Solar shower

[TerryJW]

Recommendations for purchase of a solar shower. Any help much appreciated

[James.]

Re: Solar shower

I have been pondering this for a while and have come up with nothing. What I would ideally like is one of the pressurized ones made out of PVC and mounted to my truck. The problem is that I don't have anywhere to mount it where it wouldn't be in the way of my tent which is in the bed of my truck.

With the bag ones I don't like that you have to find a tree to hang it on.

[Happy Joe]

Re: Solar shower

Get a about a 2-3 gallon garden sprayer paint it black and attach a kitchen sink sprayer to the hose...its downsides are; that it is room/space intensive to pack (and will use half of a 5 gallon container of potable water if there isn't a clean stream nearby).
Tried pumped engine heated showers; too much stuff and trouble.
Tried solar bag showers; they kind of work, though I really don't find them satisfying (too little water at little pressure).

Mostly I save the shower for after I arrive back home; unless I expect to get really grubby (a week in the desert or actually doing heavy physical work in the back country).
For moderate grubbiness far from "civilization" a traditional (circa 19th early 20th century) washbasin "sponge" bath (I don't use a sponge I use a washcloth) in the morning and before bed (sometimes, also, in the afternoon after the sweat dries) is usually enough.... If I can smell myself I saturate the wet washcloth with rubbing alcohol, 70%, if there is a burning sensation use less alcohol; then then do the (soap and water) sponge bath.


Enjoy!

[MacGyver]

Re: Solar shower

I used to play with those 3 gallon bags you hang up but they were just a pain to deal with. And I"ll second HJ's mentioning the waste of potable water. I found some great wet wipes at Walmart called Big Ones. They are, indeed, larger than any I've ever seen and they're also a bit thicker tnan most. Well... the ones that come in a 28 pack are. The ones tbat come in the plastic container aren't as large for some reason even they're still called Big Ones. The 28 packs are easier to pack IMO. They're surprisingly refreshing - I take one pack for every two days and don't come home feeling like I need to run to get a shower right away.

Edited to add:
Walmart has the best price anywhere I've seen - even beating Amazon's bulk price.


Click pic for link.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Solar shower

I used to play with those 3 gallon bags you hang up but they were just a pain to deal with.

Agree. I use either wipes or a small wash clothe. Most of my trips are short, so I don't have much time to ferment.

[Denni2]

Re: Solar shower

We each have a small foldable cloth sink we use to wash up before crawling into bed. I found a carabiner to hold the handles together will help keep the sides from collapsing and allow for hanging on a stall door in some campgrounds.


http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Collapsible-Portable-Camping-Traveling/dp/B01A4C30UK/ref=pd_sbs_468_12?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01A4C30U K&pd_rd_r=C8B6KH20HQD6PDJG7GAR&pd_rd_w=QILi3&pd_rd _wg=OuVLG&refRID=C8B6KH20HQD6PDJG7GAR

[toedtoes]

Re: Solar shower

I use wipes also. I bought a big box of costco wipes and have packs in my car, clipper and now fold n roll.

If the campground has a shower, I will use it (wearing flip flops) if needed.

If not, I keep a bottle of biodegradable soap to bathe in the creek/lake/river if needed. Easy enough to do in a bathing suit.

Edit: as kids going to 4-H camp, I remember showering every day while there. But somehow, every time on the way home when we'd stop for one last meet up at the A&W for lunch, we were all dirty and grimy. It was just part of the camping experience.