Kula Cloth Review

Overview

The Kula Cloth is a pee rag used by female backpackers and hikers as a zero-waste alternative to toilet paper when you have to pee. While a bandana can technically serve this purpose, the Kula Cloth is a purposefully designed piece of kit that takes the concept to a different level of hygiene and convenience.

At 14g and roughly $20, it’s aimed squarely at Leave No Trace-minded hikers and thru-hikers who want to ditch both the TP weight and the guilty feeling of burying used paper in the backcountry.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	14 g / 0.5 oz
Dimensions	5.5 × 5.5 in (folded: 5.5 × 2.75 in)
Materials	Bamboo viscose, cotton, organic cotton, silver-infused polyester (Silvadur)
Closure	Double snap
Features	Retro-reflective thread stripe, waterproof exterior, antimicrobial absorbent interior
Made In	USA
Price	~$20
Comparison	See how Kula Cloth compares to similar gear

Performance

The core claim of the Kula Cloth — that it won’t stink — holds up across a wide range of user experience. It does not smell even after days of use. The black absorbent textile is infused with antimicrobial silver, and there’s no discoloration or staining after repeated use. The silver-infused fabric prevents microorganisms from growing, ensuring the cloth won’t become unpleasant if used for several days at a stretch. For context, that’s a meaningful improvement over a cotton bandana: the Kula Cloth dries more quickly than a cotton bandana — an essential quality on humid trails like the Appalachian Trail.

The two-sided design is where the Kula earns its price premium over a plain bandana. It has a super-absorbent dimpled cloth on one side and a waterproof layer separating that from the smooth handling side — which keeps your hands clean in a way a bandana simply doesn’t. The manufacturer claims the soft black interior side holds 10x its weight in water, and in practice users consistently describe it as adequately absorbent for its purpose.

The double-snap attachment system is both the Kula’s most useful feature and its most common friction point. It snaps quickly to a pack, which is far easier than tying a knot with a damp piece of fabric. The double snap also folds the used side inward for privacy — useful if you’re concerned about visible body fluid or hiking in a group. However, the snaps are the main issue cited by users for it not being a perfect product. Specifically, some users find it difficult to unsnap from their backpack, and note that you have to open the used side before you can remove the loop that attaches it to the pack. That’s a real ergonomic flaw worth knowing about — particularly on cold mornings or when your hands are wet.

Durability looks solid. One BPL reviewer noted that their second Kula has made it through 60+ nights on the Appalachian Trail, a 13-day Tahoe Rim thruhike, a month on the Colorado Trail, and 3 weeks on the Arizona Trail without any visible wear and tear.

The retro-reflective thread stripe is a small but thoughtful touch. That grey stripe on the side is a high-tech retro-reflective thread so you can find your Kula at night with a headlamp. In practice, it’s a feature that may not register in the field — but you’ll appreciate it the one time you’re fumbling around camp at 2am.

Wildlife and hygiene concerns: Multiple reviewers raise the question of whether a urine-dampened cloth attracts animals. No testers reported any issues with the Kula Cloth attracting wildlife. Theoretically, deer or goats drawn to salt in urine could be a consideration, but simply hanging it above nibbling level at night has been adequate.

Washing is straightforward. In the backcountry, simply rinse with water and hang to dry on your pack or a tree. A couple of drops of biodegradable soap like Dr. Bronner’s is fine if needed. At home, snap it closed so it won’t snag in the washer, and use normal detergent. Hand washing is recommended to preserve product life.

One fair critique worth noting: the marketing leans on terms like “all natural,” “antimicrobial,” and “eco-friendly” without listing material percentages on the product page. Some transparency-minded users would prefer the actual blend ratios be published outright.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 14g is negligible weight — essentially free compared to even a few days of toilet paper
• Proven odor resistance across multi-week thru-hikes
• Waterproof exterior genuinely keeps hands dry; bandanas do not

• Hang it in the sun and UV rays help sterilize it between uses

• Double snap doubles as a privacy fold — useful in group settings
• Retro-reflective stripe is a practical night-use feature

• Original art on the exterior directly supports artists, small businesses, or nonprofits

• Made in USA by hand

Cons

• Snap ergonomics frustrate a notable number of users, especially with wet or cold hands
• ~$20 is a real price gap over a repurposed bandana
• Pee-only (this is by design, but worth being explicit about)
• Material percentage breakdown is not published on the website

Who Should Buy This

The Kula Cloth is for anybody who squats when they pee.

It’s especially compelling for anyone planning multi-day or thru-hiking trips where packing out toilet paper is required, or heading into desert environments where burying TP isn’t a realistic option.

Using a pee rag aligns directly with Leave No Trace guidelines and reduces toilet paper left behind in the wild.

If you’re already using a bandana as a pee cloth, the Kula is a straightforward upgrade — better drying, no odor, and cleaner hands. If you’re brand new to the concept, give yourself one or two trips to get used to the workflow before committing to it on a long route.

Verdict

The Kula Cloth does one thing and does it well: it replaces toilet paper for pee stops without the smell, the staining, or the wet-hands problem of a bandana. The snap design has real room for improvement — Kula would do well to rethink attachment ergonomics — but it doesn’t undermine the product’s core utility. At 14g and $20, it’s one of the most defensible upgrades in the backcountry hygiene category. Rating: 8.5/10.