Where do you shower (when you don't have a shower in your van)?

[user 423]

Just keep doing what you're doing and don't worry about it because you correctly see that there's not a huge difference. If at some time a ranger calls you on it, then readjust.

 

[Cammalu]

Just keep doing what you're doing and don't worry about. If at some time a ranger calls you on it, then readjust.

I’m emptying my tanks in a blueboy and hauling it off. It’s very easy for us to do as we have an ATV to pull it and we don’t have to pull up camp to go to the dump station. It’s really not me I’m questioning but I was just trying to understand why people see one as ok snd the other not ok.

 

[nature lover]

I often take a shower in my tent thatdoesn’t have a floor and so the water goes into the ground. I think my ranger friend knows and keeps his mouth shut but legally in Pennsylvania you cannot put water like that on the ground. We had a Ranger in the state park a few years ago who actually fined a man who was peeing behind a bush. The charge was exposing himself because the Ranger walked up and saw his you know what. I’m glad that ranger transferred to another department.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . It’s really not me I’m questioning but I was just trying to understand why people see one as ok snd the other not ok.

If it is just a couple of gallons of shower water dumped out it is no different.  But if the grey water also contains food bits and grease from last nights supper and/or you are dumping in the same spot for days at a time - then it is different, and maybe not OK.

I have learned in the last couple of years is that things that were OK before, that I had learned from older, more experienced woodsmen, are no longer OK.  This is mostly because of the number of people out and about now as opposed to when I was young.

 

[fantym1]

Yes, I know am l8 2 the party, but I don't get to areas w/signal much.
This is how I've showered for yrs. YMMV
I have those pole + wire shelving racks outboard (on each side of vehicle, 36 in wide x 14 in deep) where I store my stuff. They're braced on the top shelf, next to ea pole w/ (2) 2x4, which goes across the aisle.

So, my shower consists of a contractor bag + a sprayer. When I open up a new bag I place 4 "tabs" of duct tape along the top edge of bag, to give the binders a surface to grab. I use a piece of string (5 ft length currently) & knot a binder clip on ea end (x2). Throw the strings across the 2x4s, attach the bag w/binder clips after I've stepped into bag (after setting up the sprayer). I use another bag (opened) to dbl bag, JIC.
I bought a 50 ct box in Apr '18 & still have about 40 left. Since there's very little friction & no objects to puncture the bag, they last quite a while. Once the bag does start to wear, I use it for blackout curtains, poncho etc.
When it fairly warm/sunny, I set the bag (in my chair or on picnic table); I put a couple gal of water in the bag & set it out in the sun to warm. Pour water into sprayer once it's desired temp.
Once bag is drained well, fold & roll it up til next use. Doesn't require much space to store the whole lot of bags.
It's just a thought. Enjoy.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

When I haven't had access to a daily shower I stripwash at the sink/bowl.

Boiling/hot water mixed to preferred temperature, them suds up head to foot using a flannel/face cloth, before rinsing off with clean water.

It cleans as efficiently as a shower, and done right takes around the same time as a shower.

Starting the day feeling beautifully clean without having to rely on the availability of a shower!

Florence Nightingale was quoted as saying that her nurses could maintain personal hygiene with 1 pint of hot water per day. If they could do that in those horrendous conditions, I'm certain that anyone can enjoy the equivalent of a good shower without having access to an actual shower.

This is also an excellent method of managing one's fresh water supply!

 

[JDelete]

I have a couple of setups depending on where I am at. I have one of those mylar bags that heats the water in the sun. This works well if the outside temp is 65+ degrees and there is good sun. It gets the water plenty warm, even hot if you leave it in the sun long enough. This is what I use if I am out on BLM or an area where I am alone.

If it is too cold to be outside getting wet or there might be privacy issues, then it is a sponge bath.

I suppose I am "lucky" in the sense that I grew up in a house that didn't have a bathtub or a shower. But we kept ourselves clean. We as a society have gotten so used to the idea that we need a constant flow of water out of a shower to get clean. This is far from the truth. Yes, if standing under a shower is the only method one knows, then any other method may seem primitive or not good enough, but I encourage experimentation. You really can get clean with a minimal amount of water and a wash cloth.

Experiment! Take a half gallon of heated water and a wash cloth and then go sit in your bathtub and see if you can clean yourself. Start at the top and work down. Save the private parts for last. Once you get that figured out, then it is just a matter of doing it while not in a bathtub to catch the mess. And the less water you use, the less mess there is.

I have taken a "bath" in the back of my 4Runner using about a pint of water. This included washing my hair which is shoulder length.

The goal is to get clean, not to take a shower.

 

[MrNoodly]

Yesterday I showered at a New Mexico state park. A day use pass is $10, which is less than truck stop showers. The actual shower is free -- just keep pushing the button. And the state park is more scenic than a truck stop. I hiked around after the shower and had lunch under a tree.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

That sounds wonderful!

 

[user 423]

This past summer I showered at Bluewater Lake, Manzano Mtns and City of Rocks state parks in New Mexico and the day use fees were $5.

NM is now offering an annual day use pass for just $40.

Cheap showers if you'll be spending much time in NM.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

On warm days I do a sponge bath kind of thing. Uses about a quart of water. Wash face first then work my way down toweling off as I go.
On cold days I use 'man wipes' or similar unscented disposable wipes. But I'm not working up much of a stink on cold days anyway.
Still wash the face with regular water though.
I also make use of some friends and relatives showers. I never ask. They always offer along with insisting I sleep on their couch instead of on the full sized bed in my van!

Of course there are truck stops and such. Though I much rather just pay for a campground with showers than pay a truck stop for only a shower. Though some are relatively cheap or free.
I've broken the rules and gone into the "trucker's only" area of some truck stops that had cheap laundry or free showers. But that was years ago.

Had a friend who got in some trouble washing themselves in the sink at a rest area. A highway patrol or sheriff came in when they were half naked. They got a vagrancy ticket.

Every now and then I get a cheap hotel room someplace for a couple days. Usually it's so I can clean out the van thoroughly by unloading everything into the room and then going over the nooks and crannies of the van where stuff accumulates.
Last time was so I could glue some carpet without overspraying on anything important.
But it's also nice to take a 20 minute hot shower and use all the foofy hair products. Shampoo AND conditioner?
Last place I stayed at had huge breakfast they put out every morning from 6-9. So I'd load up on yogurt and other packaged things. That way I'd be reclaiming some of the cost of the hotel by covering my lunch and snacks.
But the hotel thing is rare. Once a month max. Especially with covid!

 

[Sara in a Prius]

I was planning on signing up with Planet Fitness (~$20/month) but just found out that I may be able to get access to those facilities and many more through my health insurance for ~$25/month. Seems like an interesting option.

 

[VanFan]

This past summer I showered at Bluewater Lake, Manzano Mtns...

Showers at Manzano?  Must be new.  Last I was there, spigot pumps were padlocked except by the hosts, and restrooms were vaults.  They were (necessarily) pretty tight with water there.

 

[user 423]

Oops. I guess it was coyote creek.

 

[VanFan]

Well, a good shower is sweet--wherever you find it!

 

[Freelander]

Shower whats a shower????


Just call me BillyGoat!!!!

 

[JDelete]

A shower is when it rains.

 

[Gofar]

Many cities have recreation centers (different from comm.gyms like PF). Some free. Some charge a fee for non-residents.

Homeless shelter.

Using a 2 gall. sprayer with shower curtain hung on the open rear doors of my van.

I have used a public swimming pool shower a couple of times.

Because of COVID, this past summer I avoided all public showers and instead used a washer drain pan inside the van. Sitting down using the sprayer or just a bucket and washcloth. Or many times just did a sponge bath.

In a real pinch, baby wipes work.

 

[PeterPiper]

From doing remote construction work where utilities would not be available at all........

I learned to do "military" showers. That's with one gallon of water that was put in the sun during the day to warm.
Otherwise you did a cold shower.

I can completely clean from head to toe including shampooing hair with one gallon.
I'm sure many others can also.

 

[RonDean]

According to many cultures, Americans (at least stick and brick ones) wash too much. I can also still remember some folks in the rock climbing community who thought their body odor was some kind of badge of honor. I am glad I don't hang around with them anymore!

I make sure to wash before my smell becomes noticeable to other people. I am pretty sure they appreciate this. Exactly how depends on where I am. I have a pump shower and shower tent when that is acceptable. Such as in boondocking. When that is not possible, I at least sponge wash or use moist wipes.