Portable showers

Portable Showers: Why They're a Game-Changer

When you're out there battling the elements, a portable shower lets you wash away the grime, so you're not a walking biohazard by the end of your trip.

After a long day of trekking, paddling, or whatever adventure you're on, a warm shower is a great comfort in the wild.

Human Contact Approved - if you're camping with buddies or your better half, trust me, they'll appreciate you smelling more like a mountain breeze than a sweaty saddle.

Heating: Warm water is a life-saver. Many portable showers opt for simple, solar-powered heating, keeping weight down.

Lightweight and Packable: Your shower should be easy to stow and move on. Just remember to fully allow it to fully air dry as often as possible.

Water Pressure: If it drips like a leaky faucet, don't bother hauling it out with you. You want something with some solid pressure, that allows you to spray off the grime from the trail.

Portable shower reviews

Advanced Elements Summer

This gravity-fed, portable shower harnesses the sun to heat the water and comes in a variety of sizes: 2.5 gallon (9 liters), 3 gallon (11 liters), 5 gallon (19 liters), 10-gallon (38 liters), and a 5-gallon PVC-free model. It has an incredibly useful temperature gauge, wide handle and large filling valve with a twist-off cap. Beware: the higher the capacity, the heavier the bag will be. You still have to lift and hang it above your head. We review the 3 gallon (11 liter) here.

This roll-up shower is durable. It withstands rough outdoor use well since you're putting it outside to heat up. Velcro secures the shower head to the bag. The smaller sizes are fairly leak-proof and the weight doesn't seem to tear off the handles, like the 5-gallon. In sunny climates, the water gets dangerously hot! The last thing you want to do is burn yourself. In other climates, squish the air out the bag before putting it outside so only water is heated. Check the Fahrenheit temperature gauge before using.

The 3-gallon (11-liter) Summer shower's dimensions are 18L x 6W x 2H inches (46L x 15W x 5H cm) and weighs 1 pound (454 grams). This size full of water weighs about 25 pounds (11 kg), which is about as heavy as you want to heave high overhead. You might need help lifting the 5 gallon shower, which weighs about 42 pounds or 19 kg. The 3-gallon is great for a 1-person shower or a teen-aged girl to wash her hair, or 2 people to conservatively shower.

The fill valve is large with a twist-off cap that rarely leaks. A wide handle makes the shower easy to transport full, especially if you're moving it several times to keep it in the sun. The stiff, plastic hose may come poorly shipped in the box and have a crinkle in it. Usually, the shower still works. The on/off nozzle is where most leaks develop. We tested ours out of the box by hanging it in the bathtub. The first one leaked from the nozzle until empty. The replacement's nozzle was plugged or faulty and we had no shower at all. Third one worked like a charm.

The water pressure remains decent right until the end. If your hands are soapy, it is difficult to get the shower head closed quickly to save water. A mirror and a mesh toiletry pouch are nice touches.

The shower absolutely needs to be cleaned out with a tablespoon of baking soda and warm water before using in the field. Or even dishwashing detergent to get out slimy water. Drying the shower is a pain. Lug it home, stuff in most of a small rag and carefully squish it around with a wooden spoon handle. Hang it to dry to prevent mold. These showers last if you're careful how you store them.

The Advanced Elements Summer Shower is user-friendly with a large filler valve, on/off nozzle and simple hanging system. It's durable and a little bulky to pack in, but it sure beats a cold shower in camp.

See Amazon.com for all sizes

Nemo Helio Portable Pressure

This folding, inflatable shower rests on the ground and utilizes a foot pump to produce pressure. Water pressure is sufficient for rinsing off and cleaning. It comes in 11 liters (2.9 gallons), which delivers 5-7 minutes of steady water pressure, or 22 liters (5.8 gallons), which delivers 7-10 minutes of steady water pressure. Test it at home before you go to get the hang of it.

The Helio is durable and withstands outdoor conditions during camping trips. It can be filled anywhere. Set a full tank in the sun for a lukewarm shower at the end of the day or fill it directly with hot water. Folded, the shower is lightweight and compact. A drawstring stuff sack stows the tank, 7-foot (213 cm) hose, shower nozzle, and pump.

The 11-liter Helio's packed dimensions are 5.5H x 8.5D inches (14H x 22D cm) and full of water, 9H x 17D inches (24H x 42D cm). Packed weight is 1 pound 5 ounces (605 grams).

The 22-liter Helio's packed dimensions are 6.5H x 10.5D inches (16H x 26D cm) and full of water, 10H x 23D inches (26H x 58D cm). Packed weight is 2 pounds (905 grams).

The tank is hard to fill by yourself. The fill plug is buried in a tight pocket. The Helio is a floppy bag of water with little feet that don't support it's weight until the bag is pressurized. This makes it more difficult to fill, and more difficult to transport with water inside. Then, when tank is filled, the plug is near impossible to close. If it doesn't close, you get crappy water pressure.

The shower head hose connects at the bottom. It can randomly pop out, dumping all the water and pressure, or leak. If you are planning to transport a full tank in your car, don't. A sheath holds down the handle to get the spray head to flow. A full shower can be tedious: pumping the foot pump while also holding the spray-head handle and soaping yourself. The spray head dropped in the dirt every time we tried to rest it on something to use two hands to soap or shampoo hair.

Practice using the foot pump. First, build pressure. Then, occasionally pump for continuous spray. The tank can't over-inflate. If you're traveling with youngsters, you'll have to help with the foot pump. Don't expect enough pressure for a full-flow shower like at home. The Helio does a decent job when you're out in the middle of nowhere and want a luxury.

Set the tank in the sun for a lukewarm shower. Those in hot, sunny climates have no problem warming the tank by leaving it out in the sun. Everyone else in the world finds the water lukewarm at best.

Because of its horizontal form, there is no drain on the bottom of the tank. Water remains trapped inside and stagnates. The plug is too small to insert a towel. It will eventually dry out. Pack it down, lug it back home, hang it out to dry a few days before storing.

Nemo's Helio Portable Pressure camp shower is small, solidly built, easy to pack, and provides good pressure when you get the hang of it. When you're looking for a luxury after a day in camp, it's a treat.

Check out Amazon.com

Ivation Portable Outdoor

This rechargeable, battery-powered portable shower gets your camping-unenthusiastic kids and spouse into the outdoors with you. It requires a tall bucket and your own heating source for the water. You get a gentle, steady, shower-like stream of water at 0.66 gallons (2.5 liters) per minute.

Using a 2.5 gallon (9 liter) bucket, you get approximately 7-8 minutes of use. Use a 5 gallon (19 liter) bucket and get approximately a 10-minute shower. Time to both soap up and rinse off your body, and wet, wash and rinse your hair. It comes with a 5 foot 9 inch (175 cm) hose, an S-hook and suction cup for hands-free showering.

The Ivation Portable is compact and easy to transport. It's dimensions are 4.3L x 3.3W x 2.8H inches (11L x 8W x 7H cm) and it weighs 1.9 pounds (861 grams). From pump to showerhead, the unit is 6 foot 5 inches (196 cm). Make sure your bucket/water source is tall rather than wide. You need 2-3 quarts (1.9 - 2.8 liters) just to cover the pump so it operates.

A rechargeable 2200mAh lithium battery provides up to 60 minutes of use on a single 2-5 hour charge. A USB cable or wall plug comes with the unit. The USB cable is compatible with your laptop or computer, ONLY a 5-volt phone charger, and a 12-volt car adapter. A battery level indicator tells you how much battery life you have left.

The on/off switch is easy to use, except it's on the pump. It's under a strong plastic cap. You pull off the cap to reach the push button switch. That means bending down and lifting the pump out the water OR putting the showerhead into the bucket to conserve water while you soap up and scrub.

Since you heat your own water, put a black garbage bag over your bucket in strong sunlight for a lukewarm late-afternoon shower. Or heat water on your camp stove and add it to cold. Just don't burn yourself!

The lithium battery may stop recharging. It is hardwired and not replaceable. The instructions say "recharge battery at least once every three months" but who does that? The pump may stop working for no reason. It seems to conk out the second time you use the shower, a month later or a couple of years later. The hose may leak at the joints. A little plumber's tape usually fixes this.

The shower’s "active built-in filtration feature" is a sponge, by the way. It keeps out large dirt particles.

We clean ours by running vinegar water through at home after each trip.

For an almost-like-home shower feel, the extra weight of the Ivation Portable Outdoor shower is well worth it. Hands free and easy to use give you happy campers.

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