Back in 2014, I spent 22 days hiking the John Muir Trail. Prior to that, the longest backpacking trip I had been on was 5 days, so there was a lot I didn’t know.
One of those things was knowing how to deal with peeing and wiping on the trail. Using toilet paper and packing it out was not a good option since I’d have to carry a ridiculous amount of TP for 22 days. So it seemed the only practical thing to do was to drip dry.
Now let me be real. Drip drying for 22 days without a proper shower left me feeling utterly disgusting down there. What was I thinking?!?
A few years later I was backpacking in Alaska and my backpacking guide taught me the trick of using a small quick-dry washcloth or bandana to wipe after peeing. It was a game changer compared to drip drying or dealing with packing out toilet paper, but this method still had some limitations. I didn’t like touching that washcloth with my hands, and after one use the rag felt pretty dirty.
Shortly after that experience, I discovered the Kula Cloth, which solved every single one of my backcountry peeing woes. The Kula Cloth is a reusable pee cloth with a clean and dirty side that attaches to the outside of your backpack. It’s made of an ultra-absorbant, anti-microbial material, and you can rinse it off in the backcountry or throw it in the washing machine when you get home.
It’s become one of my most beloved pieces of gear for maintaining my hygiene on the trail, and even on day hikes, I always make sure to throw one in my pack. So in this post I’ll share what it is, how to use it and why I love it so much.
And for those of you ladies who are convinced, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve collaborated with Kula to create a custom Bearfoot Theory x Kula Cloth. It features a cosmic mountain scene with a bear (of course) chilling by the water, and I love how it turned out!
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What is a Kula Cloth?
Key Features
Where to buy
A Kula Cloth is a reusable, antimicrobial pee cloth designed for women who pee outside. It has a front (clean) side with a variety of cute designs and a back (dirty) side that you use to wipe.
The back side is very absorbent and made of an antimicrobial fabric that dries very quickly. The black fabric is also soft and dimpled with a reflective thread sewn into it, so you can easily find it at night with a headlamp.
When you’re done peeing, you simply use the black side of the Kula Cloth to dab yourself clean. Afterward, you can use the snaps to fold the Kula Cloth in half with the dirty side in, and then the whole thing snaps to the outside of your pack.
For day hikes, you can use it multiple times throughout the day without having to worry about rinsing it off. For a multi-day trip, you can gather water from a stream to rinse it off, and then when you get home, the Kula Cloth can be thoroughly washed with soap and water in the sink or in a washing machine.
I’ve been obsessed with Kula Cloth for years, and now if I forget mine at home, I dread having to drip dry. I can’t believe I did that for so many years and will never go back to not using a Kula Cloth.
For that reason, it is one of my day hiking essentials that never leaves my pack other than when it’s in the washing machine.
You can use the Kula Cloth in any wilderness setting for hiking, camping, and backpacking, but you can also use it at home, in porta-potties, or even at music festivals when the toilet paper runs out.
Using a pee rag is also a way to follow Leave No Trace guidelines. It’s an easy toilet paper replacement and can reduce the amount of toilet paper that is left behind in the wild (accidently or not). It also eliminates the need for a Ziploc bag in my backpack to pack out used toilet paper.
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Kula Cloth Pros and Cons
The Kula Cloth has lots of pros and really only one con I can think of. Here are some of the things I like and dislike about using this pee rag on my hikes.
Kula Cloth Pros
Kula Cloth Cons
Why Use a Kula Cloth vs. a Bandana?
Bandanas do not contain the same anti-microbial and anti-odor properties as the Kula Cloth. After the pee dries on your bandana, it’s going to stink, while the Kula Cloth will hide all the smells.
The Kula Cloth is also way more absorbant than a banada.
How to Use a Kula Cloth
A Kula Cloth is extremely easy to use on the trail. These step-by-step directions walk you through how to use one in the wilderness.
How to Clean a Kula Cloth
If you’re using a Kula Cloth for a day hike or a quick overnight trip, you don’t need to wash it in between uses (unless you’d like to). I recommend washing the pee rag if it has been over 24 hours. There are a couple of different ways you can clean it.
Wash by hand
The gentlest way to wash a Kula Cloth is to take a small amount of soap to scrub it and then rinse it in the sink. When I get home from my hikes, I actually take my Kula Cloth with me into the shower and wash it in there.
For longer backpacking trips, you can rinse it with water or you can scrub it with a small amount of biodegradable soap away from natural water sources.
Then you just hang the pee rag to dry. When I’m out hiking and backpacking, I’ll either hang it from a tree or the outside of my pack. It air dries really quickly, but you can also use it when it’s wet if you need to pee before it’s completely dry.
Make sure to unfold it as you’re drying it, as UV rays from the sun will help sterilize the cloth.
Machine wash
While hand washing is recommended to increase the lifetime of the Kula Cloth, another option for washing your Kula is to throw it in the washing machine. When I’m feeling lazy or I forget to wash it right after I get home, I just throw it in with a load of laundry and have never experienced any problems.
Kula Cloth recommends closing the snap so it doesn’t get snagged on anything (although I usually forget to do this and nothing has ever happened). Also, do not use fabric softener or bleach. Just use your normal detergent.
Kula Cloth Performance
I’ve now been using Kula Cloth exclusively for peeing in the backcountry since 2019. Before I wrap up this Kula Cloth review, I’ll mention some final thoughts on performance and why I love using it.
Ease of Use
A Kula Cloth is extremely straightforward to use. When I need to pee, I unsnap it from the outside of my backpack and use the black absorbent side to wipe. Then, I reattach it to my backpack and snap the absorbent side shut.
Cleanliness
While you may feel hesitant to try a pee rag and worry that it might be gross, I promise the Kula Cloth is not! Compared to a bandana, having a clean side and and dirty side allows you to always wipe with one side and touch the other side with your hands.
With regular rinsing, my Kula Cloth has never smelled bad. It really lives up to it’s promise of killing odors and being hygenic. I also feel so much cleaner down there without having drops of pee in my underwear after drip drying.
Privacy
I never feel self-conscious when using my Kula Cloth because the black absorbent side hides any mess really well. I can also use the double-snap feature to hide the part of the pee cloth I used to wipe when it’s attached to my backpack.
This ability to be discreet is convenient when I’m hiking with friends on the trail. It also feels less awkward to carry a Kula Cloth back to your campsite than a wad of used toilet paper!
Packability
The Kula Cloth is the perfect size for a day hike or overnight backpacking trip. Since it snaps onto the outside of my backpack, I don’t have to worry about rummaging around in my pack to look for it.
Since it’s only 5.75 x 5.5 in and weighs 0.6 oz, I bring it on every hike and backpacking trip. It also takes up la lot less room than carrying a bunch of toilet paper in a ziplock bag.
Comfort
The fabric of the Kula Cloth feels comfortable when dabbing myself dry. The fabric feels really soft, and I have never experienced any irritation from using it.
Design
I appreciate the square shape of the cloth because I can use a different corner each time I need to wipe. This intentional design makes the cloth convenient to use multiple times within a day.
I also like the many color and design options on the waterproof, outer-facing side of the cloth, although I’m impartial to the Bearfoot Theory x Kula Collab design 🙂
Durability
I’ve owned the same Kula Cloth for years, and it has held up well. It still looks as good as the day that I bought it!
I’ve washed it by hand and in the washing machine and dryer, and it shows no signs of wear or use. The seams and snaps are all intact, and the design has not faded.
Where to Buy a Kula Cloth
A Kula Cloth is small investment that will make a world of a difference when it comes to peeing outside.
You can grab the Bearfoot Theory x Kula Cloth collab right from the Kula Cloth website, and you’ll get a fun little surprise in the package too!
If the Bearfoot Theory x Kula cloth isn’t your vibe, there are dozens of other designs to choose from. I love so many of them, it’s hard to pick!
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The antimicrobial Silvadur™ silver ion–infused absorbent material doesn’t show stains. The Kula Cloth founder specifically chose black to hide urine. Period blood that dries on it will be slightly visible, but you can use the snaps to keep it folded in half so it’s not visible to others.
No. The Kula Cloth is hypoallergenic, nontoxic, nonsensitizing, and non-irritating to the skin. I’ve never experienced any issues after using it.
I’m surprised how little the Kula Cloth smells after using it when I’m not able to rinse it right away. The material is antimicrobial and odor-resistant. Once you rinse it or wash it, there is zero smell.
No. The front side of the cloth with the print is waterproof, so any liquid will not soak through onto your hand when using a Kula Cloth.
Yes. Kula Cloth uses many organic, eco-friendly materials manufactured and milled sustainably in the United States – another reason I love them.
Although this method also eliminates the need for toilet paper, it is not hygienic or comfortable and can lead to smelly hiking underwear (I know from experience). It is also risky if you’re prone to yeast infections or Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).
Definitely! Since the absorbent side is black, it hides menstrual blood. If you accidentally get blood on the front side, it will wash out with a small amount of soap.
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Have you tried a Kula Cloth yet? Let me know what questions you have about this reusable pee rag in the comments below!
