Camping and getting back in touch with nature is a lot of fun but while some people can survive the dirt and sweat for a few days outdoors, not all people can.
If you are one of those who can’t, you will agree with me that an outdoor camping shower is indispensable. Portable showers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, yet tend to feature a similar design. They often come equipped with a reservoir that’s used to hold water, as well as a hose and shower head that controls water flow.
In addition to providing campers a way to stay clean, camp showers prove themselves to be quite handy in other ways, too. For instance, the same shower you use to rinse off with at the end of the day can be just as useful when it comes to cleaning up pots and pans after meals. With so many different kinds of showers available to help keep you and your gear clean while you’re outside, it can be overwhelming to figure out which one will actually suit your needs best.
That’s why we put together this list of the best camping showers on the market. From showers that mount on your roof rack to ones you can carry in your backpack, we’ve identified the right camping shower for your needs and your wallet that will take your outdoor adventures to the next level. There is a wide array of different models available, so you might find it overwhelming trying to pick the right one.
1) RinseKit Pressurized Portable Shower
“Little did I know when my husband purchased this that we would use it so often! He fills it up with hot water and we leave the Rinse Kit in the car while at the beach. We come back – covered head to toe in sand and it cleans off 2 adults, 2 kids and the surfboard(s).. It has totally saved my car from being cleaned so often! We take it on our camping trips, we even used it when our water was shut off during a home water pipe repair.
The Rinse Kit has a shower attachment that is really high quality and the hose is long enough to hold over your head while standing (on the lid if you want to keep your feet clean!)”
2) NEMO Helio LX camping shower
This is currently out of stock on Amazon.
3) The Simple Shower for camping
It sometimes takes a bit of effort to get the water flowing like a shower but it does work well once you get it going. Much better than straight from a bottle. To get truly soaped up and cleaned off I found that wetting myself with a 2 liter bottle, soaping up and then rinsing with another 2 liter bottle worked OK.
For better results, I had a 5-gallon bucket of water where I refilled my 2-liter bottles. So with a total of 8 liters, I was able to take a real shower in the middle of a campground. I had a portable pop up “shower tent” so as not to scare or scar the children.
4) Summer Shower The Solar Outdoor Shower
Pretty awesome little shower. I’m in the military and brought this to the field, as we spend 10-18+ days outdoors with no other way to bathe other than baby wipes. It’s tough enough that it didn’t break, but I was being awful careful as my last solar shower (different brand) popped after a run in with one of the vicious thorn bushes that populate the west Texas desert.
In temps of 90-100+ degrees, it wasn’t even necessary to put it out in the sun to warm up. I did once for the heck of it, and within an hour it was VERY hot. I think it’d heat up quite well in the 75-85 degree range (direct sunlight), depending on how cold the water is when you put it in the shower.
I wouldn’t fill it all the way for fear of making it more likely to pop. I probably put 1.75-2 gallons in it, and using water efficiently, took a quick shower and had enough water left for 2 more soldiers to use it. This of course, was accomplished by turning the water off and on when needed.
Overall it works very well. Survived several trips to the field, so if you’re just going camping and take care of your gear I highly recommend this for 1-2 people.
5) Geyser Portable Camping Shower
Positives first. I bought the one with the heater. Overall, for what you deliver in size and package, it functions wonderfully. 1 gal of water goes very far as you advertised. However, I’m afraid that’s where the pros end.
For the premium for the heater version of $80, I’m surprised it only heats to 95 degrees. While it’s better than nothing, the fact that it takes close to 45 minutes from tap water to get to 95 degrees is a LONG time. For that price difference, I would recommend buyers just get a jet boil, boil 1-2 liters of water and pour into the room temp water and it would be quicker and overall more versatile. Then the issues of quality control. I work in the product world so craftsmanship and details are things I pay attention to. The first thing that I can’t stop seeing/feeling is that the product isn’t level/flat and rocks! And yes, I have tried many different surfaces and I know they’re all flat. Besides just being an annoyance, for an object that is taller than it is wide, top heavy with water in it, and use in the wild where level surfaces are already a premium, to start off with a rocking product is 100% unacceptable. Coupled with the fact that this costs $325!? Red flag! For this price point, from a vendor/partnership with REI, the consumer expects a premium experience and quality at this price point.
Second QC issue is your manual and dial. Your manual refers to the hose with a “click” dial with 4 flow settings. My dial is definitely not the one pictured. Mine is a variable dial that doesn’t click. Now, I’m not saying there’s an issue with my hose. But it does make me think: “Which is the most recent/correct hose? The one I have or the one in the picture? Am I getting an outdated product or an outdated manual?” Hopefully, just. a manual, but if so, why wouldn’t you update the print?! Anyway, attention to details is what separates a good product from a great product and in this area, you’re lacking and I would encourage you to pay attention to that as you refine your product cause I think it has a lot of potential!!