Camp Showers

In this post we're not talking about unexpected drizzle that dampens your picnic.  We're talking about comfortable methods of personal hygiene while camping.

For many years, camp showers were a luxury available only to owners of self-contained RVs or people staying in developed campgrounds with full service restrooms.   Some forest service campgrounds provided rudimentary facilities, but they were often shunned by potential users due to cleanliness, privacy concerns, cold water, and fear of disease.  These days there are many alternatives for tent campers and owners of RVs with limited facilities so they're not dependent on campground facilities.

Campground showers for many years had very bad reputation.  They were often fairly primitive, poorly maintained, and sometimes lacked privacy.  This was especially true in remote facilities.  Most modern RV parks offer clean, comfortable, private, and secure showers.  You won't always find showers at forest service and other primitive campgrounds.  Some RVers like to bring along portable shower grate for added safety and sanitation.  These are usually made of wood or bamboo.  They are light weight and easy to clean.  They prevent slipping and keep your feet off the floor someone else might have recently contaminated in community showers.  IF you're worried about picking up a disease from the shower floor, wash your feet again when you get back to your camp and apply some anti-fungal foot spray or rub them with hand sanitizer.

Showering in your RV is very much like showering at home -- except you want to limit your use of water -- and you might have to duck your head and keep your elbows pulled in tight to avoid bumping your funny bone.  Remember, unless you're connected to campground water and sewers, your water supply and holding tank capacity is limited.  To begin with, don't waste the cold water that comes out waiting for the hot water to get there -- collect it in a jug or dishpan for future use rinsing dishes etc.  The hot water heater in most RVs is much smaller than the one at home so you'll quickly run out of hot water -- and waste propane -- if you let the water run needlessly or take extra long showers.  You want to take what is called "Navy showers" (ships at sea have some of the same limitations as RVs).  Turn on the shower to rinse and wet your body.   Then turn it off while you soap and scrub.  Then turn it on again to rinse away the soap.  Don't let the water run any longer than is necessary.   This is also true for washing your hands or brushing your teeth.   Many RV showers have a shutoff built in to the shower head.  This allows you to turn the water on and off without having to readjust the temperature each time.  If your shower doesn't have a shutoff, one can usually be added fairly easily and inexpensively.  You can conserve water and avoid needless filling holding tanks by running the water into a plastic dishpan or a jug while waiting for the hot water.  This water can then be used for pre-rinsing dishes, cleaning tasks, or dousing the fire.  One of my dirt biking buddies solved the problem of his teen age kids using up all the water showering and shampooing their hair every day in the desert.  He allocated each of them 2 or 3 gallon jugs of water for each trip and let them use it however they wanted: all at once or rationed for the trip.  If they tried to use the water in the shower instead of using their jugs, he shut off the pump.  If your RV happens to have an on demand tankless water heater you won't have to worry about running out of hot water prematurely but you still want to conserve water to avoid filling your holding tanks and minimize propane usage.

Sun showers are an easy, inexpensive way to have a comfortable shower anywhere.  The system consists of a large, heavy duty black plastic bag and a hose and shower head.  You simply fill the bag with water and let it lie out in the sun until the water reaches the desired temperature.   Hang the bag on a convenient tree branch or any other sturdy overhead structure.  A portable shower enclosure can be used for privacy.  Sun showers are a good option for tent campers or if your RV is doesn't have a bath or shower.  Many RVers with fully self-contained units use sun showers to conserve propane, limit water use, and avoid filling their holding tanks.  In a pinch you could use your hydration pack as a mini sun shower but I wouldn't want to contaminate my drinking water pack with non-potable water or use up my drinking water just to take a shower.

Portable hot water systems are available too.  They are usually powered by the same small propane cylinders you use for your lantern and camp stove but could run off larger propane tanks if you have the means to transport them and have the right hoses and adapters.   They are quite a bit more expensive than sun showers, but you can use them anytime, day or night, rain or shine, without the need for sunlight to warm the water.   They can also provide hot water for doing dishes and other tasks. You won't want to take these with you hiking or backpacking, but they are a nice addition for car camping, base camps. and small RVs that don't have a shower.

Shower enclosures are available to go with portable hot water systems and sun showers to provide privacy when showering outdoors.  These are usually free standing stalls like little roofless tents about 3' square.  You might also use them with the outdoor showers on some RVs.  Some are designed to hang from a tree or other overhead structure; some are free standing.  Be sure you know which style you want before you buy.

Cat baths are an alternative to showering and will conserve water.   You can usually do a pretty good job of cleaning your body with a small basin of water and a wash cloth.  It isn't as refreshing or as thorough as a shower, but it will help keep you healthy and smelling better.  Cat baths can be done just about anywhere, even hiking or backpacking and are simple solutions for people in tents or campers with limited facilities.  You can have a pretty comfortable cat bath with just a pan full of water heated on your campfire.   Cat baths may even be an options in survival mode.

Air showers.  Your showering options when hiking or backpacking or in survival mode will be limited.  If you're lucky you may be able to occasionally bathe in a lake, spring, or stream along the way.  Lacking a water source for bathing, plan on taking an "air shower" or smoke shower at least very day or so.  Remove as much clothing as privacy permits.  Hang your clothing out so it can air out and dry any accumulated perspiration while you let the air and sun purge your skin of unwanted moisture and bacteria.   It won't be as cleansing or comforting as a real shower, but it will help to keep you healthier and more comfortable than staying in the same soiled clothing for days on end.  A variation of an air shower suggested by some survival experts is a "smoke shower".  Allow smoke from you campfire in under your clothing to help dry up sweat and kill bacteria that cause odor and may cause disease.  Sagebrush, common in many parts of the western United States, is particularly useful for smoke showers since sagebrush smoke contains anti-bacterial agents and has a pleasant fragrance.

Tent campers may be able to avail themselves of hot showers at local RV parks.  Some sell showers to non-guests.  Don't expect to use them for free or to piggy-back on a friend's RV reservation.  When that happens, parks often withdraw their services.  After all, the park has to pay for the water and the fuel to heat it and for sewer services as well as recouping the cost of building, maintaining, and servicing the facility and paying taxes on it.  A clean hot shower can be very welcome after a few days roughing it and something your companions will also appreciate.

Keep clean!