As ladies, we face a particular problem that most men never face. It certainly isn’t a topic you discuss around the dinner table, but every woman can relate to. We face this dilemma in many areas of our life. This problem shows up at the most inconvenient times like. . .traveling, shopping, stuck in traffic, eating out, ball games, camping, hiking, biking, exploring and just about any outside activity!
This post contains affiliate links of products I use and love!
Okay, is your curiosity peaked at this point? Our dilemma is the ability to find adequate bathroom facilities, let alone clean bathroom facilities, while we are out and about enjoying our lives and conquering the world!
Allow me to vent here. Ladies, we’ve all been there. You know what I mean! Bathrooms that are filthy or look like they are part of a crime scene. I almost have a panic attack when I have to use a public facility. It affected me so that for a period of time I had recurring dreams about using public restrooms. The same scenario played out in each dream. Don’t laugh, but I dreamed of toilets overflowing or frantically searching for a stall that wasn’t covered in water or worse!
Yes, I’m the one using my elbows to open the door or grabbing a paper towel to open the door on the way out. It’s the general feeling of “ickiness” that comes over me. We use them to freshen up or wash our hands, but leave most times feeling otherwise.
Also, I’m not a fan of the hand soap! Is it just me or does the hand soap always stink? Surely, there are better scents than that one. Yeah, thanks, now I have that stinky smell on my hands!
Well, if there is anything worse than public restrooms, it would be no restrooms at all. If you are the explorer-adventuresome type, you know some of the most beautiful places to enjoy are restroom “no go zones!” After all, when was the last time you spotted a “toilette” on a biking trail, kayaking down the river or hiking in the mountains? No, you didn’t overlook them! For most off-the-beaten-path adventures you won’t find one.
When we started making trips on weekends to our mountain property, this little dilemma was front and center. Our small town was 20 minutes away. It was priority number one to figure out what my options were.
Sensitive Matters
I have never camped, but knew there were products to handle these sensitive matters. Actually, I narrowed down to three solutions that allowed for flexibility in my mountainous, rural setting. Although all three products accomplish the same thing, there are differences and benefits that I learned along the way.
In the spirit of sharing and sparing, let this former city girl give you the scoop on what worked for me. My three objectives were to find a products that were discrete, portable and takes care of business!
Special Devices For Ladies
I began my search on Amazon hoping to find the right products along with great reviews. There were two products that I was initially drawn to in the early days of our mountaintop journey. I’m sure other products would have worked equally well, but I chose the following:
P-Mate
This was the first product that I tested, and it worked perfectly for weekend trips while we worked on our property. That’s pretty important when you’re 20 minutes away from an actual restroom! While it’s disposable, it comes folded and is small enough to fit in your purse or bag.
As this product is a urine director, I will never forget the first time I used this little device! First time ever I got to stand when taking a potty break. . .and. . .I LOVED IT! Game changer here!
TravelJohn
In the first few months of living off-grid, this was my go to device. Once again with this one, the packaging has a very small footprint and makes them easy to carry or store. The TravelJohn is an actual biodegradable bag filled with a substance that absorbs liquid and turns it into a gel! That’s pretty fabulous if you are concerned spilling could be an issue. Once it gels, you can toss in the trash.
Living on a building site, I was the only woman around! That meant any given day, there could be a number of men on the property. It was a great relief to have the TravelJohn to use in the comfort and privacy of our little cabin! Also, for the middle of the night “gotta go moments,” with less than desirable weather outside, it allowed me to stay nice and warm inside!
pStyle
After using the first devices through various stages of our journey, the pStyle became my last method of use on the mountaintop.
This rigid, plastic device is reusable and easily maneuvers to allow for optimum success.
Also, purchasing a pCase allows for discrete carry. That’s important for ladies! Once again, in a remote and off-grid setting, this was more economical and a necessity for long-term use.
Final Thoughts
For best success, I would highly recommend you practice before you actually need it! There is a slight learning curve for proper position. Practice makes perfect here!
Obviously, these products work great in remote, outdoor, or off-grid settings. Because they are discrete, they can easily be taken along for all kinds of outdoor adventures. Inevitably, you’ll end up in a crime scene restroom or no facilities at all and will be glad you tucked one of these devices in your purse! No squatting required.
If you use these or similar products, I would love to hear your thoughts and what you found that worked best for you.
Wishing you ladies many happy adventures,
Lover Darlin’
