ADVANCED ELEMENTS(SS761) Summer Solar Shower - 3 Gallon, Silver/Black, One Size

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.

Nice little shower, I got the 3 gallon which is perfect amount of water to wash my long hair and body. Leaving it out in the California sun definitely heats it up, almost unbearably hot so you gotta add cold water or put it in the shade to lower temp before use. The water spout looks cheap but works well and has good pressure. All in all great product for the money

premières impressions positive . grande capacité. et bonne qualité de fabricationca a l'air de bien chauffer. A voir dans les mois qui suivront ...

I've tried many varieties of these sun showers. I live remotely seven months of the year using them every day. None of them would last more than one season. However, this one has.A few factors I believe allow this model to reach what seems to be a lofty goal for products like this. A major one is that it is not too big. Three gallons seems to be the limit. Because it's often the weight that does them in. The heat sealed seams around the handle tear over time on many of these bags. This one has not over a full season of use.I also think the narrowing design of the top aids in strengthening the handle area. The seams at the bottom tend to spring leaks during the season, yet this one has not. I may be lucky or it may be that these seams are fixed better.One more positive on this model is the filler hole cover. It's made well and seals the best I've ever seen. No leaks. It seals so well I actually have to break it open a bit in order to allow the water to flow.Two negative issues - the spout and its adjoining hose. It's rare that I find a spout that's designed for ease of use, especially with one hand. This one requires you to unscrew it to open the flow. Yet the flow is inconsistent and somewhat unpredictable at times. It can also get locked so tight you need two hands to open it.Because of how tightly the unit and the hose is packaged, the hose often gets folded in half, developing a weak spot at this crease and ultimately causing leakage and nobody wants leakage (am I right).I bought 2 of these at the time thinking it wouldn't last the summer. It has and I'll be using it next year as well. I'm glad I have a second one in case they change something for the worse.UPDATE: 04/21Just now beginning to use the second one I bought two years ago. Last fall the original bag cracked after freezing and age related issues.This second one has a spout that pulls out to create the flow. It's difficult to control and manage the flow - especially with one hand. That's the only real drawback on this model. I generally swap these out for an old favorite I’ve recycled from another brand.

Diese Solardusche ist sicherlich das am besten funktionierenste Produkt mit der höchsten Qualität von allen Solarduschen am Markt. Das rechtfertigt auch den höheren Preis! Die Dusche wurde an einem sonnigen - aber nicht heißen - Tag in den Bergen so warm, dass es beim Duschen fast schon zu warm war (die Temperaturanzeige war leider irgendwie schlecht zu erkennen), der Duschkopf funktionierte einwandfrei, das Produkt ist außerdem so stabil verarbeitet, dass man sich keine Sorgen machen muss, dass es beim Aufhängen reisst! Meine einzige Kritik gilt den Mengenangaben! Die kleinste Größe soll rund 9,5 Liter fassen. Das kann nicht sein! Ich habe zuvor eine Billigsolardusche verwendet, in die ich immer einen 5 Liter-Kübel geleert habe. Ich weiß also, wie es ist mit einer 5 Literdusche auskommen zu müssen. Mit der kleinsten vollen (!) Solardusche kam ich nicht länger aus, als mit der 5-Liter-Version. Leider hatte ich keine Möglichkeit die Menge zu kontrollieren (vielleicht könnte ja mal jemand nachprüfen!). Ich würde daher jedem empfehlen, zumindest die mittlere Größe zu wählen, wenn man sich ernsthaft im Sinne der Körperreinigung duschen will. Auch weil man dann die Möglichkeit hat, noch genügend kaltes Wasser hinzuzufügen, sollte die Temperatur sonst zu hoch sein. Für Leute, die sich nur mal kurz unter den Strahl stellen wollen, mag die kleinste Größe ausreichen.