Chai Guy
01-05-2006, 11:29 AM
It seems like every year people want to know how to build a playa shower. It's surprisingly easy, but for some reason people want to make it complicated. Here are the basics:
1. Keep It Simple Stupid! (Jug & Basin)
The easiest way to shower at the playa is to simply bring out a large basin to stand in and pour a jug or gallon water bottle over your head. Get wet, soap up, rinse off and your done (for extra fun, have a friend help by holding the water container and scrubbing your naughty bits and pieces).
Now take the grey water* and use it for dust abatement (that means take the basin out to the street and dump it by spreading it across a large area, trying to avoid making a puddle. It will dry almost instantly this way, no muss, no fuss.
2. Garden Sprayer
Go to your favorite big box retailer and pick up a garden sprayer. Be sure to write "H20 Only!" on it some where so that you don't accidentally end up putting bug spray in it. Take it out to the playa and use it to hose off. You'll use very little water for your shower, and it also doubles as a cool misting device during the heat of the day. Employ the basin method above for what little grey water you do create.
3. Sun Shower Basics
You'll see a lot of Sun Showers* on the playa. You're going to want to fill up your Sun Shower and place it somewhere will it will heat up fast. I like to place it on the windshield of a car, or even the hood. Then you'll need a place to hang it (or a friend to hold it for you). I've found the easiest way to do this is as follows:
Take a piece of 4ft. rebar and drive it into the ground so that 2ft is still sticking up.
Next take a 7ft. piece of metal conduit* and drill a hole near the top. Place an S hook* in the hole.
Now, take the metal conduit and sleeve it over the rebar.
Stand on a milk crate and hang your sun shower on the S hook, or if you prefer, you can tie a rope around your sun shower and raise/lower it using the rope, just tie it off on the conduit some place where you can reach it. You may also want to add a small pulley to the s hook if you decide to go this way.
As always, you are going to want to stand in a basin to catch the water, other wise your feet are going to get really muddy and you'll create a puddle.
To shower, you simply open the valve on the sun shower, get wet, soap up and rinse off! Dispose of your grey water using the same method described above.
Sharing a sun shower between 2 people should be no problem, but I would suggest that you limit it to 2, if you want warm water for yourself. Having your own sun shower also encourages water conservation*.
4. Electrical Pump Shower
If you want to really do it right, you can use an electrical pump shower. You can make your own, all you need is a pump, a battery, some flexible hose, and a shower head. Or you can buy a pre-fab system made for camping like this one from coleman (http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?product_id=827A500T).
The nice thing about this kind of set up is that you don't have to worry about getting the water above your head, since the pump, and not gravity, is doing all the work.
5. Shower Structures
Some people like to get elaborate with their shower structure designs. But there are a few things to remember when building one. First, if you try to include large flat panels or a shower curtain for privacy you're structure will have to be incredibly strong to not get blown over in the wind. If you must have privacy, use materials that allow for air to pass through, like agricultural netting*. Consider what will happen to the water, even just a few people using a shower will create a rather large and unsanitary puddle. You must have some sort of basin to catch the water.
6. Grey Water
Grey water is what is left after you shower. There are several ways of disposing of it.
First you can collect the shower water from your own personal shower and use it for dust abatement in the street, just spread it out so it does not make a puddle. I think this is the easiest and best way to get rid of your grey water. Make each person responsible for disposing of his/her own water. This way you're not touching other people's cooties and they're not touching yours. You won't have a toxic waste dump of materials to deal with at the end of the week either.
Secondly you can take all the grey water home with you! This isn't as radical an idea as it may sound. After all, you brought it out there in the first place right? Just save some empty containers with tight lids, and when you're done with your shower, deposit your grey water into the container, and at the end of the week, take it home with you. If you're going to use this method, place your water in the container ASAP, don't let it sit out all week, because it will just collect playa dust, making more of a mess for you to take home.
Finally you can attempt to create an evaporation pond. I do not suggest this method at all. While some camps have claimed to have been successful at this, they are few and far between. At best you will end up with a bunch of nasty, dirty plastic sheeting at the end of the week which you will take to the landfill. At worst you'll have a pond of putrid shower water to deal with.
7. Other Notes
Regardless of the size of your camp, I would suggest that everyone be responsible for their own water (fresh and grey). It encourages conservation, and minimizes the amount of grey water that you're camp has to deal with.
If you're looking for a cheap, large basin, check out your local auto parts store and pick up a plastic oil collection tub, it's the perfect size to stand in, and it will hold more than enough water.
If you're covered in glitter or paint don't dispose of your grey water in the street! Get as much of that stuff off of you using baby wipes or a wash cloth. Then shower and take that glitter/paint infested grey water home with you.
A shower is a luxury on the playa, but well worth the effort!
*Grey Water= What water becomes after you've used it to shower.
*Sun Shower= Commercially available water bladder with a valve used for showering. Heats using passive solar radiation.
*S hook = Small metal hook, shaped like an S.
*Rebar= Long metal bar used for anchoring objects to the playa, available at most hardware stores.
* Metal Conduit= Hollow metal tube, used for running electrical wires and such, also known as EMT (electrical metal tubing).
*Agricultual Netting= Also known as "Ag netting" can be found at most large nurseries/garden centers.
1. Keep It Simple Stupid! (Jug & Basin)
The easiest way to shower at the playa is to simply bring out a large basin to stand in and pour a jug or gallon water bottle over your head. Get wet, soap up, rinse off and your done (for extra fun, have a friend help by holding the water container and scrubbing your naughty bits and pieces).
Now take the grey water* and use it for dust abatement (that means take the basin out to the street and dump it by spreading it across a large area, trying to avoid making a puddle. It will dry almost instantly this way, no muss, no fuss.
2. Garden Sprayer
Go to your favorite big box retailer and pick up a garden sprayer. Be sure to write "H20 Only!" on it some where so that you don't accidentally end up putting bug spray in it. Take it out to the playa and use it to hose off. You'll use very little water for your shower, and it also doubles as a cool misting device during the heat of the day. Employ the basin method above for what little grey water you do create.
3. Sun Shower Basics
You'll see a lot of Sun Showers* on the playa. You're going to want to fill up your Sun Shower and place it somewhere will it will heat up fast. I like to place it on the windshield of a car, or even the hood. Then you'll need a place to hang it (or a friend to hold it for you). I've found the easiest way to do this is as follows:
Take a piece of 4ft. rebar and drive it into the ground so that 2ft is still sticking up.
Next take a 7ft. piece of metal conduit* and drill a hole near the top. Place an S hook* in the hole.
Now, take the metal conduit and sleeve it over the rebar.
Stand on a milk crate and hang your sun shower on the S hook, or if you prefer, you can tie a rope around your sun shower and raise/lower it using the rope, just tie it off on the conduit some place where you can reach it. You may also want to add a small pulley to the s hook if you decide to go this way.
As always, you are going to want to stand in a basin to catch the water, other wise your feet are going to get really muddy and you'll create a puddle.
To shower, you simply open the valve on the sun shower, get wet, soap up and rinse off! Dispose of your grey water using the same method described above.
Sharing a sun shower between 2 people should be no problem, but I would suggest that you limit it to 2, if you want warm water for yourself. Having your own sun shower also encourages water conservation*.
4. Electrical Pump Shower
If you want to really do it right, you can use an electrical pump shower. You can make your own, all you need is a pump, a battery, some flexible hose, and a shower head. Or you can buy a pre-fab system made for camping like this one from coleman (http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/detail.asp?product_id=827A500T).
The nice thing about this kind of set up is that you don't have to worry about getting the water above your head, since the pump, and not gravity, is doing all the work.
5. Shower Structures
Some people like to get elaborate with their shower structure designs. But there are a few things to remember when building one. First, if you try to include large flat panels or a shower curtain for privacy you're structure will have to be incredibly strong to not get blown over in the wind. If you must have privacy, use materials that allow for air to pass through, like agricultural netting*. Consider what will happen to the water, even just a few people using a shower will create a rather large and unsanitary puddle. You must have some sort of basin to catch the water.
6. Grey Water
Grey water is what is left after you shower. There are several ways of disposing of it.
First you can collect the shower water from your own personal shower and use it for dust abatement in the street, just spread it out so it does not make a puddle. I think this is the easiest and best way to get rid of your grey water. Make each person responsible for disposing of his/her own water. This way you're not touching other people's cooties and they're not touching yours. You won't have a toxic waste dump of materials to deal with at the end of the week either.
Secondly you can take all the grey water home with you! This isn't as radical an idea as it may sound. After all, you brought it out there in the first place right? Just save some empty containers with tight lids, and when you're done with your shower, deposit your grey water into the container, and at the end of the week, take it home with you. If you're going to use this method, place your water in the container ASAP, don't let it sit out all week, because it will just collect playa dust, making more of a mess for you to take home.
Finally you can attempt to create an evaporation pond. I do not suggest this method at all. While some camps have claimed to have been successful at this, they are few and far between. At best you will end up with a bunch of nasty, dirty plastic sheeting at the end of the week which you will take to the landfill. At worst you'll have a pond of putrid shower water to deal with.
7. Other Notes
Regardless of the size of your camp, I would suggest that everyone be responsible for their own water (fresh and grey). It encourages conservation, and minimizes the amount of grey water that you're camp has to deal with.
If you're looking for a cheap, large basin, check out your local auto parts store and pick up a plastic oil collection tub, it's the perfect size to stand in, and it will hold more than enough water.
If you're covered in glitter or paint don't dispose of your grey water in the street! Get as much of that stuff off of you using baby wipes or a wash cloth. Then shower and take that glitter/paint infested grey water home with you.
A shower is a luxury on the playa, but well worth the effort!
*Grey Water= What water becomes after you've used it to shower.
*Sun Shower= Commercially available water bladder with a valve used for showering. Heats using passive solar radiation.
*S hook = Small metal hook, shaped like an S.
*Rebar= Long metal bar used for anchoring objects to the playa, available at most hardware stores.
* Metal Conduit= Hollow metal tube, used for running electrical wires and such, also known as EMT (electrical metal tubing).
*Agricultual Netting= Also known as "Ag netting" can be found at most large nurseries/garden centers.