The Best Camping Shower: Our Opinion After 2 Years of Testing
Van lifers, motorhome users, we’ve tested a variety of camping showers. Several in-depth tests on different camping products:
- camping showerhead
- solar shower bag or pressure water bag
- portable water heater for motorhome or van
- camping shower cabin, curtain, or awning
Table of Contents
Our Pick: A Quality Autonomous Portable Shower
The Combeing Spirit
Remember: Transform your utility van into a camper van in minutes (setup, teardown) with a modular and customizable system based on your own preferences. Our priority is to enable you to quickly live your dreams.
So, you’re looking for a way to:
- shower
- do the dishes
- quickly clean your equipment
And all of this without wasting time, without the hassle of connecting wires, hoses, gas bottles, or other bulky equipment to carry.
In short, maximum efficiency after a day of sweating or sports, without the hassle. You want to stay in the Combeing spirit: invest cheaply but with minimal comfort, and truly enjoy life, nature, and your passions.
Our Autonomous Portable Shower
This autonomous portable shower undeniably meets all the criteria:
This portable showerhead charges via USB, is the fastest to use (just unscrew the cap from your water container and dip the pump in, the shower is ready)
Lightweight and without any wiring, as it has a built-in battery with 45-60 minutes of autonomy that you can recharge via USB while on the road.
To get hot water (for the cold-sensitive or in winter), just heat up a pot of water on your stove and pour it into the cold water jerrycan, and you’re good to go.
Our Other Tests: 12V Portable Shower or Mobile Shower
12V Portable Camping Shower
Other alternative models: a 12V portable shower that plugs directly into the car’s cigarette lighter while you shower, with 4 to 5-meter hoses allowing you to shower outside. It has a showerhead at the other end of the hose.
However, you need to stay close to your van (since it does not have a built-in battery).
This camping shower must be plugged into a 12V socket (cigarette lighter) when in use, which requires you to stay near your converted van.
If you don’t have a secondary battery, you’ll need to start the vehicle’s engine because usually, there’s a circuit breaker that protects your main battery when you turn off the vehicle’s engine, which deactivates the 12V sockets.
Reminder: To live in a van, you need about 100 liters of water for 2 people over 4 days.
Mobile Camping Shower
Natural Pressure Solar Shower Bag
These camping shower models are usually PVC bags that you fill with water. They heat up under direct sunlight in about 3 hours to 45°.
The bag is connected to a hose with a small showerhead at the end.
To create pressure, just hang the solar shower bag up high.
Affordable, simple to use, and compact (very practical for hiking), you’ll need to plan ahead and… hope for the sun!
The suspended solar shower is another alternative but depends on the weather; you’ll need to expose it to the sun for several hours before use.
It requires a support to hang it high. That’s why we prefer our autonomous portable shower that doesn’t need to be hung up.
Manual Pressure Mobile Showers
Thanks to a pump system that puts water under pressure, there’s no need to hang your shower up
They also feature a showerhead at the end of the hose.
These solar pressure showers take up little space (great for hiking) and can heat up in the sun:
- Like the Decathlon solar shower, where you need to "pump" with your arm like a bicycle pump to increase the pressure inside the water tank
- Or the Nemo Helio shower, where you need to pump with your foot, just like inflating a camping mattress
While these pressure showers seem clever at first, we found the pumping process more cumbersome than our autonomous showerhead. Also, for hot water, you’ll have to wait several hours in direct sunlight to reach a hot shower temperature. So, it doesn’t fully align with our goal of a quick camping shower.
But they can be a good alternative, like the solar shower bag, for a hiker who wouldn’t have access to electricity for several days.
Camping Shower Cabin
The camping shower cabin or tent can be a good option if you want more privacy.
The Decathlon shower cabin is the quickest; it sets up in 2 seconds and takes 2 minutes to take down. It takes up little space, and you’ll be out of sight for a very affordable price.
You’ll have the cheapest bathroom on the market with this 2-second tent!
The other option is a removable curtain.
Stretched behind your van, on or off a ground mat, you’ll shower out of sight.
It’s especially useful because the curtain can be deployed inside an awning, which could also serve as a quickly assembled annex for additional sleeping space, bike storage or other equipment...
Consider it if you stay several days in a motorhome, but let’s be honest, it takes a bit more time to set up!
Portable Water Heater for Motorhome or Van
If you plan to stay for longer periods and want more comfort without investing in traditional motorhomes or vans because the purchase price, extra costs, and taxes don’t fit within your set budget.
You might consider investing in the comfort of hot water in your converted van.
The desire to disconnect is strong, but it’s not always easy to give up certain comforts we’ve had for many years, like instant access to hot water, in this case.
The Geyser System Portable Shower and Cleaning Kit
With optional electric heating, this shower kit allows for significant water savings (only 3 liters needed per shower).
Attached to a sponge, it can also be used to wash dishes or clean equipment.
This system is great for water conservation and doesn’t require a gas bottle (electric heating via the cigarette lighter), but we found it a bit tricky to set up.
We’ll tell you more in this Geyser System Shower Test. [in progress]
The Gas Water Heater for Van or Motorhome
The Kampa Geyser model will be a great addition to your comfort with nearly instant hot water production.
But make sure to consider the space taken up by the device and gas bottle, and its installation before use.
This type of product isn’t suitable for quick showers but is more ideal if you’re staying for several days by a lake without access to a hot camping shower.
=> We’ll tell you more in this article on motorhome water heaters. [in progress]
But remember, your converted utility van will mainly serve as a place to sleep and transport your food, water, clothes, and possibly sports equipment.
YOU’LL SPEND MOST OF YOUR TIME OUTDOORS, even for eating or cooking. You’ll use your shower much less than you would at home.
From time to time, you’ll go to a campsite to do your dirty laundry and take a more comfortable shower, especially in cold weather.
The camping shower will only be an accessory, and our affordable showerhead will more than meet your needs.
How to Shower in a Van?
To summarize, there are several ways to shower in a van:
- You can buy our choice of autonomous portable and mobile shower.
- The shower bag proves to be a good alternative (especially for hiking)
- Or shower at certain campsites for a reduced rate compared to the price of a pitch.
- Some gas stations and highway rest areas have showers. Access is granted to travelers at very low prices.
- Consider beach showers, which are very practical, or lakes and rivers, while respecting nature.
- Last resort: a washcloth or wipe, soap, a small amount of water while waiting.
Don’t forget to use camper-specific apps to find water points, such as Park4night, Maps.me, etc.…
REMINDER: Traveling in a van is great, but always respect nature. Make sure to use eco-friendly and biodegradable products (soap, shampoo): Marseille soap, for example, allows you to wash yourself, your dishes, and even do laundry outdoors!
When near a river, lake, sea, or other water source, avoid using products to preserve the environment!
=> Leave your campsite as you found it.
