Choosing the Right Camping Shower in relation to the Campground

Many of us loathe the idea of not being able to take a shower during a camping trip and the few people who do bring a portable camping shower or any other related pieces of equipment to wash up, will probably end up having a much better time since good hygiene and cleanliness are directly linked to our well-being and mental state.
Not all portable camping showers are created equal so I will talk about some of the available models on the market that are built for different circumstances. On your next camping trip you may be going to a campsite where there won’t be a source of water to hook-up your portable camping shower. It may provide just the bare minimum, meaning the designated area where you’ll camp and that’s it. Some camping showers are designed for these situations. On the flip side, the campsite where you’re going may be equipped with a water hook-up and there are camping showers that can take advantage of this as well.

Texsport Privacy Shelter
This is a great example of a portable camping shower that requires no water hook-ups. It’s very simple as it doesn’t have as many parts and doesn’t carry the weight as some of the high-end models. You can take it deep in the woods, set it up anywhere you want and it is fully independant thanks to the solar shower bag that harnesses the power of the sun to heat the water contained inside; no need to carry heavy heating equipment such as propane tanks. The Texsport Privacy Shelter includes a large 5 gallon shower bag, a shower tent with black polyethylene walls that attract warmth from the sun, a fiberglass pole frame system and durable web straps with quick-release buckle that secure the frame for hanging. One major disadvantage that I find with this model is that you need to hang it somewhere at an acceptable height, like on a tree branch, as there is no self-support system.

Zodi Hot Tap w/Piezo Ignition Single
The Zodi Hot Tap is not a complete camping shower solution because it doesn’t include the shower tent but, then again, many of the camping shower solutions sold on the market require you to purchase the shower tent separately. The Zodi Hot Tap’s sole purpose is to provide the means to heat the water and it does so by using propane which allows water to be heated within seconds. Powered by 4 “D” batteries, the integrated pump provides great water pressure which can be useful to clean dishes as well as taking a shower. Included in the kit are a 4-gallon storage case, a stainless steel burner, a powerful water pump, an 8ft flexible shower hose and a 16.4 oz disposable propane cylinder. It’s a powerful camping shower solution but it doesn’t have the portability of a solar camping shower. The Zodi is more suitable when going car-camping due to its weight.

Portable Tankless Water Heater by Eccotemp Systems
If you mainly camp at campsites where water hook ups are available, it might be a good idea to look into a camping shower solution that can take advantage of that and which doesn’t require you to carry a shower bag or a water container. The portable Tankless Water Heater by Eccotemp Systems does just that. You only need to hook up the hose to a water source and the propane will take care of heating up the water as it flows through the main module where the on/off and temperature adjusting knobs are located. The heated water flows out through the hose and out of the nozzle. This model also includes 2 “D” batteries used to trigger the flames that will burn inside the main module whenever hot water is needed.

Regardless of the type of camping shower that fits the bill, you can be confident that it will be a great addition to your camping gear. It may seem like a luxury item at first but once you’ve gotten used to taking a shower anytime, anywhere , you probably won’t want to go back. I honestly believe that camping showers will become a mainstream product eventually since we’re always looking for ways to improve our comfort level in any situation and the Internet permits us to have access to uncommon products like these which people around the world are becoming accustomed to.