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  1. #1

    Default Female urinal use

    Last fall on the Georgia section of the trail, I had the eery unpleasant experience of contacting poison ivy while squatting in the woods. If you like, you can read about my experience at http://www.appalachiantrailsectionhi...0/day-ten.html
    It was SO not funny!

    So I've been investigating the female urinal to see if maybe I could avoid squatting in the woods so much. Has anyone used one of these contraptions? If so, are they useful? For the life of me, I can't see how you can use them without pulling down your pants, aren't you suppose to be able to do that? Or are they just for keeping you from having to squat?

    Here are a couple of the things I have looked at - anyone have a better solution? Thanks.
    The Lady Elegance P EZ http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Elegance-...ef=pd_sim_sg_2

    and the Sport and Travel by Freshette http://www.amazon.com/Freshette-Spor...f=pd_sim_hpc_4

  2. #2
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    That sucks! I don't think the female urinal thing is helpful. There really isn't much you can do. Just make sure you know what poison ivy looks like and you should be golden.

  3. #3
    Registered User Owlbear's Avatar
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    Sorry to hear about the itchies in the business, sounds like a horrible ordeal!

    I've been wondering about this issue myself. I've been back and forth about it a few times, I'd really like to be able to forego squatting in the woods as much as possible, but I have to wonder how well/often I'd be able to clean any urinal apparatus after each use.

    If you like, you can check out the GoGirl on Amazon, that's the one I've been considering. It looks like it might be lighter weight (0.8 oz according to Amazon, but I can never tell how accurate those are) and made of squishy plastic, which sounds like it would be easier to cram in with all my other toiletries without getting in the way too much.

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    Registered User Wise Old Owl's Avatar
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    In spite of trying to figure out a device to solve your problem, think like an American Indian and learn how to identify the plant so it doesn't happen again.

    Look really careful see the middle leaf is a little less than one inch on the stalk that separates it from the other two.
    Now you Know.
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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    Registered User Hawkwind61's Avatar
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    I picked up a "Go Girl" a few years back...found it rather more pesky to use than usefull...only way I can figure it would be 'easy' to use would be if one hiked in a skirt, skort, kilt, or very loose shorts. I prefer convertable hiking pants...hence mine sits in a box of trail experiment fails.

  6. #6
    Registered User dink's Avatar
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    years before any of these devices were thought of, I took a tall plastic bubble bath bottle that was shaped like a long neck wine bottle, cut a 3 inch long oval in the side of the bottle...don't have to drop your drawers at all unless they are tight, just unzip and slide it into place...haven't had to squat in years!

  7. #7
    Registered User Hawkwind61's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dink View Post
    years before any of these devices were thought of, I took a tall plastic bubble bath bottle that was shaped like a long neck wine bottle, cut a 3 inch long oval in the side of the bottle...don't have to drop your drawers at all unless they are tight, just unzip and slide it into place...haven't had to squat in years!
    Great idea!

  8. #8
    Registered User dink's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkwind61 View Post
    Great idea!
    been using the same kind of thing for 30+ years now...started because I didn't want to get out of my kayak...the bottle and a coffee can with a lid worked great!!

  9. #9
    Registered User CodeBlue's Avatar
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    I've used a few of these devices. I like the Go Girl if I'm just trying to avoid nasty toilet situations. In the woods, I still have to take off my pack and pull down my drawers to use it. For functionality on the trail, I like the pstyle. I can use it with a pack on and not have to pull down my pants. It is a bit unwieldy, but it fits in the cargo pocket of my pants.

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    Registered User Drybones's Avatar
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    Poison ivy & oak is pretty easy to identify...look before squatting.

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    Registered User MissMagnolia's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CodeBlue View Post
    I've used a few of these devices. I like the Go Girl if I'm just trying to avoid nasty toilet situations. In the woods, I still have to take off my pack and pull down my drawers to use it. For functionality on the trail, I like the pstyle. I can use it with a pack on and not have to pull down my pants. It is a bit unwieldy, but it fits in the cargo pocket of my pants.

    +1 on the Pstyle, but you still have to drop your pants if you don't have a zipper unless they are loose enough to work with. Still it might help save the knees a bit with about half (?) the squatting as otherwise.
    "Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  12. #12

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    Ditto on the Pstyle. I don't take it all the time, but I really like it on a multi-day hike. I still have a little bag I carry with TP, the Pstyle, and some alcohol gel, but it's discrete if I need it to be. I'm planning on experimenting with hiking in my hike skirt more this summer as well. It's REALLY easy to use with a skirt - just not sure I like that mode of hiking enough to consider it for the AT.
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    Registered User Nutbrown's Avatar
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    I am planning on buying a Pstyle too. Or fashion one like Dink did. Maybe using something that is made of the flexible silicone stuff for cooking????

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    From reading about it on many sites... the downside to cooking silicone would be squishing it out of shape too much so that you make an unintended mess... but if you have the money for material and time for experimentation in a safe bathroom/shower....

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    Love my P-Style. Chose it over the flexible silicone one because I was worried it be too easy to accidentally collapse it during use. I have never been able to squat and pee without either getting my clothes wet. This has been the answer!
    Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.

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  16. #16

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    Thanks, ladies. I believe I will try the pstyle. I have never seen it before in my searches to find a urinal. It is different from the others and looks like it would work even though my hiking shorts do not have a zipper. I'll let you know how it works for me after my next section hike in April/May.

  17. #17
    Registered User MissMagnolia's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Catch-Up View Post
    Thanks, ladies. I believe I will try the pstyle. I have never seen it before in my searches to find a urinal. It is different from the others and looks like it would work even though my hiking shorts do not have a zipper. I'll let you know how it works for me after my next section hike in April/May.
    I hiked in a skirt for the first time this weekend, over my shorts. It did well as a windbreaker and was particularly awesome for when I used the pstyle. Just turned my back to the most likely spot a hiker might show up, and did my business. I'll probably bring the skirt on my thru, and definitely the pstyle.
    "Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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    Hi ladies, Several years ago, WB contributor, sbhikes, described her invention... "I made my own from a Wishbone salad dressing bottle. Just cut diagonally, paying attention to the angle you will need for the cap-end to direct the urine. I love that thing. It literally saves my behind from mosquitoes." And most likely, Poison Ivy...

    I made one for my mate for our Superior Trail hike in '10. Lightweight, easy to clean and functional. Took a little practice, but it worked great. (We gave the dressing to the girls who worked in the kitchen at the grocery store where we bought it. Turns out, one of them was a hiker and couldn't wait to try one!)

    Check it out... 6th post down http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...light=wishbone

    Thanks again, Ms. Hikes!
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  19. #19
    ME-GA 2000 NotYet's Avatar
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    The P-Style works great!!!! I've started hiking with men's underwear on so I have the fly...super convenient, and no need to bare it all if the cold!!!! Was that too much information?

  20. #20

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    So I have been thinking about this thread and wondering why in the world someone would want to carry around a device like an urinal. Unless you cannot squat for some physical reason, I suppose it could be helpful, but I cannot see myself carrying around one of these smelly urinals simply because I would rather not squat. Peeing in the woods is just not that big of a deal. That's my 2 cents.
    Some people take the straight and narrow. Others the road less traveled. I just cut through the woods.

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