Related Resources • Showering Items • Camping Check List • Camping Gear

Here are some helpful ideas from fellow campers for showering at the campground. My comments follow in black.

Cheryl wrote:
"I've tried those bags and they are great for heating the water. However, trying to lift and secure them in order to take a shower can be daunting. A friend found a battery powered shower pump at Target. Bought one and used it last weekend. Excellent!! We heated the water in the black shower bags, dumped the warm water into a five gallon bucket and 3 people took showers. With this battery shower, you immerse the pump in the water and all you have to hold is the sprayer." - Thanks for the heads-up on those shower pumps. Yeah, a shower bag will weigh upwards of 20 pounds, which isn't easy to lift over ones head, I agree.

Meg wrote:
"I just checked out your shower essentials list and you forgot an item. It is flip-flops or those little rubber thongs you wear on your feet. My mom always told me if I took showers in public places to always wear those. In our camper we always keep 3 or 4 pairs in there just for that. Just thought you'd like to know." - Yes, I forgot those, and a change of clothes too. Thanks for the tip, Meg!

Terry wrote:
"Instead of a waterproof bag to carry your gear in, try a five gallon or smaller bucket with a snap tight lid on it. You can put everything you need for a shower in them, and put them on the floor if need be (no seat or seat too small) and everything stays dry. You can use them for a foot prop also to dry your feet before putting on your shoes, and you can store your shower essentials in them full time between trips (mine is always in the bathroom closet!) Also, if you run into a line at the showers (has happened to me) they make great seats while you wait! I used to use a bag until one year when I went to Cornerstone Music Festival with some friends and they showed me this tip! So handy, and it stores great in the camping gear! I've used my square kitty litter bucket now for five years.

Another tip is to use the camping shower bag not only to heat up water to bathe with, but also to just keep some hot water on hand for little cleanups, dishes, starting water for boiling, etc. A word of warning though: keep them out of the reach of kids! They do get hot! I keep mine on top of my van where little fingers can't reach and scald themselves!" - Hey, great suggestion! I don't know why I didn't mention those 5 gallon buckets because I have seen people using them at the campground, and actually sitting on them while waiting in line. And you are right about the shower bags getting hot.

Plantsitter wrote:
"My personal commentary on the razor is don't. I've come back from camping trips - both Scouts and family - with swimmer's itch (parasites from ducks, etc). I often wondered why the troop or my family (of males) didn't get it when they swam in the same water. Well, this vane female finally figured it out. I bring a razor to shave my legs (I'm learning to grow up and realize it doesn't matter) - this leaves open ground for parasite and microbes to infest (even if you shower). Given that I'm a medical micro-biologist by profession this should have hit me in the head before I was itchy. For that reason, I'd take the razor off the list." - Thanks for another great tip! I currently use a rechargeable electric razor at the campground and have suffered no problems, but I do recall from the times when I used a blade razor that I did get swimmer's itch on a couple occasions.

Meg wrote:
"For those who tent camp or those who have a pop-up trailer/tent trailer (without a water heater) that would like to have hot water available without heating it up over a stove or campfire, they can use a 30 cup automatic coffee maker. I saw one at a garage sale and the lady having the garage sale asked if I camped (I had a "Happy Camper" t-shirt on that day) and I told her yes. She asked how we camped and I told her we had a pop-up and she proceeded to tell me that a coffee maker of that size worked really nice for having hot water at the campsite (if you had a site with electricity). So I bought it from her and she was right. I had hot water available all day for whatever and whenever I needed it. My husband "groans" sometimes when I stop at garage sales but even he admitted that this is one of my better purchases. We now have a travel trailer and no use for the coffeemaker so I'm passing it along to another family in the group that we go camping with. They are tent campers." - Great idea Meg! Time to hit some yard sales.