Question About Showering on BLM Land

[jwh92020]

I've asked this question of a few Youtubers and I've gotten no responses. I see many folks using shower tents on BLM land. What does the BLM say about shower water on the ground? I have no issue on my property in Idaho (the trees love the extra water), but I plan on hitting BLM land on my way up there.

 

[bullfrog !]

Like many rules and regulations they are at the discretion of the law enforcement officer. Shower water is grey water and is not allowed to be disposed of by pouring it directly on the ground. It will draw several undesirable insects in the desert an in high use areas be detrimental to the ecosystem. If you can catch it with a tarp or tub it can then be allowed to evaporate or dumped into a normal RV dump station. A lot depends on the amount of water involved.

 

[NctryBen]

Like many rules and regulations they are at the discretion of the law enforcement officer. Shower water is grey water and is not allowed to be disposed of by pouring it directly on the ground. It will draw several undesirable insects in the desert an in high use areas be detrimental to the ecosystem. If you can catch it with a tarp or tub it can then be allowed to evaporate or dumped into a normal RV dump station. A lot depends on the amount of water involved.

Especially that last statement… mainly don’t overdo soap and such and keep your showers light. But it does feel good every so often… gotta go… shower water is hot!

 

[LoupGarou]

Speaking for myself, I try to keep the waste water volume as low as possible. Some days I use Scubzz Bathing Wipes placed in an enamel wash basin. The water being heated on the stove. The waste water is used to ensure the campfire is out before I roll.

 

[rruff]

What does the BLM say about shower water on the ground? I have no issue on my property in Idaho (the trees love the extra water), but I plan on hitting BLM land on my way up there.

The plants in the desert love it even more.

I spent 13 years camping on mostly BLM land and never once have I seen a BLM ranger. I'm sure they are getting more common though, at least in popular areas. If you are not camping in busy areas I don't think you'll have a bit of trouble. I think the other responders are thinking of LTVAs which have rules.

 

[Oldwolf]

My guess is if you keep the water volume down to few gallons and use a natural soap it shouldn't matter too much. What are some decent soaps that can be used for this purpose?

 

[maki2]

I looked up what the BLM has to say about dispersed camping regarding the subject. They state campers cannot put sewage onto the land. If you look up sewage there are several types one of which is domestic sewage. Technically the shower water would fall under the classification of domestic sewage. It is mostly the RV world that gets into having waste water tanks for black and grey. When you empty those tanks into a septic or sewer system there is no separation of the two with a title of black or grey, it is simply all “sewage”.

Play name games all you want, sewage is sewage, be it from a black tank or grey. I am not by the way saying what you should or should not do or offering advice of any type. I am just talking about definitions regarding waste water as sewage. BLM officials may or may not spin them around to your way of thinking if such a discussion takes place between yourself and a ranger.

 

[RonDean]

I looked up what the BLM has to say about dispersed camping regarding the subject. They state campers cannot put sewage onto the land. If you look up sewage there are several types one of which is domestic sewage. Technically the shower water would fall under the classification of domestic sewage. It is mostly the RV world that gets into having waste water tanks for black and grey. When you empty those tanks into a septic or sewer system there is no separation of the two with a title of black or grey, it is simply all “sewage”.

Play name games all you want, sewage is sewage, be it from a black tank or grey. I am not by the way saying what you should or should not do or offering advice of any type. I am just talking about definitions regarding waste water as sewage. BLM officials may or may not spin them around to your way of thinking if such a discussion takes place between yourself and a ranger.

I can't disagree with maki2's reasoning. However, I must admit that I do not always follow this advice. Even in regular S&Bs or Earthhomes, I have seen many instances where greywater can be safely used to water plants. One site says, "Plants don't mind the little bits of food and dirt or trace of soap in greywater as long we take care to avoid using products with boron, chloride and sodium." I think RV and camping rules are often written based on the belief we are all idiots. Sadly, they are sometimes right. My boondocking showers are very minimal in volume AND any potentially hazardous materials. In LTVAs (or any more crowded camping spaces) I do try to follow the rules much more closely.

 

[maki2]

Year before last I did witness an incident at the Lone Tree BLM dispersed camping nearb Lake Havasu city where a motorhome owner emptied the grey water tanks on the ground. Another camper reported it. A ranger came to investigate. Fines were issued and the motorhome had to leave ASAP.

 

[rruff]

That's a popular spot and apparently he parked next to someone who cared. The letter of the law...

 

[bullfrog !]

Again wet ground in the desert attracts a lot of unwanted nature!

 

[eDJ_]

One solution to using minimum amounts of water for a show where it would be easy enough to catch in a storage bin is the garden sprayer with a kitchen sink
sprinkler attached to it. We've spoken of these here for some time.

This one is 2 gallon

You could even use a smaller hand spray like this 1/3 gallon sprayer

Some keep a plastic storage bin to dual purpose. Keep things in it while traveling to contain them in an orderly manner, and when in camp empty it to use as a shower basin to contain water for proper disposal. If you have a high top vehicle you could shower inside, or otherwise use a shower toilet tent. Even a 6 pole wrap around privacy blind using a long thin plastic tarp (2 5x12 tarps hooked together) could work if you are off by yourself. If you were to be in camp for some time and were inclined to do this.

The numbers represent feet to complete the enclosure. When I was a kid a number of older men who were in the Army in WW2 spoke of improvising these.

 

[quilting22]

My guess is if you keep the water volume down to few gallons and use a natural soap it shouldn't matter too much. What are some decent soaps that can be used for this purpose?

Myers soap. They bathe birds with Dawn dish soap.

 

[jacqueg]

Myers soap. They bathe birds with Dawn dish soap.

Dr Bronner's or any castile soap should also be good. Avoid anything with lots of petrochemical additives.

 

[rruff]

Unscented baby wash added to water in a pan. Use one of those long scrub nets... not sure what to call them, but they are great for getting your back. No rinse.

Recently I tried apple vinegar in water and it seemed to work fine. The smell fades pretty quick. Not sure if anyone else could smell it though... Keep your hair short, so that doesn't take much water either.

One of the simple pleasures of vagabonding in the boonies is washing naked outdoors in the brilliant sunshine. If I ever built a house, my shower would be outside.

 

[rruff]

They bathe birds with Dawn dish soap.

If I get caught in an oil spill I'll remember that...

 

[jasper]

^^^^^^
eDJ_ repeat.

After a Zodi propane pumper, drop in a bucket battery powered submersible, squeeze bottle, and bag on the roof style, the garden sprayer won. The only malfunction I've had was snagging and breaking the protruding squeeze handle. I now use the solid handle type as shown below. Notice the added hose length for getting overhead. Instant on/instant off.

Relatively inexpensive, I've given away three to others. All my sink sprayer attachments were flea market/yard sale finds. Not just for showers, but any time an instant faucet is needed. I would have really appreciated that as a child when we had no bathroom.

Bathing suit optional, but an indecent exposure charge could be problematic. The shower tent is now relegated mainly for cat holes. I can do without that if hidden away,

 

[mespringer]

BLM has revised some of their rules for where and how you can dispose of gray water. The following addresses the disposal of gray water while camping in one place in a desert setting for less than a month and where transporting the gray water to an official dump station is not practical. My assumption is that that it is not safe for wildlife of any kind to drink anything other than clean, potable water. Backpacking or living in an RV, I've used a minimum of biodegradable soap and strained the food particles out of the wash water to make sure that the food particles are not dropped onto the ground (food absorbs contaminants that I don't want the critters to ingest). Bees are usually the first to arrive whenever there is any water on the surface. To limit their exposure to substances unknown, I use small amounts of biodegradable soap only when oils or grease are involved. If you are concerned about keeping your pots and pans clean, use a small amount of sand in the wash water and to remove any food that may be stuck to the surface. Exposure to drying and direct sunlight will kill any common pathogens within an hour or two. For small quantities of sink water, I spray it onto the ground or onto bushes (consists of a quick flip of the wrist to create a mist) so that it evaporates before any critters can drink it; but shower water is a bit different. It involves a larger quantity of water that contains soap and shampoo. Before settling into an area, call a regional BLM office and ask where and how you can dispose of what is considered gray water. Long ago I did a lot of tent camping. All of the water I and everyone else used seldom had any soap in it and was tossed into the ground or onto a thirsty patch of bushes. No one at BLM, the USFS or National Parks has said anything other than toss the water 100' away from a stream or standing body of water. In the past 10+ years I have been digging a 10 to 12 inch deep hole (shovel size) that I fill with small rocks and course gravel. I then cover the hole with a 1" layer of soil and place a five or six fist size stones on top of it all to keep the water from pooling. When the water is dripped onto the stones it will form a spray and will evaporate more quickly. Any of the excess water will pass through the top layer of soil, into the stone/gravel mix and will be absorbed into the ground at a level where the critters cannot get to it. And...I have never seen a coyote, badger, squirrel, etc. attempt to get to the water that is now below ground level. If any of this is unpalatable to you, learn how to build a temporary sweat lodge, heat a bucket full of stones (know which ones to use) and place them in the center of the "floor". Let the lodge heat up before entering. After settling in for five or ten minutes, pour a cup of water onto the stones. This will induce sweating and a cleansing better than a shower. Continue to pour small amounts of water onto the stones but when you can no longer tolerate the heat, go outside and use one of the sprayers listed above to rinse yourself. Better yet...dive into an ice cold stream that, if you plan well, is next to the sweat lodge you just climbed out of. Air dry and dawn clothing that is appropriate for the setting. Repeat as needed.

 

[LargeMarge]

...keep the water volume down...and use a natural soap[,] it shouldn't matter too much. What are some decent soaps...

.
a)
My sisters and nieces make organic soaps with goat milk and coconut oil.
For something similar, ask around at any local-owned family-operated hippie shop or natural foods grocery.
.
Why them, the little guys, instead of Global-Domination*Mart?
Accountability.
.
.
b)
We shower [verb] each afternoon.
We can use less than three quarts/liters/litres per shower [noun].
We boondock exclusively.
Over two decades full-time live-aboard, in at least a dozen countries, zero issues.
.
However, we are discreet, thoughtful, observant.
As our Esteemed Correspondent notes, shower-water is a form of sewage, and although it is extremely weak and instantly invisible compared to a squishy, it should probably be buried with other waste products.
.
Saying a few words of last respects during the interment should help clear your path as you stand before the Pearly Gates.
Hopefully, after a long rich life filled with joy, but still.
.
And if your idea of 'joy' potentially includes the process of producing a suitably satisfying squishy, we could probably be pals.
['points' for alliteration?]
.
.
c)
!!! Warning Caution Alert !!!
Any LawEnforcementOfficial or other employee of the BureauOfJustifyingOurExistence could make the case any water touched by folks -- then touching the ground -- could irreparably alter the landscape for milillea milemnea milinea multiple centuries.
Scoldings and notes in Your Permanent Record may result.
.
Accordingly, you should probably shower [verb] away from cow-patties, coyote squishies, or goose- and bison- and elk- and gull-droppings.
And 'yes', dealing with the 'C' category crowd, we consistently see self-contradictory rules and behavior [shrugs indifferently].
.
keyword -- invisible and discreet

 

[eDJ_]

Something I didn't mention that we were talking about in the past was spray painting a garden sprayer/shower a flat or satin finish black. It can then be placed in the sun to heat the water to whatever temperature you desire.

As for the 6 pole blind, if your rig has an awning it would be possible to use points on the van's body and the two awning poles to rig an improvised blind.

It would look like this. To get in and out you would only have to release a bottom connection on the Van body and duck under the tarp.