Personal hygiene during camp trips can be tricky unless you are staying at a campground that features showers or you own an RV with a built-in shower. In these cases, the part of staying clean and fresh during your trip is covered, but what happens if you go on an adventure in more secluded places and you stay there for a couple of days sleeping in a tent? Getting smelly and staying dirty for a long time shouldn’t even be a consideration. For these, and other reasons you are going to need a portable camping shower.
Helpful Guidelines
Types. There are multiple different types of camping showers. You can make a choice between solar showers, portable, gravity and even ones with hot water heaters. Each type differs from the other in multiple ways, however, when tent camping or backpacking, it is recommended that you opt for the portable kind.
Size, Weight and Capacity
The size and weight of the shower actually dictates its portability. Understandably, smaller camping showers are easily portable but have smaller capacity. This is an important detail to know about camping showers portable and capacity wise. If you think you can handle more weight then you can go for a bigger size with a higher capacity level. Try to find a solid middle ground – go for the model that best suits your showering needs and your carrying abilities too.
Construction and Materials
Similarly like the rest of your camp gear, your camping showers need to be made sturdy enough to withstand wear and tear. The two main options when it comes to materials are showers made of plastic or fabric. Fabric showers are a bit more durable than plastic ones. But, plastic ones are more convenient since most of them are transparent and you can see how much water you have left, and plan appropriately.
Fixtures
Details do matter, and the most important one when it comes to portable showers is definitely the showerhead. It dictates the flow rate, meaning it controls the longevity and water-pressure of your shower. When speaking about camping showers portable and convenience wise, opt for an adjustable showerhead so that you can control the flow in accordance with your personal preferences. Solar types of portable showers are made to heat up the water with the use of the heat of the sun. Most have insulation that helps maintain the heat for about an hour or two.
How to Use a Camping Shower
Camping showers are usually simple and easy to use. First, you fill the nylon or plastic water bag with water. You are not obliged to fill up the entire bag, especially not if you have limited quantities of water. Next, you need to place the shower in the sunlight. The best and most effective way to use up as much sunlight as possible is to hang the shower on a tree. Once you start using the shower, it is recommended that you turn off the water when you soap and shampoo yourself. This way you can have longer showers without wasting any precious water.