Shower Shelter

Sometimes there is never a good place to hang my shower shelter.

So I made one.

I used 2 half inch square stock tack welded together, it just happens to fit perfectly into my Thule rack. Then I drilled a small hole on the end cap so a bicycle shifter cable slips through, then used epoxy to affix the cable to the 1/2" stock. So, when I pull off the endcap the rod will pull out.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2617613000093498191TUltxf

What curtain are you using? Custom?

It came with my solar shower, but, I am now using a stainless steel, bug sprayer can, with a shower head from Zodi. Zodi sells their Extreme Shower for $120. I built mine for $40. $30 for the can and Zodi sells the shower head for $10.

$120 for this!?>>>> http://www.zodi.com/web-content/Consumer/zodiextremeshower.html All it is a bug sprayer with a showerhead. I use my campstove to heat up the water, or lay it in the sun.

I have seen the shelter sold seperately. Under $30.

I don't want to have to worry about batteries or pumps, they just add weight and take up space.

Well, the Zodi shower head came apart in my hands...I tend to break things. (whoops!)

So I made it heavy duty, added a simple ball valve and garden hose "shower head". I added the extra valve, because the valve on the garden attachment wouldn't hold the pressure.

Works even better now.

http://community.webshots.com/slideshow?ID=556061972&key=pcVWch

Cool, I will keep my eyes peeled for a curain like that. Cabela's, etc have the stand-alone style enclosures, but I'm looking for something I can hook onto my rollcage or hardtop.

For the shower I'm using a Helton Heat Exchanger setup:

Have you tried an Army Surplus store? We have one here that sells camping equipment too. I was in there yesterday and saw a shelter for $30.

I was going to go the heat exchanger route...maybe in the future...

My little 6V shower pump just gave up, so I am looking for a new shower solution. I've heard good things about the Zodi and it seems to be a simple setup, i.e., not many parts to fail.
Do you have any info on what tank/parts you used for your home build version?

Kermit said:

It came with my solar shower, but, I am now using a stainless steel, bug sprayer can, with a shower head from Zodi. Zodi sells their Extreme Shower for $120. I built mine for $40. $30 for the can and Zodi sells the shower head for $10.

$120 for this!?>>>> http://www.zodi.com/web-content/Consumer/zodiextremeshower.html All it is a bug sprayer with a showerhead. I use my campstove to heat up the water, or lay it in the sun.

I have seen the shelter sold seperately. Under $20.

I don't want to have to worry about batteries or pumps, they just add weight and take up space.

Click to expand...

You can buy everything at a hardware store. I already had a camp stove. I can get 3-4 minutes with the current shower head, I may be able to up the time, with a lower flow one.

Stainless Pump sprayer: $30

What is below is what I did to replace the broken Zodi showerhead.

High pressure 3/8" I.D. hose: 8' @ $0.60 a foot

Ball valve: $2.50

Brass garden hose adapter to 3/8" hose: $1.49

Shower head (of your choice) mine was: $3.99

Hose clamps: $3-4.00 (I bought a box of them)

Total $46.78

AZ Tax $3.78

Grand total $50.56

Click for bigger picture


If you look at the Zodi and mine, they are awfully close.

Kermit, thanks for the quick response.

I think I'll look into this little project right this weekend.

Hey, no problem.

Once I had all of the parts it only took 10 minutes (if that) to plumb everything together.

You might be able to use the hose the sprayer came with, I wanted a longer one, so that is why I went the route I did.

Now, if you are really motivated you could plumb in a fitting for an airline from your onboard air compressor (which I am sure you have one ) so you wouldn't have to "hand pump" it...

Kermit said:

...
Now, if you are really motivated you could plumb in a fitting for an airline from your onboard air compressor (which I am sure you have one ) so you wouldn't have to "hand pump" it...

Click to expand...

Nah, I like the idea of keeping things simple. So I'll see first how bad that hand pumping is.

How long have you had your's, i.e., how often have you used/heated it?

I just made it last weekend.

It has bean heated 5 times so far, to boiling once. I would also pressurize it after heating.

I have to pump it twice for one shower, testing at home before I use it in the field. Works so much better than my solar, plus I am guaranteed I will have hot water. I have taken enough cold showers in the past to be well over that.

Oh, one more thing, mine has a metal siphon tube, I noticed some had plastic siphons, which I would fear those would melt when heating on the stove.

Kermit said:

I just made it last weekend.

It has bean heated 5 times so far, to boiling once. I would also pressurize it after heating.

I have to pump it twice for one shower, testing at home before I use it in the field. Works so much better than my solar, plus I am guaranteed I will have hot water. I have taken enough cold showers in the past to be well over that.

Oh, one more thing, mine has a metal siphon tube, I noticed some had plastic siphons, which I would fear those would melt when heating on the stove.

Click to expand...

Looks like I got the same brand tank as yours, only mine was $39 (CA premium?) and the tube siphon tube is plastic. I'm not sure I am too concerned about the plactic part since I don't intent to take too many showers with boiling water. If it becomes a problem I may have to look into mods

For the first tests (including a first field test) I'll be using the hose and shower head from our 6V shower. The shower has a flow regulator. It does leak when in the closed position, so I may need to add a valve eventually.

From a couple of pumping tests just performed I also think I'll have to pressurize it twice, particularly if I want to stand up and the tank is on the ground. Takes a lot of pressure to pump water up to 7ft

My wife is very excited about this. It should make for more convenient warm showers than our existing setup.

Now where can I get one of those little stick on thermometers? I noticed the Zodi I was shown had a little thermometer glued to the side.

whitethaiger said:

Takes a lot of pressure to pump water up to 7ft

Click to expand...

:xxrotflma

Man, you weren't kidding when you said you were "going to look into a shower next weekend." Nice Uwe - so how many gallons do those tanks hold?

Kermit - roughly how long does it take to heat up a full container? Are you heating the water in the container on a stove or are you heating the water in smaller pots and transfering it to the can?

This is such a simple solution for showering that I may have to seriously look into this myself...

whitethaiger said:

Now where can I get one of those little stick on thermometers? I noticed the Zodi I was shown had a little thermometer glued to the side.

Click to expand...

I wonder if you could use a terrarium thermomter commonly used in the reptile world.

Where did you pick up your tank Uwe? I have not looked yet at the home improvement stores, I need to do that. Excellent thread Kermit. :victory: