I had one on the first day of a 4 day trip. Made it work, but some lessons are learned harder than others!
Haha, so true! My wife is having to get used to using it while dressed. No issue in the shower, but she's having to practice the mental game of it before using it in the field. She works in a job where it would be super useful for her.
Yup! There are several out there. I personally like the pStyle, and I explain why in the video, but there are so many great options out there!
For the rest of us who don't want a surgical solution (though I actually am working on a video about backpacking with an ostomy, since not all placements are feasible for backpacking), a wag bag can be another great solution if cat holes don't work. Wag Bag
I'm not sure if I can edit the OP to add more explanation (I'm new here!), but these devices are fabulous if you are unable to physically squat for whatever reason, for being able to urinate while backpacking, when you don't want to have to take off your pack, when the trail is busy, when it's not feasible to go off-trail to squat, when it's super cold, when there are tick-infested grasses or other risks (snakes, etc), not to mention questionable outhouses and gas stations on the way to the trail! I was hesitant to start using one, but now I love it, and it gives me a lot of freedom I didn't anticipate. I still squat sometimes, but this is a really nice option to have.
There was talk that canisters would be required in DW this year because so many hangs came down from bears last year. I was shocked it didn't happen.
I literally had a visceral response to this! LOL The bears there have ZERO fear of humans, and are good at taking down even a good hang- and there are not many good trees to do a proper hang. Even if you just tie it to the trunk of a tree, a bear can absolutely destroy everything inside. I've also had mice ruin gear in DW, and they can chew through an Ursack. Ursacks are meant to stop large claws and teeth, but not small ones, and a mouse creating a hole in it means a bear's claw can get through and rip the whole thing open.
Take the canister!! Bear Canisters
Look up Chase Mountains on Youtube. His whole channel is dedicated to trail fitness!
I don't have a specific model to recommend (although you may want to look at a quilt setup, like a top quilt and under quilt), but I have some tips about what to look for here: Quilts and sleeping bags
This whole video is to answer that question. It's going to depend on where you're headed, but you can usually do your research to find what will work. Most places where backpacking is legal will have several established spots where others have come before you, whether they were built by rangers or not.
Weekly /r/backpacking beginner question thread - Ask any and all questions you may have here - May 30, 2022
backpacking