**If you are in a hurry I recommend the Hike Crew Portable Water Heater and Camping Shower as the best portable camping shower for its water heating ability, multiple nozzle spray settings, and 50-minute battery-powered running time.**
When you’re out camping, there are a few essentials that you just can’t go without – like a tent, a sleeping bag, and of course, food.
But one thing that many campers often forget is to bring along a shower! Not only is it nice to have the ability to freshen up after a long day of hiking, but it’s also important for your health.
In this blog post, we will highlight all of the best portable camping showers for outdoor use, what makes them special, and how you can choose the right one when it’s time to buy.
What Makes the Best Portable Camping Shower?
There are already a ton of different portable camping shower options in the market that work with large tents, RVs, or backpacking trips.
Some camping showers use modern technology to provide a luxurious experience with rechargeable batteries and water heating control.
Other camping showers are simple and will turn a water bottle into a body cleaning machine in seconds.
Here are some of the key camping shower qualities to keep in your mind as you’re looking through this list getting ready to buy.
Type of the Best Camping Showers
You’ll be able to find battery-powered camping showers, hand pump showers, foot pump showers, and gravity showers.
Battery-powered showers usually have a built-in rechargeable battery that pumps the water up through the hose and nozzle.
The battery can pump water vertically so you don’t have to use gravity to get the job done.
The hand pump uses the pressure from manual hand pumping to create the water pressure. These usually have a large water container attached.
Foot pumps use the same concept as hand pump camping showers except you can dedicate both hands to clean while still creating water pressure.
Gravity showers don’t have any device installed to create water pressure so you have to keep the water source above you to keep the water running.
Although they don’t work as well as other types of outdoor showers, they are great for backpacking or minimalist camping.
Portability of the Best Outdoor Shower
The best of the best portable camping showers are going to be a bit bulky and will take up some room when packing. They don’t weigh a ton but they won’t be great if you have to hike to your site or are planning on backpacking.
Most other showers are pretty lightweight and convenient to carry around no matter where your site is.
You shouldn’t have any problems taking most of these with you unless you’re doing a pretty long backpacking journey.
Multi-Functionality
The most basic camping outdoor shower just gets the job done while most other showers aim to give you the most bang for your buck.
You’ll see showers that can heat water up to 145 degrees F and others that have a light to use at night with USB compatibility.
The light is useful since you won’t be able to wear your headlamp or hold a flashlight.
Each one is going to offer something unique so you’ll want to keep in mind the style of camping you prefer and how the functionality matches up.
1. Hike Crew Portable Propane Water Heater & Shower Pump
What makes the Hike Crew Shower Pump so dang special is everything you can do with it. It’s the only camping shower that heats your water, has three different spray settings, and runs on a battery.
It’s the closest you’re going to get to have a bit of your home shower with you. It runs for 50 minutes on its own rechargeable battery but you can also plug it into an outlet and it has a car adapter.
This shower pump has its own carrying case so even though it’s a bit bigger than most other camping showers it is still pretty easy to lug around. You can set your own heat up to 142 F so when you want luxury showers in the outdoors, Hike Crew has you covered.
2. Iron Hammer Electric Portable Camping Shower
When portability meets efficiency that’s when you have the Iron hammer Electric Camping Shower. The sleek design allows you to pump water directly through the base so you can stick it in any bucket. It’s small enough to take on any of your camping vacations.
The built-in rechargeable battery makes it easy to use in any environment without needing direct access to an outlet. The Iron Hammer is sleek, modern, and is reliable enough to use in the outdoors.
3. Ivation Portable Battery Powered Outdoor Shower
Light, portable, and reliable, the Ivation Outdoor Shower is a great choice for anyone who isn’t looking to drop hundreds on an advanced system. It’s the type of shower you dip one end into a bucket and let it pump out water from the spray.
It even has a suction cup on the back of the spray nozzle you can attach to glass or a flat wall. The battery is rechargeable and USB compatible so you can use the Ivation Shower in a ton of different situations while camping.
4. KEDSUM Portable Camping Shower
The KEDSUM brand isn’t nearly as big as some of the others on this list but the outdoor shower does have some innovations that help the choice become a lot easier.
It comes with its own charger, two different spray nozzles, and a collapsable bucket. The bucket is the real kicker because you don’t have to waste space with a big ol’ bucket when you’re camping.
5. Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower
The Advanced Elements Summer Shower is a great choice for solo travelers who need something simple that gets the job done.
It has a water temp gauge to easily read how hot things are getting and the front net pocket is convenient to store a couple of bathroom items.
The only way to get hot water is to pour some in or leave it out in the sun so it’s more of a water pump than a water heater.
6. Hike Crew Portable Propane Water Heater & Shower Pump
This is the older version of the Hike Crew portable water heater shower pump so it’s a little cheaper than the number one option on this list. The main reason is that it doesn’t have as many easy to read gauges on the front plate.
That doesn’t mean you don’t need to plug it in because it has an AC/DC adapter and car adapter that you’ll need to use in order to turn it on. It still has a portable travel bag with pockets and is more reliable than a lot of other camping showers.
7. Nemo Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower
The Nemo Helio Camp Shower is different than a lot of others in that it acts as its own water and pump source. It has a large pouch that fills with water and a little foot pump that is attached.
As you use the foot pump it creates pressure through the hose and shoots water out the nozzle. This system is great if you don’t want to rely on tech when you’re in the middle of the outdoors.
8. Reliance Products Flow Pro Pressurized Portable Shower
The Reliance Portable Shower might not be the most aesthetically beautiful option but it does enough for you to rely on in the outdoors. It has a hand pump to create the water pressure and carries two gallons of water.
With about 20 pumps you’ll get to have a couple of minutes of free running water. It’s pretty portable and doesn’t take up any more room than what you see so it’s pretty great for packing too.
9. JAYETEC Portable Outdoor Camping Shower
You won’t recognize JAYETEC as well as other brands on the list but they do a great job of separating themselves from the competition.
It has a rechargeable USB battery that lasts 80 minutes and a small LED light on the bottom so you can light your way at night.
You’ll also get a hook and suction cup so you can put the shower nozzle up high to get the real shower experience.
10. POMO Long Lasting, Resistant, High Pressure
The POMO is about as straightforward as you can get. You’ll get a water container with a hand pump on it to create water pressure. The five-foot-six-inch hose should be long enough for most people but you can always put the water container higher to spray higher.
The five different nozzle settings help to use this water source for a lot of different tasks while you’re out camping.
11. Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower
If you’re looking for the lightest and most portable camping shower possible then the Simple Shower is for you. It couldn’t get more straightforward than a straw and a bottle cap with some holes in it.
All you need is a compatible bottle and you have an instant shower on your hands. You’ll only get as much water as is in the bottle and you’ll always have to hold it, but when you’re in the middle of nowhere it will help you get clean.
12. Coghlan’s Solar Heated Camp Shower
The Coghlan’s Solar Heated Camp Shower looks more like an IV bag than it does a shower but the nozzle on the end really helps create the illusion.
You’d probably rather take this on a backpacking trip than use it for a longer camping trip but it will last and be there for you when you need it.
FAQ
Here are the most frequently asked questions when it comes to portable camping showers.
How long does a 5-gallon shower last?
A normal shower goes through about 2 1/2 gallons of water per minute so a five-gallon shower will last for about two minutes. The larger the water container you use, the longer you’ll be able to sustain running water.
Do solar camping showers work in the cold?
It takes water several hours to heat up in the sun. If the weather conditions are too cold, the water will never fully heat by solar alone and will need some propane to heat the water.
How much water does a camping shower use?
Most of the showers available hold up to 5 gallons which won’t be enough for a very long experience. You can use the shower Intermittently to get it to last 10+ minutes.
How do you shower with the least water?
Time yourself a week ahead of your camping date and see how long it takes you to shower. Try to beat your time by at least five minutes every single day and it will significantly impact the amount of water you need.
The Best Portable Camping Shower
Camping showers can be hard to make it feel natural to clean yourself outdoors but the Hike Crew Propane Water Heater and Camping Shower bring you right back home. The rechargeable battery and water heating control combined with multiple spray options and portable traveling case make it a no brainer.
