I balked at the idea of a female urination device (FUD) when I first heard of it. It sounded silly and not very hygienic. But eventually, I was enticed by the prospect of faster pee breaks and not having to get out of the tent to pee overnight. I’ve never looked back since. The FUD is nothing short of glorious.

But which “pee funnels” are best for backpacking? It depends on your individual needs.

A word of warning: if you weren’t looking for excruciating details about my peeing habits, you came to the wrong place because that is all you are going to get in this post.

My personal favorite. The Pstyle is sleek, lightweight, and straightforward. And, most importantly, it’s easy to clean. Some funnels are literally modified versions of kitchen funnels, with complicated bowl shapes and enclosed tubes that make cleaning difficult. The PStyle is totally open and made of rigid plastic, so you can rinse every part of it and let it dry in the sun easily. Also, it’s easy to aim, which is more than I can say for certain other funnels I tried.

There’s no learning curve with this one, though you might want to test it in a controlled environment, such as the shower, for the first time.

Pros: Easy to clean; no need to meter your flow rate; lightweight; inexpensive; easy to use (leaks and accidents are rare) Cons: Rigid lip is rough on sensitive skin

The Tinkle Bell has a very similar design to the PStyle but combines flexible and rigid materials. The flexible spout allows it to fold down to a smaller size, and there’s a soft squeegee ridge at the back so you can use the device to wipe rather than using a Kula cloth or toilet paper. On the one hand, I like the idea of not needing my Kula cloth. On the other hand, “squeegee” and “my crotch” are two terms that possibly should not exist in the same sentence.

According to the company website, “antimicrobial properties are built into the Tinkle Bell to inhibit the growth of bacteria.” This funnel is the most expensive on the list and also among the heaviest.

Pros: Softer material for a gentler experience on your lady parts; squeegee lip eliminates the need for TP; flexible spout folds so the funnel packs down small; antimicrobial properties; easy to clean; no need to meter your flow rate Cons: Expensive; heavy

I was initially drawn to this FUD because I liked the name. However, it’s rather stressful to use in practice. My internal monologue while using the SheWee was just an unbroken, open-mouthed scream. Aiming is tricky, and my torrential downpour was too much for the small cup to handle, so I had to meter it, which was a terrible feeling. And because it’s an enclosed tube, cleaning is tricky. Finally, it’s heavy.

Pros: Optional extension tube; thoroughly clean by putting soap water in plastic carrying box and shaking Cons: Enclosed design harder to clean and dry; small cup means you have to meter your flow; leaking common; heavy

Similar to the SheWee, but with a deeper cup and a flexible, interchangeable tube. I like the idea of multiple tube lengths on the one hand, but the three length options are five inches, 36 inches, or 48 inches, only one of which is realistic for thru-hiking. Hard to clean.

Pros: Flexible tube; multiple tube lengths available; wide lip for gentle skin contact Cons: Difficult to clean; expensive

Full points for availability. You can buy GoGirls at Walmarts and some CVS stores across the country. The flexible silicone molds to your body and provides a gentler contact than the rigid plastic of many of these devices. That softness also makes it more packable. It’s fully enclosed, though, so not as easy to clean and dry. Also, it overflows pretty quickly.

Pros: Compact; soft and gentle on the skin; widely available; medical-grade silicone Cons: Hard to aim; easy to overflow; hard to clean

I’ll be honest; this thing scares the shit out of me. It’s so tiny! So slender! I haven’t tested it personally, but I envision much peeing on my own hands, legs, surroundings, etc., while trying to aim down this tiny straw. Still, if you want the most streamlined, minimalist design out there, this is it. It’s probably the best choice if you wear tights or running shorts and don’t want to pull them down too far.

Pros: Don’t have to pull your pants down very far to use; discreet; ultralight Cons: Difficult to aim; rigid plastic can be harsh on sensitive skin

You will no longer have to drop your pack, locate your pee rag, and stagger off to find a private place to pull your pants down whenever you have to wee. With a pee funnel, you can move off the trail, unzip your fly, and do your business without having to remove your pack. This makes the whole affair much faster and more efficient, plus you save energy shucking and hoisting your pack repeatedly. I keep my Pstyle in a holster I bought from the company that hangs from my hip belt so it’s always within reach.

I’m not ashamed of my body, but that doesn’t mean I love exposing my bare ass to whatever random hiker comes wandering through the woods when I have to take a piss. And let’s be honest, we’ve all had the experience of finding a private spot to pee and dropping our pants only to later discover that the trail switches back and goes right past where we’re squatting, as evidenced by the obligatory conga line of day hikers marching past, looking studiously in the opposite direction. It’s a rite of passage, really.

Whether it’s dense underbrush, freezing temperatures, poison ivy, or swarms of mosquitoes, there are plenty of reasons a hiker might not want to expose more of her skin than is strictly necessary. With a funnel, all you have to do is pull the front of your shorts down just a tiny bit, or better yet, unzip your fly, and you’re golden (heh).

You can even take things a step further by packing a clean plastic bottle to use as a pee bottle in your tent overnight. If that sounds unsavory, think about how awful it is to untangle yourself from your lovely, warm sleeping bag to go out in the dark and pee on a cold, rainy night. The FUD can liberate you from that misery. As a bonus, you can use the pee bottle even more to your advantage by sticking it in the foot of your sleeping bag to warm your tootsies after you’ve filled it.

What held me back the longest from trying an FUD was the fear that it would be downright unsanitary. In reality, it’s not hard to keep your funnel clean. With my Pstyle, all it takes is a splash of water to rinse it and a square of toilet paper to wipe the business end every day or every few days. You can do a more thorough job in town with soap and warm water to keep it fresh.

Squatting doesn’t come naturally to everyone, especially after schlepping a heavy pack through the mountains all day. An FUD bypasses the need to squat at all.

READ NEXT – Backcountry Hygiene Tips: An Interview with Two Gynecologists

A pee rag is just what it sounds like: a reusable cloth with which to dry yourself after peeing to save toilet paper. Some women carry pee rags, while others swear by FUDs. I say bring both. For one thing, I still find squatting far more natural than standing to pee. If I’m already taking a pack-off break and need to relieve myself, I would prefer to grab my pee rag and pop a squat somewhere rather than being limited to the pee funnel.

Also, after using my Pstyle, I still need a way to wipe afterward, and squeegeeing with the hard plastic edge of the funnel is not cutting it.

Whether you squat or stand to pee, a hiking skirt or dress will allow you to do so discreetly without having to bare your whole ass to accomplish it. It helps if you go commando with this technique, but you can also just pull your underwear to one side before letting rip. Any old dress or skirt will do. The Purple Rain Adventure Skirt is especially popular with thru-hikers.

I just made that term up, but a refreshing number of companies are now making pants designed with modified flies so women can pee without pulling their pants down, just like men. Pee pants typically have a long fly from the front waistband to the back. That way, whether you squat or stand to pee, you don’t have to expose your bare skin to swarms of mosquitoes and the eyes of the world to take a leak.

Some companies that make pee pants:

I never gave much thought to the art of the standing pee before getting a funnel, and let me tell you what, there’s a lot I didn’t know.

Wind direction. When you’re three inches off the ground, it doesn’t matter. When you’re standing, it is hugely important to aim downwind. The expression “pissing into the wind” makes sense to me on a more visceral level these days.

Wide stance. So wide. Wider than hip-width. Maybe some lady pee-ers are better at this than I am, but I never achieve the long, graceful arc males seem to create with ease. In short, I can’t get the pee to land more than a foot or two in front of me, which places my feet firmly within the splash radius. I can protect my feet from that undignified fate only by adopting a ridiculously wide stance.

Pay attention to what you’re peeing on. Pee downhill, obviously, and if you can pee off the edge of a ledge or something, that will do wonders to protect you from backsplash. But also, pee on something that’s going to quickly absorb or disperse your urine, like a nice loamy soil or a bed of pine needles, rather than, I don’t know, a bunch of dry magnolia leaves or something that will make your pee bounce around and splash back at you with even more enthusiasm.

Counterpoint: Leave No Trace says it’s better to pee on bare soil or stone than vegetation because animals often want to get at the salt from your pee, damaging vegetation in the process—food for thought.

If not using an FUD: If you’re not using a pee funnel and can’t squat or crouch easily, it can be a struggle to pee without getting it on your feet. There are a few ways to get around this.

Wow. OK. That happened. I think I was just more honest with you guys than I’ve ever been, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. Was it cathartic? Unburdening? Merely uncomfortable? I’m not really sure, but at least we’re all on the same page now. If you’ve been wondering whether FUDs are worth it, I encourage you to give one a shot. They’re not expensive, and for me, the convenience and flexibility of being able to stand and pee is well worth it.

Featured image: Graphic design by Zack Goldmann.

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Oh hey there! I'm Ibex, the lead writer and content editor of this site. I mostly spend my spare time scheming new adventures and inadvertently setting my hair on fire while cooking. Appalachian Trail 2018 Wonderland Trail (+ a dozen or so other NPS trails) 2019 Colorado Trail 2020 Colorado Trail 2021.

Cheers, great article! And now I know about PEE PANTS which tbh is going to be life changing for me.

Thanks for the wide stance advice. I’ve been using PStyle for awhile now and never could figure out how to avoid splashing on my shoes. Of course I took advantage of the downhill when possible. But a wider stance never occurred to me. The obvious isn’t always obvious. One thing to note, practicing at home in the shower is just a start. Practice in your backyard or other private place with your hiking clothes on. How far to pull your under clothes down and away takes practice. Great article, thanks.

Hurray for the much-neeeded & excellent product reviews on FUDs. As a hiker and former forester/wildland fire fighter I have used the Freshette by SaniFem (1.2 oz) on and off since the 80’s (back then they were call DWB’s) but the market has greatly expanded and re the issues of techniques & privacy … you nailed it!