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Hate leaving the tent to pee at night

outhouse

Q. When I’m camping, I hate having to get up in the middle of the night to go outside and pee. Sometimes it’s too cold or I’m nervous about what I might step on in the dark. What should I do?
— Anonymous, Tampa, Fla.

A. I have a good solution for you. As you know it’s super important to stay hydrated anytime you’re on an outing. So keep drinking that water. But that also means you’ll likely need to urinate in the middle of the night. Every time I’m camping somewhere cold or someplace where getting out of my sleeping bag at night would be really uncomfortable, I bring along an empty quart-size plastic bottle. I like to use the wide-mouth ones, like an empty Gatorade bottle. When nature calls, I kneel in my sleeping bag, position the bottle just so, and VERY CAREFULLY pee into it. When I’m finished, I screw the top on tightly and sit it outside the tent door.

Make sure you label the bottle appropriately so your buddy doesn’t mistake it for lemon-lime Gatorade.When you’re sharing a tent with someone, it’s a good idea to make sure they’re O.K. with your bathroom plans before just whipping out the old bottle.


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33 Comments on Hate leaving the tent to pee at night

  1. well that works for 50% of the population…

  2. What about for us girls? Hard to aim.

  3. We get to pee on camp fire

  4. not too old // August 16, 2015 at 4:24 pm // Reply

    A former marine buddy always said “Mr. Gatorade Bottle is your friend.”

  5. trailblazer // July 12, 2015 at 9:23 pm // Reply

    I think its a good plan. I first heard of it when reading stories of mountaineers who climb mountains like Everest. I found it gross at first, but after a while seemed like a good idea.

  6. Gross, I would never do that.

  7. Sounds smart!

  8. @CoolKid101 // August 25, 2014 at 7:44 am // Reply

    This is also a good idea for roadtrips; I have done it many times:P

  9. awesome that is a really cool idea we all like it

  10. We get to pee on the camp fire right before bed so wedonthave to later

  11. truck lover // April 26, 2012 at 1:35 pm // Reply

    A bottle is a very good idea if you dont have one just go to the opening of the tent and pee outside this will work if you are the closest to the opening.

  12. Instead of using sleeping bag, get yourself a very warm inflatable mat and two army blankets (Army Surplus). Go to sleep on the mat fully dressed and use the blankets as needed. This way it is easy to get in/out of bed and you do not have to dress

  13. Why not adult diapers more easy than a bottle.you just put it on right before you go to bed.You dont have to worry about eveyone finding your pee bottle and you can dispose of it more discreetly.

  14. sounds cool

  15. spacecadet123 // July 9, 2010 at 8:57 pm // Reply

    pee bottles are the key to a good night sleep camping

  16. Get a used plastic bottle, you should get it after that!

  17. that is awsome

  18. Elbow Close campsite camper 350 // October 8, 2009 at 1:35 pm // Reply

    Don’t pee right outside of your tent at a District Camporee or a Jamboree where the tents are set up within five feet of another tent and the guide lines and tent stakes cross each other. Have common courtesy, please. Sometimes a one gallon plastic milk container or a gatorade container that will hold at least 35 fluid ounces that have a wide opening and resealable lid is a great thing to have to pee at night. Many people who pee after eight hours of sleep will have a steady pee stream of at least one minute will pee out more urine than a regular size 20 fluid ounce container will hold without emptying.

  19. Ummmm thats smart but gross…..

  20. I think if you have to pee, then you can pee outside off youre tent.

    • Jellybean // May 12, 2010 at 7:30 pm // Reply

      CampDude: Yeah right! Tell me, if you have to pee in the cold and you’re in a WARM sleeping bag and sheltered tent, will you really want to get up and pea outside? NO!

  21. One of our leaders use to do this. Then make sure the top is on very tight and put your nice “Foot Warmer” down in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Relief and nice toasty toes!!!

  22. survivorboy // July 2, 2009 at 1:52 pm // Reply

    itz very helpful in winter…dont mock it

  23. i did that once and i thought it was grose so i went here to ask you but WOW its your idea.

  24. I use this method all the time

  25. WhenNatureCalls // May 30, 2009 at 5:04 am // Reply

    At a Pep Boys Auto parts store (national chain) I saw a pouch for just such a use. It is filled with a moisture-absorbing substance and can hold a lot of liquid. Advantage, no spills, no mistaking for Gatorade. Disadvantage, you have to pack it out, and not cheap.

    • Take the material out of a disposable diaper and put it into a bottle.
      This will eliminate the chance of spillage, accidental drinking, and reduces the odor if you use the bottle more than once.
      The “super-absorbent” gel in disposable diapers is sodium polyacrylate (SAP) and is safe to dispose of by flushing or composting.

  26. 228rulesrichland // May 27, 2009 at 8:49 pm // Reply

    good idea! ill have to try that on my next camping trip!

  27. ggggggggggg // May 27, 2009 at 2:47 pm // Reply

    that helps alot and i had the same probolem!
    :_9

  28. campingrules!! // May 20, 2009 at 5:49 pm // Reply

    good idea, simple but great!!

  29. The Joker // May 20, 2009 at 5:26 pm // Reply

    I have that prob to thanks!!!

  30. that helped me

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