On Saturday morning, I rode to Peninsula Park for Coffee Outside, and had a lovely time. During the festivities, I had to use the Porta Potty in the park. I checked first, and it was completely out of toilet paper. Fortunately, I had a couple of restaurant napkins tucked in my jacket pocket, so I could take off business without problems.
But it got me thinking.
So yesterday, I took a bunch of stuff to my local sporting goods trading post and traded it all in on store credit.
My goal was to find a few small items to make my local walks and rides less stressful.
Living with Crohn’s and IBS, I can’t always predict or control when I’ll need to go, and there isn’t always a bathroom handy. In those dire situations, I look for some bushes behind which to discreetly take care of business. And because I try to be a solid citizen, I want to bury the evidence.
I’d been scouting out various camping hand trowels at the store, but they were all either too big, or too expensive. The store had only one in stock during the off-season, and it was a whole kit, an aluminum canister with soap pellets, biodegradable, expandable hand towels and a fancy aluminum trowel, all for the retail price of — sit down — fifty bucks.
Really?
I was about to give up when I spied a box of extreme tent pegs, designed for use in ice and snow. Each was big enough to hold on the hand, and the curved point on one end was similar to the shop if many fancier hand trowels. One peg cost two bucks. I snapped it up.
When I got home, I wrapped the rear end in a few layers of gaffing tape to make a handle with some grip and cushion. Then I added it to a waterproof pouch with some restaurant napkins (free — don’t scold) and a couple of reusable cotton hand cloths (retail: 2-pak for three bucks, sold in a tiny resealable pouch), and I now have a perfect little kit that I can take along anywhere in case of an emergency.
Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout. Be Prepared.
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