I want to take a moment to talk about a piece of gear that I find essential to any outdoor trip, or any trip in general. This piece of gear is perfect for eco-friendly hygiene outdoors. It is called the Kula Cloth and it is the most prettiest and carefully designed urinating cloth that you will ever use. This pee cloth hits toilet paper and bandanas out of the woods… literally!
Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post. To learn more about affiliate links you can refer to our Disclosure Policy.
HOW THE KULA CLOTH CAME TO BE
The Kula Cloth was created by Anastasia Allison who is a creative musical mountaineer who plays the violin from the top of the mountains. You can find her playing music over at @themusicalmountaineers or trecking up mountains at @anastasia.allison. Wherever you find her, online or in person, you will see a smile on her face and a soul full of love and joy. I’ve never met her but when we talk online or I see her photos that is the vibe I always get.
During one of her trips to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington she found a pile of toilet paper that had been left behind. After doing some research on Leave No Trace she found out about the pee cloth. She wasn’t to fond of the idea of a bandana so she got creative. Her first pee cloth was a blue microfiber piece of fabric versus a bandana.
Photo of Kula Cloth founder Anastasia Allison holding a Galaxy print Kula Cloth. Photo taken by Kelly Selzler – @kellyselzler.
After showing off her blue pee rag (as funny as that sounds) she decided that it didn’t look too cool so she started working on her own magical design of a pee cloth. Her goal was to create an actual piece of gear. After 3 years of research, trial and error, experimentation, and picking out fabrics, the Kula Cloth was born. Her first samples that she sold were a huge hit and she has now moved up her game to creating the best pee cloth ever. Check it out!
ABOUT THE KULA CLOTH
The Kula Cloth was first two pieces of fabric sewn together. That’s the one I have tried and love. Soon after her sample pieces were selling out she decided to make her design even better. She decided to add a few things such as:
- Kula Cloth labels to them.
- Retro-reflective thread on one corner for easy finding at night.
- One single fabric with two different sides. One side is waterproof with a neat design while the other side is antimicrobial, silver-infused and absorbent.
- It also has the same double snap so you can attach it to your pack and have privacy and cleanliness while on the trail.
You can use the Kula Cloth anywhere, not just outdoors. You can use it on a road trip, biking, kayaking, boating and the list goes on and on. The possibilities are endless.
The Kula Cloth can even be used while you are on your time of month. It is highly advised to use it in conjunction of a menstrual cup so it can last you longer on the trail. Also it is recommended to wash it by hand with some biodegradable soap when you can. They sell one that is biodegradable and eco-friendly as well that is perfect for your Kula Cloth.
Photo credit to Kula Cloth.
Related Article: Ultimate Guide To Eco-friendly Femal Hygiene Outdoors
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE USING A KULA CLOTH
When my mom and I were planning our camping trip to Shawnee National Forest in Illinois I knew we weren’t going to be near any restrooms or porta-potties. The last thing I wanted was to dig a hole to bury my toilet paper, carry it out, or even carry around a stinky bandana. Before our trip I decided to buy a Kula Cloth of my own. Like the new version was still being made I decided to grab the trial one instead cause I really wanted it for this trip and wasn’t sure about the production time frame at the time. Let me tell you that it was the best decision I had made. It is so easy to use, clean, doesn’t even smell, and reusable. I used it the entire time we were hiking through the forest. When we got back to camp I washed it with some water and soap and hung it up to dry over night.
I have no complaint whatsoever of the product. It is truly an essential piece of gear for me now for all of my trips and can’t see me hiking without it. Plus it is super cute. Can’t wait to get another one now.
COMING NEXT TO KULA CLOTH
Anastasia Allison shared with me some details about what is soon to come to Kula Cloth and I am extremely excited to share some of the details with you all.
Print credit to Nikki Frumkin from @drawntohighplaces. Courtesy of Kula Cloth.
NEW PRINTS COMING
First up are new prints that will be released very soon by Nikki and Claire. Nikki’s print is the pink one above and it is called “First Light.” Claire’s print is the one blue pictured below and it is called “Indigo Peaks.” Aren’t they just jaw dropping beautiful?? Like I can’t even choose which one I like most. Stay tuned on their Instagram for more details on the release dates.
UPDATE: The Indigo Peaks design will be release on March 10th, 2019 (pictured below). You can read more about it here.
Print credit to Claire Giordano from @claireswanderings. Courtesy of Kula Cloth.
KULA FOR KIDS!
All moms, Kula Cloth has a unicorn kids print soon to be released this year. This gorgeous unicorn print was designed by Amanda Nicole. My daughter’s will absolutely love these. They are so so cute. Here is a sneak peek of the prototype one. Ain’t it just adorable?
Unicorn prototype Kula Cloth for children designed by Amanda Nicole @koi_cat_creative. Courtesy of Kula Cloth founder Anastasia Allison.
KULA FOR THE MILITARY
Another amazing, and by far one of my favorite goals of Anastasia is her upcoming line of Kula Cloth‘s for our military. How amazing is that. She wants to make it easier for our military women and men to go when out in the field. Whether in training events, deployments, or anything in between, she highly believes that a Kula Cloth will greatly help.
I remember her asking on Instagram on insight for this line and I immediately reached out to her. She wanted the point of view from someone who has been in the military and as a former soldier I decided to message her along with a few other ladies. She is currently working on a military style Kula Cloth which will be in neutral tactical colors for our ladies out in the field. How amazing is that?
Well those are all of the juicy details of the Kula Cloth. I am so happy to have my Galaxy Kula Cloth with me every time I go outdoors. It’s so handy and it’s definitely a more eco-friendly option to my travels. Best of all… I don’t have to pack any toilet paper in or out.
What about you? Will you use a Kula Cloth? Which print is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. Would love to hear what you all think.
You can check out more of our gear guides here if you like. Also, if you enjoyed this article feel free to sign up for our newsletter here (Free 21 page Camping Planner when you sign-up and full access to our TWM Tribe Resource Library which has monthly freebies and activities for you and your family) or follow our adventures on Instagram so you can stay up to date on upcoming travel adventures, tips, gear reviews, recipes and more. Don’t forget to share or pin to save it. Thank you for reading.
10 Responses
Any idea when these new patterns are coming out? Thanks!
Hi Chelsea, thank you for reading. I don’t have an exact date for the launch of the new patterns but it will be some time this Spring from what I’ve been told.
I totally need a dozen
Haha Yes! They are all so beautiful. I love all of their designs.
I hope this doesn’t sound ignorant, but you had these just for cleaning up after urinating, right? Or do you also use it for #2? You mentioned not packing toilet paper, so…..??? Thanks
Not ignorant at all. You’re good. Yes I wouldn’t use it for number 2 for sure. I personally use biodegradable wipes for that but most times I go before heading out on my hikes or afterwards depending on the type of trip. For backpacking trips where you kind of have no choice then yes, biodegradable wipes is the best way to go. If you are camping at a campground I try to use their latrines for this case.
So is this for repeat use through the day and then wash out at night?
Hi Kelly, Yes. You can reuse it throughout the day and wash it at night with the biodegradable soap. The fabric is silver infused which helps with avoiding bacteria from building up on the Kula Cloth. If you leave it hanging on your pack the sun also helps kill any bacteria on it. Because of the type of fabric you won’t have any issues. I’ve used it with multiple uses before washing and never had any issues on the trail.
Community: you would be surprised at how many people have these and the community that it has generated! I love seeing kulas in the wild and knowing that we are generating less waste and staying clean! Tip: I usually let my kula stay exposed to the sun and rinse it out every day or two, letting it dry overnight. Only use it for #1, never #2 and you ll be good to go .
I couldn’t agree more. That’s the best way to make the most of your Kula in the outdoors. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts with the community. <3