Hiking with an Ostomy

So you love the outdoors. I am obsessed with being outdoors and the freedom it brings me mentally. It is great to be outside with nature and feel the fresh air and smell the joy it brings.  Don’t let the idea that an ostomy can get in the way slow you down!  Hiking with an ostomy is totally ok and is doable every day. If you like to hike trails or even do multi day backpacking it is possible.  Just be prepared and start slow.

If you are doing a day hike it is really important to bring an amount of extra supplies with you.  Just like you would bring extra water and extra food.  Bring an extra bag just in case. Sometimes you only have to irrigate in the morning and not have to mess with the bag for the rest of the day.  Everyone is a bit different, but you may have a pretty easy ordeal.  But don’t start doing a giant hike.  Start slow. Walk around the neighbourhood and test your gear and in my case my ostomy supplies.  There are lots of different products out there but I like that I can sample ostomy supplies for free.  This allowed me a great flexibility in choosing the gear that worked best. Remember also that if you have an ostomy you are likely more prone to hernias. So take it easy.  Don’t push things too hard too fast. Short tests, and then add a light pack after a few short hikes and build from there.

You want to take it slow because you want to make sure your gear is doing well with your stoma. You will be sweating much more than normal so make sure everything has a good seal and wont leak when you don’t want it to. Make sure to keep some extra supplies with you. If you are going to swap bags keep enough stuff with you to do it safely and carry the used bag back to the trail head.  Keeping a clean trail is just as important as keeping yourself clean. Its a cycle I believe it and think everyone should follow. If you brought it in, you bring it out! 

So if you have to dig a hole to empty the contents of your bag, bring a zip lock or two to pack out the used bag.  Also make sure to have cleaning supplies in case something goes wrong and you get a bit messy. I know its common sense, but sometimes things get forgone when you are in a rush or excited. Stay safe, and contact your healthcare giver for questions and to make sure you are healthy enough to hike.