So... portable showers anyone??

[brumby]

I'm looking to buying a solar powered portable shower that'll allow me to still have a hot shower when I'm out in the wilderness for weeks at a time.

I stumbled across the Summer Shower which I thought looked pretty good but I wanted to find out what other people are using before I took the plunge?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Grandpa]

These aren't very portable but they work. We do it natures way.

This on a tributary of Diamond Creek in Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah

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Yellowstones famed Mr. Bubbly

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Barney Springs in the Little Lost River drainage is another good bathtub. The hot springs bubbles up in the middle of a half acre pond but the hot water is not sufficient to heat the whole pond. In the wild west cowboy days, the riders brought pine poles down from the hills and piled them on cabin style over the hot springs. This created a warmer pool within the pool and also offered their ladies a little privacy for their Saturday baths. Many of the logs have been hauled off for firewood by vandals but this pic gives you the idea

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[Bojib]

The hot springs look nice, wish we had something like that around here.

I'm interested in a solar shower also. I just don't know if it's something I would use or not. I don't know anyone personally that has one to ask about it.

 

[Pathfinder1]

Bojib;

The hot springs look nice, wish we had something like that around here.

I'm interested in a solar shower also. I just don't know if it's something I would use or not. I don't know anyone personally that has one to ask about it.




Hi...


Don't use one myself, but several catalog companies advertise them. I'm not one for patronizing those big box (expensive) stores, so I almost always check with The Sportsman's Guide first. They usually have some.

 

[dinosaur]

I believe I posted this before on another string but here's one I've been using since the late seventies.

Go buy a cheap plastic garden sprayer. Fill it with water and let it sit in the sun. It will heat up nicely. Paint it black to enhance its' ability to heat in the sun. Or fill it partially with cold water and add heated water right from the stove or campfire to acheive the desired temperature.

You can hang the sprayer from a tree limb or sit it on a stump or picninc table for the desired height. I shortened the wand on mine so the nozzle was close to the handle valve that releases the water.

Set up, pump it up, and shower. It works great.

It's also terrific for washing dishes.

 

[bsmit212]

I have one that I got as a gift. Still have not had a chance to use it though. Don't want to carry the weight backpacking and car camping is normally just a one night or weekend thing and don't have a need to use it.

 

[Hikenhunter]

Mine is similar to the Summer Shower you mentioned. I bought it at Camp-mor.com for about 7 bucks, but that was 20 pluse years ago.It is comprised of a heavy duty plastic liner with a dark blue nylon cover and a rubber stopper that can be replaced with the shower nozzle. It works great as an extra container for transporting water back to the campsite when you have to travel a distance to get water, and if you fill it and hang it in the sun you have warm shower water in a short amount of time.

 

[ppine]

Best bathing in the wilds in order of preference"- hot springs, solar shower, sponge bath with heated water, swimming in a lake, sponge bath with cold water.

Grandpa has the best pictures around of hot springs. To everyone that goes in the outdoors, solar showers have been around for at least 30 years, buy one if you do not have one.

 

[FlanneryCam]

I've used them but they are not my favourite piece of gear. I would much rather take a dip in the lake and dry myself by the fire. And since I'm usually camping on a canoe trip, I'm surrounded by water. And the canoe tripping plus multiple portages mean I don't want to carry any extra gear. At all.

 

[ghostdog]

If I can spare the water, I just hang my black MSR Drom bag, one of the bags I carry all of my water in anyway. They all have spigot caps so I can control the water flow easily. There is nothing like a good shower bath out there. It really makes a new person out of you.

If water is too precious, I have in my kit an 8 ounce size nalgene with 6 parts cornstarch and one part baking soda. A dusting of that is a good way to stay fresh and clean in a dry desert.

 

[JeepThrills]

I believe I posted this before on another string but here's one I've been using since the late seventies.

Go buy a cheap plastic garden sprayer. Fill it with water and let it sit in the sun. It will heat up nicely. Paint it black to enhance its' ability to heat in the sun. Or fill it partially with cold water and add heated water right from the stove or campfire to acheive the desired temperature.

You can hang the sprayer from a tree limb or sit it on a stump or picninc table for the desired height. I shortened the wand on mine so the nozzle was close to the handle valve that releases the water.

Set up, pump it up, and shower. It works great.

It's also terrific for washing dishes.

The husband of a friend of mine did something similar for the kids to wash off after they get in the pool. It sits next to the basement door.

 

[Judy Ann]

Arizona Tea container left out in the sun works great when car camping. Two for hair washing and rinsing and at no additional cost. Backpacking I use a Sea to Summit basin for sponge baths before bed.

 

[Esperahol]

I tend to find a rather shallow pool and then I start looking for rocks. Depending on how long I'm going to be I can either get large flat ones or palm-sized round ones and then I heat them in the fire. Heat them up burning hot and toss them in the shallow pool to make a nice hot bit of water Of course, there isn't always time or energy so I have mastered the art of washing quickly in freezing cold water. It is an aquired skill because I like to keep my profanity creative.

 

[shaun]

My dad owns a portable shower. It runs on batteries and it can also run on his car cigarette lighter. I've used it a few times when we were camping together and I wasn't very impressed. I would much rather use the natural environment to wash.

 

[Gunny Webb]

I have a Zodi water heater. The name is Extreme I think. It's basically a 3 gallon stainless bug sprayer with a tripod and burner setup. Nothing feels bettr that a 100 degree shower on a cold day. Puts out water pressure with the aid of a hand pump like a bug sprayer.

 

[shaun]

I don't really have a problem with going a few days without a shower. No harm can come from it and it's actually quite liberating. Of course you might smell a bit but you are in the wild and it doesn't matter.

 

[familytents]

I use the garden sprayer method as dinosaur does. It's easy and economical. I don't want to spend a lot of money on gadgets just to take a bath, when there are simpler methods. If
I happen to be near a spring, then I'll just jump in.