So, I want to be able to clean up with a wash cloth and some warm water. I need to catch all the water off my body as I clean, and I have no washroom facilities. My first thought was a spill tray large enough for me to kneel in
but they are pushing $250. Thought about maybe cutting down a tote, but none of them really seem large enough to do the job. I like the idea of the tray, because I can collect the grey water, dispose of it, and tuck the collector out of the way when I'm finished.
Anyone got any thoughts on an alternative to shelling out $250 for a spill tray?
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In the military, people use a "wash bassin" when bird bathing. Using a washcloth to clean up, there really isn't much water to make a mess.
I think you may have a good idea but at that price point, you may as well try to find something with a bit more of a lip that you could actually fill and bathe in it. There are some large plastic totes large enough to fir Christmas trees, that should be big enough to fit a person for a quick bath?
How about cutting down a 55 gallon plastic drum?
When i was a kid they used to bath me inside this one..This still using it for clothes in villages
Sorry for the link i don't know how to upload an image or i don't if i made it right
I can't tell what size you are looking for, but what about a large rubbermaid, or a large/deep boot tray?
HopeImReady
"The thing about smart mother f*ckers, is that they sometimes sound like crazy mother f*ckers to dumb mother f*ckers." -Abraham .”
Thanks for the replies. The full-on bathtub suggestions won't work, because water is at a premium for me as well, right now. Plus, storage space is limited - that's why I like the spill tray idea, I can hang it up out of the way without occupying a lot of usable space, either on a wall, or maybe from the (low) ceiling.
@HopeImReady - I also wondered about a boot tray. I think most would be deep enough to gather whatever water I would "lose", before toweling off. I can find many that appear to be long enough, but not wide enough. I'm thinking that perhaps two of them, sealed along one long edge with Gorilla Tape, might work. I imagine I can scrounge something up for next to nothing at a dollar store. Has the added advantage that it would fold along the seam, take up less space when I am storing it.
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Well, I wandered into Peavey Mart this past weekend, found a "Little Giant Poly Oval 40 gallon Stock Tank" http://www.miller-mfg.com/IG217.html for $50. It works well. is large enough that I can kneel on one leg or stand in it, catches all the washcloth drips, dries out readily in the heat. It is also deep enough that I could probably fill it with water and kinda-bathe, if I had the excess water and the inclination. Hangs on the wall out of the way, well, and I'm thinking it might double as a protective container for food when I've cinched down camp. It was still a tad more expensive than I wanted to spend, but a far cry from the $250 for the spill tray, and seems like a good durable piece of plastic.
I popped through Walmart shortly thereafter, and noticed they had a kids' paddling pool for $30. That also would have worked well, but was just too large for my small space. If I hadn't already bought the stock tank, I might have browsed for a smaller paddling pool - perhaps there's something made for infants?
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A baby bath tub might be what you are looking for. They are quite a bit smaller than a stock tank, and cost a whole lot less too. Check out any baby department at a big box store.
@ kootenay kid - The images I'm seeing make the tubs seem a tad small, I think. I am not familiar with them, though, so perhaps it's just the photography. Do you think an adult man could kneel on one knee and wash down, in a baby bath tub?
As I looked for better-sized paddling pool on line the other night, I came across inflatable ones which I thought might do the trick. There is also a style that looks akin to an above-ground full-sized pool, made from a frame and a waterproof liner. Both seemed like decent solutions, they all came to about the same price as the 40 gallon PVC stock feeder I found.
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Danux:
I have, once, stood up in a baby bath tub, but..... you may be right, kneeling in one may be a little tricky! The inflatable pool may be a wise decision.
OK, have used my StockTank solution a few times, it works well. The only thing I hadn't anticipated was that, after I dispose of the wash water, I have to wait for the interior to dry before I can hang it on the wall. I can speed it up by placing the tub at an angle, which allows all the water residue to collect on one end, then get rid of it, or could probably sop it up with a towel, but so far I give it a half hour or so to evaporate on its own. And. although I can make it work for me, I have to be conscious about ensuring that all the drips and splashes stay inside the tub, particularly when moving the washcloth from the hot water pot. Might be worth it to make a support of some kind, from which I can suspend the pot over the tub.
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Thanks for the update.. I will admit that when we really needed to collect the water and it was not just a matter of washing with as little as possible on a towel, and then saving for the hair washing water, then I have used the rubber feed bin, its black, is wide, its only a foot deep, and its crazy strong, handles all weathers and is easy to carry for dumping.. but would not be space saver but it can be placed outside for roof collecting when not in bath use if that was a choice.. I love them because even in the winter, they just freeze into dump blocks..
http://livingmydreamlifeonthefarm.wordpress.com/
Well, it's time to upgrade this year. The sponge & cloth method works well, but I find it is not convenient enough for me to want to use it as often as I probably *should*. As I was bumbling through eBay & Amazon a few months ago, I found a battery-operated shower head.
Haven't decided on exactly how it will best suit me, but I'm thinking an inexpensive nylon "privacy cabana" placed around the stock tank should give me a relatively clean place to clean up, keep the bugs off me while I do it. I suspect it will use more water, but now that I have rainwater catchment in place, I can be a little less thrifty with it.
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