Frequently Asked Questions

A Kula Cloth® is a reusable pee cloth for hiking, backpacking, travel, and outdoor adventures — designed specifically for anyone who squats when they pee.

Instead of using toilet paper (and packing it out), you simply pee and pat dry. That's it.

If you've ever wondered "what do women (or anybody who squats!) use instead of toilet paper while hiking?" — this is your answer. It keeps you clean, dry, and comfortable outside, while also helping you follow Leave No Trace principles.

The Kula Cloth® was designed for anybody who squats when they pee (or uses a pee-funnel)! Some people use Kula as a handkerchief or a small washcloth. All squatters, all adventurers, all welcome.

Short answer: basically anytime you don't have a bathroom. Perfect for:

• Hiking and backpacking trips
• Camping and overlanding
• Long road trips or van life
• Trail runs or alpine starts
• Festivals, porta potties, and questionable gas stations

Also great for: mountaineering, mountain biking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, fly fishing, concerts, ski tours, golf (yes really), horseback riding (not on the horse, mind you), quidditch matches, deep sea fishing, rock climbing… well, you get the idea.

Leave No Trace is the ethical standard for any wilderness activity. As adventurers, it's our responsibility to protect and preserve our natural spaces.

Many people carry toilet paper into the wilderness and scatter it — believing it'll simply 'disappear'. (Spoiler: it doesn't.) By using a Kula Cloth®, you're reducing the amount of toilet paper that has to come into the wilderness with you in the first place.

It's simple (and becomes second nature fast):

• Pee like you normally would
• Pat dry with the absorbent side
• Snap it onto your pack to air dry

The other side is waterproof, so nothing soaks through to your hand.

Please note: the Kula Cloth is a toilet PAPER substitute for peeing… not a TOILET substitute. Please don't pee directly onto the Kula — it's meant for drying off after peeing.

Yes — this is the #1 concern, and the answer is very yes. Kula Cloth is made with:

• Antimicrobial fabric to resist odor
• Quick-drying materials
• Purpose-built textiles designed for hygiene

Translation: it's way cleaner than using a random bandana or drip-drying. The antimicrobial fabric helps prevent odor, and because you're staying dry, you actually feel cleaner than using toilet paper or nothing at all.

This is what so many people wonder about… and then everyone tries it and says: "Wait, why did I not do this sooner?"

Yes — you absolutely can. Many people pair it with a menstrual cup for a low-waste, backcountry-friendly system.

The absorbent side is black, so it doesn't show staining. If needed, just rinse with biodegradable soap and hang to dry.

You can — but here's the difference:

Toilet paper creates waste you have to pack out, can be messy, and isn't great for Leave No Trace.

A bandana isn't antimicrobial, isn't designed for hygiene, and can get… questionable, quickly.

Kula Cloth is designed specifically for peeing outdoors — antimicrobial, quick-drying, reusable, eco-friendly, and actually works better.

Yes — this is a huge part of why it exists.

• Reduces toilet paper waste in the outdoors
• Made with non-toxic, responsibly sourced materials
• Built to last for thousands of uses

It's a small swap that makes a big environmental impact.

Super simple:

• On trail: rinse with water + a little biodegradable soap
• Hang to dry (sunlight helps naturally sanitize)
• At home: machine wash or hand wash

The Kula can be cleaned in a standard washer/dryer, but to protect the life of your product, please consider hand washing it.

Nope. The absorbent side is black, so it's designed not to show stains. If you prefer extra discretion, you can fold it using the snap so the wipe side is hidden away.

Kula is meant to be a reusable pee cloth! Use it as many times as you'd like — the whole idea is to reduce our dependency on disposable products (like TP!). When you feel it's time to replace your Kula, please clean it and bring it to a location that recycles fabric.

No. The double snap feature lets you snap it 'closed' so the used side doesn't come into contact with your backpack, fanny pack, pocket, or purse.

It's designed to clip securely to your pack, air dry quickly, and stay clean thanks to antimicrobial fabric. If you're extra cautious, you can fold it or store it — but most people just let it hang.

We've tested extensively in the Pacific Northwest and have yet to summon bears, cougars, or Sasquatch (tragically). Like anything with scent, you can store it in a bear canister overnight if needed — but it's generally a non-issue.

More likely: the smell of salt (from urine) could possibly entice a goat or a deer. We recommend hanging the cloth in a tree to air dry, or keeping it away from places where animals could be tempted to nibble.

We feel very strongly that a product designed to reduce environmental impact shouldn't cause MORE impact through its manufacturing process. The short version:

• Uses silver ions (Ag+) rather than silver particles
• Relies on bound silver — no free silver released into the environment
• Non-toxic, non-sensitizing, and non-irritating to human skin

Want the specific data sheets regarding the silver? Just reach out — we'll send them over.

We've seen people use their clean Kulas as a handkerchief, a sweat towel, a dust mask in Mongolia at a horse race, and a bug swatter. If it's clean, it's fair game — but once you use it to wipe pee, we recommend keeping it for only pee.

If you bring two on a trip, you could easily use one as a small towel and one as a pee cloth. Found a unique use for your Kula? Tell us about it — we love hearing.

See that grey stripe of thread on the Kula? That's a special, high-tech retro-reflective thread! If you're on a backpacking trip and need to locate the cloth in the middle of the night, you'll easily be able to find it with the light of your headlamp.

Absolutely not! In fact, please do. Anastasia's dream of creating an intentionally designed pee cloth actually began when she was taking photos of her scrap of microfiber in the Wind River Range in Wyoming.

Please take photos of all the incredible places around the world that your Kula gets to visit — and tag us on Instagram with #staykula to be featured.

It's been a tradition since day one of Kula Cloth that founder Anastasia writes a little poem to celebrate the release of each new print.

Although it's funny to say this — Kula isn't really about the gear. Kula is about connection and community, and about learning to listen to the little 'crazy ideas' that pop into your head… and following those ideas, instead of talking yourself out of them. That includes writing poetry about pee cloths.

We hope you love the poems as much as we do. 🌿

If you hate drip drying, don't want to deal with toilet paper, care about hygiene outdoors, and want to feel more comfortable peeing outside… then yes.

This is one of those pieces of gear that people try once and then say: "I will never go back."