Humans are biological machines. We take in food, air, and water to support our complex and amazing living tissues. One of the wastes from this process is Pee, urine, tinkle, PP, Wee Wee, piss, and a hundred other words.
The average healthy human can store 16 oz. of urine for 2-5 hours. The brain gets a message from the bladder at about 2 cups saying its time to drain the pickle, make a pit stop, drain the dragon, take a whiz, make a Number 1, or go to the “Evacuation Station.”
The bladder is a triangle shaped, hollow, expandable, muscular organ, located in the lower abdomen. Urine fills the bladder after being processed from the blood. Every 10 -15 seconds, the kidneys release urine into the bladder.
If the urine is healthy, it will also be a sterile liquid. Native people often used urine to clean and sterilize wounds, bites, cuts, and stings. Even today, swimmers will pee on stings from sea urchins.
Whatever the normal amount of Pee is, it is different for women. If an average human pees every 5 hours, a woman needs to pee every 15 minutes. If a man’s bladder can hold 16 oz of pee, a woman can only store a shot glass full.
Last week I was tour guide for 2 ladies from back east. We spent the day in Yellowstone Park. I knew that I was in trouble when the girls needed to pee as soon as they arrived at my home. They had only driven for 15 minutes to get here.
Every stop in the park was also a pit stop. No vault toilet or modern toilet was left untouched. The vault toilets were ripe and full. At West Thumb, the workers were pumping them out as fast as the ladies were filling them up. The mountain air was tainted with a nasty aroma, but the peeing continued.
The Parks Potty Plan must have been designed by a lady. They are everywhere. Men can just find a bush, rock, or pee just about anywhere. The potties in Yellowstone may be responsible for the park’s name.
The nicest toilet was at the Mammoth Hotel. This pit stop was longer than the rest. Over the day, we paused for a potty stop dozens of times. I found that I could spot one from a mile away and give the girls a “heads” -up.
It’s great to be healthy. You don’t want to strain your bladder to hold the liquid in. Most folks can hold it for maybe 5-10 minutes after the brain gets the Pee Time message. A woman is lucky to have 5 minutes.
The Pee stop can also involve combing hair, adding makeup, adjusting clothing, washing and sanitizing hands, and social interaction. This time adds up. I also observed that the Ladies’ Rooms often had lines waiting to get in. Most Men’s Rooms were open for doing your business.
Healthy urine is a light yellow or straw color. The amounts are based on fluid intake. What goes in, eventually goes out.
Pee Stops are just a fact of life. They will happen often. Ladies pee more than any other mammal on the planet!!! The more you drink, the more you pee. No one wants to have an accident so pull over, stop the truck, and hold the horses.
Be healthy, happy, and comfortable… and stay hydrated!
Montana Grant
