How to Pee Outside as a Woman: Choosing a Safe Spot & Staying Clean

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Plus, how to use a female urination device for an easy pee

Co-authored by Hannah Young and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: September 27, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Choosing a Spot
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• Peeing Outside
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• Using a Female Urination Device
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• Mistakes to Avoid
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• Video
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• Q&A
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• Tips

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At some point when you’re backpacking, camping, or hiking outdoors, you’ll inevitably have to go to the bathroom. It can be difficult to find a spot where you can go comfortably and privately, but it doesn’t have to be. In this article, we’ll show you the best spots to pee and how to do it as cleanly and efficiently as possible (all with tips from wilderness and survival expert Doug Flinders and outdoor education expert Hannah Young). Keep scrolling to learn more!

Best Way to Pee Outdoors for Women

Wilderness and survival expert Doug Flinders says it's best to find a private spot away from other people to pee outdoors. Once you've found a suitable location:

1. Choose soft ground on a downward slope, if possible, and face away from the wind.
2. Move your clothing out of the way, but not all the way past your knees.
3. Squat down or lean with your back against a flat surface to pee.
4. Use a female urination device to direct the urine flow and avoid a mess (optional).
5. Dry yourself and dispose of any tissues or wipes in a garbage or a sealed bag.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Finding a Place to Pee

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1. 
   1
   Find a private place away from other people. Flinders notes that “The best approach is to find a private spot." Even if you’re not shy about other people seeing, remember that they could be offended; peeing out in the open also puts you in a pretty vulnerable situation. Hold in your pee until you can find a private place where you’re hidden behind something large, like a bush, a large tree, or a boulder. Choose areas with soft ground, like grass or pine needles, to absorb fluids more easily.

   • For safety reasons, use the buddy system and bring a friend with you, especially if it’s nighttime or if you’re in an unsafe area.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Doug Flinders is a wilderness and survival expert with a decade of experience teaching wilderness survival, and mastering and sharing essential outdoor skills.

   Hannah Young is an outdoor education expert with more than 3 years of experience educating others on backpacking and hiking, land ethics, and wilderness restoration.
2. 
   2
   Do your business far away from water, trails, and campsites. Young recommends being "about 200 feet from the nearest water source so that you don't contaminate that water." Also, urinating outdoors in public places that aren’t restrooms is against the law in most cities and could earn you a citation or worse.

   • If you go too close to any of these places, you risk contaminating the water supply and spreading some pretty nasty bacteria.
   • If you’re doing something like running a race, it’s totally normal for runners to take a leak in the middle of their run. Just be sure to take a few steps off the path to do your business.
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3. 
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   Choose soft ground that slopes downhill, if possible. Soft surfaces, like grass and pine needles, absorb fluids more readily than hard surfaces. Getting hit with some backsplash would likely put a damper (pun intended) on your experience. It’s also best to pee downhill when you can. This way, your urine will drain away from you, and not back towards you and whatever nice shoes you decided to wear that day.

   • Consider the direction of the wind as well. Face away from the wind to help direct the stream away from you.
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Section 2 of 4:

How to Pee Outside

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1. 
   1
   Get your clothes and underwear out of the way. Unbutton and unzip shorts or pants first. Then, pull them halfway down your thighs—don’t let them go past your knees, or they may get wet. Once you’ve gotten your clothing out of the way, pull your underwear down until it’s about halfway down your thighs.

   • Use your hand to hold your shorts or pants close to your knees. This will help keep them from getting wet.
   • If you’re wearing a skirt or a dress, pull it up by the hem until it’s at waist level. If it has a lot of fabric, bunch everything up in front of you so no fabric is hanging behind you.
   • For even more privacy, wrap a towel or blanket around your waist to cover yourself. Doing so can help prevent anyone else from seeing you from the waist down.
2. 
   2
   Hold yourself in a squatting position and pee. Place your feet as wide apart as they’ll go, to allow you to hold your balance, and squat down. Lean forward and place your hand on the ground, or place one hand on the ground behind you for balance. Stick your butt out behind you and arch your back so that your pee flows in that direction. If holding a squat is too difficult, try a different position:

   • Lean your back against a tree while squatting until your thighs are parallel to the ground and your bent legs form a 90-degree angle (similar to a wall sit). Ensure your feet are planted squarely on the ground.
   • Face and grab a tree trunk, then bend your knees to at least 90 degrees. Then, lean back slightly into a sitting chair position.
   • Sit over a fallen tree with your butt hanging over the side. It’s also possible to do #2 in this position.
   • Create an improvised toilet by finding two objects, such as rocks or logs. Sit down on the edge of one object and rest your feet up on the other with your knees bent. Scoot forward with your thighs wide apart so that your privates don’t touch the surface you’re sitting on.
3. 
   3
   Wipe yourself until you’re completely dry. You can use baby wipes, tissue, toilet paper, or even a specially made pee rag if you came extra prepared.

   • If you’re using baby wipes, tissue, or toilet paper, don’t leave them on the ground for some unsuspecting person or animal to stumble upon. Young suggests putting them in “odor-proof plastic bags” like Ziploc bags or dog poop bags—“those are really great options.”
   • If you don't have anything to wipe with, wait a while for the excess pee to air dry, or do a little shake and wiggle until you’re as dry as possible. Your underwear might still get a bit wet, so change it as soon as possible.
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Section 3 of 4:

How to Use a Female Urination Device

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1. 
   1
   Unbutton your pants or lift your skirt up and out of the way. Move your underwear to the side by holding the leg hole against your thigh. If you’re wearing tight pants, you may need to lower them a little in order to reach. This device will allow you to pee while standing up, but you’ll obviously still need to get access to your privates to make that happen.

   • Female urination devices are small enough to keep in your purse or bag (sorry, more stuff to carry) and look like funnels, except that the top is slanted. Some are disposable while others are reusable.
   • They may also be called an FUD, female urination aid, stand-to-pee device, pee funnel, or portable urination device.
   • Before using a female urination device, practice at home when in the shower or in front of your toilet. The last thing you'd want is to use it for the very first time on a trip, only to end up making a bit of a mess.
2. 
   2
   Position the device against your privates and pee. Press the cup part against your body and aim the pointy spout toward the ground away from your feet. Make sure that the end of the spout is lower than the back of the funnel so your pee doesn’t come running back down the spout toward your hand. Relax as you pee, and don’t try to push to make it go faster; you’ll only end up making more of a mess.
3. 
   3
   Wipe yourself off and clean the device before putting it away. Wipe yourself front to back to avoid causing any germs to spread. If you have access to water, rinse your device off right away. If you can’t wash it right away, put the device into a resealable bag (or the container it came in), and be sure to wash it as soon as possible.
4. 
   4
   Pee in a wide-mouthed bottle as an alternative. To pee in a bottle, kneel on the ground, place the bottle between your legs, and pee into the bottle, or hold it up directly onto your urethra. Be sure to label the bottle so it doesn’t accidentally get used for something else later and dispose of it ASAP.
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Section 4 of 4:

Avoiding Common Mistakes

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1. 
   Use these tips to avoid mistakes that might compromise your comfort. Some of them are reminders about how to position your body when going to the bathroom in the woods. Others are general tips that can allow you to pee outside (especially when urinating while standing up) without making a mess or feeling embarrassed. Keep this list handy before heading out into the woods:

   • Don’t lower your pants all the way to your ankles. Keep your clothing at knee height when squatting so you don’t urinate on them.
   • Avoid standing in a depression or indentation made by a large rock. Your pee will gather and end up wetting your feet.
   • Don’t wear clothing that is too tight or restricting; it makes it difficult to pee neatly.
   • Avoid using leaves to wipe yourself. You may end up with something poisonous or harmful to your skin.
   • Don’t forget to wash or sanitize your hands afterwards.
   • Keep your bear spray handy just in case!

Community Q&A

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• Question

  I have been riding in car with my boyfriend for eight hour and he has peed in a Gatorade bottle, but he has not stopped to let me pee. I am desperate, if I pee myself he will abuse me. What do I do?

  

  Evelyn Nation

  Community Answer

  No one deserves to be treated like that. First, tell him that if he doesn’t pull over, you will pee in his car. If he says no and you pee your pants and he abuses you, call the police! Also, and this should really go without saying, break up with him immediately.

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  Thank you for your feedback.
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  Not Helpful 141 Helpful 987
• Question

  What if I don't have a vagina?

  

  Community Answer

  If you don't have a vagina, you probably have a penis, in which case peeing outside will be a lot easier.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 270 Helpful 764
• Question

  How can I cover up pee stains at school?

  

  Community Answer

  Pee stains are the same as hiding period stains. Tie a sweater, jacket, or scarf around your waist.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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Tips

Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• If you feel nervous, embarrassed, or rushed, take deep breaths. Remind yourself it's just a normal bodily function. Reassure yourself there's no wrong way to do it if you can avoid messes.
• Apply zinc oxide cream to prevent irritation or rashes, especially if peeing frequently. The moisture barrier protects sensitive skin. Reapply after each trip outdoors.
• After peeing outside, do a little “pee dance” while still squatting. Shake your hips and swing your arms to flick away the last drips before standing and dressing.
• If menstruating, empty your menstrual cup or change pad/tampon after peeing to avoid leaks. Consider period panties for easier cleaning between changes.
• If hiking with kids, let them watch you pee outside to normalize it. Explain it's okay in nature when bathrooms aren't available. This removes stigma.
• For privacy on group trips, announce "I’m taking a bathroom break!" without specifying. Friends will know your meaning, while strangers won’t pry.

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