We are proud to announce our new product, the AR Gaiters P' Cloth. Pee cloths and pee rags are pieces of fabric used to pat yourself dry after peeing - primarily used by women. An AR Gaiters P' Cloth replaces toilet paper and is designed to dry away pee - not poo - so that you can dry-off after doing a wee. It is reusable, considerate of the environment and other outdoor users, and zero waste.
- Soft, absorbent hemp-fabric side for drying off
- Colourful, waterproof backing to display to the world
- Strap with a plastic popper to attach your P' Cloth to the outside of your backpack and another popper to fold it in half, protecting the soft side from dirt, hiding wet stains and allowing it to discretely dry.
Hemp fabric has antimicrobial properties. It softens with washing without the fibres degrading. It is a durable fabric with good abrasion resistance, which makes it long lasting. Hemp is breathable and can be washed easily.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Soft, absorbent fabric: 55% hemp / 45% Organic cotton
- Colourful, waterproof backing: Oxford fabric (polyester)
- Dimensions: 18cmx18cm
- Weight: 14g
CARE INSTRUCTIONS
While out on the trail, you do not have to wash your AR P' Cloth daily. Use it and then hang it on the back of your pack to allow your P' Cloth to dry between uses. It is your choice whether you choose to rinse it daily or every few days; or wait until you get home after your trip to wash your P' Cloth.
Use cold or luke-warm wash with soap or fabric detergent to clean. Your P' Cloth can be washed in a machine but we recommend handwashing to maintain the waterproofing of the backing fabric long term. After washing, hang it up to dry in fresh air and sun.
Who should use an AR Gaiters P' Cloth?
Everyone! Whether you are a traveller, hiker, trail runner, walker, adventure racer, marathon runner, a participant in any other outdoor activity or just a regular person, you need a P' Cloth. A P' Cloth will see you through those times when public toilets do not have toilet paper or you need to stop roadside while travelling. Using a P' Cloth for outdoor pees eliminates the need for toilet paper or having to drip dry.
In fact, you can even use a pee cloth at home to significantly reduce your use of toilet paper.
Our AR Gaiters P' Cloth is for children, teens, women and men.
How do I use an AR Gaiters P' Cloth?
Pee and then pat / wipe dry using the soft, absorbent side of your AR Gaiters P' Cloth. The printed back is waterproof so you won't get urine coming through on to your hand. Fold in half, press the popper closed and hang on the outside of your backpack to dry (sun will dry it and UV will help to sterilise it). The dark fabric hides any urine staining and folding it in half keeps the soft fabric surface that you use to wipe free of dirt whilst displaying only the colourful print to the world.
Isn't it weird to have an AR Gaiters P' Cloth hanging from the back of my backpack?
Bottom line - everybody pees. Displaying - and using - your AR Gaiters P' Cloth tells everyone that you are considerate of the environment that you are passing through and that you are making an effort to reduce your use of single-use toilet paper. It also says that you are not one of 'those people' that does a pee and leaves toilet paper to litter the ground afterwards. Displaying your P' Cloth will open up opportunities for conversations. Over time, the weird people will be those who do not use and hang P' Cloths out to dry on the back of their packs.
Why should I use an AR Gaiters P' Cloth?
Using toilet paper, in the wilderness, to wipe dry after a wee presents the problem of suitably disposing of it. If you're running in a race, you're unlikely to want to spend time digging a hole to bury TP. Leaving it there or under a stone is, frankly, littering. Used TP should be put into a bag to take out (on the whole this doesn't happen). With a P' Cloth, you can wipe and go, reattaching it as you run.
Giving a shake and drip drying works for a time, but after a few pees and many hours out, your chance of chafing increases, a urine-y odour could surface (if you are a bit dehydrated your urine will smell stronger than usual), and your underwear will just feel less comfortable. There will be travels, events and places where you may not have the opportunity to wash (yourself or your underwear) for hours - or days. Using an AR Gaiters P' Cloth improves your comfort and reduces the chance of chafing.
How many times can I use my P' Cloth before washing it?
Well, many times. And certainly for a few pees a day for a multiday activity. It really is up to you and the conditions. In a hot and dry environment, you can use it for days before washing it because it will dry quickly, the sun's UV will naturally disinfect the fabric and, with low humidity, odour-producing bacterial growth will be negligible so it won't smell.
If just the thought of using a P' Cloth is already a stretch into the unknown for you, then you may prefer to rinse it out every evening. It really is up to you.
Why do you use hemp fabric?
The soft, absorbent fabric that we use is 55% hemp / 45% Organic cotton. Growing hemp requires less pesticides, herbicides, fertiliser, water, energy and land when compared to other fibres. Hemp fibre is light, strong and durable. It also has anti-bacterial properties and it is breathable. This fabric stays soft even with lots of washing and it keeps its shape.
Can I machine wash my P' Cloth?
We recommend handwashing (or wash it while you're in the shower) over machine wash to maintain the waterproofing of Oxford fabric backing long term. If you do machine wash, select cold water wash.
Better late than never...
Why we did not think of making these before, I don't know. But now that we hav a solution for our own needs, we're sharing it with you. Toilet paper, tissues and wet wipes are not options; they're problems.
Regarding toilet paper, tissues, peeing and pooping in the bush...
Toilet paper and tissue 'flowers' are commonly seen next to trails, in bushes and peeking out from under rocks. The stark white is eye catching, unsightly and it is, plainly, littering. In a number of areas, especially overnight routes, like the Fish River Canyon, this is a big problem. Toilet paper does not just disappear in the next rains, which could be months away. We go out into the bush, forests and mountains to enjoy nature and expect others to be environmentally aware, educated and considerate too.
If you pee in the bush, your options are to drip dry or to use a reusable product, like an AR Gaiters P' Cloth to wipe dry. Whether it is our P' Cloth, a bandana or any other square of fabric, use it. You do not need to use toilet paper. And please, please, please do not discard or bury wet wipes. Ever. Even if they are marked biodegradable (something that takes 100 years to breakdown into smaller pieces is not much better). Take them out with you and really, really try to cut out all wet wipe use from your life.
If you poo, you'll need to use toilet paper or suitable foliage. Always take a small spade along and dig a hole (known as a cathole) 15-20cm deep (before or after pooping), at least 50-60m away from trails, camp and water. Use a stick to break up the poop, incorporating soil into the mix - this helps it to break down faster. Ideally pack out your used toilet paper by putting it into a bag that seals - like a food storage bag - and dispose of it at home (burning toilet paper it is not always feasible and can be a major fire hazard).
Holes are cold, low oxygen environments, which means that poo-in-a-hole decomposes really slowly. But holes are very important to contain your poo protect animals and other creatures from your waste, which includes a zoo of bacteria and possibly viruses and other nasties.
Poo decomposes faster in humid environments where there is more organic material and bacterial in the soil. In dry environments, your cathole can be shallower as there is less organic material in the soil to aid decomposition. There are also environments where you should really be carrying out your waste, like river canyons and beaches. Tides shift sand and waste and dealing with poo in the sand is the last thing you want to encounter when building sand castles with your children or getting buried in up to your neck. Compostable dog poop bags (with a waterproof travel pouch to carry used bags) - like these from The Big Scoop - are brilliant for human poop too.
Menstrual products take a looooong time to breakdown so do not even bury them. Pack them out in a zipseal bag and consider reusable menstrual products. Moon cups are a win and cloth pads can be packed until later and washed in camp.
With some practice, noses can be blown very easily and effectively without using tissues using a high pressure blow (block one nostril and then blow to the side). If you must use tissues, pack out used tissues in a plastic bag and take it home to dispose of there. You carried them in, you can carry them out. Or, adopt a practice from yesteryear of using a reusable tissue - a fabric handkerchief.
