It's an age-old camping question, do I bother having a shower, or do I wait until I get home?
For many of us that like to head out into the bush for a night or two over the weekend, this is a very valid question, while there is no doubt you should clean yourself every day, sometimes an armpit and crotch clean with a little bit of soap and water will suffice.
But for those of us with children or who like to camp for days or weeks at a time – a camping shower can be a real necessity. Both hot and cold climates in Australia offer plenty of ways for you to get dirty enough that a shower is a must before climbing into your sleeping bag.
Dust, dirt, rain, mud, sweat or even salt from the sea are ever-present in Australia and when we spend some time at a campsite, a shower becomes more and more important. So read on dear campers as we review some of the best camping hot water systems and showers to keep you and your family clean and happy every time you head out.
| Smarttek Black Smart Hot Water System 6 Lpm | Companion AquaHeat Lithium Gas Shower | Gasmate WaterTech Portable Hot Water System | Joolca HOTTAP V2 | Companion 12V High Volume Camp Shower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  | Our Pick  | Best Value  | |
30 x 15 x 44 cm | 44.2 x 16.3 x 38 cm | 29 x 14 x 40 cm | 17 x 32 x 43 cm | 33 x 28 x 8.5 cm | |
Stainless Steel, plastic | Plastic, silicone | Steel | Plastic | Plastic, silicone | |
12 V DC | Lithium rechargeable | 2 x D cell | 2 x D cell | 12 V DC | |
LPG | Propane cartridge | LPG | LPG | None | |
50 hr / 9kg bottle | 2 hr | 16 hr / 9 kg bottle | 15 hr / 9 kg bottle | N/A | |
6L per min | 2L per min | 3L per min | 6L per min | 6L per min | |
55 deg C | 50 deg C | 52 deg C | 50 deg C | N/A | |
5.5 kg | 7.5 kg | 5.2 kg | 4.2 kg | 1.44 kg | |
3 years | 3 Years | 1 year | 2 years | 1 Year |
Smarttek Black Smart Hot Water System 6 Lpm
Best For Caravan Parks
The Smarttek Black Smart is a higher-end camping hot water system designed for use outside of the home. It has been designed with the harsh Australian conditions in mind and uses quality materials such as stainless steel and double powder coated housing to resist any form of corrosion.
This camp shower has been designed so that you can set it on its stand, connect the shower hose to a water outlet, connect the gas and then start her up. The Smarttek has a high flow rate and can be used with pressurised water or standing water with the pump.
Customer reviews are generally good, however, temperature control has been a widely reported issue, with many people finding it a little frustrating as they have to continually play with the dials until the water is comfortable.
Overall it's a reliable and easy to use hot water system that is efficient on gas and will keep you and your family clean.
Companion AquaHeat Lithium Gas Shower
Best For Use Anywhere
When it comes to setting up your camping shower quickly and easily, it doesn’t come much better than the Aquaheat Lithium gas shower. With internal batteries and a side-mounted propane cartridge, you can have this shower putting out hot water in seconds.
It’s designed for camping away from facilities and the water input can be from a variety of sources, the most simplistic being a bucket of water with the water input hose dropped into it.
While it does not have the run time or flow rate of the Smarttek, customer reviews are all positive and it is a much better self-contained unit that you can literally use anywhere.
Gasmate WaterTech Portable Hot Water System
Simple Set Up
A similar product to the Smarttek, the Gasmate Watertech is a slightly cheaper option. It works like the self-contained lithium Aquaheat in that all you really need is a water source in a drum or bucket and this system will do the rest.
The Gasmate Watertech is a reliable showering system that is simple and easy to set up and use. It utilises external gas and water sources so, in theory, you can run this as long as you have those two in ample supply, which means a large group can utilise one shower.
This is quite a new product on the market with few customer reviews to judge it by, but that being said, people who have purchased this shower have been very happy with its reliable performance.
Joolca HOTTAP V2
Our Pick
The HOTTAP V2 by Joocla is a very popular model with campers. It’s easy to set up and use and is a little smaller and lighter weight than other units of similar capacity. It maintains a high flow rate and has good temperature control.
While the HOTTAP V2 comes with a stand, it is a little flimsy and this unit, given its smaller size, is well suited for mounting onto your caravan or truck, making it even quicker to set up. This hot water camping system has a very high rating across thousands of customer reviews with the negatives being very minor.
This is a reliable and battle-tested system for you and your family’s camping adventures. It also has the benefit of being able to be used for washing dishes. We all know how annoying it can be to clean oily plates and pans in cold water!
Companion 12V High Volume Camp Shower
Best For Cold Showers
Not all showers need to sing and dance.
One of the best things about camping can be the return to a simpler lifestyle. As such, not all of us need or require an expensive hot water set up and provided you don’t mind a cool shower (not a problem in the warmer months), then the Companion 12V High volume Camp Shower is the one for you.
Simple and easy to use with a high flow rate and consistent pressure, it’s difficult to find negative reviews as almost all users find it reliable and effective.
You can still have yourself a hot (or warm shower) by heating up water either by a fire or gas burner or by solar radiation during the day and then running it through the Companion.
Given this shower is $50 instead of or $350, it's a great purchase and unless you head into the mountains in winter – for most Australians, this is really all you need.
Companion Canvas Bucket Camp Shower
Best For Simplicity
When it comes to old school simplicity, the Companion Canvas bucket shower is about as simple as they come. You hang it up, fill it with water (which you can heat separately), stand under it and turn the nozzle until your shower is working.
No need for batteries, gas or complicated setups, this style of a shower has been around for a very long time and with good reason. It comes in at about $40, is made of canvas so it will last forever and has thousands of positive online reviews.
While only a little cheaper than the 12V high volume, also by Companion, the bucket shower is comparable in its use, with the main difference being you can't adjust the flow rate as easily. For weekend campers in the summer months, this style is ideal for minimal camping trips as no gas cylinders or pumps are needed.
CampEzi 20L Solar Camp Shower
Best For Solo Campers
When it comes to the simplest warm water shower you can fathom, we give you the CampEzi 20L solar camp shower. It is a simple black bladder that you fill with 20L of water and then place in a sunny spot for the remainder of the day. You then hang it up and stand under it for a warm water shower.
It is a bit of a one-shot deal, however, and a larger group would need several of these to ensure everyone gets enough water. However, at a retail price of only 10 bucks, the fact it folds down when empty and is very lightweight makeup for this. No frills, warm water on sunny days, this is best for solo or minimalistic campers.
What To Look For When Buying A Camping Shower
Before locking in a purchase, take some time to make sure you’ve considered all of the key factors below.
Do I need a camping shower?
If you only ever head out for one or two nights, camp near a lake or river in summer – you may never actually need one.
If you camp longer, further away from freshwater, during the colder months or undertake activities that you get quite dirty at – then most likely you do. Any type of shower will ensure you and your family can stay nice and clean.
How much will you use it?
Not all camping shower systems are created equal and the range in prices reflect this. If you love to camp with friends and family quite a lot and do so throughout the year, then an investment in an LPG system that can provide hot water frequently on demand will be worth your while.
Conversely, if you only go once a year for a few days to a week – the Canvas bucket from Companion or even the Solar Camp Ezi model that are much cheaper could be all you need.
What type of camp shower?
Camping showers and hot water systems come in a range of styles with different requirements such as:
- Solar. Simple and effective black bladders with a hose. They are limited in overall use due to their size but are extremely affordable.
- LPG / Propane. This type of shower is designed to replicate your experience at home as close as possible. These systems are heavy and bulky but are relatively easy to use and have temperature control functions. They are not cheap however, as can be seen by the price tags on the Smarttek and Gasmate showers.
- Battery. The Companion 12V High Volume Camp Shower is a great example of a system that draws water and is pressure adjustable, but does not have a heating element. You need to heat the water separately.
Environmental Concerns
When using a camp shower, it is best to only use biodegradable soap as to not pollute the environment and ensure that the runoff does not directly go into a lake or river, but rather onto dry ground that will soak it up and filter anything harmful before the water eventually reaches the water table again.
For more info, check out this info from WA Parks.
Accessories
There are also additional items you can purchase to make your camping shower more comfortable such as screens or shower tents, plus stands to support your shower unit and floorboards so that you are not standing in the dirt.
Camping Showers FAQ
How do you take a warm shower when camping?
By using an LPG gas system to heat your water, or by heating your water using solar radiation, fire or a gas burner and then placing it into your camp shower.
How does a 12V camping shower work?
The electric current regulates the water flow and can ignite your heating elements. They do not heat the water themselves.
How much does a camping shower cost?
You can find solar showers for only $10 or you can splurge on a high-end on-demand hot water system for $400 or more if you want to mount it to a vehicle or add on lots of accessories.
Final Thoughts
Camp showers are great and getting you and your family clean can significantly improve your morale. If someone in your group is on the fence about going camping, a shower can also be a way to convince them that camping doesn’t have to mean roughing it completely.
A simple solar shower like the CampEzi may be all you need every couple of days or you may want an on-demand system like the Joolca HOTTAP V2 that will allow you to keep your kids, dogs and dishes clean whenever you need it.
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Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.
Purchased a Companion Portable GAS HOTVWATER unit April 2023 hoping to have instant 55 Deg Hot Water to WASH Clothes and to Shower what a great waste of money and a let down it has been. Very little REAL expertise has gone into the build and design of the machine. HEATED THE water only 16 Deg in Winter cold and my precious collecting and FILTERING of water was WAISTED much by the Leaking Clip on hose Connections? WHAT? FINISHED UP going Back to the OLD TRUE, TRUSTY, TRIED Method to BOIL the water myself on the GAS BURNERS for my NEEDS. NOW I want to sell it to recoup some of my hard earned cash I paid for it.