Pee Rag?!

[Berry Belle]

I just read an article that said the best practice in personal hygiene for women is to cut a quarter of a bandanna to use as a "pee rag" that can be sun dried and UV sanitized on the back of your pack. This eliminates the need for toilet paper unless you need to dig a cathole and do #2. Supposedly sun drying will remove any odor.

For years, my solution has been to wear a panty liner and change it daily. They are compact, lightweight and easy to pack out with my other trash. They've worked well except on a few occasions, when it rained so hard that water ran down my neck and into my rain pants, turning the panty liner into a cold, soaking wet sponge. I've learned to avoid wearing panty liners in those conditions. I haven't had a single UTI since I started using them on my hikes.

The pee rag idea would eliminate the need to buy and carry panty liners, but I'm finding it hard to accept the idea that the thing will actually dry out on the back of my pack, given the amount of rain I usually encounter during a week on the AT. I smell bad enough at the end of a trip already, without a pee-soaked bandanna hanging on my pack. Or I could give myself another camp chore and wash it at night, thus ensuring myself a chilly, wet wipe when I "go" during the night.

Has anyone here actually tried using a pee rag?

[illabelle]

Not me. I use the P-style. Used as instructed on their website, it eliminates nearly all drip, making a pee rag unnecessary.

[Traffic Jam]

I tried it when hiking on the wet Benton MacKaye trail. It never dried and after a few days the odor was unbearable. I had to double bag it.

[time4change]

I also highly recommend the pstyle, it is a lifesaver!

[Berry Belle]

Checked out the p-style website. At 0.6 oz, it probably weighs about the same as a week's worth of panty liners. On Amazon it costs about the same as 3 boxes of liners and should last forever. More earth friendly too. I think I'll try it.

[illabelle]

Checked out the p-style website. At 0.6 oz, it probably weighs about the same as a week's worth of panty liners. On Amazon it costs about the same as 3 boxes of liners and should last forever. More earth friendly too. I think I'll try it.

Last I knew it came in six colors.
A suggestion I read in reviews elsewhere:
Green and clear blend in with vegetation, so you might set it down and then not be able to find it. No issues with the other colors: orange, pink, blue, lavender.

[Riocielo]

Last I knew it came in six colors.
A suggestion I read in reviews elsewhere:
Green and clear blend in with vegetation, so you might set it down and then not be able to find it. No issues with the other colors: orange, pink, blue, lavender.

You are right about the colors. When cleaning our gear after our last section-hike, my clear P-style disappeared. All I can figure is it got mixed in with the trash somehow and wasn't noticed. Immediately bought another one!

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[Cuacoatchoo]

Male so I can't help much.

I wonder if the pee rag works better in dry/sunny west coast climates. I think the same might be true if solar panels. AT is mostly shaded and humid.

Does Dr Balmers help?

[Walkintom]

My wife swears by her PStyle.

Advice she tenders: learn how to use it at home in the shower.

[Berry Belle]

Got my new lavender p-style yesterday. There's definitely a learning curve. Not sure this additional gadget will eliminate the need for panty liners, so I may not use it for backpacking. But I can see using it in filthy restrooms on road trips.

[illabelle]

Got my new lavender p-style yesterday. There's definitely a learning curve. Not sure this additional gadget will eliminate the need for panty liners, so I may not use it for backpacking. But I can see using it in filthy restrooms on road trips.

Yes, there are a few lessons* to learn.
But I'd encourage you to work towards using it for backpacking. Much easier than liners, in my opinion.
*Position it correctly, with the widest part at the point of discharge.
*Don't pee into the wind.
*Tilt it downward to empty.

[shelb]

Advice she tenders: learn how to use it at home in the shower.

This is great advice! I thank you, especially since I just ordered one!!!!

[misprof]

I wonder about the sun drying making the smell go away. I have lived in sunny 3rd world countries and the only thing the sun did was make the smell worse where people had gone.

[Country Roads]

Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature. Makes pee breaks very fast, which can be great on long hikes. I also find that I drink more & stay better hydrated, because peeing is way less of a hassle. And it is way more leave no trace; no TP or rag needed.

[Kat9Maui]

I've heard of this thing... How do you wipe after peeing? Or do you just keep going?


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[illabelle]

I've heard of this thing... How do you wipe after peeing? Or do you just keep going?


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http://www.thepstyle.com/
"...when finished peeing, pull the p-style forward with a firm upward motion to remove any remaining drips."

[Tea In The Trees]

http://www.thepstyle.com/
"...when finished peeing, pull the p-style forward with a firm upward motion to remove any remaining drips."

My wife just ordered two of these, one for hiking, and one for "icky bathrooms".... thanks for this post. Probably make her life alot nicer on trail and traveling. -Nate

[Berry Belle]

I've used the p-style about a dozen times now, including 3 pee breaks on a day hike. I'm not convinced it's worth the bother. It's nice not to have to squat, because squatting requires me to take off my pack to save my knees. But I still have to take off my pack to get the p-style out, since my pants don't have a good pocket for an item this large. Also, I have to undo my pants to the extent that I might as well just drop them and squat. And if I push firmly enough to remove all the remaining drips, it sort of scratches those delicate tissues. So I still need the panty liners to catch the drips.

I was going to use it in a nasty bathroom I encountered on the way to the trailhead, but I would have to lift that icky seat. Better just to hover over it. And I wondered if things could get complicated if someone came in and noticed that I was facing the toilet.

I haven't totally given up on it, but I suspect the p-style is going to go the way of the camp towel and a lot of other useless stuff I've spent all my lunch money on.

[Berry Belle]

I wonder about the sun drying making the smell go away. I have lived in sunny 3rd world countries and the only thing the sun did was make the smell worse where people had gone.

From my limited experience at unofficial roadside "pit stops," I would have to agree with you.

[illabelle]

I keep my P-style in a pouch strapped to my pack near/below the side pocket I use for my water bottle. I can reach it without removing the pack. Some of my pants/shorts work well with the P-style (zipper for sure! not too high-waisted), and others don't work at all. Haven't used it in a nasty bathroom yet. I prefer to wait till I can go in the woods, but that's not always possible. I haven't had problems with scratching, but we're all different. If one product worked for everybody, life would be boring.