Top Camping Shower Recommendations

Wednesday, November 22, 2023 By marouane

After a day of trekking, nothing beats a good shower to feel fresh and revitalized. With so many options out there, finding the right one can be overwhelming. That’s why I’ve dug deep to find the best showers in different categories, ones that might just suit your needs perfectly. Whether you want something easy to carry or highly practical, this review is here to guide you in choosing the perfect camping shower for your adventures.

★ Best for Strong Water Pressure

Nemo Helio Pressure Shower

Portability

confort

Practicality

Affordability

Pros

Lightweight and easy to carry outdoors.
Provides 5-7 minutes of robust continuous spray.
Suitable for various tasks beyond showering.
Comfortable overhead use with a 7-foot hose.
Warms water with sunlight
Flexibile and Precise

Cons

Not suitable for backpacking, more for car camping.
Requires practice for optimal use.
Small sprayer and slippery pump may pose issues.
Requires constant hand operation.
pricey.

The Nemo Helio Pressure Shower is a lightweight, portable option that operates via a foot pump system, pressurizing water from a 2.9-gallon tank. Its 7-foot hose allows for comfortable overhead use, suitable even for taller individuals. Beyond showering, it’s handy for washing dishes, cleaning gear, and bathing pets. To heat water, direct sunlight gradually warms the tank, but it can also be filled with hot water.

While the foot pump surprisingly provides strong pressure for 5-7 minutes of continuous spray, mastering the pump system may take some practice. A unique feature is that water continues to flow from the sprayer even when not pumping, a convenience compared to other options like hang bag showers. Its design—lying on four small legs—offers flexibility and precision.

However, it’s not ideal for backpacking due to its bulkiness, more suitable for car camping. Despite being a good outdoor shower system, it doesn’t match the comfort of a traditional home shower. The small head sprayer, slippery foot pump, and lack of hands-free use might pose challenges. Heating water depends on the initial temperature and sunlight strength, and some users reported limited warming in full summer sun.

Despite its higher price, the Nemo Helio offers versatility superior to hang-on-tree showers, making it a valuable choice for outdoor enthusiasts seeking a more adaptable showering solution.

★ Best Solar Shower

Advanced Elements Summer Shower

Portability

confort

Practicality

Affordability

Pros

Cons

Low water pressure
Becomes weighty when filled
Challenging to fold efficiently

Talking about hanging tree showers, the Summer Shower stands out. The irony? Well, here’s why: it relies on gravity power, requiring a high hanging position. However, it efficiently heats water using solar energy and comes in various sizes, up to 10 gallons. This model holds 5 gallons, typically more than sufficient for most needs.

With its four-layer construction, this shower rapidly warms water through its sunlight-absorbing panels. Additionally, the insulator panel effectively retains the generated heat, ensuring prolonged warmth during showers. This sturdy construction ensures durability even when the shower is filled with water and hanging in place.

This shower offers some nice features, including a small mirror for easy facial cleaning, a pocket for storing toiletries, and a temperature gauge to track water warmth. Also, the large valve allows filling the reservoir easily.

Under direct sunlight, this shower typically reaches around 100°F in roughly three hours. However, achieving this temperature depends on factors like the intensity of the sun, the shower’s positioning, and the amount of water it holds.

The 5-gallon version provides a full 6 minutes of continuous flow, despite a relatively low flow rate. Yet, the pressure remains consistent regardless of the water level, which is a definite plus.

What stands out to me about this shower is its portability despite being slightly heavier due to its multiple-layer construction. It’s compact, making it suitable for backpacks, even though rolling or folding it might be a bit challenging. The reservoir capacity is impressive, and considering its affordability, it offers excellent value for the price.

★ Best for Lightweight Packing

Sea to Summit Pocket Shower

Portability

confort

Practicality

Affordability

Pros

Cons

Slow Heating.
Low pressure.
Small Nozzle Switch.

The Sea to Summit Pocket Shower truly deserves the title of the best portable shower for campers. It conveniently folds into a pocket-sized container, ensuring exceptional portability—ideal for carrying almost anywhere. Despite its compact size, this shower bag offers a 7-minute shower with a 10-liter (2.6-gallon) capacity, which is truly impressive.

Operating on gravity power, it’s easy to fill using a roll-top system. The showerhead attaches directly to the bag’s bottom, eliminating the need for an extended hose. Additionally, it comes with a 20-foot cord for easy hanging.

Made from lightweight yet durable nylon, this shower, resembling a dry bag, allows for higher hanging without any issues. While the black fabric absorbs sunlight to warm the water, it’s not as quick to heat as other solar camping showers. However, adding boiling water can resolve this issue. The water pressure is decent, yet diminishes as the bag’s water level decreases.

The nozzle easily switches on or off for water conservation, although it’s a bit small.
Considering its ultra-portability, the price is affordable. Highly recommended for backpackers looking to save space, Additionaly, when not serving as a shower, this bag functions perfectly as a dry bag.

★ Best Affordable Shower

Ivation Portable Outdoor Shower

Portability

confort

Practicality

Affordability

Pros

lightweight and compact
simple to use
good battery
affordable
Wide headshower with good pressure

Cons

Requires carrying a bucket
Needs pre-boiling water for warmth
Short hose

The Ivation Portable shower represents simplicity and practicality. Using batteries, it efficiently pumps water from sinks or buckets to create a reliable shower stream. Its compact design seamlessly integrates the battery into the pump, offering approximately 1 hour of continuous use with a few hours of charging via USB.

Though the 5.9 feet (1.79m) hose may seem short, particularly for taller individuals, the showerhead’s wide design with evenly spaced holes maintains consistent pressure, ensuring a satisfying shower experience. Activating the shower is as simple as a click of a button on the pump, and the inclusion of attachments like a suction cup holder and an S-shaped hanging hook allows for versatile hanging options, providing hands-free use, even from a tree.

The duration of your shower largely depends on the available water volume in your bucket. According to Ivation, a 2.5-gallon bucket offers around 7 to 8 minutes of showering time. Additionally, the rechargeable pump easily connects to various power sources like laptops or car adapters, and it might even provide a wall plug alternative. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t come with a charging adapter.

Ivation’s lightweight design makes it particularly suitable for backpackers. However, it’s essential to consider carrying a bucket for water supply. Furthermore, this shower doesn’t offer hot water, necessitating the need to pre-boil water. Nevertheless, considering its affordability and robust features, the Ivation Portable shower stands out as an excellent choice for those seeking a cost-effective and reliable shower solution.

★ Best for Car Camper

Geyser System Portable Shower

Portability

confort

Practicality

Affordability

Pros

minimal water usage
convenient access to hot water
Straightforward setup
Great for versatile cleaning tasks

Cons

may not fully replace traditional showers
Requires a running car or a batterie for operation
higher cost

The Geyser System Portable Shower introduces an innovative sponge-based approach, using minimal water (0.8 gallons) for up to 15 minutes of consistent water pressure. Powered by a 12v DC source, compatible with both a car plug and an external battery. it offers two versions—one with internal heating and another without, needing a mix of cold and boiling water for operation.

Setup is relatively easy, supported by provided tutorials. Once activated, the water pump moves water from the chamber through the hose to the sponge. An adjustable valve allows for various pressure settings. The sponge, with sponge/scrub sides, can be detached for a spray nozzle, useful for cleaning dishes or gear.

While it’s an excellent water-conserving shower, it might not fully replace traditional showers due to its adjustable but generally low water pressure, limiting its effectiveness for tasks like washing hair or pets. The version with internal heating heats water in 45 minutes, offering an alternative to solar showers, though at a higher cost.

In terms of durability, the Geyser System appears sturdy overall, but caution is needed with its thin plastic hose during setup.

This system is designed for car campers seeking convenient, portable access to hot water. Additionally, it’s relatively lightweight, enhancing its convenience.

Where I Find the Best Camping Gear:

As someone who loves to scour the internet for the latest and greatest, I’ve done some deep diving to bring you cool camping gear that’ll make your trips unforgettable. I’ve found these gems through Pinterest boards, detailed blogs, and YouTube channels where campers share their personal recommendations.

These are affiliate links, so if you decide to gear up through these, you’ll be supporting my research at no extra cost to you