Where/how often do you shower?

[evldave]

I do a wipe daily (sometimes twice), with a shower if I'm travelling through someplace that has showers. Always hated not having a shower on mtn bike days...between the dust or mud and my sweat, it was a pain to get clean!

But just got an eccotemp and will be trying that out this winter. It's a 5 minute setup (I used quick connects), so should work well for after-bike/hike clean-up.

 

[Errant]

Depends on the type of camping I'm doing: Zodi Instant Hot and Cabela's Shelter, solar shower on top of the Disco, or wipes. Once a day, then usually a quick wipe down before bed. As said before, these are amazing:

 

[robert]

I've got a Solar Shower that I use sometimes as well as a Coleman battery powered shower setup ([ame="http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-827b500t-Battery-Powered-Shower/dp/B0009PUT0C"]http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-827b500t-Battery-Powered-Shower/dp/B0009PUT0C[/ame]). Heat some water on the stove, dump it in the collapsing water bucket, drop the pump in the bucket and go to town. It'll hook up to a Coleman water jug too.

I also have a small 1.5 gallon (IIRC) pump sprayer that works well. Dump some hot water in it, pump it it and you're good to go. The handle can be used with or without the wand; used without the wand it's easy to wet yourself down, soap up then have pressurized water to rinse with.

When on foot or if I can't use a shower setup I either heat water and wash face and important parts with a washcloth or use handiwipes. One of the few things I was looking forward to about getting older was not worrying about acne, but I sweat a lot and find I still get it if I don't wash my face well.

 

[Christophe Noel]

Seems once every year or two I see someone down by a pristine stream with a bar of soap launching rafts of bubbles down the creek. That's a major no-no.

 

[evldave]

Seems once every year or two I see someone down by a pristine stream with a bar of soap launching rafts of bubbles down the creek. That's a major no-no.

Agreed for regular soap (even 99.9% pure ivory!). Best bet is camp soap, biodegradeable soap are both ok...you can get 'green' soap that is ok for this purpose. If you aren't gonna use the good stuff and wash like normal, make sure you are 100' or more from teh stream (makes it hard to use a pump), really just use 'green' soap and you're good to go

 

[WJinTRSC]

My Zodiac is hand pump powered, that is the one I reccomend.
Search Cabelas site for Zodiac Hotman Extreme.
I retrofitted a kitchen faucet sprayer to it, and it works very well.

Sorry my Droid picks the words as I type, need to turn off that feature.
Zodi not zodiac.

Does anyone know how the pressure compares between the Extreme Handpump Models and the Battery-powered pump models? I'm really interested in getting one of these, but I'm concerned about a lack of pressure for my g/f's hair and mine as well, which is very thick. Thanks!

I really like the Extreme Model (KISS), plus, I think I could use the burner as a stovetop for cooking as well. :chef::coffeedrink:

 

[Corey]

Does anyone know how the pressure compares between the Extreme Handpump Models and the Battery-powered pump models? I'm really interested in getting one of these, but I'm concerned about a lack of pressure for my g/f's hair and mine as well, which is very thick. Thanks!

I really like the Extreme Model (KISS), plus, I think I could use the burner as a stovetop for cooking as well. :chef::coffeedrink:

Here is the pressure one can expect from the model I have and doing the kitchen sprayer mod to it.

Excuse the dirty white table, there is a big fir tree over it, and also over my rig.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzI-sXNrIFA"]YouTube - Zodi Extreme Series Water Heater/Shower Part II[/ame]

PS, these come in handy too for washing the dishes.
This is why I like to camp near a water source, always have water for a hot shower.

 

[WJinTRSC]

Thanks for the help guys! Please tell me more. I like the pressurized tank idea. I've often considered similar ideas. I still need to heat it as well too and I want to keep it simple. I need something quick and simple that I can use in any weather.

I'll check out the Youtube clips when I get home and it's not blocked. Thanks again!

 

[Christophe Noel]

Agreed for regular soap (even 99.9% pure ivory!). Best bet is camp soap, biodegradeable soap are both ok...you can get 'green' soap that is ok for this purpose. If you aren't gonna use the good stuff and wash like normal, make sure you are 100' or more from teh stream (makes it hard to use a pump), really just use 'green' soap and you're good to go

Biodegradable does not mean safe to put directly in a water source. Washing away from water sources is standard practice regardless of the soap you use.

 

[Blain]

Baby Wipes are the stuff! Great substitute for when you don't have access to a portable shower. And still leave the fresh cleanliness fell after. Put the package in a boiling pot of water prior to using and instant hot shower!

Or ya could take a water bottle shower, if your really feeling the urge. Just have a few extra bottles around.

 

[Corey]

Yes, I use the [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Camp-Suds-Campsuds-Oz-Nalgene/dp/B000LDMQ7G"]CampSuds[/ame], but I never wash in a stream with it.
Amazon, REI, many places carry it.
I get the same 4 oz bottle above with the screw on cap.
I have a 2 oz one with the squirt cap placed in my rig for emergencies, but the 4 oz one is the one in my camping gear.

By the way, this soap replaces:
dish washing soap
shampoo
hand soap
shower soap

It suds up well in cold water just fine.

 

[007]

...
I have a 2 oz one with the squirt cap placed in my rig for emergencies,...

Curious, what type of emergency would warrant a 2 oz bottle of campsuds?

Is it to plug the wound or clean up the crime scene?

 

[Corey]

Curious, what type of emergency would warrant a 2 oz bottle of campsuds?

Is it to plug the wound or clean up the crime scene?

I guess people have no imagination anymore.
Lets say you are out driving somewhere in the woods and you gotta take a crap.
Most people like to wash their hands off after crapping.

Or lets says you are doing a roadside repair, or better yet, picking up trash from the side of the road when out 4wheeling with your buddies, and you get something filthy on them and you want to clean your hands off or your friends want to clean up.

Soap comes in very handy in these type of situations.

Explain what you mean by wound or crime scene, I am very interested, and I am sure others here are too.

 

[Corey]

Man, I use to use that stuff twenty years ago.
Have not bought that in a long time.

 

[Christophe Noel]

www.drbronner.com

cheaper than camp suds, equally biodegradeable, and lets not forget that fresh tingly feeling.

buncha germaphobes

On a mountaineering trip years ago, I got stuck in my tent during a 72 hour storm. I remember passing at least half an hour reading all the weirdness written on my bottle of Dr. Bronners. The Dr. actually is an interesting story himself if you ever care to look it up.