Over the course of several summers, we got dirty and then got clean repeatedly. We spent months recreating, playing, and existing outside and spent more time cleaning up in the great outdoors than we would have dreamed. We cleaned dirty kayak bottoms, bathed dogs, and rinsed grubby feet. We set up a shower station for multiple weekends of trail work crews in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. We lived outside for weeks on end with only these showers to keep us keep clean enough to blend in with all the folks with indoor plumbing. We tested everything about these showers and collected what we learned to compare each one to the others across five different metrics for a complete picture of what each is best suited for. If water isn’t a problem, however, and you’ve got your pressure figured out, this solar-heated shower from Giantex is a durable, weather-resistant alternative. It will still require sunlight, of course, but its robust base and chrome-plated plastic body make it both hard-wearing and rust-resistant.

The Gasland tankless gas water heater is lightweight enough to use while camping but robust enough to survive daily use in a sustainable living scenario. It requires minimal pressure and will ignite as long as the pressure remains above 2.5 PSI.Just one word of warning – if heating water over a fire, be careful not to melt the pump, the hose, or set your shower tent on fire! #2 The Solar Shower drilling the hole, no problem for you:):) Most common sizes .453 in or .653 in valve stem hole you’ll have to do the fractions and find the right drill bit. with pressures in the 69-100psi or higher, Safety is a must with hydraulic pressure. air is considered a liquid in this area of tools or physics (what have ye) If you want an off-grid shower for your RV, an electric model like the Electric Mini-Tank from Bosch is ideal, although the Hike Crew Portable Propane Water Heater & Shower Pump is also worth considering. It transforms almost any bottle, bladder, or collapsible bottle into an instant shower. Admittedly, it’s just one step up from pouring water over yourself, but it’s better than a dip in an ebola-infested lagoon!

There’s no point investing in a top-to-the-range high-pressure showerhead as it’s unlikely you’ll get the pressure needed for it to operate. A cheaper model that will work effectively with low pressure is a better option. A Schrader valve. So perfectly designed the valve hasn't changed since was founded in 1844 by August Schrader. The original Schrader valve design was invented in 1891,they are used in uncountable products, from bike tires industrial refrigeration, auto fuel injection... To SCUBA If you’re living off-grid, even a top-quality solar bag shower is unlikely to have the staying power you need for long-term, daily use. With this ingenious contraption, you can pump water from virtually any receptacle – pop the pump into the water, turn it on, and away you go. Cheap solutions aren’t worth the investment and, although the top-end products have some nice features, if you’re looking for something long-term, your best bet is building your own.

Conclusion

A gas tankless water heater is probably a better option if you’re living off-grid permanently, however. The design that appeals to me the most is, unsurprisingly, also one of the simplest. A couple of planks are secured to some handily-situated tree trunks, forming a stand for the water tank. The water tank itself can be as simple as a 50-gallon barrel cut in half. Now, all you need is a hose and showerhead.

Even a good quality solar shower is less versatile than the Ivation as the water is gravity fed so, the bag needs to be hung up in a tree or on a pole. And then, of course, there’s personal preference. Some people really need to feel clean and fresh no matter what, so a camping shower can only be an enhancement, whereas, for some others, that may not be as important – especially if they are out and about in the wild.

How To Build An Off-Grid Shower

There is a wide range of off-grid shower options which are suited to a similarly wide range of situations. Whether you’re planning for the winter months when solar-heated water isn’t an option or preparing for the end of the world as we know it, an off-grid shower can help keep bacteria and infections at bay. If you’re dedicated to the off-grid lifestyle or want to prepare for when the SHTF, the best approach could be to use your imagination and elbow grease to create your custom-built off-grid shower. (see here for some rainwater shower options.)

So, the end of the world is here but, thankfully, you converted your SUV to run on electricity, which you generate yourself, so you’re still good to go. Ok, it’s a bit far-fetched, but if you are on a road trip and want a simple off-grid shower solution, the road shower is worth a look. Using just one gallon of water, the portable shower and heater solution from Geyser Systems heats water using a 12v power source, taking between 15 and 45 minutes, depending on how you want it.

The best portable camping showers shortlist:

We began this study by considering the most important aspects of an outdoor shower. Each year, we carefully select the best we can find and use them for subsequent summers, paying close attention to how well they perform in key areas. To assess functionality, we measured the widths of the showerhead streams and the lengths of the hoses. If possible, we took them apart and cleaned them to examine ease of use, and we dropped them, full of water, from a height of over 6 feet to get a sense of their durability. We bathed ourselves, muddy dogs, and numerous filthy trail-building crews. In the end, the best models revealed themselves and are highlighted below. The cylindrical tank of the Yakima RoadShower attaches to your vehicle or trailer and uses sunlight to heat the water while you’re traveling. With a capacity of nearly 38 gallons, it’s a great way of transporting water and pressurizing it when you need to. If you want to shower at night, when no solar is available, install a header tank and use your solar pump to fill it during the day. This should provide you with sufficient gravity-fed pressure to enjoy a warm shower in the evening. Showerhead Simple to install, this shower comes with a 4.8-gallon tank and an extra cold-water tap for washing your hands. #3 The Tankless Water Heater If you often camp in developed campgrounds with shower facilities nearby, it’s probably not worth investing in a portable shower – it would likely just be additional stuff to carry. However, if you frequently go camping, especially for longer periods in out-of-the-way locations, a portable shower can be a worthwhile addition to your camping gear. It offers a practical and convenient way of keeping fresh while enjoying the outdoors.