What’s the Best Camping Shower?
It is not much fun trying to wash your hair in a freezing campsite sink while holding a torch in your mouth. Which is why portable camping showers have become hugely popular with campers, van lifers, festival-goers, horse owners, and outdoor adventurers alike.
But with hundreds of options online ranging from £20 solar bags to full hot water systems, what actually makes the best camping shower? Here’s what really matters.
1. Hot Water vs Cold Water
Technically, almost anything that sprays water can be called a camping shower.
But there’s a massive difference between:
• A cold trickle of water from a hanging bag
• And an actual hot shower with pressure
If you camp regularly, especially in the UK, hot water becomes less of a luxury and more of a survival strategy.
A proper hot camping shower makes:
• Washing up easier
• Showering comfortable
• Cleaning dogs less traumatic
• Muddy boots manageable
• Festival recovery infinitely more civilised
2. Water Pressure Is a Big Deal
A lot of cheaper camping showers suffer from weak pressure. They work… technically. But rinsing shampoo out of your hair can take approximately the length of a feature film!
The best camping showers provide:
• Consistent flow
• Decent pressure
• Reliable heating
• Easy setup
Especially if you’re using them regularly rather than once a year on a sunny weekend in July.
3. Portability Needs to Be Practical
Some camping shower systems are tiny but flimsy. Others are powerful but massive.
The best option usually sits somewhere in the middle:
• Portable enough to move easily
• Tough enough for outdoor life
• Quick to set up
• Reliable in different conditions
This matters whether you’re:
• Camping
• Glamping
• Van lifing
• Horse showing
• Paddleboarding
• Dog walking
• Heading to festivals
• Or trying to clean children after a beach trip
4. Durability Matters Outdoors
Outdoor equipment gets battered. Camping gear has to survive:
• Mud
• Rain
• Dust
• Being shoved into vehicles
• Accidental drops
• Cold mornings
• Hot summers
• General human chaos
A shower that only works perfectly in ideal conditions isn’t much use long term.
So What’s the Best Camping Shower?
There are loads of portable showers available now, but many are either:
• Very cheap and unreliable
• Or expensive systems designed more for permanent van conversions
For people wanting proper hot water, portability, and reliability together, Hippo Showers have become increasingly popular - their new Hippo Go range are a selection of lightweight portable showers that can be carried anywhere.
They contain a full boiler (the same as your home shower, but smaller!) and rechargeable (usb-c or 12v) battery. All in one, easy to use portable case with digital temperature controls. Which turns cold water into hot. Anywhere! You don’t even need a tap!
Originally designed for demanding equestrian use, they’ve developed a loyal following among campers and van owners because they’re:
• Genuinely portable
• Fast to heat
• Built to last
• Easy to use
• Powerful enough for proper showers
Unlike basic solar showers or battery-powered pumps, Hippo Showers are designed to provide a real shower experience wherever you are. Which explains why they regularly end up at campsites, horse shows, beaches, dog walks, and festivals across the UK.
Shop Hippo Showers!
The best camping shower is one you’ll actually enjoy using. That usually means:
• Hot water
• Good pressure
• Reliable performance
• Simple setup
• Durability
Because after a long day outdoors, nobody wants to battle with a dribbling bag of cold water hanging from a tree!
A proper portable hot shower genuinely changes the experience. And we are sure you’ll never find anything as perfect as the Hippo Go range of portable showers!
Camping and Caravanning magazine featured us in their April 2026 edition saying 'Is this the ultimate off grid gadget?!' What do you think?
