By Laura Feeney, Bold Betties Community Manager

Peeing outdoors can be tricky. There are multiple techniques you can try with varying results. Do you look for a bush, tree, or rock? Do you lean back, squat, or a combo? Do you use a leaf to wipe, carry toilet paper (while packing it back out of course), or do you air dry?

This past weekend I took a trip with 10 other Bold Betties to clear and open up Arling Trail in Cascade, Idaho. We used only hand tools and carried everything ourselves for two days of truly challenging work.

Now, I pee a lot. One eight mile hike might see three or four pee breaks. I also get pee shy so for me, I usually look for a big tree far from the trail that can provide privacy and a place to take some deep breaths. I’m also a really big fan of the squat, lean back against the tree, and pull my pants away from my body method.

But it’s really a lot of work, especially when you have to do it so often. I struggle to find my footing as well as not peeing all over myself. And I’ll be honest, my thighs burn from squatting so long. It takes awhile for me to relax and release those muscles. 

This process has always left me with a bit of penis envy, I must admit. Being able to not only pee while standing, but also not having to worry about being caught with your britches down just sounds undeniably like a great system. But a system I have never been able to utilize. 

During this difficult trail work trip, I was determined to find another, better way. Enter, The Tinkle Belle. The Tinkle Belle is a female urination device that was created by a husband and wife team who were tired of the call of nature feeling like such a big deal. Having to crouch in bear territory leaves you feeling vulnerable and what if you happen to graze a poisonous leaf in the process? Nobody needs any rashes in that area!

Now there are a lot of urination devices out there. They all essentially work the same. Hold a device up to your vulva and pee while standing. Sounds easy, right? 

NOPE. Some devices struggle with holding volume and will overflow and leak everywhere. Others still are designed to create a seal and that can leave a lot to be desired as all women are shaped differently. There are other options that create problems with cleaning the devices as well. 

The Tinkle Belle is shaped completely differently. This device features a tray like shape, which catches urine and funnels it out through the tip, which when pointed down, allows gravity to do most of the work without worrying about overflow.

You don’t have to remove your pants. You simply unzip, slide your underwear to the side, and slide the device between your legs. The back edge of the device sits comfortable behind the vulva, making sure that the urine moves forward and not back. While standing, you should point the tip down and begin to pee. This was definitely the hardest part for me. My body didn’t seem to understand what I wanted it to do. It’s so used to being in a squatting position and I had a hard time relaxing. 

After lots of deep breaths, I finally relaxed and let the flow go. I was paranoid that something would leak. It was nerve racking to still have my pants up! So many possibilities for embarrassment, and I had an entire day of hard work ahead of me! But there were no leaks. I kept my thumbs on the thumb tabs and kept the tip pointed down, and everything was dry and comfy. After I finished, I applied a little pressure as I slid the device out, gently scraping the back tray portion across. Lo and behold, I was dry AND relieved (no pun intended). Giving the Tinkle Belle a little shake removes any leftover liquid and then I folded the flexible tip over, slipped it into the bag and hopped back onto the trail to grab a saw and get back to work!

The Tinkle Belle is made of two types of plastic, a hard but flexible shell and a soft compressible plastic spout/liner, and it honestly was so comfy. I enjoyed using the device and I can definitely see it being useful in many ways, not just while hiking. Music festivals with grody Port-O-Potties, road trip emergencies in the middle of nowhere (I’m looking at you, Mojave Desert), and even on boats! This device really helps with accessibility just about anywhere and most importantly it really works!

To help you stay cool, hydrated, and happy while discovering your bold this summer, we are offering an awesome gift pack that includes a Bold Betties Trucker Hat, Bold Bettes Ecovessel Water Bottle, and a Tinkle Belle device to one lucky Affinity Member!

In addition, both existing and new Affinity Members will get a special discount code to buy their very own Tinkle Belle and receive 20% off! We’ll send that out to your email address so lookout for it soon!

These offers are available to all Affinity Members, and we’ll draw for the winner on July 2nd, so sign up now! Right now, we’re offering the Bold Betties Affinity Membership FREE for the first 3 months!

All you have to do is head over to www.boldbetties.com and select “Join the Movement”. Choose the monthly Affinity Plan and use promo code “3FREEMONTHS” at checkout.

So get out there; get bold; and explore the freedom of peeing while standing! Feel free to email Laura at laura@boldbetties.com and let us know what you think of Tinkle Belle.