148.4 Sun Warmed Backpacking Shower by Basic Designs

We love our sun warmed backpacking shower. It doesn't weigh much at all, rolls up when empty to about the size of tent poles, and holds five gallons of water. It says right on the thing not to use it for drinking water, but it is great not only for showers, but also for water to wash dishes. We are pretty sure that if dishes are washed with soap and then dry completely in the sun, they are not contaminated with giardia or any of the other water-born bacteria backpackers worry about.

But there is nothing more luxurious than a warm shower out in the wilderness! We just fill this up from a river, lake, or stream and then set it out in the sun for a day. It does not get hot, but it does get comfortably warm so that washing one's hair is a pleasure and not the cold terror most of us dread when we wash in a plastic cloth bucket. We both washed our hair on the third day of our trip and felt like newly reborn, happy campers.

Unfortunately, Basic Designs of Sausalito appears to no longer be in business. I found some of their backpacking foam mattresses still on sale used, but other than that they do not seem to be around any longer. Searching around, I did find a few other companies that still make solar heated showers for backpackers.

 
 

I lost .4 pounds yesterday. For exercise I did my usual: about 30 minutes of random housework and 30 minutes of brisk walking with a dog that likes to pull and needs to be reined in. Here is what I ate:

Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 slices of Costco combo pizza
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with salsa
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
Corn Dog with mustard
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms