Advanced Elements - Summer Shower/Solar Shower - Different Capacity - Shower Head - Reflective Mirror - Fill Valve - Black or Silver

I bought 2 of these after researching to replace ageing made-in-USA solar showers from the '90s. I've been very pleased with the Advanced Elements 5-gallon model, and wanted to try these 3 gallon's for a different location. They've worked well. Here's my review, and temp tests: The vinyl thickness is about the same as an inflatable kid's pool float. Build quality is good, but remember we're talking about a vinyl bag with a spout and a hose. At 8 pounds per gallon of water, these weigh 24 pounds full. Of course, they'll still heat whatever contents even if you don't fill to capacity. Maker's instructions say NOT to use these for human drinking water so I'll take their advice. Honestly there are not a lot of choices in solar showers currently, most are just flimsy plastic bags. All brands I see are made in China now. If you have owned older USA-made solar showers, the current bags will feel thinner and flimsier in comparison. That said, Advanced Elements is the best of the current makers. For most people the choice will be between the 3-gallon and the 5-gallon size, and whether a solar shower is realistic for your location. FIRST DAY TEST: We put 2 of these out in direct Florida sun, late March, from 3.00 PM to 5.45 PM. Filled them with kitchen tap water from the cold water tap. Outside air temp 74 degrees. At 5.45 after 2 hours and 45 minutes full exposure, temp gauge on one bag read 104', the other read 98' (the temp gauges go in 6' increments). The bag that reads 98' had more water in it so it did not heat as quickly. I tried both bags spraying over my hands, and water temperature was subjectively comfortable but not 'hot tub' hot. Both bags were certainly warmer than the air temp of 74'. I'd still have liked them a few degrees hotter than they got in the 2:45 test. I like that the rubberized top handle the bags hang by has a clasp lock that unlocks for easier hanging & unhanging. There's a little plastic mirror on a tether cord in the front mesh pocket. SECOND DAY TEST: 3 days after first test above, on another sunny Florida day I put the same 2 bags, again filled with water from the kitchen cold water tap, outside for 3;00 hours in mid-day. Air temp was 78', a warmer day than the first test. This time they reached 104' and 110' respectively. Each time one bag was filled a little less full than the other and each time the less full bag got warmer than the more full bag. Both 104' and 110' seem very pleasant shower temp's to me. Once you get to 104' that's about the temp most public gym's set their hot tubs to, just as a frame of reference. The extra time makes a big difference. And all day-exposure will get these really hot-- if these are out 6 hours or more in direct sun they're as hot as I can personally stand. Once these are out of direct sun, these bags will begin losing their warmth. So you need to use them while they're hot. Wrapping them in towels or a blanket etc will help them retain heat longer (evening dishwashing?) It also seems to take a minimum of 3:00 hours to reach a pleasant temp level, so plan on allowing at least that much time. I've used these a few dozen times now and so far they're holding up fine. I haven't treated them roughly because they clearly aren't designed for it. Sun is tough on plastics over time so I can't speak to long term durability. I'm pleased with these and glad I bought them. A 5 gallon model weighs 40 lbs full and it does take 20-25% longer to heat than these 3 gallon bags. These certainly work--they do make water hot in the sun-- and I can see why they are #1 in sales on Amazon in the category. AE's products are clearly better made than competing brands...some of which are really just flimsy black plastic bags. Based on my experience I would say these AE's do the job and are currently the best solar showers available. I do notice these have fluctuated between $32 and $19, so it pays to be patient and to shop around. You can also check out the AE 5-gallon model (listed separately) and the 10-gallon model (which at 80 pounds full is not very portable, but might work for a sailboat, cabin, car camping etc). Hope this is helpful. Happy trails and happy showering, everybody.

Great for camping. The water gets pretty hot under the sun. Water pressure depends on how high you can put the bag so it could get a bit inconvenient. But we put it on top of our van and it works great.

No more cold showers during power outages. Thank you. Fill it up and just let it warm all day and it works great. Family thinks I'm odd for this but my showers are not cold when we have power outages. Tap warm is better than ice cold. It can also double as an extra water bag during grid break downs.

I have used these for a very long time, but after abusing my previous one, I finally had to get a second one. These things are great around a campsite or remote work site without running water. I've used these for washing hands, showering, cooling off, dishes, etc. They're simple and just like any bag of water, just don't stab it don't open the valve where it shouldn't be open and use the sun and gravity to your advantage. Depending on your needs, you still may want to get a battery powered bucket shower head or maybe you need to get something you can get a few PSI from and get a bit more pressure, but for what this is, it's very handy. Personally I use it mostly just to wash my hands and leave it in my truck bed under the topper it's so versatile and if you don't need it you can roll it up and store it away in just about any crevice, just don't lose it. As far as the "solar" part of it, you need to have reasonable expectations. If you leave it outside in the winter, at night, it'll freeze, but I've done that and eventually thawed it out and it worked just fine, but it won't produce a warm shower.

The ADVANCED ELEMENTS 5-Gallon Summer Shower is an essential piece of gear for anyone who enjoys camping or outdoor activities. After testing it out, I’m really pleased with its performance and overall quality. With the 5-gallon capacity, this model provides more than enough water for multiple quick showers or for rinsing off after a day in the outdoors. This shower is built to last with its four-layer construction, including a solar panel that heats water efficiently, a water reservoir, and diamond ripstop fabric for durability. The materials feel strong and rugged, ideal for extended outdoor use. It’s capable of heating the water up to 110 degrees in about 3 hours of direct sunlight, which makes for a warm and refreshing shower at the end of the day. We filled it up and tested the flow, and it gave us about 6 minutes and 30 seconds of continuous water flow. Of course, in an outdoor setting, you’re only going to open it for short bursts to wet yourself, soap up, and then rinse off, so this 5-gallon shower is perfect for extended outdoor stays or when multiple people need to use it. The temperature gauge makes it easy to keep track of how warm the water is, and the extra-large filling valve is convenient for quickly filling up. I also love the wide carrying handles and Velcro straps for holding soap and shampoo—it’s a great touch for staying organized while camping. While some customers have mentioned concerns about leakage, I haven't had any issues with it. The shower rolls up compactly for easy storage, which is a huge plus when packing it up for trips. It’s lightweight, portable, and sturdy enough to handle frequent use. Overall, the 5-gallon model offers ample water capacity for anyone needing a reliable shower during camping trips or outdoor activities. It's well-designed, easy to use, and provides the comfort of a warm shower wherever you are. Highly recommended for all outdoor enthusiasts!

This is an inexpensive item yet it provides something that you really can’t get any other way easily and that is warm water from a sprinkler at a campsite. I’m not expecting it to be a long lasting item but that's ok. Even for one camping trip or two it’d be worth it to me. We set it up to rinse off legs and feet after going into the river. It was also nice to wash hands with. I felt like it was less likely to tear if we just laid it on the picnic table and put a bucket underneath for catch water. I did hang it from a tall tree at one point, but I feel like the weight of it could cause the seams to bust sooner. It’s also great for dishwashing. It's very hard to wash grease from dishes without warm water so I would use it to wash dishes as well. I replenished throughout the day. Hey, it's camping and there's loads of time. After using it, I'd just fill it with another gallon of water after it got partially used through various activities and it seemed to keep it at a decently warm temperature throughout the day. It does cool overnight so you kind of start over. It was a fun device for people at the campground to enjoy. I don’t particularly like the on off pull nozzle mechanism, but I learned that if you just raise the nozzle up higher, it would pause the flow until you were ready to rinse again rather than pushing the nozzle shut and open each time which was harder to do. Kind of hard to dry out so storing it open so it'll dry out eventually. I thought about running cold air (setting on hair dryer) but that might compromise the seams so air dry it is since I actually do want to keep using this. I can see wanting to make any excuse to break it out - picnics, front yard, back deck, neighborhood block party, etc.

Overall the product is solid. The nozzle is kind of cheaply made but gets the job done. It heats up great it the sun. Great for the beach. Only gets three stars because it somehow got a pin size hole on my first use. Still manage to use it regularly.

Every year my buddies and I go to a music festival where you camp out for a few nights and there's only one small building with showers and it gets PACKED. You literally will stand in line for an hour waiting for an open shower. And they charge per minute. This year I said "no way, not going through it again" and I bought this portable shower. We LOVED it!! It was so incredibly nice to just walk over and take a warm shower. The bag holds a lot of water. The shower handle makes it so easy to turn on and off. The handle to hold the bag is really strong and durable. The portable mirror and pocket is a nice bonus. It heats up just as stated. It was the bees knees. Everyone kept saying how nice it was to have our own shower. Definitely a win for the price.