Gear Review: Sea-To-Summit Ultra-Sil Outhouse

We all know that “when nature calls”, being in the backcountry might leave you a little stressed… so it’s always handy to have a roll of toilet paper just a short reach away.

Toilet paper inherently clumps up when it comes into contact with the slightest hint of water and becomes completely useless. Over the years I’ve used everything from a zip-lock bag to a cheap off-the-shelf sil-nylon bag to keep my rolls dry. When I saw Sea to Summit’s solution not only did I chuckle out loud, but it was an instant purchase for me.

For roughly the price of a regular sil-nylon bag, what makes the Sea-To-Summit Ultra-Sil Outhouse unique is that it actually includes a “rod” to hold the roll just like back home on the wall of the loo! The rod is made from stiff but flexible nylon with a snap on the end to prevent toilet paper from rolling away across the forest floor while you’re stuck on the thunderbox. It’s a fun little feature while only adding a few grams to the bag (the whole thing only weighs 70g/2.6 oz).

There is an exterior nylon strap to sling the bag over your shoulder as you trudge off to do your business and then hang the whole thing upside down in a tree or on the lid of a thunderbox. The design makes it pretty handy to tug down a few squares even when it’s raining without a single drop getting inside. I noticed that the set-up was too stiff to allow eco-friendly biodegradable toilet paper to roll freely (such as the one from Coleman, although it’s also single-ply) but works great with regular 2-ply toilet paper and a whole roll will perfectly fit inside.

The bag itself includes a buckle at the top and a stiff lip so that if you roll it over a few times and clasp it shut, it will be completely waterproof, even if your pack gets dunked in the water. The whole bag is made from 30D Nylon Ultra-Sil fabric and is bright orange so there’s little chance of you forgetting in the woods.

All in all, it’s such a fun piece of gear that I feature it in my “favourite gift ideas” for your favourite outdoorsy person. Weather it’s for you or someone you know, the Sea-To-Summit Ultra-Sil Outhouse is $29.95 Canadian.