El cheapo pressurized solar shower & washer - Page 2

**BroncoHauler** · 04-10-2013, 06:15 PM

I'm digging that Nemo, if for no other reason it packs a lot smaller than my Big Kahuna shower, and that it doesn't require an electrical hookup.

Does the Nemo act as a solar shower too? I suppose you could add warm water directly.

Herb

**daveb** · 04-10-2013, 06:29 PM

Yeah it does Herb but one of the cons during testing was it is slow to warm the water.

Pros:
Extremely simple and compact
Free heat requires no fuel
Surprisingly strong flow of water
Nemo quality ensures years of faithful service
Very few parts to fail

Cons:
Heating water with the sun is slow work
Morning showers will require the water to be heated by other means

MSRP: $99

http://www.nemoequipment.com/shop/camp-tools/

sdwindansea · 04-10-2013, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daveb

Yeah it does Herb but one of the cons during testing was it is slow to warm the water.

Pros:
Extremely simple and compact
Free heat requires no fuel
Surprisingly strong flow of water
Nemo quality ensures years of faithful service
Very few parts to fail

Cons:
Heating water with the sun is slow work
Morning showers will require the water to be heated by other means

MSRP: $99

http://www.nemoequipment.com/shop/camp-tools/

Dave, I think that is the case with all solar showers. However, I have a feeling the Nemo would be slower than the standard bag based on the shape and the way the water sits. It appears like the standard bag has more surface area per water volume reflecting the sun when compared to the Nemo.

**daveb** · 04-10-2013, 11:04 PM

I'm sure. I used solar showers for years backpacking and their flat design did a good job. Myself I can't see how it warms as quickly as the article said but they did say "It’s easy to fill, warms quickly in mid to late day sun, pressurizes with just a few pumps and delivers water with surprising force".

The pressure feature and way it folds up so small would be a huge advantage though. If I didn't have a shower, I'd grab one of those for sure.

rob_gendreau · 04-11-2013, 10:52 AM

I'm sorry, but a c-note for a shower bag?

It's basically a black bucket with a lid, a shower head and a foot pump. One thing I discovered comparing my $10 solution to my bag is that cylinders aren't as efficient as a flat bag in collecting heat. There's also a reason the bag top is clear and the bottom black...ask Al Gore. A cylinder with one clear side and one black might actually be MORE efficient at heating than this all black design since you'd have a parabola facing the sun. And I'm not sure if you can tilt it; if not, the energy falls on the top where there's insulating air above the water.

If it's the pressure you need maybe you can just buy their bag and attach a tire valve and use a bike pump or whatever; stepping on a foot pump seems rather awkward and messy to me, but YMMV. And you can get a D-cell powered pump and shower head for $30; you might be able to just fit that in a $10 bag on the ground and you'd have a more efficient system. And you could just stick it in pot of water heated on the stove if you don't have any sun (I took the pump off my Zodi and used it for that, but then again my showers can be done with a gallon or less).

Viejo · 04-11-2013, 11:42 AM

How about this for a solution...

Rather than try to turn the bug sprayer into a water heater, heat the water in a
SunShower bag or on the stove, then pour it into the bug sprayer and hose yourself down.

**daveb** · 04-11-2013, 12:41 PM

I'm sure there is a way to design something cheaper on your own that would fit the SMB world. Myself I need all the space I can get and a Zodi or sprayer takes up too much area from my point of view. As a backpacking device though, the Nemo's size and weight has been very well thought out. BTW, I'm not sure but it looks like the top is clear... I could be wrong. I would have loved to have one of these in my prior backpacking days.

rob_gendreau · 04-11-2013, 06:30 PM

You may be right about the top; I looked more closely at the photo and it might be clear.

They made a solar shower that was tiny, WAY smaller than that Nemo. We used to take it backpacking all the time. I'd never be able to fit that Nemo in a pack, and I can't see hauling a foot pump. Maybe boating, but even then it's pretty big (and we already have pumps). The smallest set up is still a bag, and if you want pressure, add a small DC pump. I agree about the Zodi; in the end the pump was more useful than the heater. A bucket, hot water from the stove or sink, and a pump.

Rob

charlie56 · 04-11-2013, 11:18 PM

Yes the top is clear.

Using its own stuff sack it is 8" in diameter and 5 inches high. That includes the bag, the pump, hose and spray head. It would probably scrunch down to half that size if you put it in a real compression sack. (I used to love those things.)

I haven't used it in the field yet, just in the tub. Pressure and flow was OK. Better (pressure and flow) than a hanging solar shower. Much more water conservative than the SMB shower + you can actually see how much water you have left.

Is it "Cheap" at $100? no, I guess not. Although not much of the gear I get falls into that category. Not I'm not defending the damn thing, just thought others might be interested in what I found. Buy, don't buy it, dis it, what ever. It looks like it will work for me for the short term. I am really low on space in my new rig. I considered a power tank instead of an air compressor but had no room to put the cylinder inside. Same applies for the garden sprayer setup. My long term plan is to install a Helton heat exchanger. http://cruiseroutfitters.com/helton.html Similar to the flat plate I had in my SMB.

rob_gendreau · 04-12-2013, 10:12 AM

That's smaller than it looked. I would imagine you could get it even smaller if you use another pump, like a collapsible mountain bike pump.

Isn't the problem with heat exchangers that sometimes there's no heat to exchange? Having just done some rewiring in the van I would think it a major hassle to get the thing installed if it uses heater hoses. I've seen some where guys used the transmission fluid cooler, which has the benefit of being easier to access on a van.

Maybe there's a way to put a small tank atop the exhaust, a la a muff-pot. That would be real easy to access. The weight would be the issue.

If I had to do a hot water system that wasn't solar I'd probably go with the Eccotemp L5; they're really popular and relatively small for a tankless heater. Used them at a backcountry camp. I also prefer a shower or hot water system that you can take out of the van and set up somewhere behind a tree or whatever. Or even use in the house.