{"id":41649,"date":"2023-11-20T04:13:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T11:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=41649"},"modified":"2023-11-14T16:15:41","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T23:15:41","slug":"portable-comforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/portable-comforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Portable Comforts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Once a week we\u2019ll send out a page from Cool Tools: A Catalog of Possibilities. The tools might be outdated or obsolete, and the links to them may or may not work. We present these vintage recommendations as is because\u00a0the possibilities they inspire are new.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to get Tools for Possibilities a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Disposable urinal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Travel John<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve used these for several years, and they\u2019re great when the need to urinate calls but no facilities are accessible. I\u2019ve found them useful while flying in small planes that don\u2019t have a toilet, and also when I didn\u2019t want to leave my tent in the middle of a rainy night to relieve myself. Long lines for the Port-A-Potties at the airshow with your kids? Problem solved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading Tools for Possibilities! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subscribed<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I learned of the piddle pack concept while serving in the USAF. Back in the day it was a plastic bag with a sponge that wasn\u2019t always successful absorbing all the urine. The technology these days, similar to what you\u2019d find in a disposable diaper, is much better. A biodegradable polymer within the bag turns your liquid input into an odorless gel that won\u2019t spill, and a unisex collar makes it ideal for the whole family. Keep some in your glove compartment. You won\u2019t be sorry. \u2014 Sean Lally<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unflippable umbrella<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

GustBuster Umbrella<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The GustBuster is a cool-looking, lightning resistant umbrella with a patented system of vents that is, the manufacturer claims, \u201cwind tunnel certified to 55+ mph.\u201d The other night it started blowing up a storm \u2014 winds to 20 miles per hour. Just for giggles I tried turning the GustBuster sideways and it just would not pick up any air \u2014 it really does work amazingly well. The holes in the inner surface seem to neutralize all of the typical suction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The version I decided on for my all-weather walking is labeled a \u201cgolf umbrella\u201d and is big enough for a small wedding reception. (I exaggerate but 62 inches is certainly big enough for me and the dog.) The price is right, $45 \u2014 a bargain for a good umbrella. If you\u2019re concerned about weight (this super-sized version weighs close to two pounds) there are smaller, lighter versions. On their website they say the GustBuster is very popular with professional golfers \u2014 seemingly, a good indication of long-term quality and performance. Also comes with a limited lifetime warranty. I\u2019m impressed \u2014 very cool tool. \u2014 Chuck Green<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Budget trekking umbrella<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Euroschirm Trek<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I did research on a travel umbrella for a lengthy South American trip, found this and love it. It\u2019s made of tough, lightweight materials, fits in its own sleeve, can be put away wet, and has a tiny compass in the handle. I got mine with a silver reflective top, so that it\u2019s also useful in sunny conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 10 \u00bd inches long closed and 8 \u00bd ounces, the Trek\u2019s bigger and heftier than the previously reviewed Knirps umbrella, but also less expensive. It also costs less than the previously reviewed Go-Lite umbrella. Forget about parkas and pants, umbrellas are the way. \u2014 Geoff Wilke<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Feminine urinary director<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Freshette<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sport and Travel Freshette. It\u2019s slightly larger than the TravelMate\u2014just longer than the palm of my hand when collapsed and about half as wide\u2014but still can fit in the hip pocket of a camping backpack quite easily (and you can still use it through your pants\u2019 fly). The Freshette\u2019s larger cup, similar to the unisex collar on the previously reviewed Travel John (upper right), fits more easily than the TravelMate\u2014and solves the positioning and overflow problems to which the TravelMate is prone. It really is easy to pee all over yourself with the Travelmate due to its small size and smaller throughput (the main reason I can\u2019t recommend it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flexible outlet tube on the Freshette makes for easier aiming. With practice, it\u2019s possible to collapse it after use, store it back in the bag, then get it back out and reuse it without touching any of the wet bits, if you\u2019re squeamish about that sort of thing. And if you need the extra feature, there\u2019s a \u201ccomplete portable\u201d kit that comes with sealable bags you can attach, in case there\u2019s a need to pack out your waste or you\u2019re going to drive like Lisa Nowak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s the best product of its kind that I found, the Freshette is more expensive than the TravelMate, and its weird shape and larger size make it harder to pack. Also, the plastic bag it comes with is not the most durable. Mine lasted through about three weeks of camping before getting a hole. Both models tie for ease of being able to clean yourself off without toilet paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many other variations on the Freshette, which I imagine would work about as well: The Whiz Freedom\u2014quickdry anti-bacterial flexible medical plastic; the SheWee\u2014slightly smaller and available with a durable hard case; the PStyle\u2014more a channel than a funnel and no tube; the Lady J\u2014wider funnel. \u2014 Sarah Mercer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pliable camping containers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Guyot Designs Squishy Bowls<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For weight- and space-conscious backpackers or car campers, the squishy bowls offer an alternative to old-school non-collapsible aluminum\/stainless steel\/titanium bowls. And while these food-grade silicone bowls won\u2019t stand up to direct fire, they are oven safe up to 500\u00b0 F. They can be baked, boiled and frozen without ill effect, making them more versatile than the previously reviewed Orikaso campware and the newer Fozzils’ take on that design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guyot\u2019s bowls are entirely pliable, and eating out of a bowl without structural rigidity can be a strange experience the first time. Their flexing and bulging when holding liquids does take some getting used to. But I\u2019ve never had a problem eating out of them. This amorphousness comes in handy when you want to slurp back the rest of your milk or finish off the end of your camp stew, as you can squish the side of the bowl into a convenient spout. It also means they sit solidly. They hold hot liquids well, and are insulated enough to prevent you from burning your hands when you hold them as commonly happens with a traditional metal bowl. \u2014 Oliver Hulland<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tools for Possibilities: issue no. 61<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13684,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[2387],"tags":[2388],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41649"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13684"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41649"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41649\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41650,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41649\/revisions\/41650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}