This is a post about feminine care when travelling… just saying in case any of my readers would prefer not to read about that kind of thing!
When I go on holiday on my motorbike I use this incredibly useful BarBagEvo handlebar bag by Wunderlich. It was a birthday present from LincsGeek (via Nippy Normans if you’re interested) a number of years ago and fits perfectly on my F650GS. It means I can keep a few bits and pieces easily to hand (I don’t use a tank bag as I find them cumbersome and like they get in the way of my small frame, and I don’t want lots of things in my pockets).
On a recent trip to Scotland I was able to stuff quite a few things in my little bag. My wallet is the most obvious thing, but also sun cream (heatwave – woohoo!), lip salve, spare earplugs (no-one wants a headache from all that wind noise), tissues, my waterproof point and shoot camera (because it is bound to rain at some point), a pen and little moleskine notebook, a teeny tube of hand cream, some paracetamol, some fisherman’s friends (blackcurrant flavour, I can’t seem to buy the mint ones anywhere), and a folded up bit of paper with our route for the day in case I get lost and need a bit of guidance.
I mean… I am a female biker after all, I do need to have these things! Honest!
I also packed this handy little packet of femfresh wipes. For those of you who haven’t heard of femfresh, it is a company specialising in washing products for our intimate areas.
Getting sweaty down there is a problem that us lady bikers can indeed face. Okay so I admit that biking in the UK usually involves donning thermal layers underneath waterproof textile protective motorcycle outerwear, but even on a cold day when you’re sat on a bike all day your lady bits can get hot and uncomfortable. It’s not painful, but you might get a bit itchy. And if you’re touring; perhaps riding several hundred miles over four or five days you really don’t want any kind of itch – certainly not one that can take your focus off the road ahead.
It’s not that I can’t shower when I’m touring on my motorbike, that’s generally not a problem as we have (so far) always stayed in hotels, motels and bunkhouses with decent facilities. But when you’re in the saddle all day it’s not unusual to feel like a bit of a freshen up en-route somewhere, especially on a long day. These wipes, that are flushable and biodegradable (note I always put them in the sanitary bin anyway, just in case), give me that opportunity.
I don’t know about other female bikers, but I found these wipes were a good addition to my handlebar bag this time around, and I’ll be packing some again next time. It’s good to allow ourselves a bit of pampering, even if we are mid-macho-motorcycling-adventure.
How do you keep yourself feeling a little bit pampered when travelling or touring? What do you keep in your handbag? Any tips for fellow bikers?
Thank you to femfresh for the sample of wipes to try out. You can buy femfresh pocket wipes from Boots.
What do you think? Comment below...