showering logistics

[badmotorscooter]

I'm formulating a plan for showering daily.  In theory is seems workable, but in actual reality is it?  Not having lived in a van yet, I'm sure there are many people here that are much more qualified to answer if this is feasible.

Big Kahuna shower kit (smallest tank) and a pop up shower/potty tent. Carry 20 gallons of water (maybe 4 five gallon containers).
Set the tank in the sun to warm or boil up a pot of water on a propane stove to dump in the tank.  Luke warm is fine, doesn't have to be steaming hot.  I drink a gallon of water everyday, so being frugal I'm hoping 20 gallons will last a week.  I've practiced at home turning on the shower just long enough to get wet, turn off water.  Soap up and then a quick rinse.  It does the job, I feel clean and refreshed afterwards.

I'm going to be traveling in a minivan, so I'm prepared to compromise space to carry the water.  My set-up it is going to be minimal with the goal of keeping everything very light weight.  Bed, small sink, small 12 volt fridge, 200-watt solar with two batteries, a week of groceries, small camping stove, small heater, minimal wardrobe, small laptop.

I'll carry a Springbar tent for extra living space.  Small folding table and chair, compact tool box.  Travel hitch with a cargo box if needed.

I know getting the shower set up ready everyday is work and time, but besides preparing meals what else is there to do since I won't be working?

 

[MrNoodly]

Showering isn't the only way to get clean. It's just a modern, first-world habit. You can get just as clean with a damp sponge or washcloth. It's a lot simpler.

 

[highdesertranger]

dang a shower each and every day, ambitious plan you have there. highdesertranger

 

[badmotorscooter]

Sponge bath is always a viable option. Unfortunately the brainwashing I got living in America all my life tells me I feel uncomfortable if I don't shower everyday.

I am actually hopeful that living or traveling on the road for long periods will help me relearn everything and escape the complicated and rigid regimen that most people believe is necessary for functioning and enjoying daily life.

 

[MrNoodly]

Rather than spend over $100 for a Big Kahuna, and to make sure you're frugal with your water, you could get a 1 or 2 liter garden sprayer -- about the size of a coffee pot, hand pumped pressure, about $14, takes up less space while not in use.

<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/vYFD05M/Screen-Shot-2019-09-09-at-4-10-01-PM.png" alt="Screen-Shot-2019-09-09-at-4-10-01-PM" border="0" /></a>

 

[badmotorscooter]

I've considered that as an option. I thought the nozzle and hose on the Big Kahuna might make it easier to handle and could double as a sink faucet.

 

[Kaylee]

QFT (Quoted For Truth):

I am actually hopeful that living or traveling on the road for long periods will help me relearn everything and escape the complicated and rigid regimen that most people believe is necessary for functioning and enjoying daily life.

Bravo!
Very well said!

You can start retraining yourself now. It'll make your van transition much easier.
Start by skipping showers on days when you don't expect human interaction.
Once you get comfortable with that, gradually skip 'em on other days, at whatever pace is comfortable to you.

Sponge "baths" do take practice, and are much easier to teach yourself if you start in a real bathroom, either tub or shower, so you can focus on learning the technique without having to worry about making a water mess. I know this from first hand experience.

Just checked my log: it's been 101 days since my last shower.
That was a semi-short-term extreme austerity measure to save money, but it's gone better than I expected.
It helps (a lot) that I'm a software engineer - we're known for our ability to get completely consumed in our work, to the detriment of stuff like hygiene.
I'll be spending the next few days in urban areas, so do plan to get a shower during that period.

 

[Elbear1]

Daily is bourgeoisie. Lol. Youre following weather and not working...i.e. Youre not getting that dirty.

On amazon they have battery powered shower heads with on and off switch (very important) that you submerge one end in a pale. I can shower very well on under a gallon. Im a guy with short hair tho.

 

[badmotorscooter]

Wow, 101 days is pretty hard core. That makes me wonder if van dwelling females worry about stuff like shaving their legs?

I work out or run pretty much every day, sometimes both. In the summer that can be really sweaty. Luckily I don't have a
big problem with body odor (so says my ex-wife), but still after a few days I don't think other people would appreciate it...

I know I'm probably being too paranoid, but I am really trying to mentally get over it and break free from my brainwashed behavior. I think hygiene is going to be the hardest thing for me. I am a minimalist at heart and can be very frugal and disciplined if necessary. I realized being a consumer is another behavior trap and kicked that hogwash to the curb several years ago.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Note to self:

Dont ask Kaylee out on a date.

 

[CityWoman]

I grew up in an apartment in a very old building, and the landlord didn't maintain it well, so we often had a string of days with no hot water. When I was little, my mother tried to make washing up fun for us by calling it "pioneer style," as she boiled water and added it to the sink with cold water in it. So we used to pretend we were in a wagon train, a log cabin, or on some adventure as we used the "wash basin" and wash cloths. To this day (I'm in my late 50s), I still often wash my hair in the sink. So, I don't have any negative connotation attached to sponge baths.

I often find that I can better tackle things I'm resisting by making a game out of it, whether it's "beat the clock," pretending, making up a song while I do it, rewarding myself afterwards, or whatever way I dream up a challenge for myself. My default is to procrastinate for as long as possible, so turning tasks into games to trick myself into doing something does help. Find a way to make it fun or funny or a challenge, and you'll see your resistance fall away after a while.

 

[Kaylee]

I mostly mentioned the 101 to incentivize you that a week is pretty easy, in comparison.

As others have said, and you elegantly acknowledge, the logistics of daily showers are "unrealistic" when boondocking.
Plus, if you're solo, why bother?

You're being wise and doing your research well in advance.
One of the things folks don't talk about enough is experimenting.
The first few times you take a sponge bath, it'll probably be "meh", but after you get some experience, it's remarkable how refreshing one can be.
During peak summer, I was warming my water (in a couple of thick water bottles) on my dash, so it was easy & fuel-free. Only used about a cup of water to do a reasonably thorough washing.

CityWoman: that's an awesome approach & attitude!
I have the "advantage" of (several years ago) having had a merely-bad landlord who was "slow" to repair a broken water system, and I went a month and a half without running water (during winter - argh!).
When I reached the point I needed a thorough washing, I did it in the tub, which eliminated much of the complexity of doing it in a van scenario, and let me gain proficiency in just part of the problem.
Break problems down, and tackle each sub-part.
Gain proficiency & confidence.

 

[PODebbie]

If you are in a humid state and sweat everywhere, you may need more showers. If you have a ton of bug spray or sunscreen applied, you may need a shower to get the gunk off. However, if you are in a dry climate, maybe not so much. My husband has a very oily face. He has to get up in the middle of the night to wash his face at home. We put a sink in our van. He is the only one to use it to wash his face with soap and water. He was surprised to find that a shower once a week would suffice. Neither he, nor I usually have smelly pits. So, wet wipes in the private areas once a day for him and twice a day for me keep us fresh as daisies. We won't pass up a daily shower, if we see them on our travels.

 

[badmotorscooter]

That's a good philosophy to have CityWoman. I have a similar mindset when it comes to doing tasks/things I don't particularly feel like doing but still need to get done.

Now I just need to figure out how to apply that to the hygiene thing...

I have more or less mastered the sponge bath skills. Several surgeries and medical procedures as well as hospital stays can give you the practice needed.
You can stand over a plastic pan and use several inches of water to take a sponge "bath" and then dump it out. Our you can use a small container full of soapy water and wash down with a wet cloth without splashing any water. I prefer the feel of that over wet wipes, but they can be effective too.

 

[CityWoman]

Now I just need to figure out how to apply that to the hygiene thing...

BE A PIONEER! Or approach it like an anthropologist in the field who observes without judging, and watch your reactions to see what works for you. Don't make it too complicated, it's just washing up.

 

[maki2]

when I had a regular job where I was doing some physical labor or a job where appearance mattered such as being a clerk in a department store I took daily showers. But I am retired/self employed now and I don't need daily showers anymore. I don't have to style my hair every morning and wear something different in the way of outer garments every day. I just gradually shifted away from old habits and it was a painless transition. But the biggest shift happened when I sold my last house and moved into an artist live/work space where there is no bathtub, just a shower. So the transitions happened in steps rather than in one big jump.

I do a personal hygiene wash at bedtime and in the morning and of course wash my face and hands. But some days a long hot shower is something I crave so I will head to a place where I can get one as a personal "spa" day treat. What I would really love to have is a hot tub now and again. I guess I will have to carry a reference map for finding hot springs for that or do a stay in a motel with a bathtub or hot tub pool once in a while.

While people often come unglued over the concept of using antibacterial soap. If you use it once or twice a week to cleanse your underarms you won't be plagued with smelly pits. It is the bacterial build up under your arms that creates a lot of the smelly pit issues. Use vinegar water or whatever to cleanse with but use something that is good at killing the bacteria. The wet wipes for babies are not doing a sufficient job of reducing the bacteria count if you have smelly pit issues.

 

[ckelly78z]

I find that washing my face/neck/ with a splash of water is very refreshing, everything else can be sponge bathed with a wet washcloth. In this matter, you could easily use less than a gallon a day, and not have to worry about a mobile shower enclosure/pump, and the time/effort it takes to use.

 

[Kaylee]

If you have a ton of bug spray or sunscreen applied, you may need a shower to get the gunk off.

Excellent examples, which had not occurred to me - thanks Debbie!

Again, I posted my longest duration purely to demonstrate an edge case, and what is possible (it even sorta surprised me, and I'm a Geek).
I'm out here working (volunteer), not doing any of the adventure-exercise(ew!ew!ew!)-bugspray-sunscreen things.

In s&b, when telecommuting, my norm was a shower once per week.
When doing commercial pseudo "work" on site, about one shower per 1-3 "work" days.

When I was in the Reserves, after the longest most intense survival exercise I ever did, it took two long soaks in a tub to get clean.
In comparison, van dwelling is easy.

badmotorscooter: Thanks for clarifying that you have the sponge skills.
I also prefer the feel of water w/washcloths to wet wipes, but do use wet wipes when urban van dwelling, purely because they're faster.
When NF boondocking, mid-pm on a very hot day, I'd use my solar-heated water bottle & a wash cloth to wash, starting with my face. The feel of that is delightfully refreshing!
Go with whatever works for you.

Note to self:

Dont ask Kaylee out on a date.

I don't date outside my species.
Though you are impressively Nerdy, for a Muggle.

Maybe this is more in your comfort zone?
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=38018
Resistance was Futile.

 

[badmotorscooter]

Ouch!

But he had it coming...

 

[B and C]

I don't date outside my species.
Though you are impressively Nerdy, for a Muggle.

Maybe this is more in your comfort zone?
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=38018
Resistance was Futile.

ROFLMAO!  Good one.  Gotcha good TX2  Still laughing.