When Nature Calls: Why We Brought Kula Cloth to Nature’s Materials

Sometimes the products we bring to Nature’s Materials start with a carefully planned search. And sometimes they start because someone has to pee in the middle of the Atacama Desert.

It Started on a Hike in Chile

A few years ago, I traveled to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile with my cousin. We spent our time exploring an incredible landscape unlike anywhere else I had ever been. During one of our hikes, nature called. My cousin needed to go to the bathroom and realized she had forgotten toilet paper. Luckily, we had something in our backpack that worked, so the situation was solved, but it was one of those little travel moments that sticks with you. When you’re miles away from a bathroom, something as simple as forgetting toilet paper suddenly becomes a much bigger deal.

When we returned home, I was looking for a gift for my cousin and came across something called a Kula Cloth®. A reusable pee cloth? After our experience in Chile, I couldn’t resist. I ordered one and sent it to her. She loved it—and more importantly, she actually used it. My cousin hikes regularly and leads tours in Norway, so this wasn’t something that disappeared into a drawer after she opened it. Her Kula became part of the gear she takes with her, and she told me how convenient it was.

What Exactly Is a Kula Cloth?

A Kula Cloth is a reusable pee cloth designed for anyone who squats to pee outdoors. Instead of carrying toilet paper for every bathroom stop, you use the soft, absorbent side to pat dry. The other side is waterproof to help keep your hand dry. When you’re finished, it snaps closed and can attach to the outside of your backpack until you need it again.

But Kula didn’t simply take a piece of fabric and call it outdoor gear. The absorbent side is quick-drying and has an antimicrobial finish, while the waterproof side features beautiful artwork. Reflective thread makes the cloth easier to locate with a headlamp at night, and the snap system helps keep the used side folded inward while it hangs from your pack. It’s washable, reusable, lightweight, and a surprisingly thoughtful solution to a very ordinary human problem.

Then I Bought Them for Our Scout Girls

My cousin wasn’t the only test. As a leader with our Scout Girl troop, I started thinking about the girls and the gear we give them for camping and outdoor activities. I bought Kula Cloths for them and added them to their kits.

Some of the girls have used them exactly as intended. Others are not quite ready to pee in the woods—and that’s okay. Some use their Kula to wipe their hands instead. For me, that’s perfectly fine. What matters is that they have it available when they need it. Part of becoming comfortable outdoors is learning what works for you and knowing you have the right equipment available. If someday they’re on a hike, miles from a bathroom, they’ll know that little cloth is sitting in their kit. That’s really all I care about.

Outdoor Education Is More Than Identifying Trees

This is also why Kula Cloth fits into Nature’s Materials in a way that might not be immediately obvious. When we talk about outdoor education, we often think about identifying birds, finding animal tracks, learning constellations, recognizing rocks, or naming wildflowers. Those things are wonderful, but being comfortable outdoors requires practical knowledge, too.

What do you pack? What do you do when there isn’t a bathroom? How do you take care of yourself? How do you minimize what you leave behind? How do you become confident enough that these little challenges don’t prevent you from having bigger adventures?

Those are outdoor skills, too. A reusable pee cloth can open conversations about personal preparedness, outdoor hygiene, reducing single-use products, independence, and Leave No Trace practices. Because Kula Cloth is washable and reusable, it can also reduce reliance on disposable toilet paper while hiking, camping, or backpacking.

Why We Chose Kula Cloth

The more I learned about the company, the more I liked the story behind the product. Kula Cloth was founded by Anastasia Allison, a former park ranger and backpacking instructor, after her own experiences outdoors led her to think about a better reusable alternative to toilet paper for urination. What began as a practical solution grew into a woman-owned company focused on helping people feel more comfortable outdoors while reducing waste.

We also love that Kula doesn’t treat an incredibly practical product as something that has to be boring. The waterproof side becomes a little canvas for beautiful artwork, with designs inspired by camping, birds, wildflowers, mushrooms, tides, constellations, the night sky, and more. That combination of art, nature, practicality, and thoughtful design feels right at home at Nature’s Materials.

Why You’ll Find Kula Cloth at Nature’s Materials

Ultimately, our decision to carry Kula Cloth came from experience. I didn’t discover it because I was searching for another product to put on a shelf. I found it because of my cousin and one memorable bathroom stop on a hike in Chile. Then she took hers hiking and touring in Norway. Then our Scout girls put them in their camping kits. Somewhere along the way, this funny little product proved itself to be something genuinely useful.

That’s often how our favorite products make their way to Nature’s Materials. They solve a problem, encourage independence, help us explore a little more comfortably, or teach us something about taking care of ourselves and the places we visit.

And sometimes they simply make sure that the next time nature calls, you’re prepared.

Because enjoying the outdoors isn’t only about knowing where you’re going. Sometimes it’s about knowing where to go.

Apparel - Kula Cloth - Resuable Pee Cloth

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