Ladies, have you ever been camping or on a long road trip and had the urge to pee, but are nowhere near a bathroom? Or worse, have you found a bathroom but don’t think you can use it do to squalid conditions? A German company has invented new “pocket urinal” called the Ladybag that gives us a hygienic way to pee when there is nowhere else to go.
I have been in these situations too many times, so I was intrigued and asked them if I could have a sample to try. The Ladybag comes in a small plastic package around 6 inches tall and 3 inches across, and it’s nearly flat. There are directions in English on one side and German on the other.
When you open the package, you will find three items: the green Ladybag, a wet wipe packet, and a folded up white sack that can be used to throw away the first two items.
The Ladybag unfolds into a long, green bag made of thick plastic. When you look inside, you can see that a few inches below the opening is a piece of mesh. Hanging below it at the bottom of the sack (which you can’t see, but you can feel) are polymer granules that absorb the liquid. The shape of the bag is odd and I can’t figure out why, but it doesn’t make a difference. The oval opening is wide and made of sturdy plastic, so you don’t have to worry about trying to keep it open. It also has a long and textured plastic handle that you use to hold the bag under you.
To use it, unfold the bag, get into a comfortable position (there are three possible positions illustrated on the bag), hold it directly beneath you with the handle, and pee. I found it hard to go at first since I’m not used to peeing into a bag and was worried it would go everywhere, but once you get over the weird factor, it’s easy. The rim really is wide enough and I had no spills — it was very clean. The wet wipe is a nice touch if you are somewhere with no toilet paper.
The urine goes through the mesh section and onto the polymer granules at the bottom of the sack. I read that they would absorb the liquid and odor; I didn’t quite believe it, so I bravely took a big whiff. I really couldn’t smell urine; it was completely absorbed. The bag is warm afterward, which feels a little gross, but you can toss it in the white sack and tie it up. If you are in a place with a trashcan, you can toss it out right away. If not, it’s not the end of the world, but the bag is a little heavy once it has the pee in it, and there’s still the slight ick factor. However, it’s still better than using a squat toilet!
I think this is a very handy product and I really like the idea of always having one of these in my travel pack just in case. The bad news is that the company hasn’t yet found a distributor, so you can only buy Ladybags online and in euros (it currently costs 8.65 euro for three, 20.16 euro for seven, and 57.40 euro for 20). You can buy them here.
Pros
- Very small and portable
- The bag is made of very solid plastic, so it won’t leak
- The oval rim is solid and wide, so there’s no spilling
- You can use it sitting, standing, or squatting
- The long handle makes it easy to hold while using it
- The odor of urine is totally absorbed
- The bag is huge so it can hold plenty of pee
- The package comes with a wet wipe so you don’t need toilet paper
- The package has a white trash bag that you can use to discard the Ladybag or to hang onto it until you’re near a trash can.
Cons
- The white garbage bag is handy, but it’s heavy with the used Ladybag in it, and you still have to find a place to throw it away
- You can currently only buy in euros and online
- It takes some getting used to
The company also makes the Roadbag, which is a similar product but for males. It costs 5.99 euros for a set of three.
Would you ever use a Ladybag? Do you think this would be handy or is it too gross?
