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glacier48
05-18-2008, 15:21
Hey Ladies,

Somewhere I read the idea of using a bandanna not toilet paper when you urinate. This does seem like it would take some of the worry out to having enough toilet paper. But what/how/where do you keep the bandanna? Keep it in a ziplock, attach it to the outside of the pack? Who has the energy to wash the bandanna every night? Anyone use this method and have answers to any of these questions?
:sun
Glacier

My husband said to wear it around my neck, he always has been a pain in the ass:D

ChaiKitty
05-18-2008, 15:35
I'd rather do a drip dry or a leaf wipe than carry a urine labeled bandana. When in a dire situation I've also used a moss wipe for more than just urine... and it works quite well.

-Sydney

Blissful
05-18-2008, 17:15
TP for me.

Frau
05-18-2008, 17:57
I vote with Blissful, tp for me. I was stuck with an insufficient amount once and used leaves--works fine.

My bandana doubles as a wash cloth for dipping in the creek.

Frau

Red Hat
05-18-2008, 18:09
This was a topic of discussion for the henhike. I said I thought a bandana urine wipe was "nasty" and got called down for being negative, lol... I use wet wipes or leaves when I'm out. I always carry my trash out in a baggy instead of burying it like some people do. My bandana is a wash cloth, or a pot holder, or a headband, but never a pee rag!

Cuffs
05-18-2008, 18:25
I call it a 'dab rag.' I cut off a 4" x 4" square of soft material that is used to dry cars... added a safety pin and hung it off the back of my pack... Urine is quite sterile and the sun/heat does the rest. Tp for #2 tho!

Erin
05-18-2008, 18:49
I am with Red Hat My bandanna is one of my big items for everything but a pee rag TP or leaves Fortunately I am not allergic to poison ivy
Interesting thread though

Cuffs
05-18-2008, 19:02
I just recently started using the dab rag... I found it much more convenient than TP.
Get out TP
Use TP
Find ziplock baggie for TP
Put TP in baggie
Zip baggie
Put baggie away
Put TP away

With dab rag (dr)
Unhook dr
Use dr
Rehook dr

shoe
05-18-2008, 22:46
I'm a dabber as well. After shaking as much as I can. Just for #1 thought.
TP and wipes for #2.

River Runner
05-18-2008, 23:14
I use a small rectangle of a pack towel or a quarter bandana for wiping off #1. Drip dry as much as possible, then wipe, fold it up with the soaked part to the inside, then put it in my (dedicated) cargo pants pocket. It dries fairly quickly between uses. For a weekend I don't usually wash it out, but for longer trips I'll wash it out every couple of days (taking a bowl of water away from the source!). Note: I drink quite a bit of water while hiking, so my urine is not usually very strong scented. The normal b.o. of hiking seems to overwhelm any other scents.

Don't store a pee rag in a Zip-lock. You want it drying out. If you don't want to mess around with washing one out, a single dried out baby wipe for each day might be a way to avoid having to pack out a lot of used t.p.

I used to use T.P. for # 1 also, but a fellow (female) hiker gave me this advice, and I find it so much easier to reach in my pocket when needed instead of messing around with a bag of clean T.P. and a bag of used T.P. I always hated having urine soaked T.P. to carry in my pack.

T.P. for #2.

River Runner
05-18-2008, 23:19
P.S. Unless it is a dire emergency, please don't use moss as a wipe. In spite of the fact that it looks durable, moss is one of the more fragile plants and takes a long time to grow.

Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-19-2008, 05:54
I had a 'dire emergency' not too long ago and used moss. It works, but should not be used regularly as River Runner notes.

The 'dab rag' does work well and is not nearly as nasty as it seems. I use what Cuffs describes and rinse mine out at lunch time - well away from the water source. Keeps the TP to a minimum.

Before menopause, I carried two 4" x 4" squares of the car drying type dab rag - they can also be used as an emergency sanitary napkin. The fabric can be rinsed out (away from the water source!) and wrung nearly dry..... not something you want to have to do in the backcountry, but I mention it because supplies sometimes get forgotten and mother nature sometimes surprises us with an untimely visit.

River Runner
05-19-2008, 20:56
Before menopause, I carried two 4" x 4" squares of the car drying type dab rag - they can also be used as an emergency sanitary napkin. The fabric can be rinsed out (away from the water source!) and wrung nearly dry..... not something you want to have to do in the backcountry, but I mention it because supplies sometimes get forgotten and mother nature sometimes surprises us with an untimely visit.

Very good advice there FD!

Appalachian Tater
05-19-2008, 21:29
Remind me never again to pick up a bandanna on the trail and carry it out.

Cuffs
05-19-2008, 22:19
I had to give a similar warning recently... My 'dab' was hanging off my pack, and I had asked someone to grab another piece of gear... I had to yell out... 'dont touch that yellow (ironic!) rag hangin' there!' and then explain why...

Pokey2006
05-19-2008, 22:31
Cut a bandana into fourths; each one is a "pee rag." Definitely wash out every night! Otherwise, it'll get real nasty real fast. Such a small piece of bandana dries out quickly. Toilet paper just becomes more trash to pack out.

Drip and dry, or using leaves, might work fine for a day, but it just makes things more smelly and gross when you're out for several days.

Save the wet wipes for cleaning up at night or for going poop. At least that's how I do it.

Locutus
05-20-2008, 11:03
Wow... sorry, but a pee soaked rag hanging off your pack, or stuffed in your pants pocket, is gross. I understand we all have to make hygienic sacrifices on the trail, but this just seems extreme.

Cuffs
05-20-2008, 11:25
Well, its not soaked... unless you try to wipe before you are done... Its a few drops... no biggie.

glacier48
05-20-2008, 13:18
thanks for the opinions, opposing and all. Think I might use a bandanna cut into 4 sections and save it for emergencies such as running low on TP and wanting to save it for #2 special occasions. Yes it is gross using a bandanna, I agree but so is running out of TP and having to #2. Atleast I am too old for my period, thank god for that.

Glacier

PS If we meet don't touch my hanging bandanna squares. Yuck

Marta
05-20-2008, 13:46
A hybrid method--use one square of tissue as a dab rag; keep in a dedicated pocket; make it last until it's no good anymore; progress to a different one; pack them out with other paper products.

River Runner
05-20-2008, 15:10
Wow... sorry, but a pee soaked rag hanging off your pack, or stuffed in your pants pocket, is gross. I understand we all have to make hygienic sacrifices on the trail, but this just seems extreme.

Carrying around a bunch of urine soaked toilet paper in my pack, that technically should be bear-bagged with other 'smellables' such as food, trash, and toothpaste isn't exactly my idea of hygenic either...

As cuffs said, it's a few drops, that dries pretty quickly. I thought it weird at first, but enjoy the freedom of not having to carry around zip-locks of urine soaked T.P.

auburnbreeze
05-20-2008, 15:24
Carrying around bag of pee soaked urine sounded gross to me too! Pee rag works great. I have a specifc bandanna that is only used for that purpose. I also warn folks I hike with ahead of time.

Locutus
05-20-2008, 15:35
Why would you pack out TP? Use Scott brand tp or tp made for RVs and bury it a few inches. It will be reclaimed by mother earth in about a week.

Marta
05-20-2008, 15:39
Yah know...it's one thing to promote your own method; it's quite another thing to say that any other method is gross. "Pee soaked" is hardly the way I would describe a tissue with a drop of pee on it.

There's no particularly lovely way of dealing with waste products but, with practice, one learns to minimize the mess, however one chooses to deal with it.

HYOH?

Marta
05-20-2008, 15:43
Why would you pack out TP? Use Scott brand tp or tp made for RVs and bury it a few inches. It will be reclaimed by mother earth in about a week.

That's true in a best-case scenario, but there are lots of times when the breakdown doesn't happen. Popular camping areas in the Smokies, for instance, sometimes resemble gardens with toilet paper blossoms. In a drier environment, the tp will linger for a long, long time. The only way you can make sure you aren't littering tp is to pack it out.

TattyBoBatty
05-20-2008, 22:27
I'm going to try the pee rag thing. I'm open to most everything (at least once!) plus it seems like it would make things a lot more convenient. I figure by the time I really drip dry, there shouldn't be much left to really get on the rag.
We will see how it turns out.

River Runner
05-20-2008, 23:34
I'm going to try the pee rag thing. I'm open to most everything (at least once!) plus it seems like it would make things a lot more convenient. I figure by the time I really drip dry, there shouldn't be much left to really get on the rag.
We will see how it turns out.

Post back and let us know if you like it or not.

TattyBoBatty
05-21-2008, 08:34
Will do! By the way, should I use a camp towel type material really or just anything microfiber would work?

Frolicking Dinosaurs
05-21-2008, 08:37
The microfiber with loops like a washcloth does not work as well as the smooth kind for this application (catches on brush), but all will work. I made mine from the car-drying towels at WalMart.

auburnbreeze
05-21-2008, 09:01
Yah know...it's one thing to promote your own method; it's quite another thing to say that any other method is gross. "Pee soaked" is hardly the way I would describe a tissue with a drop of pee on it.

There's no particularly lovely way of dealing with waste products but, with practice, one learns to minimize the mess, however one chooses to deal with it.

HYOH?

And I certainly didn't mean to imply pee rag is better than TP! Just saying for me, personally, I find it more unpleasant to carry used TP than dealing wtih the pee rag. I have done both and prefer the pee rag.

AlwaysHiking
05-21-2008, 09:22
I think I will give this a try this weekend. Just hope I don't get my sweat 'danna and my pee 'danna mixed up! :rolleyes:

I'm still also experimenting with the Wiz Freedom. These two seem like a perfect combination.

Cuffs
05-21-2008, 11:21
I'll second Dinos recommendation for the car drying cloth. Soft, but not looped fibers to catch everything.

As for the mixup... my dabber is only 4"x4" maybe? My sweat rag is a regular bandana. they dont even look remotely alike!

alysheba
05-27-2008, 12:05
Mine is a piece of cotton bandana that hangs off of a carabineer clip attached to one of my skirt loops. After using it, it is dry in about 10 minutes (on a warm day). I rinse it, well away from water source, as often as possible. It is soooo much easier to deal with than TP and it never gets mixed up with my other bandanas. It is also a totally different pattern than my other bandanas.

quasarr
05-28-2008, 11:09
I prefer pee rag myself. You can also be adventurous and use rocks, sticks, or leaves (make sure it's not poison ivy!).

To prevent confusion with other bandannas, my pee rag is always yellow :banana

CherrypieScout
05-28-2008, 11:30
I use TP and wet wipes - feel cleaner and worth the weight. I carry two different kinds of wet wipes - baby kind for daily use and germ killer type for once a day. The germ killer kind has created an unplesant rash once. Too much clean I guess. I do cut the wet wipes into smaller squares to get more for a pack. I will also carry one panty liner per day. I change underwear every 5 days. I usually toss out the nasty undies with the trash. I use light wieght hand santizer after each potty time. The dabber idea makes sense - will consider that for this summer.

quasarr
05-28-2008, 23:29
The germ killer kind has created an unplesant rash once. Too much clean I guess.

I'm no doctor, but this sounds like it could be a yeast infection. There is "good" bacteria in the nether regions that keeps other guys in check. Sometimes taking antibiotics like penicillin can kill the good bacteria, and allows yeast to overgrow. Antibiotic soap or wipes can have the same effect.

Roots
05-29-2008, 07:44
I, too, use a bandana. I sewed a loop onto it using some extra rope. I made the loop long enough so I can hold it and not the bandana. I attach it to a carabiner on my pack. It dry out quickly and I wash it out at camp with a dab of Dr Bonners. For me, it works great. I actually got someone else doing the same when I was on the trail in April. She loved it.

desdemona
06-01-2008, 02:16
I'm no doctor, but this sounds like it could be a yeast infection. There is "good" bacteria in the nether regions that keeps other guys in check. Sometimes taking antibiotics like penicillin can kill the good bacteria, and allows yeast to overgrow. Antibiotic soap or wipes can have the same effect.

Well maybe. But you CAN be too clean. Urine is sterile. You just need to wipe it off. I believe those sprays are intended for hands and not orifices.

--des

tenlots
06-06-2008, 20:38
I think I will try the pee rag next time on my hike out. thanks.

ShelterLeopard
06-24-2008, 01:15
Hey Ladies,

Somewhere I read the idea of using a bandanna not toilet paper when you urinate. This does seem like it would take some of the worry out to having enough toilet paper. But what/how/where do you keep the bandanna? Keep it in a ziplock, attach it to the outside of the pack? Who has the energy to wash the bandanna every night? Anyone use this method and have answers to any of these questions?
:sun
Glacier

My husband said to wear it around my neck, he always has been a pain in the ass:D

To quote the immortal movie, Madagascar: "Who wipes?" :-)

kristin1065
10-17-2008, 21:31
I've even stopped using TP in the house!! I made a whole stack of "dab-rags" and put them under the sink. Behind the toilet is a dedicated trash can for washable rags. I just use them once, and then throw them into the can. It's not stinky at all, and I just throw them in the wash once a week. If babies can pee in the diapers, then why can't I have reusable TP?? For #2, I just use one wipes. So, I am completely TP-free, and it feels wonderful!!! Plus, I really hate killing trees.

kristin1065
10-17-2008, 21:33
PS, Penis envy has set in as of this post. Why do guys have it so easy in the woods?? Not only do they not have to deal with the TP issue, but they also don't have to get their asses cold when they have to pee on a chilly night.

Pedaling Fool
10-17-2008, 21:43
I don't normally post in the female forum, but I must say I'm really happy to have a penis:D

I can take a piss on the side of the road (while on a bike trip) and not even get off my bike or go into the bushes, with cars all around. It's an art form that I've practiced many times. Never been caught, the only three times I've been caught was on the AT when I got too lax in watching out. All three times I was caught by females, but that's another story...

sarbar
10-17-2008, 21:50
Not to be a big downer.....but if you run the risk of getting UTI's be really careful with not wiping good/and/or using a pee rag that doesn't get rinsed enough.

Yes, urine is sterile - when it is in your body. Urine crystals outside though can get funky fast! For most ladies this won't be an issue but for some of us.....TP is worth the weight.

sarbar
10-17-2008, 21:51
On the other hand, one way to stretch TP is to use Vanilla Leaf - get a wad of it and wrap it in a little TP. You get thickness and absorbency but you don't use as much. It will also work in a pinch if your period starts as well as a temp. pad.

Texasgirl
10-17-2008, 21:56
I've used leaves lots; never considered moss, but won't use it anyway after reading posts about slow growth. LNT is the way to go. I'm gonna try the bandana route on my next trip.

As a long distance runner, I've had to take a pee breaks with no TP or bandana at hand. What I've learned is it is possible to (hold on... there's no guys reading this are there?) do a "shake". I've always been jealous of the guy penis shake which equals no need for TP. Well, I've found that if I'm squatting, let it drip a bit first, then kinda use the hand to "shake" the area, if you can picture what I mean. I've managed to not need TP at all and barely have a drop on the running shorts.

Now, to John Gault, okay, I was already jealous when guys pull over during a marathon to pee, but now I get to be jealous on my long rides with friends. I wondered why sometimes a guy would hang at the back!

PaceCar
10-27-2008, 09:47
Ok, the pee rag has me intrigued. I'm definitely going to try it. Have any of you ever tryed a Freshette? I picked one up from campmor several years ago and it stays in one of the outside pockets of my pack in it's own little bag with a separate zip loc for my tp etc. It is a funnel shaped plastic piece with a tube coming off of it that allows us gal's to pee like the big boys. I usually clean it about once a day - away from water sources, just by rinsing it out. It has been wonderful and I've gotten a few of my friends to get one of their own too. I don't handle squatting to pee very well, lack the balance. Depending on the shorts I'm wearing I don't even need to unzip, a lot of the time I can just pull aside the shorts and "tuck it in" where it needs to be, use it, and discretely shake it like the guys. http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___80980
I'm curious what any of you have for experiences with this.

BumpJumper
10-28-2008, 21:22
I just cant see caring around a urinal. I mean, that is really what it is. I would rather have a pee rag hangin than that thing. To each their own.
Since we are on the peeing subject, how the hell does everyone else balance when doing the other unmentionable?:eek:

sarbar
10-29-2008, 15:21
how the hell does everyone else balance when doing the other unmentionable?:eek:
Get as low to the ground as you can be. Stick your butt out as far as you can. Getting really low seems to help with shaky thigh muscles and wanting to lose your balance,

WritinginCT
12-12-2008, 23:48
I've used a bandanna as a dab rag and it works well for me but I think I'm going to explore the chamois cloth idea. It should definitely dry faster and be easier to wash/wring out and it's *totally* unlike my all pupose bandanna.

If you're really concerned about it you could always keep it in a ziplock baggy with a little water and a couple of drops of bleach. Just take it out and wring it out when you need it- the chamois cloth would end up almost dry, certainly dry enought to wipe with. When you're done with it- give it a quick rinse and stow it back in the baggy to be sanitized for the next usage. Just be sure to rinse before combining urine w/bleach (can produce a noxious gas).

boarstone
01-27-2009, 14:09
I got an idea by accident, here it is: You know those packs of "hygene wipes"? Well I had a small pack (16pc) of them dry out before I got them used. So, being the tight wad I am, I figured I could possibly still use them...tadah! I lightly wet/dampened them one use at a time..works just as good as new! So I sorta "dehydrated" a pack of them. Left cover off/open to dry out. Now I hike/carry them dried. Beats lugging them wet...

BumpJumper
01-27-2009, 17:33
That is an idea!:eek:
I have used those many times. Works great.

Doxie
02-05-2009, 14:50
I don't know if any of you ladies also have this problem, but when I'm out on a hike, the pressure from my hip belt makes me have to go a lot, and when I do it's urgent! Usually I'm throwing down my pack and running for the first big tree when I have to go. Sometimes I couldn't wait to get my pack off and just managed to get the job done with my pack still on. I found my bandana pee rag to be very useful for this purpose, because I could just yank it off my pack and go. It's a completely different color than my other bandanas and it was always out to dry at night and on the back of my pack. And toward the end of the hike, I actually did a rotation for bandanas--first day: head bandana, second day: dish drier, third day: sweat wiper, forth day: pee rag, and after a couple of days as a pee rag it went into a ziploc until I could wash it. I know some people might find it gross, but it worked really well for me.

Blissful
02-05-2009, 15:36
This has happened to me too, so I understand. Sometimes I barely make it. But I still use TP and have some in my pants pocket for those emergencies. As a nurse, the idea of having a rag like that on my person just doesn't settle well. And reusing a dirty rag to wipe, I would worry about infection. But that's me. :)

yappy
02-06-2009, 17:56
since we are on THIS subject often i just " shake " a little and that is that. i hardly ever use paper for peeing.. air dry baby. sick i know..haha

Deadeye
02-06-2009, 23:36
Good friend of mine says the Brazilian helps a lot:eek:

TimeSnake
02-07-2009, 01:37
gross

Jayboflavin04
02-10-2009, 00:16
Sorry to evesdrop girls.....I noticed someone said something bout bleaach and their "dab rag" ...If you want double use gear.....MSR sweetwater purification drops are essentially bleach. Read your bleach bottle at home and the msr package, but I think you will find I am right. This may help with sanitation without out the chemical harshness of full strength bleach.

Hawkwind61
02-10-2009, 22:15
Good friend of mine says the Brazilian helps a lot:eek:
It does actually. I started doing my own a couple years ago. First to aid in tick checks since I've had lyme disease and do everything I can to prevent another run-in since the first round left me with nerve damage. (My mother has had to have two deer ticks surgically removed from the hip crease where her panties start...and I wear scantier panties than she does and occasionally sports thongs.) I discovered that being bare reduced the incidence of yeast infections as well since I don't get as 'humid' as I did even with a close trim.

rec4healing
02-12-2009, 22:09
Dont usually post, but I thought I would share this website about the pstyle and the diva cup. The pstyle is great cause you dont have to wipe and liberating! Diva cup is great cause dont have to carry tampons. Both are going on my AT thru hike this year.

http://www.kristascups.com/

#2 I dig my hole close to a small tree, I hang on to the tree and squat, to reassure that I wont fall. I have a friend who digs a hole next to a fallen tree and sits on the tree with her bottom hanging over it. (a little too complicated for me plus dont really want my naked butt on the tree)

rec4healing
02-13-2009, 00:53
I should have said that you can use the pstyle to wipe not "you dont have to wipe "

cocoa
02-20-2009, 10:04
it takes a little longer, but I always just "shake it off"...harder to do in cold weather, but you don't have to worry about getting anything out of your pack. I do that when I hike and have never had any hygiene issues, probably because I wash up every night.

Alyssa1
03-07-2009, 21:07
i think id deff. go with the toilet paper.