One of the biggest questions people ask about overlanding is… How do you get a shower? Or do you just get used to the stink?
Let me tell you from personal experience…the last thing you want is to be stuck in a car with three other stinky people on a long road trip. So finding a convenient way to take a shower while overlanding is suuuuuper important.
Don’t worry, it’s not that difficult.
With these top overlanding shower systems, you can take a shower (even a hot water shower) just about anywhere. Let’s start with a quick guide to overland shower systems and what you should look for when selecting your shower for your next trip.
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Table of Contents
Guide to Portable Overland Shower Systems
There are a bunch of different types of portable showers and not all will work for your needs. So here are a few points to keep in mind while choosing.
What Makes the Water Flow?
Gravity: The simplest overland showers work with gravity. Some use hanging bags or some other water reservoir that places the water higher than the showerhead. Can’t get much simpler than that.
But although they’re simple and don’t involve any moving parts, the pressure leaves a lot to be desired.
Electric Pump: These have a small electric pump that runs on its own onboard battery or hooks up to your car’s 12V DC power outlet.
Manual Pump: Instead of relying on battery power, this type of portable shower relies on a manual pump to either pump the water or pressurize a container. Some use a foot pump and others, a hand pump
Pressure: Similar in theory to some of the manual pump showers, these rely on a pressurized tank to provide a stream of water. Depending on the model, you can pressurize them in 3 different ways:
- With the water pressure from a garden hose
- With a bicycle pump
- With a 12V mini compressor
What Makes the Water Hot?
That is…if you want hot water. If you’re fine with a cold-water camp shower, then just skip over this section.
Solar: Stick a black tank or black bag of water in the sun and it’ll get hot. Well…maybe more like lukewarm. But at least it’s not cold. These are best for summer overlanding trips in hot sunny weather.
Electric: These work similar to your home’s electric water, just in a mini version. One disadvantage is that you need to hook them up to your car’s 12V DC power and they can draw a lot of power.
Gas (or other fuel): Gas-powered portable showers use propane or sometimes even diesel fuel to heat water. Most of the small propane-powered versions run off of #1 propane cylinders.
The Camp Stove Method: Having a portable overland shower with an onboard heater is nice. But don’t forget the good ole’ camp stove method.
- Heat up a pot of boiling water on your camp stove or over the fire.
- Add it to some cold water in whatever shower bag or bucket you have.
- Bam! Now you’ve got a hot water shower.
Size and Capacity…How Much Water Do You Need?
Skilled camp bathers can tell you that you can get clean with a surprisingly small amount of water.
- 1.5 to 2 gallons (or 5.6 – 7.5 liters) is the minimum you want to figure for a single camp shower. Any less and well, it’s more of a sponge bath on strategic locations and not a shower.
- 4 to 5 gallons (or 15 – 19 liters) is enough for a generous camp shower.
*For reference, a normal residential shower uses about 2.1 gallons a minute.
How long your water lasts will depend also on the type of shower you have. One with more pressure and a stronger pump will use up the water faster.
To make the water last, here are a few tips.
- Don’t let the water run continuously.
- Get wet, turn the water off, and then lather up.
- Turn the water back on to rinse off.
- To conserve more water, skip the initial getting wet part and just go straight to lathering up with a wet, soapy sponge.
- If you have long hair, use dry shampoo and go a few days between washing it to conserve water.
Construction and Durability
Just like your other overlanding gear, your overland shower should be rugged enough to stand up to some abuse.
If you generally stick to just a few short off-grid camping trips, then you can opt for a cheaper shower setup…maybe even just sticking to wet wipes or a simple bucket and cup setup.
But if you’re planning a weeks-long overlanding trip, you should definitely go with a more reliable and comfortable shower system with some hot water capabilities. There’s nothing like a hot water shower to make you feel like a civilized human being after a long day exploring.
*What’s the difference between overlanding and offroading? Find out in my overlanding vs offroading article!
Versatility
Get a good overland shower system and you’ll be able to use it for more than just bathing. Use it for:
- Cleaning gear off
- Doing dishes
- Washing off your vehicle
*Learn more with my article about overlanding kitchen setups.
A Little Privacy Please
What about privacy while showering? Your best option is a simple privacy tent. (See the section below with 3 great choices.)
Privacy tents come in handy on overlanding trips for more than just showering. You can also use them as a changing room or as a convenient place to put your portable toilet.
*Where are you gonna poop while overlanding Check out my guides:
Top 12 Overlanding Showers for Off-Grid Bathing
Now that you know what you’re looking for, here are 12 of the best overlanding showers.
Keep in mind that these aren’t organized from best to worst or cheapest to most expensive. Consider the features and choose which is best for your overlanding trips.
Nemo Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower
This is definitely one of the best options as far as durability, simplicity, and practicality. It combines the simplicity of a solar shower bag with the practicality of a pressurized shower.
Capacity: 2.9 and 5.8 gallon models (11 and 22 liters)
Flow: Foot pump pressurizes the water tank. May have to pump some while showering to maintain the pressure.
Hot Water: Place the black water tank in the sun to warm up the water. Or fill it with hot water from another source.
Other features:
- Folding design for a small footprint when packed.
- 7-foot hose is long enough for showering, cleaning off gear, or using at your camp sink.
- Combines nicely with the NEMO Heliopolis shelter for a private, hands-free shower.
Check current price.
WaterPORT Self-Pressurized Water Tank for Camp Showers
Capacity: 3.8 gallons (14.3 liters)
Flow: Absorbs water pressure when filled with a pressurized garden hose. You can also add pressure with the built-in pump cap or with a bicycle or portable compressor through the Schrader valve.
Hot Water: It’s a black tank so if it’s in the sun, it’ll absorb some heat and warm up the water.
Other features:
- Multi-spray pattern nozzle (kinda like a normal garden hose nozzle)
- 8-foot coiled hose
- Mount it on a roof rack or on your vehicle’s hitch with the included tow hitch mount
Check current price.
Reliance Products Flow Pro Pressurized Portable Showever
Source: Amazon
Capacity: 2 gallons (7.5 liters)
Flow: Pressurize it with the large pressure handle at the top. 20 pumps = 2 minutes of spray
Hot Water: No onboard hot water. Just fill it up with hot water from another source (like your camp stove.)
Other features:
- Pressure relief valves keeps you from over pressurizing it
- 6-foot hose
- Carry strap
Check current price.
Shower Pouch Full Body Wipes
While not exactly a shower…full body wipes deserve a spot on this list because they are a super-convenient option for staying clean and stretching the time between real showers.
Capacity: Each wipe is 1ft x 2ft. These aren’t your normal wet wipes!
Flow: No flow, just a huge wipe.
Hot Water: No water, so…no hot water.
Other features:
- Size is big enough to clean your entire body from head to toe.
- Adult smell (you won’t smell like a freshly changed baby)
- First ingredient is organic aloe leaf juice
Check current price.
Yakima RoadShower Portable Shower
Source: REI
Capacity: 10 gallons (37.9 liters)
Flow: Pressurize it by filling with a pressurized garden hose or through the Schrader valve with a bike pump or a mini compressor.
Hot Water: It’s painted flat black so it’ll absorb heat from the sun. There’s even a stick-on thermometer so you can tell roughly what the water temperature is.
Other features:
- Attaches to your roof rack
- Conveniently has two water outlets, one on each end
- 81-inch hose
Check current price.
Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower
Capacity: Available in 2.5, 3, and 5 gallon capacities. (9.5, 11.4, & 19 liters)
Flow: Gravity fed. Hang the bag up and take a shower.
Hot Water: The 4-layer design of this solar shower helps trap the sun’s energy and heat water to around 100 degrees (in optimal conditions)
Other features:
- Temperature gauge
- Large filling valve
- Convenient mesh pocket for holding soap
Check current price.
A Bucket
This isn’t a joke…a simple bucket and a cup is the cheapest overlanding shower you can get. And it works surprisingly well.
Capacity: As much as the bucket will hold.
Flow: Fill it with water. Scoop out the water with a cup. Pour it over your head.
Hot Water: Yes! …if you fill it with hot water.
Other features:
- This method actually gives you a lot of control over how much water you use.
- Other than that…it’s just a bucket and a cup.
Check current price. (Better yet…go out to your garage and grab a spare bucket you have lying around.)
Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower
Capacity: No capacity. This is essentially a shower spout for a water bottle. Can’t get much simp;er (or cheaper) than that.
Flow: Gravity. Attach it onto the end of a 2-liter bottle and hold the bottle upside down to get a stream of water.
Hot Water: You’ll have hot water if you fill it with hot water.
Other features:
- Ultra-portable option — just 2 ounces
- Straw inside lets the bottle breathe so you get a steady stream of water
- Can attach to any bottle with normal plastic bottle threads
Check current price.
Mr. Heater BOSS-XB13 Basecamp Battery Operated Shower System
Capacity: No onboard water storage. Place the electric pump in a bucket or other wide-mouth water container.
Flow: Pump runs on D-cell batteries which work for 10+ showers. There are also more powerful versions with rechargeable batteries.
Hot Water: Uses a #1 propane cylinder to heat the water about 35 degrees warmer than its starting temperature.
Other features:
- Filter to keep debris out of the pump
- Anti-scald protection
- Electric ignition
Check current price.
Geyser Systems Portable Shower with Heater
This is a great option if you want to keep your water usage to an absolute minimum!
Capacity: 3 liters (0.8 gallons)
Flow: It has an electric pump and water heater that run off your vehicle’s 12V power or a deep cycle battery.
Hot Water: Yes, but it needs electric from your vehicle’s 12V power supply or a deep cycle battery. You also have the option of filling it with hot water from another source.
Other features:
- Uses a sponge instead of a showerhead to save water.
- Works well for dishes and cleaning gear with a fraction of the water of normal overland showers.
- Other colored sponges are available so you can have one for bathing, one for dishes, one for gear, etc.
- There’s a cheaper one available without the onboard water heater.
Check current price.
Sea to Summit Pocket Shower Black
Capacity: 10 liters (2.7 gallons)
Flow: Gravity-fed and easy to hang thanks to the D-rings and 20-foot cord.
Hot Water: Black bag works as a portable solar shower.
Other features:
- Twist showerhead lets you adjust the flow to use more or less water
- Ultra-portable, weighs just 4.3 ounces, and fits in a small carrying pouch
- Doubles as a dry sack
Check current price.
Coleman 5-Gallon Solar Shower
Capacity: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Flow: Gravity fed.
Hot Water: Solar shower absorbs the sun’s energy. Hot water after a few hours in full sun.
Other features:
- Budget-friendly price
- Heavy-duty heat-locking material traps the sun’s energy
- Strong handle so you can hang it just about anywhere
Check current price.
Best Portable Overlanding Shower Tents
These should be your top options for portable shower privacy.
Overland Vehicle Systems Nomadic Car Side Shower Room
Mount this collapsible shower room to your vehicle’s roof rack and you’ll always have a convenient place to take a shower. Just unfold the frame, roll out the fabric sides and stake them down.
- Velcro straps for holding a shower head from your preferred portable shower system
- 2 internal pouches for holding soap and other toiletries
- Travel cover to keep everything protected while driving
Check the current price.
Nemo Heliopolis
This one’s pretty much the king of freestanding privacy tents. It’s got a 7-foot ceiling and spacious interior for plenty of room to move around while changing or showering. It pairs nicely with the Nemo Helio portable shower for a complete overland shower solution.
- Variety of convenient straps, hooks, and pouches on the inside for toiletries
- Waterproof toilet paper dispenser
- Drainage so water doesn’t pool at your feet
- Can stand up to heavy winds (once it’s staked down)
Check the current price.
Green Elephant Camping Shower Tent
This is a budget-friendly privacy tent that sets up in just a few seconds. But despite its budget-friendly price, it still has some super practical features.
- External towel hook
- Corner stakes and extra guyline tie-downs so you know it’s not going anywhere
- Mesh top with opening for a shower head
Check current price.
Ready for a Shower?
So which overlanding shower is right for you?
The Nemo Helio is one of the best options for most overlanders. With its simple design, there’s little to go wrong while out in the wild. But you also have the convenience of a pressurized system so you don’t have to fuss with hanging a 40-lb bag of water over your head or connecting to your car’s electric.
If you’re looking for something a little more rugged with a larger capacity, go with the Yakima RoadShower. The 10-gallon version gives you enough water for several showers before you have to refill.
And if your budget is your biggest concern, then just stick with a good ole’ hanging solar shower like the Coleman Solar Shower.
Don’t miss my other overlanding articles!
- Top Overlanding Roof Top Tents | Best Rooftop Tents
- 9 of the Coolest Off-Road Teardrop Camper Trailers
- What is Overlanding? Get Ready to Go Overland Camping!
- Solar Eclipse 2024 Kids Printable Activity Pack! - April 8, 2024
- 11 RV Bathroom Makeovers to Inspire You! - April 7, 2024
- 13 Dreamy Hammock Camping Set Up Ideas + Pics - February 22, 2024
