I love the idea of one, especially a detachable one that I could remove to just spray my feet! Although I guess that could also just be called "the hose."

Here in the city there isn't much call for one but if I ever get a cottage, you bet.

I've been an admirer of outdoor showers for a long time. Nothing like bathing out in the fresh air. Here is our current shower. However, a more enclosed one is in the works for our reno which will put up a wall screening the view from our neighbor who gets on his roof to see what we are doing. I do not think the pleasures of showering outdoors should be restricted to the guys, don-cha-kno. I also bathe our dogs and use the shower wand to bathe the parrots too. No mess inside then. And with the addition of the screen, I can walk from the wet area into the door of our bedroom (planned in the reno) without being seen. My DH is the world's worst at getting grubby and grimy and throwing himself into whatever nasty job he must do. So the shower is a real blessing for a happy marriage! :)

From this picture, you can see that the dryer vent comes out in the general vicinity of the shower. Those are hoses sold as washing machine hoses, connected to threaded pipes and a nice rain head and a shower wand. Inside, there is a brass splitter on hot water and cold water lines of the washing machine. With the dryer blowing out warm air, it is possible to shower even on fairly cool days.

I took this picture with my cell phone just now, in the rain.

Oh yeah. I meant to add that the NEW shower will be attached to the irrigation meter, since no water from it goes back into the sewer system. I will locate a 3 or 6 gallon 120 volt small water heater with an on/off switch beneath the deck for only this shower.

I think the outdoor shower is a hedonistic pleasure on a par with an outdoor hot tub or spa. You need to try it sometime.

Yesterday after mowing and edging the front lawn, harvesting the veggies, and yanking a few weeds, I got out the hose to water. Suddenly I couldn't resist the urge to drench myself. Never felt more relief!

Closest I ever got was using one on vacation in St. Lucia. Heavenly. Lizards and birds liked it too.

I used to use one on Fire island,NYC it was wonderful!

That article says that Home Depot has all parts, probably has those rain shower heads, need to check it out. Moccasin, you have wonderful plans! I only would be interested in cold water, something to stand under when it's hot. One could actually interrupt garden work in heat, stand a while under the shower, and then continue, or be wet while mowing the lawn (need dry shoes though). You see what several days at 95 dgrs can do.
Bernd

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Fri, Jul 19, 13 at 19:52

I have one. Its called a hose. With a nozzle that has a setting called...you got it, "Gentle Shower". Works like a champ. Much more refreshing than the milk can filled with water in the morning, then used the now warm water in the evening to bathe with at my uncle's farm when I was a kid.

tj

tj, I took your suggestion with the waterhose, even without nozzle, simply a gentle stream of cold water after weeding, deadheading and walking behind my mower for 1 hour at only 85 dgrs. I had a towel waiting outside, change of clothing and a beer inside, will do this more this summer. This beats taking a shower inside any time. Bernd

ya know..

the hand held shower head i have in the bathroom.. IS A COMMON GARDEN FITTING ...

ANY hardware store.. can give you the couplings for such... well ... sell you ...

its not the fitting to the pipe.. it the second or third fitting down ... perhaps the one with the ball socket ...

all you have to do.. is ask your ACE guy... i mean a real hardware store.. where you have peeps who know their stock ..... hand him the hand held package ... and tell him you want it hooked to a hose ... and you will need a hanger at the top ...

and while you are at it.. get a y valve for the spigot..

you really dont need to get all fancy ...

ken

I think I'd only make use of one if I lived somewhere warm for more than three-four months of the year.

moccasin,
You win for having the creepiest neighbor. How do you resist giving him the one fingered salute when he does his peeping Tom thing?

Hostanista, as your picture shows, it doesn't need to be a fancy thing to be fun and useful too.

I like it with hot water, because of the bird cage cleaning, and for bathing the little dogs in cooler weather. The two girls enjoy their bath time these days, when I use mostly the cold water!

This particular neighbor truly puzzles me, because he apparently does not see the rudeness of his actions, which is not confined to roof walking for a better view. It's hard to be neighborly to someone gauche enough to invade private space.....but I think he is a narcissist, among other personality problems, and he can "do no wrong." hehehehe

Years ago we visited a family that had one. They had a beautiful mobile home set on a lake. He had built a storage shed and set it out away from the home. He made it L shaped so you could go back in a bath away. It was so nice when they had company and the kids would swim and fish. Keep the mess out of the house. Loved it!!

Of course, at the shore we always used the outdoor shower and it was always delightful. DH would love one here, so when I hit the lottery, that is what I will do for him! I already have a plan (for the shower, not winning the lottery sadly)-it will be in an corner area off the master bedroom and bath. We will wall it in (maybe with a gate that can't be seen from the road) and have glass doors going from the current bath out there. No roof. Aaahh.

Neighbor on the roof? Too funny. Ours would scramble back down quick enough once he got a gander of one of us in that new shower! ;)

The guy in the plumbing dept. at HD said he would fit all pieces together for me if I so decide. A handheld shower head (3 volumes selectable on head) with 5 ft flexible hose costs less than $20, I saw them. They also have 15 ft garden hoses for $8, I saw those too. They would sell me the connector to go from 1/2 in shower hose to 5/8 inch garden hose, might also be different threads. I would hang it where I hang the garden hoses on a hose holder next to the deck. Bernd

This post was edited by berndnyz5 on Sun, Jul 21, 13 at 16:45

This morning is the perfect day to think of an outdoor shower. There is thunder in the distance, and a gentle steady rain coming down all morning. Birds are at the feeder like people would be at the store picking up last minute hurricane supplies before a tropical disturbance hits town. I see them waiting in line on the fence for room at the feeder ports.

With our shower-to-be (replacing the one I concocted a few years ago), the privacy will come from a section of fixed louvers as wide as the deck, between 6 and 7 feet--and about 6 feet tall--with no roof on it of course. A second section of fixed louvers at right angles to that will provide the "enclosed" feeling required for private bathing. I'm thinking a teak bench that I have will be perfect to place within reach for the towels, but the soap and shampoo will be on a shelf or in a net bag. The outside door from the master to the deck is beside this space, and with the towel wrapped discreetly, one can tiptoe into the bedroom to dress.....and toss the dirty clothing into the basket as you enter. Yeah, I need a basket beside the back door for the grungy clothing that DH contributes to the laundry after he's been grubbing in the garden all day. He says that after years of just "making do" with his garden, since he is retired, he can do it like he wants.....his efforts are much appreciated too.

I got a newsletter from HGTV and it has a series of 18 photos of outdoor shower setups. Want to look at it?

I hope the link works right, it sure was LONG.

Here is a link that might be useful: 18 outdoor shower pictures