Why do we never talk about periods when we talk about preparedness? I think reusable menstrual products should be a part of every preparedness kit and home storage. In a zombie apocalypse, would you seriously be able to get to the store for disposable pads?! Just kidding. Kind of. Mormons don’t believe in a zombie apocalypse.*

As an LDS woman, I follow the counsel of my church to be self-reliant. This includes being prepared for emergencies. We are financially careful; I have a year’s supply of food storage in the house; I have a 72-hour kit for each member of my family (including my dog). We are prepared to shelter-in-place or to get out of the house in seconds. And, yet, in all of that preparing, I never really thought about periods!

Sure, I added a few tampons to my 72-hour kits, but, umm, it wasn’t until I started using reusable cloth pads regularly that I gave any thought to long-term menstrual planning. (Heehee, that just sounds ridiculous!)

Even if you’re not down with reusable pads or the DivaCup (tampon alternative) in your daily life, let’s talk about scenarios in which it would behoove you to have them in your home storage or 72-hour kits anyway.

If someone in your home lost a job, you would be cutting expenses. Wouldn’t it be great to rely on your reusable products when your period comes? You could save $5-10 per month, easily, by switching during times of crisis.

What if there were a local emergency in your area? For example, if a tree fell on part of your house (which recently happened to two different friends of ours), or a hurricane or a flood came, and you were evacuated, you would grab your 72-hour kits and head to the shelter – or to your grandma’s house in the woods. And then your period might decide to start. Like me, you may have put a couple tampons in your 72-hour kit, but that wouldn’t be enough. Then what? The stores are closed for the emergency, and your grandma stopped keeping pads in the house about thirty years ago. Looks like you’re stuffing towels in your pants.

What if there were a larger crisis? A state-wide or nation-wide crisis? (Sorry, I’ve been reading a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction lately.) What if shipments were delayed? What if the store was out of tampons? Or, worse, what if the stores were closed permanently? What if you were trapped in your home and had to shelter-in-place? How long would your disposable supply in your house last?

On the other hand, how long would your reusable stash last? You guessed it: indefinitely.

Reusable products also take up less space in your kits than disposable products would. One DivaCup would take the place of several dozen boxes of tampons, since they last for several years. Reusable pads last indefinitely (I’ve been using mine for about five years and they are in perfect condition), and would take the place of a whole landfill worth of pads.

Even if you no longer menstruate due to menopause, surgery, illness, cancer, hysterectomy, or pregnancy, what about your daughters and granddaughters? What about your sisters? What about all the people in your life who aren’t prepared? Dang, just throw a couple reusable pads in that kit and be somebody’s hero.

If you’re the kind of person who believes in preparedness as much as I do, make sure you’re thinking about your period too! That’s all I’m saying.

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And, by the way, something rolling around in my head was a post about how reusable pads would save your butt in a zombie apocalypse, but someone beat me to it: 10 Reasons Menstrual Cups Will Save Your Ass in a Zombie Apocalypse. (A slight bit irreverent, but periods are a bit irreverent.)

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*Although the LDS church promotes self-reliance and provident living, it probably does not promote the idea of post-apocalyptic fiction. Or zombies. Or the use of the word “ass” (sorry). Or any doomsday scenarios whatsoever. We are simply supposed to be prepared. We cannot help others in any kind of crisis without first helping ourselves. For more info, visit www.providentliving.org.

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The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of the Lunapads company. I am not a doctor and do not offer medical advice.

You can read more about my partnership with Lunapads  and my personal love of cloth menstrual pads.

I do not sell Lunapads, but I promote them. I am a Lunapads Ambassador and I receive a straight percentage of any sales I refer. If you would like to purchase Lunapads yourself, please use MY code 515013 for 5% off your total purchase (and, let’s be honest, to give me my kickback!). Enter 515013 in the “Ambassador Code” box at checkout. (Don’t worry: you can still use other coupon codes in the “discount code” box, in conjunction with my ambassador code.)