It's International Woman's Day today so this one is for the laydeez! Women have come a loooong way, so long in fact that women are now able to pee standing up! That's right Freud, time to scrap your male-centered penis envy theory. With the right gadget, women too, can relieve themselves anywhere anytime. Find yourself in a dirty john? Behind a skinny tree? A urinal? Or in the back-country above the tree line without a bush insight (and not wanting to reveal yours)? All you need is an FUD (female urination device). This season I have started using P-mate, a very simple origami-like funnel that catches your stream and sends it off, away from your pants and shoes, without the need to drop your drawers.

This product has been a goddess-send for a woman like me, who wears bib pants and spends most of her back-country days hiking with the boys. It's even easier if you wear boys tights underneath and make good use of the hole in the front.

P-mates are only $4.95 for a pack of 5. Although they are disposable, I re-use each one a few times by giving it a rinse before placing it back in the zip-lock bag.  I ordered mine online direct from their website. International orders have a $15.00 shipping fee. Which is not bad at all if you stock up and buy some extra for your female friends.

Go Grrrrlz!

For any and all back-country gear, summer and winter, hiking and skiing, buying or renting, we always go straight Rapie. I used to comparison shop, and waited to return to Tokyo thinking I could get a better deal but now I know better. Rapie has the best price for the best products and sells everyhing you could possibly need. I also found out they will order it for you if it is not in the store, and fix anything that is ripped or broken like zippers or tears in your tent. You will not find better service or expertise anywhere.

Rapie is on the 148 (main road of Hakuba) near Max value. You can also find it on our google map here.

Open: 13:00
Closed: 19:00

I already have one of these awesome chestpacks from Hobo Greatworks. I use it back-packing and in the back-country. I have the Hobo Pathfinder Mini which fits a 500 ml. bottle of water, my snapshot camera, my phone, and a few snacks. It keeps everything right there in front and within easy reach so I don't need to take off my big pack to get to my basic gear. At the moment they are having a 100% for Tohoku Kanto Charity sale which means all of the money is going to Tohoku relief, not just the profit but everything. So essentially if you donate 5000 yen to the Tohoku Charity through Hobo Greatworks you will get a free bag. Yasu has just ordered one for himself and I am thinking of buying a few gifts for my back-packing friends.....