Portable Shower

Submitted: Monday, May 08, 2006 at 16:40
ThreadID: 33685 Views:5867 Replies:9 FollowUps:10
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Was going to post this last week , but looks like I was beaten to the punch. In the lastest 4WD Monthly, a chap named John Harvey shows off his shower, so why all the fuss, I think mine is better.
OK so you should read 4WDM to see what his is like, I dont have enough time to explain his.
So for mine you need some of that " cheap" stuff from you know where ( I buy a lot of stuff there) One shower kit, $29.99 pump, shower rose, switch and cig plug/ one 10 litre gal bucket $8.00/ one portable stove $20.00/ one jump start pack $70.00. Heat your water to desired temp, place pump in bucket plug cig into power pack and presto warm shower. Now except for the show kit I use the other item for some thing else, so basically for $30 I have a portable shower.
One thing with his is you have to light a fire.
Yes I use the gal bucket on the stove, dont boil it may melt the solder.
We have a shower tent and a floor, but this you can still have with out taking up a lot of room in you truck.
Cheers Bruce.
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Reply By: Rick (S.A.) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 17:25

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 17:25
Sounds good.
Not sure what you mean by "one jump start pack $ 70" - is this a battery/power pack of some sort?
As we know, a picture is worth a thousand words.........got any pics?

Cheers
AnswerID: 171541

Follow Up By: Member - Bruce and Anne - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 17:36

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 17:36
Sorry forgot to take them last time we had it set up, a 600/900 Peak Power Jump Starter from Super Cheap will do the job. I then use it to run lights in the camper trailer. The shower unit comes in a neat yellow bag, find them near the campering gear. Will put it together tomorrow and take a photo.
Cheers Bruce.
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Reply By: ZUKSCOOTERX90(QLD-MEMBER) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 18:10

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 18:10
G'day Bruce, i have the same sort of set up . Have to bloody quick though to get wet turn off lather up then hose off soap not much water left ,then when time to wash hair have to be even quicker ,it is only a matter of getting used to the transformation from home to camping . Cheer's Bob.
AnswerID: 171552

Follow Up By: Member - Bruce and Anne - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:08

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:08
Hi Bob thats something you have to get use to.
Get to me you in Imbil in a couple of weeks should be a great weekend.
Cheers Bruce
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Reply By: Stuart - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:22

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:22
Hi Bob,
we do the same but run the power off the car. Used to boil the billy and add it to 12-15 ltrs of water to shower 2 adults & kid. Last time we just hung a 10ltr galv bucket over the fire in the arvo and had enough hot water for showers for 3 families. My wife has long hair so I help her wash it in 2 containers, 1 for washing and 1 for rinsing then she has her shower. This works extremely well for her. We also found that having one person standing outside opperating the shower while the other washes saves a lot of water and is a lot more fun.
Just thought I would add my bit. Cheers.
AnswerID: 171567

Follow Up By: Member - bushfix - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:36

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:36
more fun than both persons inside the shower?.....

ok, i'll take your word for it......:)

btw for all of you at home who have not tried it, a beer in the shower is something mighty

back to the kangaroo roast......

but yeah, good on you Stuart, i like your style, pragmatically and towards your wife.
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:33

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 19:33
I guess everybody has a different solution.

My $29 Coleman shower unit serves us well. No need to plug in to anything as it takes 4 "D" Cell batteries to run the pump.

And we don't run out of water either.
I heat the water in the camp oven, or via the kettle on a gas ring, or both.
Mix the hot water with cold to the desired temperature in a 40 litre "crab bucket" container which is big enough to stand in.
Being a good guy, my wife has first shower and the water is still hot enough for me to "double dip". Plenty hygienic enough for us and we use far less water.

The shower unit takes up very little room and the container is used for storage in the camper trailer.

Works for us.

When I get lazy and can justify the investment, I will probably buy the Coleman Hot Water Unit which also comes with a shower attachment, but that's about as sophisticated as we'll get.
Bill


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AnswerID: 171569

Follow Up By: ZUKSCOOTERX90(QLD-MEMBER) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:14

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:14
Sandman i would be a bit worried about using crab bucket they hurt when they bite,cheer's bob.
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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 16:35

Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 16:35
Ahahahahahah!

Actually Bob, the Blue Swimmer Crabs down south don't hurt nearly as much as your Mud Crabs would.

Had a magnificent Chilli Mud Crab when I was in Port Douglas last year.

YUM!!!
Bill


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Reply By: ellen m - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:06

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:06
Hi all

I'm happy with my canvas bucket, shower rose, toggle tap and length of rope. Does the trick for us and takes up very little space. We boil a small saucepan and add to 3/4 full shower and its plenty of water for two. (especially if we shower together ! )

Ellen
Ellen

AnswerID: 171583

Reply By: ZUKSCOOTERX90(QLD-MEMBER) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:17

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:17
Hi Bruce yes it will be good to meet up wiht you in a couple of week's, do you realy know what your'e letting yourselves into Lol,Bob.
AnswerID: 171586

Follow Up By: Member - Bruce and Anne - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:43

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:43
Looks like being a good weekend Bob hope I have the stamina to keep up with you guys ha ha take care
Cheers bruce
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Reply By: Big Kidz (Andrew & Jen) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:24

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:24
We have a Twine - five of us showering means we use heaps of water and I am happy with the Twine. I don't think that it would be practical to shower a family in a bucket unless we recycled water and the kids are not that keen on that coz I pee in the shower...
AnswerID: 171592

Reply By: stano - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:31

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 20:31
20 litre metal jerry of water heated beside fire during dinner or left out in the sun. Place in back of wagon. Connect up the Tanami pump connected to a length of garden hose which, in turn, has a garden sprayer connected to the end. A clamp to attaches the spray/shower head to a nearby branch and you have a shower with good flow which lasts at least 3 and a half minutes. Off to bed nice and clean. Plenty of water in 20 litre jery for 2 showers if you interrupt the flow while you soap up. Total cost about $110 and the pump has the further advantage of saving your back when refuelling. Brilliant!
Stano.
AnswerID: 171595

Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 21:45

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 21:45
5 litre garden sprayer from Bunnings for us. Heat up billy, add 2 billies of cold, and theres enoubh for 2 showers. Great in the desert. Oh and we don't use a battery :-)))
AnswerID: 171623

Follow Up By: Member - Ray - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 21:58

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 21:58
Beat me to it Phil. We have the same and if two people can't shower using 9ltrs they are wasting water.
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Follow Up By: stano - Monday, May 08, 2006 at 22:44

Monday, May 08, 2006 at 22:44
Gosh if you want to save water you can miss a shower altogether!
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Follow Up By: Member - Pedro the One (QLD) - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 00:57

Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 00:57
Can't really believe this ..........just took stock of my inventory and found ............wait for it

I have 6 (yes, really 6) different showering systems !!!

1.... my original 20l Solar Shower (cost $14)

2 .... 2.4m x 150mm PVC WaterTube on Troopy rack, with garden hose/connection to tap on tube ... old domestic shower rose jammed in other end (cost zilch .... all recycled !)

3 .... Nallys crate and small marine bilge pump using same hose from above and a billy of hot water mixed with cold and recycled as req'd ! (cost zilch ... all recycled !)

4.... 25 litre Canvas Bucket (from INFRONT $40?) in the mail !!!

5 .... RN Dhobi ... (concept stolen from the British Navy.)
Baby powder (Lavender, in my case .... English Gardenia for SHMBO!) applied liberally to all areas where limbs are attached to body !!

6 .... NOP (or Naturally Occurring Precipitation) ... known colloquially as rain!

System used is decided by the age/sex/relationships of fellow campers/campees ?

Ain't nothin' better than going to sleep clean and sweet ???



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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 12:12

Tuesday, May 09, 2006 at 12:12
Ray, we find 3-4 litres is all we need for 2 people. Left over water is left in the sprayer for next time.

stan, Even the miners had a shower before coming up to teh surface :-)) I find my own BO is too much to handle!

Pedro, I know the feeling - I ditched the old solar showers at last years roadside collection; I had an esky I put on teh roof for gravity - its now an esky again; still have the bilge pump and a couple of the cheap electric pumps that have been repaired. I find if I don't use them they last longer.... hehehe And I had an under-bonnet heat exchanger that I gave away because its too much hassle to run the motor.
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