Truck Camping 101 | Part 5 | Keeping clean – Nemo Helio Pressure Shower
After a meeting with the great folks at Nemo Equipment, I was shown a piece of camping equipment at Outdoor Retailer that I had to own. If you’ve been following my recent series on Truck Camping, you’ll understand how the Helio Pressure Shower from Nemo Equipment fits into the equation. This series covers items that I believe are essential for ensuring a great time in the outdoors. In this article, I’ll be covering an item that has many uses beyond the camping scene. But really came in handy to our family on our last adventure.
As soon as you leave the comfort and convenience of civilized life behind, you’ll realize that several tasks we take for granted are more difficult in the woods. Personal hygiene is one such task. Take away running water, sinks, toilets and showers and you’ll see what I mean. While spending time in the Porcupine Mountains over Labor Day weekend, the Helio Pressure Shower eased the task of keeping both equipment and personnel clean.
Most camp showers are gravity fed systems that require the user to fill a bladder and hang it in a tree or some other form of elevating it. Several challenges present themselves with these systems. First, the quantity of water limits the amount of weight you can lift and that a tree branch can support. Secondly, if you’ve ever tried a gravity shower system, the water pressure is nothing to write home about. The Helio Pressure Shower sits safely on the ground and holds 11 liters of water (2.9 Gallons). That’s 24.25 pounds of water. Good luck hanging that in a tree.
Offering an easy to use foot pump, the Helio Pressure Shower is pressurized by simply stepping on the pump a few times. Once the Helio is adequately pressurized, you can enjoy the steady stream of water from the shower for 5-7 minutes. Periodically pumping the foot pump to maintain pressure throughout your shower. A 7 foot hose is included to insure even a taller than average human has enough hose to reach their head. And that’s a good thing when your son is 6’4″. Another nice feature of the Helio Shower is that it is compact. With a diameter of 8.5″, this 17″ tall unit folds down to 5.5″ when empty and neatly stows in a self draining ventilated storage case.
Not limited to camping alone, the practical application of the Helio Shower is up to your imagination. Rinsing off after saltwater activities, cleaning off dirty paws, mountain bikes, pots and pans etc. The bottom line? Nemo Equipment hits another home run with the Helio Shower in my book. The ease of use, compact size, weight and performance are all important factors to consider. And this company has it covered. Add the Helio Clover Mat that stows in the shower case and your camp shower is complete.
Helio Pressure Shower video courtesy of nemoequipment.com
