Beating the Summer Heat
I have recently purchased a Reliance Flow Pro Pressurized Portable Shower from REI. It was on sale and apparently discontinued. Its not any kind of new technology. I remember looking at these about a year ago, and now they have some fancier newer shower options for the big budget campers. Forgive me if I sound a bit like an advertisement for a moment but I think the details may be helpful. The Reliance Flo Pro holds two gallons of water, has a hand pump (twenty pumps provides two minutes of continuous flow), a six foot hose and shower-gun head and pressure release valve. The whole jug is covered in a black neoprene fabric so when it sits in the sun it warms the water inside. It cost me about $30, and I wonder why I didn’t buy it sooner.
I built a small wooden platform to stand on while showering. I sanded and stained this using some bright colors for fun. The wood was free from Mata and Jim’s firewood pile. The stain and oil paint I already had.
When I’m ready to shower, I open my back doors (which open like French doors) and I hang a blanket in between the open doors. I installed a bracket on one side so that I can feed the corner of the blanket through and clothespin it in place. I also installed a hook inside the door on my bed frame so I can hang my shower bag and the shower head. I can place extra items up on my bed which I can reach through the open door.
Then I stand on my little platform and use the portable shower. Right now its so warm that I let the sun warm up the jug as much as it will, but I’m not in need of a hot shower. From my little perch I can see the expanse of Upper Klamath Lake stretching out and the mountains beyond. Its quite a view. Its hardly a luxurious shower. I turn on the water and get wet enough, turn the water off, soap up, then rinse off. So I only use a modest amount of water. It can last me at least three showers. It beats a wet-wipe bath any day in the heat. I’m sure I’ll think differently when the weather cools down again, but for the summer, its great! I can also use it to hose off and clean things outside. Anuk may even let me bathe her at some point.
