Portable shower enclosures for camping come in a variety of styles, shapes and colors. Determining what’s the best camping shower tents will come down to a number of personal requirements.
Some of these shower enclosures are two rooms so that you can use one for a toilet and the other for a shower. While some are simple pop up designs that feature enough space to have a shower basically.
The method in which you shower may also affect your buying decision. A simple solar shower bag would be perfect for a single room shower enclosure, whereas an instant hot water shower system would be better suited to a 2 room shower tent.
This is because you need an area to keep the shower kit including the propane gas bottle. While you certainly can use a set up like this in a oversized shower enclosure like the King Camp Enclosure, I just find the extra space you get from a 2 room enclosure is the best option when using the enclosure for a toilet as well. But if a cold shower from a shower bag or even a heated solar bag is how you plan to shower, the single room option is a good choice as well.
Do You Really Need A Portable Shower Enclosure For Camping
Some people may like to think of it as ‘glamping’, but I don’t really care. If something offers me greater hygiene, privacy and the ability to do what I want and where I want, I’m all in. If you’re wild camping with a large number of people, it makes sense to bring alone some privacy while you bathe.
However there are times when you may not even need your own camping shower. For instance when you go car camping at a popular holiday park. These often have multiple shower blocks and are kept in rather good condition.
Even still, you may find it easier to have your own personal shower. Especially if you have a few kids and the shower block is considerably far away. Having the shower tent set up next to your camp spot can certainly prove beneficial in this instance.
As there are multiple ways to get instant hot water camping, it makes sense to use this to your advantage and have a nice hot shower from the comfort of your little patch of grass. After all, it adds to the whole outdoors camping experience. So while you may not necessarily NEED a camping shower tent, there’s no harm in wanting one that’s for sure.
#1 Outdoors Shower Enclosure For Camping
For me the King Camp oversized outdoors shower is the best. But of course this is a personal preference and may be different for your circumstances. The reason I prefer this portable shower tent over others is simply due to size and access to the outside.
In terms of size, it’s offers greater space. I hate feeling like a tinned sardine while trying to scrub under my arms or shampoo my hair. So having this extra elbow space is a true treat. When assembles the King Camp is pretty much 5’5″ (66″) x 5’5″ with a height of just over 7 foot. So its a great shower tent for big and tall people. The extra depth is what I really love, it’s 66 inches compared to other enclosures, even the double rooms that are about 40 or so inches.
Sure it’s not as wide as a 2 room shower enclosure, but it’s still wide enough for 2 adults to shower together should they please. If you already have a camp toilet set up you won’t need a 2 room enclosure anyways. So this enclosure won’t take up as much space (width wise) on your patch of earth.
The other feature I really like about the King Camp is that you can put your arm through the window. On some other shower tents the window is closed off and you can’t reach outside. This is especially important if you’re hooked up to a hot water heater like the Camp Triton or a RV shower set up.
What About The Flooring?
Now the floor on the King Camp is connected to the enclosure, so it’s not removable. Some people prefer the ones that can be removed, while others prefer it be attached. The floor does have a mesh surrounding so water can run out of the tent and not pool up. This also keeps and larger sized critters out while your showering, with the exception of everyone’s favorite animal:ants. But having the floor attached also means you won’t let mud and grass accumulate at your feet. But should you have the desire to remove the floor, you can cut it out and it won’t affect the structural integrity of the shower tent.
The Quick Run Down
- Very Roomy: 66″ x 66″ 85″ tall.
- Freestanding design with guy lines for ominous weather.
- 2 Mesh windows which can be opened for access to hoses, clothes etc and also fully closed with tent material for complete privacy.
- Very large zippered door – No more squeezing in like a tinned sardine.
- Interior and exterior pockets with storage compartments.
- Ceiling hook for hanging solar showers and hanger for towel.
- Mesh ceiling for ventilation with rain fly for protection against rain.
Solar Shower Enclosure For Camping
Texsport product the best solar shower enclosure for camping in my opinion. This is because of the clear rainfly at the top which allows sunlight to heat up your solar shower bag even when its raining. Many shower enclosures have the rainfly without a clear panel, which blocks out the sun.
Texsport have been around for quite some time, over 40 years I believe. So they certainly know what they are doing and it’s a big reason I trust their camping gear. By adding this clear rainfly at the top, it’s opening up a new world for people that rely on the sun for a warm shower. Sure you can leave a rain fly off for full exposure to the sun, but having the rainfly on at all times means you’re prepared for bad weather. Even if it’s just a sun shower, this enclosure will prove beneficial.
What Else This Camp Shower Tent Offers
Besides being a great shower tent for solar bag heating, what else does this Texsport have to show for itself. It’s quite a roomy enclosure for a single room version, measuring 4’6″ x 4’6″ with a ceiling height of 87 inches which is over 7 foot.
The walls, rainfly and flooring are all built heavy duty and are finished in a polyurethane coating to protect you, your clothes and towel from wet weather. The floor is also a removable ripstop tent flooring which will make the people whom prefer removable floors for easy cleaning happy.
The Texports even includes a 5 gallon solar shower bag, so you’re good to go right out of the box. Going back to the clear panel ceiling, this not only allows sun to heat up your solar bag, but it also makes this shower enclosure one of the brightest there is. More light inside so you can see what your doing, even with the privacy screens up. Or you can leave them down for even greater lighting.
Overview Review Of The Texsports Camping Shower Enclosure
- Includes 5 gallon solar bag with a shower head.
- Removable floor
- Windows open up completely for external shower hoses etc.
- Sturdy towel rods, not loose weak fabric. Towels can hang firmly outside the window for easy access.
- Heavy duty exoskeleton with gusseted connecting joints.
- Can be set up solo in about 20 minutes or 10 minutes with 2 people.
- Shower rack made out of mesh on the inside.
Best Double Room Portable Shower Tent Camping
Ozark Trail may not be the most recognized brand in terms of premium high quality, but I find their double room shower tent to be quite impressive. It’s well ventilated and privacy is no concern with this tent. Some shower tents the walls are so thin you can see through them. But I find the Ozark Trails shower enclosure to be quite thick and not see thru.
Firstly its got 2 rooms which opens up a new aspect to a shower tent. It gives you the opportunity to keep your shower goods in a separate area while allowing you to keep a camp toilet enclosed as well. In terms of space it takes up 7ft by 3.5ft. So not as deep as the other tents above, but plenty of space length ways.
There’s a floor on both ends of the tent and on the shower side there’s a mesh drainage section so water can escape, all while keeping the bugs out. However I’ve found that the floor to be a tad slippery when wet. So take caution or just throw down a rubber mat for better adhesion.
What sold me on this double shower enclosure was it’s strength. The design and framework are quite heavy duty. So it can stand up and face storms, rain and high winds if needed. Nothing worse than having flimsy camping gear when Mother Natures turns on you. So this to me was a big selling point.
There’s plenty of internal storage pockets for keeping your shampoo, face washers etc. Some up high and also down low. In the second room there’s a conveniently placed pocket so you can store toilet paper in if you also put a portable toilet inside.
Some Of The Features
- Quick set up, takes about 5 minutes to set up once you got the system down.
- Two huge zippered and meshed windows in the shower side for ventilation and allowing the shower to dry out quickly after use.
- High mesh ceilings allow for even greater ventilation.
- Shower windows don’t completely open to the outside, but you can access the outside through the large zippered door in the second room for bringing in RV hoses etc.
- Comes with a 5 gallon solar shower bag.
- Very sturdy and weather resistant enclosure.
Heavy Duty Large Camping Shelter Privacy Tent
It’s so hard to chose the best camping shower tent when there are so many high quality options available. But his Browning camping shower/privacy shelter is another fascinating design which simply has to be mentioned.
The first thing worth mentioning is it’s very heavy duty design. The frame consists of steel poles which give it a robust and sturdy foundation. Provided you apply guy lines, this shelter is very wind resistant. This shelter has withstood some pretty harsh 25 knot winds and lived to tell the tale.
Whats also very cool about this camp shower tent is the built in shelving. The full length shelving rack uses fiberglass poles to create a true shelf. It’s finished in mesh so water can drain off, but the shelf itself is quite sturdy. You can easily store your heavier shower gels and shampoos on this. As well as your towels. This is one of the features I like most about the Browning and one I don’t think I’ve come across before.
The floor of this shelter is retractable. What this means is you can roll it up and out of the way for easy cleaning or if you wish to set up on concrete. The floor is attached to only one side permanently. The other 43 sides zip up or closed. So while not fully removable, I like the idea of being able to basically remove the flooring should you choose.
In terms of size, its on par with the above King Camp. It’s a very big bathroom like shelter. It’s 5’6″ x 5’6″ with a tall 7 foot ceiling. So again, if you don’t feel like being squished when you shower, this is a great option.
Quick Browning Shower Tent Review
- Very strong design with steel upright support poles.
- Bathroom like design with spacious 5’6″ walls and 7 foot ceiling.
- Brilliant built in shelving for storing shower gear.
- Extremely well ventilated with ceiling mesh, upper wall vents and 2 windows.
- Retractable flooring with mesh release points for water to drain.
- Comes with guy lines, stakes and carry case.
Best Pop Up Camping Shower Tent Enclosure
If the weight of the tent and the time it takes to set up an enclosure worries you, then a pop up shower tent is what you need. These shower enclosures are super simple to set up and barely weigh anything.
The best pop up shower enclosure I’ve come across is by Green Elephant. At 1/3 the weight of the above Browning tent, you can see why these pop ups are so popular. It’s an impressive 5.5lbs in weight.
This is the type of pop ups shower tent for people that want 100% privacy. There are no windows to speak off which offers complete privacy. There is a mesh ceiling to allow natural daylight in. But unless someones in a helicopter or flying a drone over top, no one can see you shower in the green Elephant.
Whats also unique about this tent is the shower entry point. Most other enclosures have the solar shower bag inside the tent with you. This does tend to make the shower head considerably low. Unless you’re a shorter person, this can get annoying.
But with the Green Elephant the shower head actually comes through an opening at the top of the tent. So for this to work you hang your solar bag or hot water heater shower outside the enclosure on a tree, post or something similar. I do like this idea as you don’t feel as cramped up inside the tent.
Lastly there is also no floor in this tent. It’s the complete portable pop up worry free enclosure. While simple in design, the Green Elephant has a bit going for it. Lets have a quick look.
- Includes 4 sand bags to hold down shelter in severe wind storms. Also comes with stakes and guylines for regular weather.
- Comes with a rain cover but this would block out a fair bit of natural light.
- 3’11” x 3’11” with a tall ceiling measuring 6’10.
- Includes multiple hangers to make showering easier: clothes/towel and torch hanger as well as a toilet roll holder.
- Very high quality tent materials, probably the best out of this bunch. Professional standard polyester which has been waterproofed with T210 polyurethane with a 800mm water proof rating.
- Decent size storage pocket on back wall
- Unique opening in ceiling to feed through whatever shower head you need.
Which Shower Enclosures The Best?
I briefly mentioned that there are so many good shower enclosures in which you could buy. But determining which one is the best is no simple task. Each and everyone of us has unique needs from a shower tent. So it would be fruitless to say that one particular model is the outright best.
But in saying that, I have presented you with 5 very good options. Instead of overwhelming you with 10 or more to choose from. Whether you’re a back packer looking for a simple pop up and lightweight design, or a family of 5 whom all need to use a shower, the options are here.
For a larger family it would make more sense to go with a 2 room design. More gear and more bodies means you’ll need more room. But be sure that the camping spot you plan to camp has sufficient space for the 6 foot long design. Also allow for guylines in this measurement.
If not a 2 room, either the Browning or the King Camp are great choices as they have oversized bathroom designs. Even if I was solo camping I would opt for one of these two. Plus make sure you have thought about the type of shower you plan to take. Whether its via the solar bags which hang from the tent/tree, or if you are going more sophisticated and using a hot water heated shower. So the choice is now up to you. I don’t believe you can go wrong with any of these models.