Camp Showers Guide: 9 Shower Ideas to Stay Clean While Traveling

For most campers staying clean is a major concern and finding the solution to bathing while camping is crucial. Taking a cold shower or swimming in the river may be thrilling on a hot day. But what if it is chilly and windy or the weather is not favorable for taking the shower?

 

 

 

The idea of camp showers is not new. There is a range of manufacturers that offer various concepts on how to bathe when traveling. You can find very simple devices as well as weird apparatus that both function like outdoor showers. We analyzed the market and found some really good options. We sorted them and ranged from the basic and simple to sophisticated devices. The camp shower you pick depends on what type of comfort you expect to get from it. Anyway, try to think outdoors and do not expect too much from portable showers.

 

Portable showers for your journeys

1. Simple Shower

Looking for simple camp shower ideas? Here is the simplest Simple Shower. With this appliance, your plastic bottle will turn into a shower in no time. A lightweight and easy-to-use device, it provides a nice and steady stream. Well, you won't need any instruction how to use it because you know, it is simple. When there is no chance for any shower at the campsite or water is very scarce during your trip, this type of camp shower might work really nice.

 

• Pros: lightweight, easy to assemble, excellent for backpack tours, multi-purpose.
• Cons: overpriced.
• Item weight: 0.2 lb (90 g)
• Item dimensions: 2.2″ x 2.3″ x 12.3″ (5.5 x 5.8 x 31 cm)
• Price: $12.99 BUY NOW

 

 

2. Faswin 16 L Collapsible Bucket

Do you know how to make a basic shower while camping? Very often it is just about having a bucket full of water and a water dipper. Sounds funny and out-of-date but it works! Or you can make a set out of this bucket and Ivation shower as a more updated version. Such camp shower facilities save much space in a car trunk or backpack. The bucket folds flat but once unpacked, it is great for hauling lots of water back to your campsite. So this can be a nice option for a portable camp shower if only you do not have too high expectations for it.

• Pros: extremely compact, capacious, handy handles, has a lid, easy to pack and unpack, made of sturdy material, does not collapse when filled with water, lightweight, has a mesh bag organizer.
• Cons: no.
• Item weight: 13.6 oz (385 g)
• Item dimensions: 9.7″ x 12″ (25 x 30.5 cm)
• Price: $13.99 BUY NOW

 

3. Coleman 5-Gallon / 20 L Solar Shower

When the water supply is obstructed at the campground but you are not about to remain stinky until the end of the trip, it's time to take out your solar shower. Coleman camp shower is perfect for backpack tours when every inch matters. This portable shower is small when packed and turns into a heaven-sent gear when filled with 5 gallons of water. Let it lay on a sunny day for some time and you will get it warm. Enjoy your outdoor camping shower!

• Pros: sturdy, compact, excellent for backpacking, heats up fast on a sunny day, handy, easy to pack, strong handle.
• Cons: may leak around the opening.
• Item weight: 0.99 lb (450 g)
• Item dimensions: 2.05″ x 6.93″ x 7.8″ (5.2 x 17.5 x 20 cm)
• Price: $16.99 BUY NOW

 

4. RisePro 10 Gallons Camping Shower Bag

If by portable outdoor shower you mean a small pack that turns into a really huge reservoir to function like a shower, then consider you have the one – RisePro. Probably, the -Pro assumes the portable and at the same time the largest possible. It is indeed huge! Made of black PVC material, it heats water up to 113°F (45°C) on a sunny day. Hey, this bag even has a temperature indicator! A warm shower at the campground is a nice treat, isn't it? Adjust the water flow to your needs with the help of advanced shower hear. If everything works as described, RisePro seems to be the best solar camp shower!

 

• Pros: compact but huge, has a hanging strap, advanced shower head, temperature indicator, easy to pack and unpack.
• Cons: a poor-quality strap, loose hose-bag connection, does not maintain a cube shape.
• Item weight: 16.7 oz (474 g)
• Item dimensions: 15.8″ x 9.8″ x 15.8″ (40 x 25 x 40 cm)
• Price: $15.90 BUY NOW

 

5. Ivation Battery Powered Shower

If you are looking for some camping tips to help you keep clean, you should consider on buying Ivation camp shower. First, it works just like a classic shower with water streaming steadily. Second, the water pressure is just perfect. Third, you can charge it through a USB car charger or through a solar panel. A single charge is enough for 4 showers minimum. The only demand is that you need a bucket of water to immerse this camp shower facility. Note: it does not heat the water, it pumps it through the shower.

• Pros: compact and portable, excellent for backpack tours, handy, easy to hang, made of quality material, is a nice emergency shower, provides a constant stream, multiple usages, battery operated.
• Cons: some campers found it did not hold the charge over time.
• Item weight: 1.65 lb (750 g)
• Item dimensions: 2.8″ x 8.31″ x 9.61″ (7 x 21 x 24.5 cm)
• Price: $39.99 BUY NOW

 

6. NatureHike 2.9 Gallons Shower Bag with Foot Pump

While reading this list of portable outdoor showers you might think bathing at the campsite is nothing else than a workout. It can be: some camp showers require manual work for pressuring but NatureHike provides a nice opportunity for pumping your calf muscles. If you are in a search of a simple camping shower that does not require charging, power or running water, consider NatureHike is a nice option. Moreover, it is very compact and light to cozily rest on the bottom of your backpack. The foot pump works as described but you should get ready for a bit active showering experience once you decide on NatureHike.

• Pros: very light and compact, excellent for backpacking, takes little space on the bottom, multi-purpose, sturdy and quality material, handy, portable, convenient to use.
• Cons: spray only when pumped on a foot pedal.
• Item weight: 1.85 lb (840 g)
• Item dimensions: 5.8″ x 9″ x 9.3″ (15 x 22.8 x 23.5 cm)
• Price: $44.99 BUY NOW

 

7. ZODI Battery Powered Shower

Camping is normally associated with dirt & dust. If you are ready for any severities except for being smelly at the end of the day, you should get ready for your trip in advance by purchasing a camp shower. Speaking about ZODI, you get not only a steady stream but like-at-home bathing experience. Submerge the pump into a bucket of water or right in the river if you like a cool shower on a hot day and switch the device on. Let the clean-up mode begin! Lightweight and compact, these camp shower facilities are excellent for taking showers at the campground.

• Pros: very long battery life, pumps perfectly, provides excellent water flow, can be used for other purposes except having a shower, nice for backpacking, lightweight.
• Cons: plastic tubing smells bad.
• Item weight: 1.4 lb (635 g)
• Item dimensions: 11.2″ x 9.8″ x 2.8″ (28 x 25 x 7 cm)
• Price: $39.95 BUY NOW

 

8. Reliance Flow Pro Portable Shower

If you wonder how camp showers work, then get ready to find out that some outdoor showers work tricky. Reliance shower is actually a spraying apparatus equipped with a pressure release valve. You have to pump it before using and pump it again when rinsing and then again for additional rinsing because the pressure is minimal. But is it worth the effort? Absolutely! Because it provides nice water flow, it does not leak, the water gets warmer under direct sunlight and it has a neoprene holder for a convenient use. With all that in mind, Reliance is a nice inexpensive camp shower option.

• Pros: sturdy and reliable, does not leak, provides optimal water flow, versatile, inexpensive, capacious, easy to carry.
• Cons: not good for backpacking, the base is not level.
• Item weight: 3.8 lb (1.7 kg)
• Item dimensions: 9.1″ x 9.1″ x 17.2″ (23 x 23 x 43.5 cm)
• Price: $29.99 BUY NOW

 

9. RinseKit Pressurized Portable Shower

If space in a moving house or car trunk allows, RinseKit is a top-notch camp shower to have in a trip. Being not collapsible, it is worth every inch of room! This is a portable hand pump sprayer you can use anywhere you like: in a trip, on the beach, in the yard, at the campsite, etc. People spending much time outdoors may get anxious about too much mud. No batteries, no charges, yet not the simples camping shower kit to go. It requires a little bit of workout but the result is awesome!

• Pros: no charging required, easy to pressurize, multi-purpose, sturdy and quality material, handy, portable, convenient to use.
• Cons: needs an access to actual hose to be filled, heavy.
• Item weight: 8.8 lb (10 kg)
• Item dimensions: 14″ x 16″ x 14″ (35.5 x 40.5 x 35.5 cm)
• Price: $79.95 BUY NOW

 

Water Heaters

Showering at the campground can be an extreme activity when there is no hot water. Some showers are designed in a way that they warm up water on a sunny day but in this case the comfort of your camp shower directly depends on the weather. If you think cold refreshing shower may spoil your impression of the travel, better decide on a water heater. Here are some of them:

 

Camp Chef Water Heater

Probably, the bulkiest camp heater known but the most effective one. Do you know how geyser appliance work? It's nearly the same but compact and aimed for traveling. You will need a standard water hose with enough pressure that makes the ignition fire up. You will also need to attach the heater to a gas hose. There are batteries that provide the ignition. Once everything is set and connected, the hot water will flow in seconds. There are some adjustment settings to help you regulate the flow.

 

• Pros: convenient to use, easy to connect, works great, provides water flow adjustment, heats up in seconds, sturdy and solid, has a stand.
• Cons: requires certain water pressure.
• Item weight: 14.7 lb (6.67 kg)
• Item dimensions: 23″ x 13.4″ x 8″ (58.5 x 34 x 20 cm)
• Price: $111.99 BUY NOW

 

Bucket Water Heater

Only you know what kind of travel you are going to have but good planning and camping gear make a half of a trip success. If you are ready to live a bit of a scout life with the camp shower from a bucket but you are not yet prepared for cold bathing, you might need a bucket water heater. The only demand is that you will need electricity to make it work, so this water heater is good only if you travel by car or have a socket at your campsite.

• Pros: very simple to use, sturdy, high-quality material, simple but reliable, heats up water very fast, light and compact.
• Cons: requires electricity.
• Wattage: 1000 W
• Item weight: 1.8 lb (816 g)
• Item dimensions: 19.5″ x 3.2″ x 3.3″ (50 x 8 x 8.5 cm)
• Price: $58.38 BUY NOW

 

Coleman Hot Water on Demand

This is an example of how the name of the appliance speaks about its functions. With Coleman water heater, using a campground shower becomes a pleasant routine. This is how it works: there is a pump that should be immersed into water reservoir, say bucket; there is a battery for the water pump that should be charged either via a car cigarette lighter plug or a charger, and there is a gas inlet valve for a bottle of propane that heats up the water. With so many elements, the whole appliance is very compact, wisely designed and provides you with hot pleasant shower at the campsite.

• Pros: compact, easy to carry, convenient to use, sturdy.
• Cons: water is not as hot as it states, no adapter, overpriced.
• Item weight: 18.1 lb (8.2 kg)
• Item dimensions: 20.9″ x 10.1″ x 16.7″ (53 x 25.5 x 42.5 cm)
• Price: $229.99 BUY NOW

 

ZODI Hot Tap Travel Shower

There are hundreds of camping tips to help you keep clean but there is a limited number of camp shower facilities that can provide you with constant, hot, comfortable and pleasant shower. ZODI heating station was designed with that idea in mind. You have a box that works as a water reservoir, a pump, a battery that makes it work and a heater. Let's think outdoors, once the appliance is unpacked and installed, you'll get a stable shower of a pleasant temp!

• Pros: easy to carry in a box, multiple uses, versatile, convenient to use, high-quality material, no manual work is required.
• Cons: a bit unstable.
• Item weight: 10.6 lb (4.8 kg)
• Item dimensions: 15.1″ x 11″ x 10.4″ (38 x 28 x 26.5 cm)
• Price: $157.13 BUY NOW

 

Camp Shower Accessories

Now when you have a portable shower and a water heater among your camp gears, you may set off for the trip. Do not be in a hurry, there are still some simple yet very handy accessories you might need to complete your campsite shower impression.

 

WolfWise Pop-up Shower Tent

It is one thing to have shower gear for comfortable bathing at the campground but it's quite another to organize the space for it, especially if you don't plan to take a shower fully clothed. There is no need to hide inside the woods if you have a pop-up shower tent. It does not take much room in a backpack, it is compact and unpacks instantly. Voila, and your shower room is ready! Camp showers are not as wild as you might think, are they?

• Pros: lightweight and portable, pops up instantly, easy to pack, works great, waterproof, open-bottom, has a carrying bag, mesh opening on top for light.
• Cons: no instructions on how to fold it.
• Item weight: 4.4 lb (2 kg)
• Item dimensions: 47.2″ x 47.2″ x 74.8″ (120 x 120 x 190 cm)
• Price: $29.98 BUY NOW

 

Texsport Shower and Shelter

This 2-in-1 set is about to solve your camp shower problems – there is a shower room together with a shower bag in a pack. The system works only when there is a tree nearby, so keep that in mind. Both the bag and shelter should be hung somewhere because there are no poles or a stand for the tent. The shower bag is made of sturdy PVS material of a black color to effectively absorb sunlight. The shelter works great by providing you with little privacy while the shower bad does the rest of the job.

• Pros: portable, easy to fold and unfold, sturdy material, has a carry bag with straps, 5-gallon water bag.
• Cons: requires a stand or a tree to hang.
• Item weight: 4.95 lb (2.25 kg)
• Item dimensions: 4.9″ x 6.2″ x 25.5″ (12.5 x 16 x 65 cm)
• Price: $34.49 BUY NOW

 

ZODI Shower Stand

When it is a shower time and you've already had a chance to sing like a pro with a shower head in hands, it would be nice to place it on a stand. Here is the one designed by ZODI specifically for camp showers. The stand is made of a sturdy material and has some adjustable height positions. The tripod allows you to save time on creating a hand-made version of it. The device is not very convenient for tall people but once you contact the company and explain the problem, they can send you an extension.

• Pros: portable, easy to assemble, has a storage bag, has an adjustable height, provides hands-free showering experience.
• Cons: a bit unstable on an uneven surface.
• Item weight: 2.1 lb (952 g)
• Item dimensions: 1.7″ x 8″ x 12.5″ (4 x 20 x 32 cm)
• Price: $33.41 BUY NOW

 

Now when you have a wide choice of camp showers and know how to make the water warm regardless of its temperature and weather conditions, and have all the necessary shower facilities even when traveling, this is a nice chance to give your new camp gear a check. Though do not forget, regardless how hard you try to bring comfort to your travel life, there can be still some difficulties. Do not take them seriously, just enjoy your trip!