Showering In The Heat

Ever spent time in a “camp”, cabin, tent or similar place that has limited water and even more limited hot water? If so: read the TLDR at the top of the page ; you already know what you need for showering effectively in the heat. Just be sure to use the coldest water possible.

For everyone else: “camp showers” are showers you take with the water off except to get wet initially and to rinse off. Period.

Camps and similar usually have just enough hot water to fill a sink and that’s it. You’re showering and washing dishes in a basin like we did prior to figuring out how to provide hot water that never ends.

Think of it like a race against the clock before the hot (or warm) water runs out. You’ve got a max of 120 seconds (2 minutes) at the best of times. You need to be careful or the end of your shower will be pure cold water.

Sometimes a cold shower is desired but I find sweat really wants some warm/hot water to be properly scrubbed away.

A camp shower is a basic check list for getting clean:

• Turn on warm water and rinse off
• Turn off water
• Scrub hair
• Turn on water, rinse, turn off water
• Scrub face
• Turn on water, rinse, turn off water
• Scrub torso, arm pits
• Turn on water, rinse, turn off water
• Scrub legs / lower body
• Turn on water, rinse, turn off water
• Scrub feet
• Turn on water, rinse
• Shave delicate (arm pits, crotch, butt, etc)
  • Not your legs or any ’large area'
• Rinse
• Turn off water
• Shave legs and face using a basin of warm water
  • Think “sponge bath” and use sponge bath rinse technique(s) and splashing water to get any hairs/soap/etc rinsed away
  • Get area wet
  • Soap / cream applied to a portion of shave area
  • Shave the area
  • Rinse area with splashed water
  • Dip / rinse razor as you go
  • Repeat above until fully shaved
• You should now be clean and shaved

Why does this work despite being a ‘regression’ in modern bathing practices?

Because you’re not adding heat to your body by way of the water. Even a barely warm shower will warm up your core. This warming is exactly what you don’t want in the heat.

By minimizing how much warm water flows over you, the addition of heat won’t happen. Instead the water on your body will act as sweat and cool your core as you scrub. It also won’t cool your core fast enough to trigger feelings of cold that would make your body burn more energy to “get warm”. Instead you’ll just stop sweating as bad while also gaining a bit of relief from the heat.