Advanced Elements Solar Shower Review
Getting lost in the scenic outback doesn’t mean you need to stay dirty the entire time. Some camping sites even offer showers for those that smell a little…off. But when showers are out of sight, it’s nice to have some kind of alternative. A solar shower is, in its simplest form, a bag of water with a solar heater and nozzle. We know that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to a shower, so we tried to make our Advanced Elements Solar Shower review as generalized as possible.
CHECK OUT ADVANCED ELEMENTS SOLAR SHOWER PRICE
The Skinny on Our Advanced Elements Solar Shower Review
There are several size options available for the solar shower:
- 2.5 Gallons – Good for 1 to 2 People Check Price
- 3 Gallons – Good for 2 to 3 People Check Price
- 5 Gallons – Good for 3 to 4 People Check Price
How long it lasts depends on the length of each persons shower. For the sake of the review, we’ve chosen the 5-gallon option.
How the Advanced Elements Solar Shower Works
The technology behind the solar shower is simple. The sun hits the clear side of the bag filled with water. While this initially generates some heat, the true heating is from the non-clear side. The sun hits the solar panel generating more heat. The reflector panel behind it keeps the heat moving inside the bag. The insulator holds the warmth rather than creating heat loss. After several hours in the sun, you’ll have a hot shower ready to go. I’d say try to give your solar shower a good 4 hours of heating time in the direct sun.
The longer the Advanced Elements solar shower is in the sun, the hotter your water will be. You’ll find that only 2 hours of sun may only make the water luke warm. In the direct sun when the air is above 75 degrees or so, you could have a nice hot shower inside of 3 hours. Obviously for the smaller versions, heat up time will be significantly less. If you needed faster heat up time for more people, get 2 of the smaller versions. Heat up time always depends on climate, as some folks say they can get the water hot enough in an hour, so give yourself a test run with sufficient time. Some of this might depend on how hot you like the water. I prefer 105-108 degrees.
Things We Like
This particular solar shower has some nifty little features on it.
- Temperature guage
- Velcro strap for hanging things (towel, wash cloth, etc)
- Pocket for small toiletries
I should point out that these little extras were on the 5-gallon version, and I’m not sure if they’re included with the 2.5 or 3-gallon models.
The pressure on this solar shower is more than sufficient for getting soap out of your hair and off your skin. This isn’t crazy pressure, but it certainly does the trick. The full bag will last for probably 7-9 minutes, which is more than enough for at least 2 people. Most would advise that you get wet, and turn the shower off. Lather up with soap, then turn it on again to rinse off.
In terms of the material that it’s made of, our Advanced Elements solar shower review gives it a just right rating. If you poke it hard enough with a knife or sharp stick, it can certainly tear. Not easily, but it could. So while it’s not tear proof, it is tough material that will certainly last a while.
I’d also recommend hanging the handle from some strong rope rather than directly on a tree. The handle is definitely tough and the strap rugged. If you want to get as much life as possible, this reinforcement certainly won’t hurt.
All in all the Advanced Elements solar shower is an excellent solution for a camping trip where you want a good shower.
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