[caption id="attachment_10715" align="aligncenter" width="940"] One of the views when you pee like a girl[/caption]   As a girl who always liked to pee in the outdoors, I was really excited to read NO&YO ambassador Tova’s blog post. Peeing outdoors squatting down is a hassle but this past summer I realized that it very often also provides for some great views and scenery that you would otherwise not come about if it wouldn’t be for that need to find a little spot hidden from everyone’s view. With that said, however, no view is awesome enough in the winter when you’d have to undress from the many layers of clothing and freeze while doing the unnecessary deed. And hence my excitement about this post; please enjoy and pee like a girl!

I Can Write My Name In The Snow Too

  I must preface this piece by saying that I started this journey of writing an article about peeing outside about 6 years ago. I had really just begun to spend extended periods of time outside and had heard briefly about the ability to pee standing up. This was a first for me at the time, and now I tell all of my friends about it (you can just ask them, I’m sure they’ve all heard me talk about it too much). I also would like to say a big thank you to GoGirl ,Krista’s Cups (PStyle) , Uri-Femme, and Freshette for sending me samples of all of the different types of devices out there. In the winter and the summer; on the ocean or in the mountains; on a glacier or in the desert, men have it easy. On skis or in a kayak; rock climbing or ice climbing; sailing or mountaineering, men have it easy.  A side step into the woods, a turn towards a crevasse, or a hop, skip and a jump off the trail, men have it easy. Men have an unfair advantage, one might say, when it comes to relieving themselves in the outdoors.  For them it’s just a pull of a zipper and a flip of the wrist. There is no sneaking off into the deep woods, no searching for a big tree, or having your friends stand guard. There’s no fear of poison ivy, no frozen backside, and no bug bites in places you don’t want them. Of course we are products of our physiology. But what was god thinking when she let men have the advantages of such simplicity to use the world as their urinal. Growing up, whenever I watched my father walking the dog, I would witness from the kitchen window the two of them, with their backs to me, relieving themselves. (Okay, my Dad can be a little weird, but you get the point.)  At that age, I didn’t see this as an advantage for him or a disadvantage for me. As I grew older and immersed myself in the outdoors I started to understand that relieving myself would never be such a simple task. After years of awkwardly crouching on hillsides while hiking or dealing with the annoyance of realizing I had to pee after already putting on my climbing harness, I discovered a solution: Female Urinary Devices or as I call them ‘FUDs’. FUDs have been around for over 30 years and were the beginning of a new age for women. FUD’s are targeted at all women in all different types of settings: from foreign travel, to hospitals; from concert port-a-potties to cramped airplane toilets. When I first started researching these devices I was surprised to find out that they come in all different forms. For example check out this great video from UriFemme for portable, disposable devices that women can use while traveling from place to place. FUDs are funnel-like devices designed to fit the female anatomy that would allow women to have just as much convenience as men…but with a touch of color. On almost every trip I go on I always make sure to pack my FUD. And as I’m rummaging through my backpack and realize I forgot it I am beyond disappointed, and if for no other reason than seeing the reaction of my male outdoor partners. On a beautifully sunny day in the Utah backcountry I went out for a ski tour with a couple of my guy friends.  After a few good laps in the powder and a liter or so of water it was “time to go”.  The moment was here! One of my guy friends announced, as guys always seemed to, that he was going to go to the bathroom. (What bathroom? I mused.) I piped up:  “Me too.” My friend walks a few feet off the skin track; so did I.  My friend turned his back; so did I.  My friend unzipped; so did I. It was that easy. And I’ll never go back.  On backcountry ski trips, hiking, and even in public toilets, my little pink FUD will be at my side. I must say woman, that we should do as the FUD company GoGirl says, and “don’t take life sitting down.” [caption id="attachment_10712" align="alignleft" width="322"] Walking off the skin track in the Wasatch backcountry to take a pee with a view. Photo: Jeremiah Reiner[/caption]                                 Information on Each Device: Go Girl: Available in two colors, pink and brown, these rubbery flexible devices are great for stuffing into a pocket quickly and require some attention to make sure they don’t leak. $9.99 – Single Freshette: Freshette comes only in pink and is unique in the FUD world because it has moving parts. This FUD has an extendable tube that is attached to a hard plastic shell. $23.95 – Single FUD w/ 5” tube and plastic zippered travel pouch UriFemme: Because it is small and disposable UriFemme is easy to keep in your back pocket and purse. It’s a great item to put in every backpack. $3.75 – 9 Funnels: 3 Packs pStyle My favorite, this hard plastic FUD comes in 6 colors and is also available with a convenient carry case. Though a bit bulkier than the rest this device takes up next to no space in a backpack. $12.00 – Single $22.00 – FUD w/ case   Also don’t forget to follow @tova_laia and @zacksnovak on IG to check out all of the adventures they’re getting in to.