Trail Mavens Product Review: The pStyle

Overall: 3/5 Stars. "Solid, but not for me."

RioHoladay

Guest Post by Trail Maven Rio 

I don’t remember when I first became interested in FUD’s, but I do remember why. It’s because I wanted to be able to pee like a guy. And why not? For a Trail Maven, the primary upside of peeing outside is that you don’t have to wait in line. The downsides include having to search for enough cover so you don’t moon anyone (try doing that in a field), a lack of control over where your pee goes (who hasn’t accidentally peed on their own shoes?), and drip-drying (which has never gotten me anywhere close to dry). And if you’re camping and need to pee at 4 AM - which is itself a miserable experience - there’s the extra misery of taking off your pants and squatting in dewy grass while half-asleep and cold.

Here’s what I was looking for: A device that would allow me to pee standing up without removing any clothes or exposing any part of my body.

Here’s what I got: The pStyle. It’s made out of rigid plastic and looks kind of like a shallow, elongated gravy boat. Standing up, you place the pStyle in between your legs, press it firmly against your body, and tilt it (and yourself) slightly forward. Pee flows naturally out of the front end of the pStyle; there is a rounded wall at the back that prevents pee from trickling out that way. When you’re done, you can “wipe” by gently scraping the pStyle against your lady parts.

Pros:

  • It won’t overflow. It’s shaped like a half-pipe, not a funnel. This means there’s no risk of peeing into the pStyle faster than pee is released from the device.  
  • It won’t collapse. Some devices are soft and need to be held in place. The pStyle is made out of hard plastic, which means it gets in place and stays there easily.
  • It’s easy to clean. You can shake it, wipe it, or rinse it. No small nooks and crannies for things to get stuck in.
  • It comes in multiple colors. Who said peeing couldn’t be stylish?
  • Using it to wipe really works! The pStyle is smooth and doesn’t hurt or irritate. I had zero drips whenever I used it, which was a huge plus.

Cons:

  • It’s hard to aim. If you’re like Sasha and need a device that allows you to pee into a bottle in your tent in subzero weather, the pStyle is not for you.
  • Unlike funnel-shaped devices, the pStyle doesn’t incorporate gravity into its design. So unless you’re a very powerful pee-er, your pee will collect in the pStyle and you’ll have to bend quite far forward to make sure it all flows out.
  • You still have to expose your backside and frontside. It’s hard to do the aforementioned bending with your pants and underwear on, all while not getting any pee on yourself. I read reviews by people who can do it, but I am not one of them. This was a deal breaker.

The bottom line is that the pStyle is not what I was looking for. It could be great for vigorous pee-ers, folks who don’t mind showing their stuff, ladies who can’t stand drip drying, or anyone who wants to avoid a dirty bathroom stall. However, I’m still on the lookout for the perfect peeing assistant.

Sasha CoxComment