A lot seems to have been written about the issue of peeing on Kili. Everyone is expected to drink at least three litres of water every day, because dehydration can very quickly become very serious, leading to altitude sickness.
One site I looked at referred to hourly daytime stops for a quick snack, a drink and a wee, adding that “It’s a miracle that Mount Kilimanjaro hasn’t completely eroded in a tsunami of urine”!
Most of the advice on this issue is aimed at men, referring to the use of “pee bottles”, especially at night. Once you are in bed, wearing a few layers of clothes, socks and a hat (yes!), inside a sleeping bag and zipped into a tent, the prospect of getting oneself outside with shoes and a head lamp on for a wee is not attractive. I see mention of people being kept awake all night by the sound of people zipping and unzipping their tents to go on such trips.
There is an upside: apparently the stars are the best I am ever likely to see, with absolutely no light pollution and a moonlight night is something really special up there. The Milky Way is reputed to be fantastic and I am really looking forward to seeing that.
One of the suggestions for women is to pee in a zip lock bag at night. That would take some skill, I imagine! However, one clearly experienced woman says that “firm receptacles are easier to hold and use, while having less potential for spillage”. She recommends taking a “plastic mayonnaise/pickle/peanut jar” as large and wide as you need. She is clearly an American: I don’t think these commodities come in suitable plastic containers in the UK. Another woman recommends taking a “quart size empty yogurt container”, which I imagine would do the job, so long as it didn’t end up cracked during its daily trip up the mountain in a back pack.
However, the prospect of that, when there are three of us in the tent, including a 13 year old boy, is not inviting. I think the shoes, head lamp and stars beckon.
It’s not too late to reconsider, Sheila!
However, from my recent experience of caring for the incapacitated, I know that there are such things as female urinals which are also said to be useful for travellers. I’m not sure what they are made of but I’m sure you could put this on your list of equipment.
I’m puzzled about the need to pee so often – marathon runners and cyclists also have to drink a lot because the fluids evaporate so quickly. If they are evaporating, where is the excess coming from?
I was wondering the Same Pat, so I Googled it and found this. Jx
Effects of Altitude
Humidity is lower at higher altitudes. Sweat evaporates quickly and you may not realize how much water you are losing through exertion. The lower oxygen levels also make you breathe in and out faster and more deeply, so that you lose more water through respiration. According to the Wilderness Medical Society, you lose water through respiration at high altitude twice as quickly as you do at sea level. High altitude can also make you need to urinate more often and can blunt your thirst response, putting you at even greater risk of dehydration.
First, I need to explain something. Sheila is known to me as Kate ( a hangover from the Harman days), and like when my dad changed from being known as John to Mike in 1972, it’s gonna take me a while to adjust, so apologies for using the name I know
Reading Kate’s wee story triggered a giggle and a very fond memory involving a catheter! Use of one during the Kiliclimb may be the answer as you can direct the tap anywhere when discharging !
What a hideous thought Lesley. Although I’m sure it would be easier to direct than a SheWee – use of which is apparently quite an art! Jx