Re: [Paddlewise] Anyone used anything like this?

On 10/12/07, Tord Eriksson <tord_at_tord.nu> wrote:
>
> Found this at USK's site: Travel John.
>
> A peeing bag for ladies gentlemen and children


<snip>

Are these items of any use?


Sailplane (glider) pilots never know just how long their flights will be
(especially in the western deserts of North America) and there have been
numerous creative methods to relieve one's self without landing.

The danger (well, from peeing, at least) is that the bag will burst leaving
one's cockpit um... not so comfy. The motion in a glider can be far more
violent than the motion of a kayak except for the occasional Doug Lloydian
escapade. Modern gliders are designed to withstand the same forces as jet
fighters.

I used ziplock bags filled with strips of the absorbent used in diapers. You
can just cut the entire diaper into strips and line the baggy. The bags I
used had a "zipper" to make it more secure. I think I still have a few of
them stashed in my glider bag, actually.

Some pilots buy "external catheters" which look something like a condom with
a hole in the end to accept a tube. They would then route this tube so that
any liquid will run out the landing gear door; assuming one remembers to
lower the landing gear first. This can be hard on landing gear as urine is
corrosive.

There is a method of securing a bag to one's ankles and then routing the
tube from the external catheter to that; the downside being that in a
glider, as in many kayaks, the ankles are not always "below" the waist and
the knees are almost always bent. And in many sailplanes the pilot's
position is reclining (to reduce drag). Unlike a kayak, the solution to
these problems in a glider is simple: dive! You can always tell when someone
flying a sailplane is taking a pee.

Go to www.wingsandwheels.com for more ideas on these sorts of devices.


Craig Jungers
Royal City, WA
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************