If you’re planning on staying off the grid, choosing the best camping shower is a great way to stay clean in the great outdoors.
Best camping shower for UK adventures
Hosing down after a long day is one of the best feelings when camping in the great outdoors – but camping showers are great for more than just freshening up the morning after a night in the sleeping bag.
The best camping showers are a great way to desand after a trip to the beach, to wash down the dog after rolling in who-knows-what and to freshen up the feet after a 20-mile hike. The humble portable shower offers so much practicality in such a small package.
But choosing the best portable shower for UK adventures isn’t the easiest of tasks and the products available can range from the uber-simple to the somewhat complex. We’ve narrowed the top travel showers in the UK down to just 4 picks perfect for every outdoor adventure.
From backpackers to beach bums, there’s a perfect camping shower for you in our top list below!
1. Best value camping shower
The LIBERRWAY portable camping shower is our best value pick for UK adventures with an impressive design that doesn’t break the bank.
Unlike some outdoor showers in the same price range, the LIBERRWAY utilises batteries to power the pump – ensuring good pressure at all times. Compared to gravity showers, these water pump showers are in a league of their own.
The battery can be used for 45 minutes on a single charge, preventing the need to recharge on a camping trip. If, however, the batteries do run low – a backup option allows campers to use a car cigarette lighter via a USB connection.
For the full shower experience, campers are also able to use the hook supplied to secure the camping shower to a surface above. An external water source is required for the shower to work with most opting for the inexpensive LIBERRWAY collapsible bucket as their water source.
Our pick – LIBERRWAY Portable Camping Shower
One of the most popular portable showers for a reason – the LIBERRWAY portable camping shower is our overall top choice for UK camping. With a 45-minute battery life, the portable shower has plenty of charge for an outdoor adventure.
- No external power source required
- 45-minute battery charge
- 2-year guarantee
- Recharge time of 2 to 5 hours
- Dimensions: 1.8m hose
- Weight: 650 Grams
2. Great alternative portable camping shower
If you’re not sold on the potential cold shower for your camping trip, the WADEO Solar Portable Shower might be the best bet.
The travel shower, priced similarly to the LIBERRWAY, uses the power of the sun to preheat the water used for a shower. With two hours in direct sunlight, the water will be warm enough for an enjoyable wash and with 12L of water, it’s almost as good (actually, probably better) as staying in a Travelodge.
Unlike our top pick, the solar camping shower is operated with a foot pump to build the pressure in the hose. We would prefer to see a pump enabled option with the WADEO, but for the price, it’s hard to argue.
There’s a handy carry bag that keeps the shower separate from the rest of the camping gear taken and a 1.9m hose that’s long enough for even the tallest camper. At 850g, the travel shower is not only effective but lightweight, too.
Also great – WADEO Solar Portable Camping Shower
The WADEO Solar Portable Shower is a great choice for a manually operated, solar-powered camping shower. A foot pump is used to operate the hose, pumping from 12L of solar-charged water.
- Solar-powered for a warm shower solution
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- 1.9m hose with spray nozzle
- Reasonably priced outdoor shower
- Manually operated with foot pump
- Dimensions: 17cm x 43cm x 6.69 cm
- Weight: 850g
- Volume: 12L
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3. Best overall camping shower
It’ll come as no surprise that the best overall camping shower comes from the guys over at Nemo with their Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower.
The brand, synonymous with high-quality camping equipment, offers an 11L high-pressure travel shower that beats all the competition when showering in the wild.
The shower is powered with a high-pressure foot pump, allowing for 5-7 minutes of a strong, continuous spray with minimal footwork. The pump also works to prevent the chance of overinflating, preventing a potentially catastrophic end with a big bang finishing off the shower!
A transparent cap end offers a simple, but effective water meter and the dark tank utilises the power of the sun to gradually heat the shower water. Alternatively, campers can top up boiling water, boiled in a Jet Boil or similar, in the tank for a much quicker heating time.
Upgrade pick – Nemo Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower
The Nemo Helio Portable Pressure Camp Shower is our upgrade pick for campers looking for the best possible camping shower. An 11L tank, powered by the foot pump is a fantastic solution for showering outdoors.
- High-pressure shower controlled by foot pump
- 11L capacity in the solar-warmed tank
- Sits securely on the ground – no need to hang
- 5-7 minutes of shower time
- Most expensive camping shower on our list
- Dimensions: 24 x 42 cm
- Weight: 605 Grams
- Volume: 11L
4. Best cheap solar camping shower
If you’re looking for simplicity in a solar camping shower, it doesn’t get much simpler than the RISEPRO Solar Outdoor Shower.
The RISEPRO is exactly what most of us immediately think of when we hear about a shower for camping. It’s a gravity-powered, sun-heated shower that campers simply suspend in the air to give themselves a clean.
This type of design is one of the simplest ways to use a portable shower in the great outdoors, also making it one of the cheapest. The volume of this shower, in particular, is great, with a huge 20L available to play with although we wouldn’t recommend using it all unless your hanging point is super strong.
For budget backpackers, cheap campers or penny-pinching van lifers, this is the best choice.
Budget pick – RISEPRO Solar Camping Shower
The RISEPRO Solar Camping Shower is our top pick, for campers looking for a budget solution for the top outdoor shower. The solar travel shower uses gravity for a simple, but effective outdoor shower solution.
- Simple and easy-to-use design
- Solar-powered for warm showers
- Large water capacity of 20L
- Reasonably priced outdoor shower
- Pressure controlled by gravity
- Dimensions: 31 x 17 x 7 cm
- Weight: 450 Grams
Should I use a camping shower tent?
A camping shower tent, also often referred to as an outdoor shower cubicle, is a great addition to your camping setup when staying on populated sites.
Not all campers choose to use a camping shower tent, but this is a personal preference that is typically decided by exactly where the portable shower is going to be used. If you’re heading up for a week of wild camping in Scotland with only highland coo’s for company, chances are that you’re going to get away without a shower tent.
However, if you’re planning on using the travel shower on small and medium campsites, perhaps those with limited shower facilities, we would recommend a privacy tent. Naturally, this doesn’t have to break the bank and as long as the tent offers privacy from prying eyes, it should do the job just fine.
Our Pick – Quechua Camping Shower Cubicle
The Quechua Camping Shower Cubicle offers a quality camping shower tent that doesn’t break the bank. Hide away from the Great British weather and indiscreet looks when washing with the handy tent.
- Fabric screen offers privacy
- Easy to transport with small carry bag
- Lightweight
- Simple to set-up and use
- Camping shower sold separately
- Dimensions: 2m x 1m x 1m
- Weight: 1.9kg
Alternative Pick – WolfWise Privacy Camping Shower Tent
The WolfWise Privacy Camping Shower Tent is our overall top pick for campers looking for a simple tent when showering outdoors. The tent is perfect for privacy taking a shower, for use as a toilet tent or simply a place to get changed away from prying eyes.
- Compatible with all solar showers
- UV protection with a closed top and side windows
- Multi-function tent (shower, toilet, changing etc.)
- Carry bag included
- Camping shower sold separately
- Dimensions: 47.2″ L x 47.2″ W x 74.8″
- Weight: 2kg
Electric, solar or gas camping shower?
One of the biggest sticking points that campers run into when they’re looking to invest in their first travel shower is whether to choose an electric, solar or gas camping shower.
Gas camping shower
The gas camping showers are among the least popular for UK camping with these almost always reserved for both caravans and campervans.
These are typically large and often complicated units that we’d recommend most campers stray away from in the majority of cases. The main alternatives to a gas-powered portable shower are electric and solar – it’s this type of outdoor portable shower that we recommend in the UK.
Electric camping shower
An electric portable travel shower typically uses batteries, such as the LIBERRWAY Portable Camping Shower, to power a water pump that builds pressure.
Unlike an electric shower that you may find in your home, these types of portable showers do not heat the water. In order to enjoy a warm shower in the great outdoors, a solar camping shower should be used.
Note: The two can be combined and it is possible to have an electric, solar-powered camping shower.
Solar camping shower
Solar camping showers use the power of the sun to heat the water used for showering – solar power is not used to generate pressure or electricity.
Solar travel showers are often used with gravity as the pressure builder due to their simplicity, but this isn’t always the best-case scenario. Our favourite portable travel shower utilises solar to warm the water but combines this with a foot pump to build pressure for an enjoyable outdoor shower.
FAQ: The best camping shower
Have a question about the best camping shower that you’re struggling to find an answer to? Check out our frequently asked questions below where we aim to answer all of the tricky questions surrounding portable outdoor showers!
When camping at a standard campsite, shower blocks will typically be available either for free or for a small charge (e.g. 50p for 5 minutes).
The problem of showering when camping comes when there are no on-site facilities available or when wild camping up in Scotland etc. When wild camping, a portable shower is the best way to ensure that you’re still able to stay clean during a trip in the great outdoors.
These travel showers come in a variety of different forms from gravity-powered solar camping showers to foot-powered, high-pressure travel showers. The best outdoor showers for UK adventures can be found listed above.
It can be incredibly simple to make or set up a camping shower with the options featured above.
Instead of becoming Bear Grylls on your camping trip, a simple gravity camping shower or more impressive foot-powered or electric camping shower will work wonders. These are easy to set up with the gravity showers simply requiring height to work efficiently.
In our opinion, the best portable camping is the Nemo Helio portable camping shower.
The Nemo Helio offers the most versatile option for campers, beach bums, hikers and van lifers all looking for a camping shower to suit their needs.
The foot pump powered design makes for effortless pressure, no matter where in the world you may be and the solar heating offers warm water after just a couple of hours of exposure to the sun.
If you’re still no closer to finding the answer to your question, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Adventure Pending team on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
We’re always keen to chat about anything and everything related to camping and outdoor gear!
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