all the moisture before you can incinerate the pulp and plastic backing. You need a very hot fire, with lots of coals, and it takes a long time.