Solar Showers

[Wild Thing]

Hi Guys

Are these any good?

I finally persuaded my daughter to come camping with the family, but she does like her comforts and wants to be able to wash her hair every day, so i thought a solar shower may be the answer.

Given that we live in a country that can be very overcast a lot of the time, does the water even get warm if there is no sunshine.

Anybody used one of these and are they worth the money.

Thanks

Phill

 

[Retired Member southey]

Really good IMO, just leave it with the black side up, it will take a while to warm up if it's cloudy, but you can always stick a billy of hot water in, and they wheigh next to nothing, I always take one if i'm staying in one place for a while, beats a top an tail wash!

 

[wingstoo]

I have one of those 12v showers from Maplin, bucket or plastic jerry can of hot water and drop the pump in and a feeling of a "proper" shower, just stand in a small paddling pool when using it.

Maplins apparently have discontinued them, but they are bound to be available elsewhere.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I used one for a while when living in a caravan - in the hot summer months the water was often too hot to be comfortable.

Southey - while they do work black side up, the idea is tha they are laid transparent side up so sunlight passes through and warms the water as it hits the black surface below.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Dormouse]

Solar showers are definitely worth the money/effort - If you can persuade your daughter to wash her hair at the end of the day, you can leave the thing heating up all day. It will work provided it isn't actually cold or raining. If she wants to wash her hair early on in the day, as Southey says, top it up with hot water.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Haha well bugger me you learn something new every day, cheers Ogri tT, now it's hot showers all the way.

 

[Wild Thing]

Thanks Guys

Daughters is a happy disco bunny now she can have a shower while we are away.

I'll have to go off and buy one now.

Cheers

Phill

 

[Large Sack]

Just as a little extra...we use ours family camping as a source of warm water for doing a bit of washing up without having to boil a kettle, it's really quite useful having the little tube and spray.

Cheers

Sack

 

[Tengu]

So whats she doing washing her hair that much?

Any sensible hairdresser will tell you that is the way to damaged hair.

(my hair is the admiration of hairdressers; simply as I do nothing to it)

 

[Wild Thing]

Hi Sack

We were hoping it would be useful for the washing up, nice to know I was on the right track.

Tengu

My daughter is a bit of a fanatic about her hair,almost religious we might say, so the only way to get her camping is to make it as easy on her as we can.

Phill

 

[Hathor]

Hi Phil,

I used a solar shower for years when visitng the in-laws cottage but last week I got a portable shower similar to the one Wingstoo mentioned from here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/12v-Portabl..._2?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1279475303&sr=8-2

It is absolutely excellent.

Jon

 

[trekkingnut]

ive used them regularly on expeds. bit of a pain when there isnt enough sun to warm them up properly, but at the end of the day, its easier to shower with cold water from a shower head then it is with a bucket and a cup....

 

[rapidboy]

I bought one recently just to see what they are like, it was about £3 from Makro and it actually worked quite well.
It ran for about 7 minutes IIRC.

 

[wingstoo]

Has anyone used/seen the camp-shower that uses a blow-lamp as a heat source? I did a post on it a few years back, It's called an Aussiecampshower.

The thread has lost it's pictures now though.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13575&highlight=

 

[Shewie]

She'll be asking where she can plug the straighteners in next Phil

 

[drewdunnrespect]

lol shewie

 

[Laurentius]

I have got a pump up shower, not bothered about the warmth, you can put a kettle of hot water in if you want. Basically it is a bug sprayer with a shower head I got from Homebase, and it has a multitude of uses.