Have Your Best Pee Yet With the Gossamer Gear Exclusive Kula Cloth
If you look closely at the photo below, you’ll find me in the center, proudly waving my pee rag in the winds of Glacier National Park. This was in August 2016 on the inaugural Babes Off the Beaten Path trip for an outdoors group I co-founded in Washington, D.C. called Wild Wilderness Women. Before the trip, I preached the gospel of the pee rag to every babe who would listen. As evidenced by the photo, I was still singing its praises by the time we’d reached the Continental Divide. And while my enthusiasm for this piece of gear hasn’t changed over the years, the quality of my pee rag sure has.
Wait… What In the World Is a Pee Rag?
I’m so glad you asked. I was getting ahead of myself. A pee rag is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a piece of cloth women take with them on their outdoor adventures to use for a quick dab down there to stay dry after popping a squat along the trail. It’s typically strapped to the outside of your pack for easy access and to be able to dry and disinfect in the sunlight. It cuts down on the waste of non-reusable toilet paper while offering a lovely upgrade from the classic shake ‘n dry.
I know, it sounds weird. But, the best thing you can do is choose to believe it is not and give it a try if you haven’t yet. You’ll love it.
What Can One Use As a Pee Rag?
Another great question. Historically, women have used a variety of materials, such as bandanas or old t-shirt scraps. I used to use an extra small PackTowl simply because I had an extra one lying around. That’s what I’m waving as a proud battle flag in the previous photo. However, you might’ve noticed that I said I used to use that. Oh, how my pee rag has gotten an upgrade, friends.
Meet the Kula Cloth
That’s right, my pee rag is no longer some sad rag. In fact, I call it a pee cloth now, thank you, and more specifically, my Kula.
Kula Cloth was founded by former park ranger and violinist for The Musical Mountaineers, Anastasia Allison. Anastasia wanted to promote Leave No Trace principles while creating a pee cloth that wasn’t an afterthought, but an intentional piece of gear. She ended up spending three years obsessively researching textiles and hundreds of hours field testing upgrade options to old bandanas. As a result, the Kula Cloth was born.
The Kula Cloth is about the size of a potholder and has two snap options. The first snaps to your backpack and the second allows you to snap the bottom part of the cloth up to the top for privacy and cleanliness on trail. The inside of the Kula Cloth, meaning the side that makes direct contact with any lingering moisture, is black to mask any potential discoloration. It’s an antimicrobial, silver-infused, highly absorbent material. The outside of the Kula Cloth is waterproof and comes in a fun pattern. The piece of gear also boasts retro-reflective thread to make it easy to locate at night with a headlamp. To top it all off, the Kula Cloth is made in the United States with high quality control, meant to last you many, many miles. You can read even more about the Kula Cloth on the company’s frequently asked questions page.
Gossamer Gear Teams Up With Kula Cloth for the Cutest and Most Functional Pee Cloth Ever
So, those fun waterproof patterns I mentioned? Well, Kula Cloth created a custom design just for Gossamer Gear that is the cutest little pee cloth you’ve ever seen. I realize that seems weird to say, but some things can be weird and also true -- like the fact that using a pee cloth is amazing.
The Gossamer Gear Kula Cloth includes a lovely outdoor scene complete with colorful butterflies to pay homage to our Mariposa 60 backpack. It’s a real stylish win for the trail.
But, my favorite part of the Gossamer Gear Kula Cloth isn’t actually the fun pattern, but the gear’s performance. While my quick dry towel of yesteryear may have cut it alright, I was always battling not layering it enough to make sure I didn’t end up with a wet hand. The Kula Cloth’s waterproof side has never failed me. I also couldn’t neatly snap my towel to itself to keep it from haphazardly flailing about and inevitably getting covered in various dirt and moss. No longer a problem with the Kula Cloth.
Join the Pee Cloth Revolution with Your Own Gossamer Gear Exclusive Kula Cloth
If you squat to pee (or use a pee funnel!), the Kula Cloth is for you. You can grab your Gossamer Gear exclusive print today and join the many of us who proudly wave their pee cloths from the mountaintops for all to see.
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Korrin Bishop is the Managing Editor for the Gossamer Gear blog, LightFeet. She's also the co-founder of Wild Wilderness Women, a freelance writer, Oregon Duck, and group hug enthusiast. She grew up amongst redwoods, has a deep love for Everglades adventures, and was once a Washington, D.C. local before fleeing for more open spaces. Korrin has written for the National Park Service, Sierra Magazine, Fodor's Travel, The Dyrt Magazine, and Misadventures Magazine, among others. Learn more about her work on her website: https://www.korrinbishop.com/