When I was little and my mother took me to downtown Portland, I remember seeing my first “bag lady”. I was maybe six or so and I thought,” Yes! That’s who I want to be when I grow up.” And though the image of the roaming self-sufficient woman living on the edges of society still appeals to me, I don’t want to smell like one. For this reason, I take a rag with me when peeing in the outdoors to dab away the stray drops of urine.
The best rag, I have found, is one that isn’t too absorbent, because an absorbent rag, like a terry cloth washcloth, will begin to smell and is hard to clean– just rinsing it out doesn’t usually work. Half of a lightweight bandana cut diagonally with a buttonhole at one end so you can loop it on to the back of your pack works well. The best pee dabber I have used was a worn out Teva bamboo sock. I kept it in the outside side pocket of my pack.
Update: Now, I wear a skirt–no underwear, pee standing up, and use the hem of my skirt to blot dry. For some reason my skirt doesn’t smell like pee.
Related Posts:
Menstrual care–on the trail on off.
