50 GALLON DRUM SHOWER

feve316 · March 25, 2008, 12:05:00 AM

I was wondering if anyone has ever seen or know of a web site or pictures of remote camp showers made out of a 50 gallon barrel you can heat with a fire underneath it? They are usually elevated to get flow. I saw a picture of one about a year ago in one of my wifes mountain clothing magazines and do you think i can find it now? I have about tore the house apart looking for it, but no luck and I cant find anything yet on the net. Any help guys?? I think that would be pretty cool at my cabin. I think the pic was taken at a remote camp in Alaska??

bowdude · March 25, 2008, 01:01:00 AM

Why go to such work? The Zodi single burner camp shower works awesome. Hot water faster than wood heat even. 1/2 a 5 gallon bucket is plenty for an ample single shower and its ready in a few minutes.

chrisg · March 25, 2008, 01:29:00 AM

Called a 'donkey boiler' out here. build a U shaped wall the dimensions of the drum laid on its side. Build up to 18" high for the fire box WITHOUT a grate it is more fuel efficient and you wont burn the fire down so fast set two or three steel girders across to support the drum,set a stove pipe chimmney in the rear, continue to build up around the drum and cover with straw rich stucco and cement skim,or zinc sheet,seal up around the drum. Sealing it all is not vital, you can simply continue up and put a pitched zinc roof over it using steel members. Plumb the drum with the cold water at the bottom and an expansion pipe up from the hot water exit via a T piece. Water pressure is maintained by a higher header tank, two three metres is plenty of head. Light fire and have a sundowner, your water will heat up in an hour. You can also lay the drum on a heavy steel plate and surround it with river sand, route the chimmney pipe or pipes through the sand, this way it takes longer to heat but holds the heat better and the drum lasts longer.you can also encase the drum in a brick box and let the smoke out above the drum via a short chimmney, it is simple and most methods work, in time you will need to replace the drum so factor that into your construction. keep a scrap sheet of corrugated iron handy to partially close the firebox and to control cold drafts.
chrisg

MikeS · March 25, 2008, 06:33:00 AM

What Bowdude said! I love mine.
Mike

D. Key · March 25, 2008, 08:46:00 AM

I've hunted in many camps and use a 1 gallon milk carton. Pour 1/2 into a pot and bring to steam, pour back into the carton and mix. Pour about 1/4 onto your head, lather up and use the remainder to rinse. Works great and you conserve water, to boot...

Marblesonac · March 25, 2008, 09:17:00 AM

Bowdude x3

I got the x40 for my cabin: http://www.zodi.com/web-content/Consumer/zodix40shower.html

Works great out of the box, but with a recommendation to upgrade the pump, it works even better.

bowdude · March 25, 2008, 01:01:00 PM

That thing recirculated in the bucket will boil water. Kinda ruins the pump though. :rolleyes: You can't forget about em.

feve316 · March 25, 2008, 04:47:00 PM

Thanks guys. Just thought the barell idea was cool and cheap. That zodi shower may be the ticket. Thanx

Buffalo Two Fletch · March 25, 2008, 06:42:00 PM

I have a double burner Zodi Shower for a couple of years now and this has been my experience with it

1. When new it worked great
2. After using it a while I had to replace the plastic pump
3. After using it a while I had to take the burners apart because they were clogged up
4. The pump often needs to helped along to get it started. Once flowing it works good.

I would probably buy another unit. For the most part it has been handy but I would buy the single burner modell or maybe the one that rests on a cook stove and just recirculate the water through two times if needed.

Charlie Cole · March 25, 2008, 09:54:00 PM

Solar shower. If it's a butt-numbing cold day or no sun, just prime it with some hot (not boiling!) water from the camp cookpot.

Get the big one.

Or go with the milk jug idea (but I like long hot showers, so I'll use a gallon jug!)

-Charlie

Charlie Cole · March 25, 2008, 09:57:00 PM

Sorry, Doug. I thought you said use a half-gallon. Guess I'll just have to fill it twice- once for the wet-down and once for the rinse-off!

-Charlie

Mdbowman · March 26, 2008, 08:24:00 AM

A guy had one in bear camp one year that was made from a beer keg. Underneath he had rigged up a small cheap charcoal grill that hung from s hooks. It was suspended from a tree by chains, and he had plumbed a small shower head out the side at the bottom. worked great and didn't cost much.