Recommendations Hot Water Camp shower

[hutty]

Looking for recommendations /experience using hot water showers at camp. Looking at something with propane and pump to run water out of bucket

We drive to Wyoming and set up base camp so size/weight isn't an issue.
Used solar showers in the past but if it isn't sunny and warm not much help.
Looked at Zodi but have to say worst customer service and in early July they were out of stock and guess they still are. Website does not allow you to place orders, called several times and no answer.

Anyone use Mr. Heater or Coleman? Pros and Cons

 

[SaltySailor]

Not sure if your heart is set on a system like that, but we have been having great results keeping it simple. We got one of those solar style cheap bags, fill it about a 1/3 of the way full of cold water. Then we take a turkey fryer burner hooked up to a 20lb propane tank, and heat up a big pot of water in less than 5 minutes. Use a funnel to dump hot water into bag, hoist up via a pully in the 'shower shack' and we can get 2 people's worth of comfortable showers out of the process.

 

[MTSasquatch]

Looking for recommendations /experience using hot water showers at camp. Looking at something with propane and pump to run water out of bucket

We drive to Wyoming and set up base camp so size/weight isn't an issue.
Used solar showers in the past but if it isn't sunny and warm not much help.
Looked at Zodi but have to say worst customer service and in early July they were out of stock and guess they still are. Website does not allow you to place orders, called several times and no answer.

Anyone use Mr. Heater or Coleman? Pros and Cons

I poke a hole in a bottle of water and use that. Works fine.

 

[lmeyer]

I picked up a older model Coleman hot water on demand system today. I ll report back once I have some time to play with it

 

[full choke]

I have a Zodi shower deal that we use more for camping, but I have used it at hunting base before. It is essentially a propane stove that you heat a tank of water on. Then you seal it and pump if full of air (basically like a bug/weed sprayer) . It supply's enough hot water for about a five minute shower. It is a bit of work, but it is almost fool proof. The traditional Zodi with the pump seems to not work well. I know two people who had them, and both failed after two or three uses.

 

[Backyard]

I took a 2 gal garden sprayer, hooked a cheap sink sprayer to it with a male/male nipple, & painted it black. I fill it 2/3 full and leave it out in the sun all day. When I want a shower, I boil a pan of water and fill it the rest of the way. I can get at least 2 showers out of it at a time if needed. total cost was about $22.00.

 

[137buck]

I used the Zodi for a few times and the pump quit working, so I went and bought a 12 volt bilge pump, hooked up a 1/2" hose to it, used the Zodi shower head on the other end and added wire onto the battery cables and use alligator clips and hook that onto my camper's battery. I heat up water on my Coleman stove and pour that and some cooler water into a 35 quart cooler and I'm good to go for a long shower.

 

[Scrappy]

I've had this one for years and love it. It could be very easily duplicated with a fish cooker and a steel pump up sprayer. Get a temp gage, 110 is hot.

 

[Truaxdw]

We use this or something very similar at camp in the summer and fall. We don’t use it in the winter because of freezing issues run it off a 5 gallon propane tank and A small pump that cuts in and out on water pressure off a Generator it does a fine job the big concern is water freezing in it it will crack the heat exchanger even if you think you got it all out Let me know if you need more details

 

[MISurveyor]

We also use a solar shower bag and heat water on turkey fryer. Set up in a pop up shower bought years ago at Gander Mountain. A hot shower will recharge the batteries after a week of swamp ass.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Lionhound1975]

I bought a camp shower in South Africa that is a rubberized canvas bucket with an adjustable faucet head underneath, I have never seen anything similar to it here in the US but it is much more rugged than the solar plastic bags by Coleman. You just pour hot water from your stove in with creek water in the bag and then hoist it over a limb and then turn on the faucet head and adjust it to how you like the water flow. The thing is built bullet proof and could be used for months.

 

[Billy Goat]

Built a setup from a gas water pump, turkey fryer, copper pipe and a water wand.

Put the pump in the creek, pump into a copper coil on top of the burner with the pot turned upside down, copper is mated to short garden hose that goes to a water wand tied in a tree. Put up a tarp around it. Endless hot water shower, just start the water before the burner.



You can have big problems if that water ain't moving when you cut the heat on.

 

[hutty]

Lots of McGyver ideas out there. Used solar before but when it 35 degrees and snowing its not an option. We bring a large crab pot with a burner for heating water for our dinners. Can use that option but takes a while to heat and then transfer. Also tried the pressurized bag that they made for boats.

Zodi looks good but is MIA as far as ordering anything on their website or answering the phone.

 

[Whisky]

Have also done the burner/pot method to heat. It does take a while to heat enough water for 3 guys to shower, but better than solar. We transfer the warm water into an old ATV sprayer tank with 12V pump, and use a garden hose/wand hanging from a tree.

 

[GatorGar247]

I bought one of those pop up showers.. I use a crawfish /jet burner and heat a couple gallons of water.. I dump the hot water into a 5 gallon bucket with regular water in it.. I use a 12 volt sprayer pump and garden hose .. My son and I can both shower on about 3.5 or 4 gallons of water.. less if needed.

 

[All American Boy]

I've tried the Coleman, total junk. Working on the one made by Buddy Heater. It's s little better. When that breaks I'll just go back to a pot of water heated on the stove and a bandanna.

 

[lmeyer]

I've tried the Coleman, total junk. Working on the one made by Buddy Heater. It's s little better. When that breaks I'll just go back to a pot of water heated on the stove and a bandanna.

What problems did you have with the Coleman? I picked one of the previous models NIB for 60 bucks so I figured it's worth a try.

 

[All American Boy]

Even with proper charging, the batteries kept failing. Bought new one, lasted a while then nothing. After the second one couldn't even get it to turn on after awhile. Finally pitched it.

 

[Still Hunter]

We take along some 5 gallon buckets, we boil creek water in a large pot and pour into a plastic basin and we do sponge baths. Works fine.

 

[KBC]

We use this or something very similar at camp in the summer and fall. We don’t use it in the winter because of freezing issues run it off a 5 gallon propane tank and A small pump that cuts in and out on water pressure off a Generator it does a fine job the big concern is water freezing in it it will crack the heat exchanger even if you think you got it all out Let me know if you need more details

I got one of these off amazon (different brand but looks identical) I mounted it on a hand truck/dolly/whatever you want to call it with a cheap 12v pump. The 20 lb propane tank sits on the base so you can move the whole thing around. A piece of flexible tubing with a couple feet of copper tube at the end so it sucks from the bottom of your bucket and you are set. I made this for use at our cabin which has 120v so I also put the adapter on to be able to plug it in to that but you can also just plug the 12v pump into a car outlet as well.

It rolls around to do dishes and then to the shower, pretty handy as long as you can fill a bucket with water and have some sort of power for it.