Shower Awnings

[ThePartyWagon]

Is the Eezi-Awn Cube the Ultimate Shower Enclosure? - Expedition Portal

Eezi-Awn has released their rack mounted shower enclosure for overlanders, providing a large privy area and high quality materials and workmanship.

expeditionportal.com

 

[alia176]

I'm cheap too. I don't like the cost, the weight or the wind drag. One other thing I don't like is having a mud pit right next to the vehicle. So do you stand in a kiddie pool and, if so, then what do you do? I have a cheap pop-up tent located away from the main area of camp.

Are you using a solar shower bag or battery operated pump solution? If solar shower bag, do you hang it on a tree branch that's hanging over your popup shower tent?

 

[kwill]

I've tried several different things over the years (decades?!). Solar bag in a tree, Nemo with a foot pump, partner pouring hot water from the stove over my head.... My current solution is one of the tankless, on-demand water heaters on the side of the trailer but with a long enough hose that I'm several feet away from the trailer and vehicle.

 

[alia176]

I've tried several different things over the years (decades?!). Solar bag in a tree, Nemo with a foot pump, partner pouring hot water from the stove over my head.... My current solution is one of the tankless, on-demand water heaters on the side of the trailer but with a long enough hose that I'm several feet away from the trailer and vehicle.

that's a good solution. Out here in the Southwest, trees are few and far between so the solar shower bags need to hang off the vehicle somehow. That's the route I've been going and it's been working out well. Usually, I'll supplement the water in the bag with a large Jetboil full of hot water to bring up the temp to a comfortable level. Then it's shower on!!

 

[outback97]

We have an inexpensive freestanding popup privacy shelter, it's OK but not great in wind. Something roof mounted would be nice.

I have more often just used the camp shower with no shelter, easy when you're a long ways from anyone else. We have a Nemo pump up shower and it works pretty well, better pressure if you put it on the vehicle roof.

For a ground pad, we have one of these Nemo Clovers and I like it. Unfortunately it looks like they may be discontinued, I can't find any retailers showing it in stock. It's just a silicone pad that folds into 1/4ths and fits in the shower carry bag. It's fairly small but is just big enough to keep you out of the mud.

 

[86scotty]

I'm a big fan of the Nemo Helio and have been using one now for years. Having tried at least 20 different shower setups over the years it is the best, at least for the water part. What's even better than using it is that it eliminates the need for us to have a hot water heater/tank on our rig. We did try propane instant HWH's a couple times but what a disaster. All that effort to get scalded/frozen/scalded/frozen. The Helio is the ticket.

As for the vehicle mounted shelters I just don't see it. It brings puddles and mud right next to your vehicle and you don't have but one place to set it up, which is wherever it is mounted. This is absolutely not ideal for anyone who overlands in mountain country. I may score one open level spot out of 20.

We use an instant set up shelter I got for about $20 on Ebay many years ago and it's still doing awesome. Stake it down on a windy day AWAY from your rig and you have no mess and no smell (from your wife's collection of bottled goo) to attract varmints.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/stansport-pop-up-privacy-shelter?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Shop%7CGeneric%7CAllProducts%7CHigh%7CSSCCatchAll&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzYGGBhCTARIsAHdMTQxAYbMTs4bbubredTMGRRJ4getiVfMYc1m1fl1SCM79JpnOcFOHNN8aAsFTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I also made a roll up mat out of cedar sticks and rope years ago which elevates the Helio and the person showering out of the mud, or the mud you create. We toss it in the closest lake/stream and give it two shakes and it's clean.

 

[alia176]

Agreed, standing in a mud puddle is no bueno. Been using two weather proof floor mats as a shower mat until I got this 3x3 personal mat. Of course, where I camp in the Southwest, a mud puddle hangs around for about half hour then it's gone. I'm able to hang the solar bag about nine feet in the air using the Thule load bars so we can stand up under it and shower like normal people. I have a diy shower enclosure that uses my awning wall for privacy while utilizing two of the Thule load bars. Simple and effective when we are camping around people, otherwise it's nekkid time!

The thought of lakes/streams sounds really nice and a rare luxury out here. In two weeks I'm taking a group to the Devil's kitchen campground in Canyonlands Nat'l park and it'll be the same thing - dry, desert camping with awesome beauty all around.

 

[kwill]

I should add that I take 3-4 plastic floor squares (sauna flooring) to use in the shower "room." They also work great outside a tent or trailer to knock the rough stuff off your shoes.