bandana or toilet paper

[glacier48]

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?

Glacier

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

[ChaiKitty]

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]

TP for me.

[Frau]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

I'm a dabber as well. After shaking as much as I can. Just for #1 thought.
TP and wipes for #2.

[River Runner]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Remind me never again to pick up a bandanna on the trail and carry it out.

[Cuffs]

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]

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]

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]

Well, its not soaked... unless you try to wipe before you are done... Its a few drops... no biggie.

[glacier48]

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]

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.