Talking about peeing outdoors might be too much information for a blog post, but it’s a key component of spending days out hiking. Not drinking enough is simply not an option – and holding it in impossible! A Kula Cloth has been on my gear wish list ever since I heard about them, thanks to randomly seeing an American YouTuber talk about hers in a video about her Pacific Crest Trail through-hike.
This little square of material is a very nicely designed pee rag; a re-usable and hygienic antimicrobial cloth. It provides the means to pat yourself dry after squatting to do a wild wee, or indeed, after using a portaloo at a campsite or festival.
Women have been using pee rags in the outdoors for years, but I’ve never moved away from carrying toilet tissue for use after a wild wee. The idea of sacrificing a Buff or cotton bandana has never appealed, I’ve always felt they wouldn’t be particularly hygienic.
Kula Cloth
Kula Cloth, founded in 2018 by Anastasia Allison after discovering a massive pile of used toilet paper while backpacking, answers that concern perfectly. Designed with leave no trace principles in mind, hygiene has been built into the cloth – both in terms of the material used for patting you dry, and the side you hold.
The plain black side is made from a super absorbent and very quick drying silver-infused microbial fabric, which you use to pat yourself dry after peeing outdoors, instead of loo roll. It’s got a bit of texture to it, and the instructions are to pat rather than wipe.
The other side, which has any number of printed designs (mine is ‘birds of a feather’ but there are lots to choose from) is waterproof, so your hand stays dry and clean.
Having two obviously different sides means you only dry with the bit designed to dry you, and you only hold the bit designed to hold – there isn’t any issue with getting that wrong! Thanks to drying super quickly, it can be used multiple times in a day, and if you like, can easily be rinsed in a natural water source.
Usefully, the Kula Cloth has a handy hanging loop to attach it to your pack for quick access when you need it, and fastens folded in half so it doesn’t touch your pack once used, also preventing it from getting dirty on your hike.
Leave No Trace
I used it (daily!) on the Cumbria Way, finding it to be an incredibly practical addition to my hiking kit. It did the required role replacing toilet tissue perfectly, was easy to wash each evening in the shower, and was dry and ready to pack in no time. Honestly, a game changer; it’s now part of my essential day hiking and camping kit, I don’t think I’ll ever go back.
Most importantly, this little square of clever fabric eliminates the need to pack out used toilet tissue after wild wees. Which, in turn, saves on those single use plastic bags (dog poo bags or little freezer bags) I was using to pack out my loo roll so I could chuck it away responsibly when I got home. It’s another step towards ensuring I leave no trace when outside, and is helping to reduce my impact on the environment.
Thinking about it, this will be great when motorcycling too; layby wees will be more comfortable from now on!
It genuinely is a great little bit of kit, and I highly recommend it to all my spend-all-day-outside friends. Such a great addition to my pack. It cost me £22.50, which I think is decent value. I did notice copies on Amazon, but the real deal is excellent quality and well made – if you are motivated to get one, please buy the original version!
I bought mine (here in the UK) from Vampire Outdoors, who specialise in women’s products, plus size backpacks, and plus size women’s outdoor clothing. They were great, by the way, this was my first purchase from them, and I’ll be looking there for future outdoorsy purchases. Worth a look if you’re in the market for some new gear.
My American friends can shop direct from Kula Cloth – and you can even get one-off personalised designs!
