Necessary to shower?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:03 am

Um. Because it doesn't work too well, Tom. I understood it immediately, and I'm not a techhead. I don't know how much work you want to do for how little effect, and how much energy you have for useless projects on the playa. Up to you.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:38 am

theCryptofishist wrote:Um. Because it doesn't work too well, Tom. I understood it immediately, and I'm not a techhead. I don't know how much work you want to do for how little effect, and how much energy you have for useless projects on the playa. Up to you.

No work at all. Already have the stuff in my garage. Have seen home made evaporators, that work on the same idea. Not making a steam factory, think this would be a better way of getting rid of bar swill.... my watering can and black plastic will do fine for showering.

Thecatman · Post by **Thecatman** » Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:47 pm

TomServo wrote:I use a watering can. Feels more like a shower.

I learn something new everyday. I'll have to give that a try.
Thanks for that suggestion

Dr Dilemma · Post by **Dr Dilemma** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 12:51 am

Last year, our water tank got a hole on the road and we lost all our water ... so no showers! The Heebie Jeebie healers had a sauna there and some mates tried to convince me to try it out. Oh hellz no, I replied. But I got talked into it and OMFG I have never felt so clean on the playa. It feels actually a bit chilly when you get out. And I could breathe through my nose for a wondrous 5 minutes.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:53 am

I bet you could greatly improve the effectiveness of the greywater boiler by spraying the water rather than having it contained in a bucket. Maybe the simplest way would be to hang the bucket as high as possible and run a line down to the barrel so it gravity-feeds, or even several lines to distribute the water.
Maybe weld up a series of steel plates in the burn barrel, arranged in some sort of cascading set of ramps, for the water to run across. That would apply a lot of heat to a lot of surface area and allow for immediate evaporation.

I've thought about a greywater boiler myself... I think muchas cabras was right, containing the grey water in a bucket to boil away would be really inefficient due to low surface area contact, though it certainly isn't gonna hurt anything if you do it. Maybe even something as simple as putting a very small hole in the bucket to let a bit of water dribble to the bottom of the barrel would dissolve a bit more grey.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 7:57 am

Captain Goddammit wrote:I bet you could greatly improve the effectiveness of the greywater boiler by spraying the water rather than having it contained in a bucket. Maybe the simplest way would be to hang the bucket as high as possible and run a line down to the barrel so it gravity-feeds, or even several lines to distribute the water.
Maybe weld up a series of steel plates in the burn barrel, arranged in some sort of cascading set of ramps, for the water to run across. That would apply a lot of heat to a lot of surface area and allow for immediate evaporation.

I've thought about a greywater boiler myself... I think muchas cabras was right, containing the grey water in a bucket to boil away would be really inefficient due to low surface area contact, though it certainly isn't gonna hurt anything if you do it. Maybe even something as simple as putting a very small hole in the bucket to let a bit of water dribble to the bottom of the barrel would dissolve a bit more grey.

i wonder if the trick of hanging rags over the edge of a bucket filled with water, would help?
it could drip and or evaporate out of the rags......and, it seems, as long as they stayed wet, they'd not burn.......

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:43 am

"Not burn"?

Are you all right, man?

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:15 am

Wolfe ran the shower for our camp. He got a folding shower-stall-tent thing, and a shower bag thing. The trouble was that the shower bag needed to be held at above head height (if you're standing up in the shower). The shower tent wasn't strong enough to support a full bag of water.

We had assumed that we could hang it on a structure, but that structure didn't work out. I would advise rigging up some sort of dedicated support for the bag.

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:35 am

Ugly Dougly wrote:Wolfe ran the shower for our camp. He got a folding shower-stall-tent thing, and a shower bag thing. The trouble was that the shower bag needed to be held at above head height (if you're standing up in the shower). The shower tent wasn't strong enough to support a full bag of water.

We had assumed that we could hang it on a structure, but that structure didn't work out. I would advise rigging up some sort of dedicated support for the bag.

see, maybe it's just me, but, I'm drawing some mental pictures from this and your possible solutions, that, well.......I'm not sure are ok.........

jella · Post by **jella** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:40 am

We did the shower tent thing too and found the "shower buddy" system worked well you hold my bag I'll hold yours

Hayden · Post by **Hayden** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:01 pm

I will create a lil photoshop image of my 'greywater burner' idea.

And I WILL agree with...forgot who said it.... about the surface area and efficiency. Without a picture, I know we all get different mental images, but my idea was not simply 5 gallons of water over a fire.

Instead, imagine an 18"x18" "box" that is only a few inches tall. This creates quite a bit of surface area. If you rae going to have a burn barrel going ANYway, this is a very simple and effective use of the energy created.

By having a shallow "box" that can be hinged to come down on top of the fire, you are allowing it to very quickly evaporate while burning trash or other items.

You could incorporate a radiator type heater to cycle fresh water through this heat, as well, producing hot (well, maybe very warm) water.

I'm camping this weekend, but I'll whip up a lil photoshop action on Sunday and get it posted.

This is for small amounts of water at a time - not 10 gallons of bar swill! LoL If you are patient enough and plan to burn trash/etc regularly, this could be particularly useful.

I'll even try and set up an experiment and see how fast it evaporates 1/2 gallon of greywater. Stay tuned...

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:20 pm

1 or 2 gallons tops, if I remember correctly...per day. Melted ice was reused.

Since my camp is much smaller than the previous, I expect even less swill. Maybe a pizza pan over the burn barrel, with some sort of slow bleeding grey water container.

Deeper will work fine for me, as their won't be that much to evaporate.

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 2:29 pm

Another prob with the boiler idea is the altitude. BRC is at 4,000' so it takes stuff longer to boil.

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:48 pm

muchas_cabras wrote: The "secret" to evaporating grey water on the playa is surface area and for that, nothing beats a terrycloth beach towel. Just dip and hang (or drip while hanging) then the sun & wind does the rest.

I like this idea! Possibly a dark colored piece of fabric so it gets warm. Maybe even set one end in the water and nail/hang the other end up above to a board/side of trailer. Then it would constantly wick water out of the pool. hum......?

Post by **mdmf007** » Fri Feb 19, 2010 5:22 pm

Bounce530 wrote:Another prob with the boiler idea is the altitude. BRC is at 4,000' so it takes stuff longer to boil.

Water boils quicker and takes less energy to boil at altitude.
water boils at 204.8F at 4000 feet. Does not sound like much, but the energy required to boil water is progressive.

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:47 pm

Bounce530 wrote:Another prob with the boiler idea is the altitude. BRC is at 4,000' so it takes stuff longer to boil.

Shouldn't it take less? Less air pressure?

*Obnoxiously pumps fist in air* Called it!

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:32 pm

I guess I should add...if your boiling your grey water off, you should do it regularly. Don't stockpile, then try to get rid of it. I think someone in here mentioned, keeping a bar constantly clean...this should apply to grey water for any camp. Unless you want to haul it back.

Bounce530 · Post by **Bounce530** » Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:07 pm

hmm, guess Im must've been in a hurry, and it seemed like everything took longer to cook/boil. We even got to the point of using a blow torch on a pot while it was trying to heat up on the gas stove.

so watch that fist lady!

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:21 am

You know, in certain enlightened cultures, a "shower" will consist of nought more than a bucket and a bowl. Squat down naked next to the bucket, scoop out some water with the bowl and douse yourself. Rinse and repeat.

I think that I shall stick with this in 2010.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:57 am

boiling temperature decreases at higher altitudes, which would matter if you were cooking something, but for evaporation... it's still boiling, right?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 9:15 am

Squat, huh....

I'll have to give that some thought.

VArocketry · Post by **VArocketry** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 10:35 am

I'm wondering if you could make a shower stall out of PVC pipe and tarp covering.

TomServo · Post by **TomServo** » Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:28 am

VArocketry wrote:I'm wondering if you could make a shower stall out of PVC pipe and tarp covering.

I did, a few years ago. Two uprights, two threeway pipe joint, three upper pipes and tied two of the uppers to my cargo rack. Kept the water can on the rack. Think we used a shower curtain as well.

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 12:01 pm

suspension of reality item 1. grey water has no particulate suspension
suspension of reality item 2. grey water steam is not a health issue

then.... grey water powered steam calliope!

klondike_bar · Post by **klondike_bar** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 7:39 am

Elorrum wrote:suspension of reality item 1. grey water has no particulate suspension
suspension of reality item 2. grey water steam is not a health issue

then.... grey water powered steam calliope!

hmm, ideas for a grey-water-powered steam engine on the playa?

theCryptofishist · Post by **theCryptofishist** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 10:06 am

You people are crazy.

Marscrumbs · Post by **Marscrumbs** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:23 pm

Real burners do the hundred yard dash behind the water trucks daily. Nothing feels better that being blasted by a ton of fresh water from some local well. Don't let that Not potable tag on the truck scare you. That just some city bureacrats concept of safety.

illy dilly · Post by **illy dilly** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:29 pm

Marscrumbs wrote:Real burners do the hundred yard dash behind the water trucks daily. Nothing feels better that being blasted by a ton of fresh water from some local well. Don't let that Not potable tag on the truck scare you. That just some city bureacrats concept of safety.

Right, like non-potable water is even one of the top 10 dangers on the playa.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 1:40 pm

Way down there about number 108. Just don't open your mouth or other orifices during your hippy shower.

Boijoy · Post by **Boijoy** » Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:24 pm

Ugly Dougly wrote:Way down there about number 108. Just don't open your mouth or other orifices during your hippy shower.

you mean we should'nt run nekked behind it,, backwards, bent over, spreading out our butt cheeks?

Necessary to shower?

Anyone have portable shower stall design pictures

Re: Anyone have portable shower stall design pictures

Just don't drink it, silly.

Re: Just don't drink it, silly.