Camp shower advice needed

shoredreamer

Observer
I just received the Zodi Zip shower and will be doing a good feel out this weekend. It packs into a small bag and sets up pretty easy. Testing the 6v battery pump rate, it drained a full 20L Scepter in 8 minutes exactly. We had a early model Nemo Helio that kept leaking on us and got tired of the unreliability. They offered to fix the leaking hoses but it just is a matter of time as someone said when you mix dirt, pressure and rubber hoses. Anyway,
 

Laps

Active member
Cheaper than buying the parts! : )

Yes indeed, I made one from a garden sprayer, painted it flat black, added long hose and shower attachment and used it for 2 weeks in Utah and it worked great. But if I had seen the Reliance setup I probably would have just bought it instead.
 

Motobilt

New member
I've got the Mr. Heater Boss XB13 and love it. My girlfriend actually bought the thing, but we've all enjoyed it to say the least.
 

mgiodigital

New member
My absolute favorite is The BeachBox. Checks all the boxes... hot portable shower, 5 minute run time, changing mat, gear storage.

Check them out! BeachBox Portable Shower. The newest version has a way better shower gun than the one in the pics though!

beachbox portable shower and storage box.jpeg

beachbox-portable-shower-collective-uses_1920x.jpg
 

socceronly

Active member
My Eccotemp L5 has been going strong almost 3 years with daily use. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again.

I just bought one. I am amazed at how well it works.

Totally recommend it.


However, you need water pressure. So either from the source or with a pump.
 

dbhost

Well-known member
I see this thread has been resurrected, so I am going to chime in here as it is a matter of discussion and due to the Texas freeze out last month, something that got a bit of a workout for me.

I have a Zodi Hot Tap instant hot shower, now mind you Zodi seems to be no longer in business since the 'rona so probably not avaialble, but there are lots similar. HOWEVER, I wanted to mention that I already have a stove, and had a battery shower. My Zodi uses a 5 gallon bucket for a water source, I was actually trying to get a hold of Zodi to get the 4 gallon case / bucket for mine which is why I found them unresponsive... but I digress.

So in a situation where 1lb propane bottles ran out quickly, and were unavailable, I was able to use regular unleaded in my Coleman Dual Fuel stove to heat water on the stove, mix it with dang that's cold water in a 5 gallon bucket, and come up with nice steamy shower water in a bucket.


Honestly, if you are measuing every inch, and justifying every piece of gear on your trip. You are I assume already bringing a stove, and some sort of vessel capable of heating water in, and some sort of large vessel capable of holding a quantity of water. I would seriously consider saving the money, and space, and just going with the heat your water on the stove and spray it with a battery shower routine.

It's no slower than a propane shower, it takes a lot less space, and I mean a LOT less space, it is less to maintain, fewer things to break etc... doesn't require a dedicated fuel source etc...

You can heat your water over a stove, over the campfire, or....

Use a solar shower bag to heat your water, empty the bag into your vessel and pump from there. I HATE lifting 5 gallons of water overhead. You are free to but I don't wanna...

Of course if you are travelling with a partner that can / will help, it MIGHT be worth it to do the shower bags. Just lay one per person out, and the both of you can haul it up to let gravity do its thing.
 

JPOVS

Member
Because I sweat so much, as young kid I was always captain of the shirts when playing sports. So taking a shower is something I’m fond of in my adult years.

I started with the Eccotemp L5 found it too much hassle factor connecting all the screw on fittings, 12v pump and having to bring a small 12v battery to hookup to. I went back and forth to the store with no luck trying to find quick hook up disconnects that matched the same threads for the water lines and shower sprayer. At the time I also carried a tripod to hold the heater.

Switched to a 3gallon hand pump weed sprayer painted it black. That worked ok, but got tired of waiting all day for it to get only a little warm from the sun. Then switched to filling it with boiled water that I would heat up on the stove. Didn’t like heating water on the stove as 3 gallons would take two rounds of boiling water, which I couldn’t do because the pot would be hot from the first boil and would risk warping the pot (Magma pot) by adding cold water to it for round two. The water would be about the same temp as if I waited all day for the sun to heat it. Warmish-cool.

Tried finding a Zodi metal weed sprayer pump pre pandemic and they were already out of stock at that time. I think they were already a failing company and the China flu did them in.

Recently purchased a Joolca HotTap and looking to try this. With all the fittings being quick release and the pump being 12v/cigarette style plugin this should make things a bit easier than the Eccotemp. I added a always hot 12v outlet so I don’t have to run the vehicle for the pump. Also like that Joolca has a soft padded bag option to store everything in. Much more thought out design. I also added a dual swing out bumper which Im going to hang the heater from below the dual jerry can arm. Also added a Quick Pitch shower mounted to the roof rack. Trying to make things more convenient.

Now I’m wondering how I can add soft water to the equation, just kidding...
 
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pith helmet

Well-known member
1FF8AFD2-4105-4B7D-82DF-4819D6DADA44.jpeg
Less than $100 in this set up...don’t have to lift the 5 gallons overhead but it’s no problem to hang off a rack if you choose. Theres a quick disconnect on the bag and the whole thing, minus bag, goes int the DeWalt case.
The bag comes with a push button like an old cooler and I had been using it like that, but Mr. @jscherb posted this idea for the disconnect mod. Of course, you cold drop the hose into a bucket or other container as well.
 

roving1

Well-known member
So in a situation where 1lb propane bottles ran out quickly, and were unavailable, I was able to use regular unleaded in my Coleman Dual Fuel stove to heat water on the stove, mix it with dang that's cold water in a 5 gallon bucket, and come up with nice steamy shower water in a bucket.

Honestly, if you are measuing every inch, and justifying every piece of gear on your trip. You are I assume already bringing a stove, and some sort of vessel capable of heating water in, and some sort of large vessel capable of holding a quantity of water. I would seriously consider saving the money, and space, and just going with the heat your water on the stove and spray it with a battery shower routine.

It's no slower than a propane shower, it takes a lot less space, and I mean a LOT less space, it is less to maintain, fewer things to break etc... doesn't require a dedicated fuel source etc...

You can heat your water over a stove, over the campfire, or....

Use a solar shower bag to heat your water, empty the bag into your vessel and pump from there. I HATE lifting 5 gallons of water overhead. You are free to but I don't wanna...

Of course if you are travelling with a partner that can / will help, it MIGHT be worth it to do the shower bags. Just lay one per person out, and the both of you can haul it up to let gravity do its thing.

I do the same with dual fuel stoves and an essentially unlimited gasoline supply. Nice to not have to worry about the fuel supply EVER. In the winter I use a small wood stove. Just use pots I already have.

If I have a camp setup I will put the collapsible bucket in the sun to help it heat up. But even from cold heating water in a pan and dump and scooping into a bucket and repeating works faster than you think it would.
 

dbhost

Well-known member
I do the same with dual fuel stoves and an essentially unlimited gasoline supply. Nice to not have to worry about the fuel supply EVER. In the winter I use a small wood stove. Just use pots I already have.

If I have a camp setup I will put the collapsible bucket in the sun to help it heat up. But even from cold heating water in a pan and dump and scooping into a bucket and repeating works faster than you think it would.

I never measured time. Didn't seem to matter. But the process was simple. Fill bucket about 1/2 to 2/3 with cold water, fill boilers, in my case I used a 12 cup percolator, and an 8qt stock pot as I was using what I had in the kitchen at home. Run them to a boil pour in, test, keep pouring, test, stir, pour, test blah blah blah until it was just right.

My wife wanted a longer, hotter shower than me so I literally boiled up just under 2 gallons of hot, to 3 gallons of almost ice to come up with hot shower water, and she ran it dry. I in turn made myself 3 gallons or hot steamy get clean water.

I would have used my propane Zodi had I thought to stock up on propane but nooooo..... I ran out.

Honestly, with the space the Zodi uses, and the additional fuel it uses comparitively to the Coleman Stove, I think I am sticking ot boiling water on the stove for a hot shower in camp... Except for maybe Deer camp. Typically 6 or so guys, lots of showers, and lots of truck beds to keep 20lb propane tanks in...

I have stated this elsewhere, camping / overlanding is a health pursuit for me. It helps me ramp up my activity without giving it any thought. I am a large person with a propensity to sweat and get just nasty without bathing. I know folks that will go on week long backpacking trips with the only water that touches their bodies comes in the form or rain, or falling into a creek or river that they are hiking along or trying to cross. Even when I was young, and fit, oh so many years ago, I never liked that routine. I was the guy that had the largest titanium cook pot at 1.7l, and had a 2l capacity folding fabric washbasin, and a rag. At the very least a rag or sponge bath to get the nasty of the day off of you, sweat, dust, grime etc... and give you an oppotunity to check, or with carefully selected others, be checked for any invading critters... Is an absolute must for me. YMMV, but if you are of the bathe once a week if you need to or not crowd, please stay downwind of me.
 
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Gooseberry

Explorer
`keep it simple a Nemo shower and boil water life is good. No battery no pump just a foot pump and a bladder


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

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