Do Solar Showers Actually Work? | Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Review

Wondering what a solar shower bag is and how it works? Well, in this review on the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag, I will go over everything you need to know about solar shower bags. Such as how it works, how it heats up, how fast it heats up, how long you can use it, etc. You will walk away from this Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag Review with no other questions as to whether or not the bag is right for you. 

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Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag Review

Jake and I live in a campervan full-time and this serves as our main shower. We have the 5-gallon bag and feel it is a great size for our lifestyle. Advanced Elements does sell different sizes, but in this review on the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag, I will be referring to the 5 Gallon Bag because it is the only bag we have experience with. We have owned this bag since July 2019 and have used it on average about 3 times per month.

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How Does A Solar Shower Bag Work?

The design of the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag is quite simple. There are 3 panels that help absorb the heat of the sun: a reflector panel, insulator panel, and solar panel. There is then a water reservoir to hold the desired amount of water (in our case 5 gallons). And lastly, a clear plastic window that allows the sun to shine through the reflective panels. 

Therefore, you lay the solar bag in the sun with the clear window side up. The sun’s rays shine through the clear window layer through the water to hit the reflective panels to absorb the heat of the sun. Which essentially heats up the water.

This clear side also has a thermometer face up so you can see how hot it is getting.  One complaint is that that the thermometer is pretty hard to read.  But a little fiddling with the right angle and you can see a reading.  You have found that the ideal temperature is ≈ 116 degrees F.

Then, how the solar shower works is by gravity. The solar shower bag needs to be hung up higher than your head so the water can flow. We suggest trying to tie it to a sturdy tree branch or roof rack if you have one on your vehicle. This is where it can be very handy to have a ladder. We live full-time vanlife, so we have a telescoping ladder which works wonderfully.

We find the water pressure to be adequate, though it does get weaker as the bag empties.  But it’s always been enough to do all the normal shower tasks.  

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How long does A Solar Shower Bag take to heat up?

It really depends on how powerful the sun is and the temperature outside. For example, if you put a cup of water that has no reflective materials added, it generally will adapt to the surrounding temperature, aka “room temperature”. But adding in the reflective material helps heat the water up faster. 

But if you place the bag out in winter temperatures such as 40 degrees or lower, and where the sun tends to be lower in the sky, the bag will have a harder time getting to a desirable shower temperature. It might take the whole day to heat up, if even at all. But if you place the bag in 80 degree weather in direct sun in the summer, then the bag might heat up in less than an hour. So it depends on the variable elements of mother nature!

Important Note: In very hot temperatures and direct sun, the solar shower bag can get to scalding temperatures. So double-check the thermometer reading.

Our Experience With How Long It Takes For The Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag To Heat Up?

Since we do full-time vanlife, we use this shower all year round. But we are travel south in the winter to warmer weather.  So, in winter, in 50-60 degree temperatures, with the sun being lower in the sky, it takes 4+ hours in full sun. If it’s cloudy, it really doesn’t absorb as much sun as it needs in order to reach a desirable temperature. 

In summer, with temperatures 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit and direct sun, it takes only a couple hours. If it’s cloudy, it will still heat up but not nearly as fast and might not reach a “hot” shower, only a “warm” shower. 

So our best advice is to try and find a day that has direct sun and temperatures are warmer outside. Or use some of our tips below on how to heat up a solar shower bag faster. 

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How many showers can you get out of it / How long does it run Continuously?

Jake and I really conserve our water so we don’t have to fill up the bag as often. We take “miliatary-style” showers, where we turn the water off while sudsing.  So with us helping each other by turning the nozzle off and on for one another, between rinses, we can get about 3 showers each (totaling 6 quick showers).

But if refilling the solar shower bag isn’t an issue and you just want to run the water endlessly like a real shower, it generally lasts up to 10 minutes with a full 5 gallons. 

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Tips For How To Heat Up A Solar Shower Bag Faster:

While the sun is the easiest and most energy-efficient way to heat up the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag, there are quicker ways to heat up the water for the solar shower bag. 

Heat Up The Water On Stovetop:

A couple of times, we didn’t have all day to have the bag sit out in the sun. So we would fill up our large pot (5.5qt) and boil water. This method works relatively fast, and you will have a hot shower in under 15 minutes. 

Place The Solar Shower Bag On A Dark Surface:

Another faster way to get the solar shower bag warmer in less time is to place it on darker surfaces such as asphalt, black materials, or the hood of your car if it is a darker color, etc. We often use the back side of our windshield sun shade because it is black and attracts heat.

Place The Solar Shower Bag In Your Window:

Everyone knows the windows in a vehicle lets in heat much quicker than the rest of the vehicle. So sometimes when we are running errands all day, we will place the solar shower bag on the dashboard or against our back windows depending on where the sun is coming into the campervan. This will help heat the bag up quicker. Do be careful that the window doesn’t get too hot, that the material might melt. We’ve never had an issue, because the water seems to exchange most of the heat away from the glass, but it’s something to be weary about. 

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How To Store A Solar Shower Bag?

There are two different ways you can store the solar shower bag. You can store it empty by rolling it up and storing it anywhere. Or you can keep it filled up and store it with the water in it (which is our preferred way). But if space is an issue, go with the roll-up method and it will take up next to no space.

If you go with the storage methods with water still in it, we suggest using a hard case storage container. Because it is a big bag of water, we got a little nervous about having an easily puncturable bag sitting in our trunk. So we bought a hard plastic case for it to sit in so it wouldn’t be as easy to have something accidentally puncture it. That way if it were to leak, it would hopefully fill up inside the plastic container before leaking all over our campervan. 

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Pros & Cons of The Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower

Pros Of A Solar Shower Bag

• Inexpensive
• Holds 5 gallons (we can about 6 military-style showers out of it)
• Heated by the sun
• Comes with water temperature gauge
• Easy to stow away between uses
• Lightweight when empty

Cons Of A Solar Shower Bag

• Hard to turn off and on by yourself to conserve water (need two hands)
• Not rigid, so it has the possibility to be punctured and leak
• Needs gravity for water to flow, so must find a tree or something high to hang it on
• Not pressurized, so shampoo & soap can be difficult to wash out
• Can take multiple hours to heat up
• Hard to clean & dry out
• Temperature gauge is hard to read

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Different Sizes Of Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bags

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What Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag Is Best For You?

In general, I would suggest the 5 gallon bag to most people. Because it can be filled up to 5 gallons or if you simply want less water, you don’t have to fill it up as high. 

If you want a smaller bag so it takes up less space the 2.5 gallon or 3 gallon will be a great option for you. 

I really only suggest the 10 gallon bag to people who can place the solar shower bag in the location they want it and then fill it up with a hose or water source. Because when it’s full it will be extremely heavy (85+ lbs). The solar shower needs gravity to work, so lifting an 85lbs bag to a higher location could be difficult and possibly cause injury. If you are looking for an inexpensive shower option for an off-grid tiny home or if you can securely strap it to your campervan or RV roof the 10 gallon bag would be a good option for you. 

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Takeaway | Does A Solar Shower Actually Work?

In conclusion, we think the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag is a great inexpensive option for a portable shower. My main complaint is that the on/off nozzle is difficult to operate by yourself while also cleaning yourself. It’s much easier to conserve water if you have a helper to control the flow of water for you. But for the price, it is a great shower option for off-grid living.

In the future we do hope to upgrade.  And if budget isn’t an issue, I would get a pressurized shower like the Nemo Helio LX Pressure Shower or the RinseKit Plus with heater. 

But for a budget-friendly shower solution, the Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag has served us perfectly. I hope this Advanced Elements Summer Solar Shower Bag Review helps you make your decision if it is the right portable shower option for you. 

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