Question About Showering on BLM Land

[Carla618]

I am really picky when it comes to showers. The Geyser is my third iteration. My first was an Ivation battery powered shower head. It didn't deliver adequate water pressure. My second was the Sun Joe battery powered spray washer. It was noisy and cumbersome to use. In addition, both required the use of a shower curtain to contain the spray and a shower pan to capture the water, which my van build doesn't have. Furthermore, I like showering on a daily basis, which typically requires large fresh and grey water tanks.

I was very skeptical when I bought the Geyser, I had every intention of returning it. I was throughly surprised by how refreshed I felt after using it. And it really does use less than a gallon of water to achieve this. At home, I normally squirt soap on a loofah and rub that across my body. The Geyser delivers a similar experience. I set the speed to medium which oozes water out at a rate of ~12 oz per minute. With this continuous flow, I apply soap a couple of times while making multiple passes over my body. I then rinse off (my body and the sponge) by switching to a medium flow rate, which oozes at ~24 oz per minute. The whole process takes 5-7 minutes.

I've owned my Geyser for more than a year, and I've used it a couple of dozen times. I've replaced the sponge twice, as a matter of hygienic principle, not because it was worn out. The sponges are $10 each. I do not use it for doing dishes (my build has a sink with running water). It seems like it would do a great job, although I have no experience with that use case. But I do use dish soap as body soap ...

For folks that are accustomed to super hot showers, the Geyser may feel lukewarm. The heater turns off at ~100F, though the pump remains operational at higher temps. In the cooler months when I want a hotter shower, I bypass the built in heater and bring it to my desired temperature by inserting a sous vide rod.

Like other premium products (read: RinseKit Cube), the Geyser is expensive. But it is a well engineered piece of kit by a US based company. There is nothing comparable to it on the market. There are many ways to stay clean on the road, most of them cheaper than the Geyser. But when it comes to ultra low flow showers, in my opinion, it is the best. I'm hoping they release a battery powered model that will allow it to be truly mobile.

Sounds like a military shower, except with a machine squirting the soap

So... How do you dispose of the grey water?

 

[RonDean]

Sounds like a military shower, except with a machine squirting the soap

So... How do you dispose of the grey water?

That would be my question too. I use a USB charged pump w/shower head and manage to get an acceptable on-off shower with about a gallon of preheated water. It's the amount of water and disposal that are my biggest issues. But in my self-build I do not have large tanks to hold a lot of water.

 

[LargeMarge]

... fancy package...get similar experience for about 50 bucks or less using something like this https://amzn.to/49dOsRk
...But to each his/her own.

.
a)
As we describe and review in two sections of our introduction, our Craftsman 20v garden-sprayer holds four gallons of hot water.
Its batteries are Craftsman common 20v.
A charged 2A (two-amp) battery lasts nearly a month.
.
We discussed its purchase a couple summers ago, then reviewed it after a year of showers.
Synopsis:
* built like a tank, this puppy should out-live cockroaches after TheTribulation™.
.
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
.
But to each "...them/they/us/we/it/its/it're/their're..."* own.
.
.
footnote:
* That extensive inventory of 'Personal Pronouns' was publicly released a couple years ago in the local marxist birdcage-liner EUGENE WEEKLY.
I think we can all agree, at the rate those people leap trend-to-fad, scamper craze-to-obsession, fall whim-to-infatuation, that list is probably a mere tiny fraction of the 2024 inventory.
.
.
b)
As we describe in our introduction, we shower on our porch -- outside the rig -- for less humidity inside.
Our shower pan is a restaurant/hospital 'mop-basin', 36x36 (1m x 1m).
After use, it stores vertical in its cubby.
.
Infamous cheapskates, we discovered that mop-basin -- new -- in a big-name big-box home-improvement store.
Horridly stained, we negotiated with the mis-management for its realistic value.
I think we offered us$5, she countered with "I am going to 'remainder' it outside the back door, you probably shouldn't drive around and go poking in that pile.".
.
We took her advice, and didn't...

 

[Happy Camper]

For me drying is more the issue.

 

[Geneeus]

.
a)
As we describe and review in two sections of our introduction, our Craftsman 20v garden-sprayer holds four gallons of hot water.
Its batteries are Craftsman common 20v.
A charged 2A (two-amp) battery lasts nearly a month.
.
We discussed its purchase a couple summers ago, then reviewed it after a year of showers.
Synopsis:
* built like a tank, this puppy should out-live cockroaches after TheTribulation™.
.
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
.
But to each "...them/they/us/we/it/its/it're/their're..."* own.
.
.
footnote:
* That extensive inventory of 'Personal Pronouns' was publicly released a couple years ago in the local marxist birdcage-liner EUGENE WEEKLY.
I think we can all agree, at the rate those people leap trend-to-fad, scamper craze-to-obsession, fall whim-to-infatuation, that list is probably a mere tiny fraction of the 2024 inventory.
.
.
b)
As we describe in our introduction, we shower on our porch -- outside the rig -- for less humidity inside.
Our shower pan is a restaurant/hospital 'mop-basin', 36x36 (1m x 1m).
After use, it stores vertical in its cubby.
.
Infamous cheapskates, we discovered that mop-basin -- new -- in a big-name big-box home-improvement store.
Horridly stained, we negotiated with the mis-management for its realistic value.
I think we offered us$5, she countered with "I am going to 'remainder' it outside the back door, you probably shouldn't drive around and go poking in that pile.".
.
We took her advice, and didn't...

I'm trying to find used Pepsi (or dare I say it Coke" kegs but no luck so far.
To collect my shower water, I use a "pet bath" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087WXVY9F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
It was pricey, but I've had it for 5 years and it's still goiin strong. It folds up flat, and I keep it hangin in my van in a big plastic bag to prevent possible drips. I shower outside.

 

[Geneeus]

For me drying is more the issue.

View attachment 35093

if only I had that much hair! Or strenth! Or flexbility! I do have a chair......

 

[Happy Camper]

if only I had that much hair! Or strenth! Or flexbility! I do have a chair......

I was expecting some to say that's too much water to carry around lol.

 

[Carla618]

b)
As we describe in our introduction, we shower on our porch -- outside the rig -- for less humidity inside.
Our shower pan is a restaurant/hospital 'mop-basin', 36x36 (1m x 1m).
After use, it stores vertical in its cubby.

Mind me asking what you do with your greywater when you boondock?

 

[Carla618]

To collect my shower water, I use a "pet bath" https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087WXVY9F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
It was pricey, but I've had it for 5 years and it's still goiin strong. It folds up flat, and I keep it hangin in my van in a big plastic bag to prevent possible drips. I shower outside.

Mind me asking what you do with your greywater when you boondock?

 

[Geneeus]

The pet pool has a drain on the side. I slide the drain fitting inside a 5-gallon water bottle, slowly lift the other end of the pool, and drain the water into the bottle. I only shower a couple of times a week, and when I go for supplies I dump it down a rest room toilet. I use about 3 gallons of water a week.

 

[Carla618]

The pet pool has a drain on the side. I slide the drain fitting inside a 5-gallon water bottle, slowly lift the other end of the pool, and drain the water into the bottle. I only shower a couple of times a week, and when I go for supplies I dump it down a rest room toilet. I use about 3 gallons of water a week.

I might try that when the grandkids visit. So my tank in the trailer won't fill so fast. Says it comes in a smaller size, so maybe it will fit in the pop up shower/privacy tent. Five years is pretty good!

 

[maki2]

I do not shower outside but I do wash my hair outside, no need for a shower tent for that. For drying after washing my hair or after a shower I use the large beach towel sized, microfiber towels. They have several advantages, they are thinner and lighter weight than cotton towels but soak up lots of water and they dry out quickly. They are not scratchy or clingy when you dry off with them. Because they are thin they do not hog up a lot of space in the washer or dryer. That saves money at the laundromat! One day my workshop mate in Seattle grabbed one of my towels and dried his standard poodle with it after he bathed the dog. That sold him on those micro fiber towels because it soaked up a lot more water than the heavier regular bath towels. I had found mine in a thrift store but they are not common in rainy Seattle so I ended up ordering him one for the dog from Amazon. I travel with two of them, they are not bulky. Two of them take up less volume of space than a single standard cotton bath towel.

 

[afblangley]

I found grey water recapture was the most challenging aspect of a shower system. It was the biggest motivating factor in me seeking a ultra low water system. I tried the collapsible dog bath as a shower pan. It worked well enough and I probably would use it if I had a shower system that used 3-5 gallons of water. But it was overkill for the Geyser. The water it uses can be absorbed by a large, high quality cotton bath towel/mat. It works so long as you don't mind dealing with a soaking wet mass that will take hours to dry. But it's cheap, unlike what I'm currently using, a diatomaceous (aka stone) bath mat. It's a much more elegant (easier to store, faster to dry, more hygienic) solution with a price tag to match. Another option, which I considered but didn't try, was to use a silicone dog food tray as a shower pan which I could then lift up and dump into my sink. Again, this is only feasible because the Geyser uses so little water.

When I add up the numbers, my complete shower system is probably around $600. You could certainly spend less, but that's not bad for something that addresses fresh water, grey water, hot water, pressurization and the space aspects of having shower.

 

[LargeMarge]

...what you do with your greywater when you boondock?

.
Pour it down a cathole.
[Not that disgusting 'catholic' theory as autocorrect seems to want to promote.
Besides, without video proof of the latter, my story is sticking to the former.]

 

[RonDean]

My brother once had to move home to our parent's property and lived full-time in a camper. He made a DIY 55Gal septic tank and found it worked well. He was only there at night and weekends and that handled both black and gray water. And it was certainly better than the methods that previous generations might have used. With all that in mind, I don't feel pouring some shower water into a cat hole would cause any issues beyond violating regulatory restrictions.

 

[LargeMarge]

I'm trying to find used Pepsi (or dare I say it Coke" kegs but no luck... I shower outside.

.
a)
Pepsi vs Coca-Cola... dimensions are different.
We standardized with Pepsi kegs, each of our bases is engineered to fit Pepsi kegs.
Kegs from Coca-Cola won't fit.
Although each type holds five-gallons, Pepsi kegs are tall and slender, Coca-Cola kegs are stumpy and dumpy.
.
If I was me, I would search for 'Corny' kegs.
A great many kegs were manufactured by Cornelius.
.
Just now, my craigslist 'corny' search shows over twenty ads.
.
b)
2003, we engineered our ExpeditionVehicle for outside showers.
[high-five!]

 

[Carla618]

My brother once had to move home to our parent's property and lived full-time in a camper. He made a DIY 55Gal septic tank and found it worked well. He was only there at night and weekends and that handled both black and gray water. And it was certainly better than the methods that previous generations might have used. With all that in mind, I don't feel pouring some shower water into a cat hole would cause any issues beyond violating regulatory restrictions.

Properly used, 55 gallon drums are allowed in many places . I believe Illinois allows them for rural septic systems.

 

[wayne49]

.
Pour it down a cathole.
[Not that disgusting 'catholic' theory as autocorrect seems to want to promote.
Besides, without video proof of the latter, my story is sticking to the former.]

In Medieval times, pouring human waste upon someone being paraded through the streets was probably used on the occasional Catholic in an Anglican nation.

On a really good day one got to see a Lady Godiva in the flesh without a cover charge.

 

[Malamute]

Properly used, 55 gallon drums are allowed in many places . I believe Illinois allows them for rural septic systems.

My brother once had to move home to our parent's property and lived full-time in a camper. He made a DIY 55Gal septic tank and found it worked well. He was only there at night and weekends and that handled both black and gray water. And it was certainly better than the methods that previous generations might have used. With all that in mind, I don't feel pouring some shower water into a cat hole would cause any issues beyond violating regulatory restrictions.

The place I mentioned that the grey water went on the ground had a simple barrel septic system with a couple sections of perforated pipe and gravel on the outlet side. It was high perk soil, sandy and gravelly. With the bathtub and grey water hooked to it it overloaded and backup up in a week. With the grey not going in it was fine for a couple years or so. I was happy fr it because otherwise I was using an outhouse. Not the end of the world, and I lived with outhouses for several years, but when its cold, snowing, pouring rain, or 80 mph winds its not a very enjoyable experience.

It wasnt my place at the time, when the owner finally had the money to put in a regular septic system it was nice, but not a huge change over the workable small septic and grey water going free range.