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