I am just going to come out and say it, having a hot shower out in the desert while camping is an absolute cheat code. I feel as calling something indescribable is often overstated and overused in the modern day social media era, however, I am going to state just that, a hot shower at the end of a day spent hiking, exploring and adventuring is indescribable.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
This Overlanding Shower Revolutionized My Desert Camp Setup
I’ve spent years exploring the deserts of Southern California, most often around the high desert region of Joshua Tree. As the Creative Director at Matador Network, I’ve been blessed with opportunities to photograph and film many of our world’s natural wonders. Calling Southern California home, I’ve often missed the excitement of far off lands, which has left me wondering deeper and deeper into the California desert while at home. And when I do so, it’s often times long and dusty. Love a long a hike through Joshua trees, looking for unique angles of those alien like succulents (they aren’t in fact trees but cacti) but it’s the times crawling back into my tent dirty, exhausted, and a bit beat that have always been the taxing part.
Staying fresh in the desert. Photo: Scott Sporleder
Enter the Joolca HOTTAP Nomad kit, $549 at Backcountry.com. I’ve never been a massive gear guy, for one reason or another I’ve always just grinded through things, but recently I thought to myself, you know I don’t need to suffer every time I head out into the hills. After some research, I came across the Nomad kid and decided to give it a go and one thing is certain, I ain’t going back.
The HOTTAP is a self-contained shower that can also double as a sink and portable washing station for all of your dishes while on the road. It comes in a blue waterproof bin that is comparable to that of a storage bin you would use in your garage, and inside of it is everything you need (other than the propane to heat the shower).
We hope you love the Joolca HOTTAP Nomad kit! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to make a purchase.
Pros of the Joolca HOTTAP Nomad kit
Easily control the temperature like you would in a normal shower. Photo: Scott Sporleder
• To pull up to a remote campsite, offgrid location and be able to end the day with a quick hot shower doesn’t feel real. If you have the space and like a small creature comfort than you can’t go wrong with this.
• It’s extremely self explanatory, hoses are intuitive to connect and within a few minutes you can be up and running.
• The self contained packing unit makes things extremely easy to pack and travel with.
Cons of the Joolca HOTTAP Nomad kit
Photo: Scott Sporleder
• The hoses can take a few times to get used to, what plugs into to what and making sure the everything is clipped in and engaged. However, after about the third or fourth time using it, you’ll get the hang of it.
• The temperature gauge/handle is very sensitive. Personally, I’ve found that the lightest increase in temperature can send this thing into through the roof heat wise. I almost always use it close to the lowest setting, so be careful when first turning it on that you start it low and work your way up.
• At times it can be a little tricky getting the right about water pressure going to keep the pilot light engages and heat on (as I’ve been running the off-grid plumbing setting, with the intake house out of a bucket and the battery pack used to run the pump) and you need atleast 1gallon a minute to activate the burners.
Again, same as the wiring, it becomes easy after a few times using it. 