Gear Review: SheFly Go There Pant
When you have female anatomy, peeing outside can sometimes feel like a real chore. You have to search for privacy, expose your bare skin to the elements, and often fumble with removing backpacks and other gear so you can do your business.
Enter SheFly Apparel. With a mission to “ensure that everyone can relieve themselves outdoors with comfort, confidence, and safety,” this female-led startup has created a pair of pants that *might* even make you look forward to peeing outside.
SheFly’s Go There Pant utilizes a patented zipper design that extends from the bottom of the regular zipper all the way to the back of the waistband. Simply unzip as far as you need to, pull your underwear aside, and go.
Product details
5 pockets
Adjustable waist ties
Wear as straight leg pants, cinch at the bottom, or roll and snap into capris
4-way stretch fabric with DWR coating
Available in sizes 00-22
Trail tested
After an accident partially paralyzed her from the waist down, Boise-based artist Jordan Valentine uses an adaptive walking device called the NewGait that uses different elastic bands and straps in a way that helps stabilize her pelvis and helps with proprioception (feeling where your body is in space).
Because of all the straps and bands, Jordan says it’s a pain to get the NewGait on and off quickly to pee outdoors. We thought the SheFly Go There Pant might ease some of those challenges. I talked to Jordan about her experience using the “pee pants,” as they’ve affectionately been dubbed.
LS
How was your experience using the SheFly Go There Pant for the first time?
Jordan pairs the SheFly Go There Pant with the NewGait adaptive walking device.
JV
Because I have muscle impairment, the NewGait definitely helps facilitate better walking form. It’s easier to walk long distances so it's really great for hiking. It takes a minute or two to get on, but once it's on, it's a pain to get off.
The [SheFly Go There Pant] allowed me to pee a lot easier without having to take the NewGait off at all. Because the zipper is plenty long enough, I can get a good opening through the fabric. As a catheter user, I can get in there more to do my thing. From a disabled perspective, these freaking rock!
LS
What else do you like about the pants?
JV
The material is durable enough that with the neoprene bands on the NewGait, I’m not worried about the fabric being abraded too quickly or getting discolored by the bands, which I've had happen with other cloth. I also love that the pants come in a wide range of sizes.
LS
Is there anything you would change or improve about the pants?
JV
Personally I don't like the logo fabric on the inside of the zipper. Something more subtle would be nice. Also, they definitely don’t feel like a summer pant. The durability is great, but I tend to not like pants with a bunch of extra zippers and pockets because I have a background in ultralight backpacking. When I see them, I just think, “this is heavy!”
LS
Are these something you would recommend to other people who have a disability?
JV
Yes! For people who are wheelchair users or are really confined to a space, just being able to [use a catheter] with some privacy while sitting down would be really cool.
Takeaways
What we love
Could be a game changer for people with disabilities
Amazing zipper design
Extremely functional
Inclusive sizing
What we’d love to see
A lightweight material option with the same zipper design but geared more toward ultralight hikers and adventurers
Different cuts/styles (such as a more tapered leg)
