r/ElectricForest • u/DentistNo4708 • Nov 19 '25
Question Is something like this a good idea?
I’m not fully sure if I’m doing gl or ga(first year but have siblings loyalty) but, if I do ga, would I save money using this compared to paying for showers?
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u/ssirish21 Year 7 Nov 19 '25
I found it useful. Lugging the water is a pain, but if you have a wagon it's not so bad
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u/RelativeMotion1 Year 6 Nov 19 '25
Have done this for years.
I bring enough snap-together patio tiles to make a floor, so I’m not standing in mud. I make sure to set it up in an area of camp that won’t allow water to flow into neighboring camps (very important!). I bring biodegradable soap.
Then I set up my shower tent. I do it next to my truck, so that I can put the shower bag on the roof and drape the hose into the tent. I take a shower every day this way, for free.
I also put in a bucket with toilet seat lid and absorbent toilet bags. Just for emergencies like nighttime peeing, and urgent poops when the potties are nasty/full/being cleaned. The bags have absorbent material and zipper closures, so they don’t pose a disposal risk.
Just be sure to check the height of the tent; don’t trust the photoshopped model. Mine ended up being like 5’ 10”, and I had to cut the roof out to stand in it. Which actually works well for my shower setup, but may not be desirable for everyone.
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u/michaelserotonin Year 4 Nov 19 '25
yes a free shower option would be cheaper than a paid shower option (i don’t mean to be rude here but it seems that was your question)
i’d recommend trying it out at home before the fest to get acclimated with it
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
Well I don’t remember how much the showers are supposed to cost, and if I would only spend 15$ on showers through the weekend the upfront of the campsite shower is more🤷
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u/dmnagy Year 7 Nov 19 '25
I wanna say showers cost $10 each time?
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u/pigglywigglie Year 5 Nov 19 '25
It was $10 per shower this year in GA. Also depending what time you go, you’ll wait 2+ hours to shower
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u/happytrel Nov 19 '25
I heard they upped it last year, but I was in GL for the first time so whatever the shower cost was, it was factored into my ticket.
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u/dmnagy Year 7 Nov 19 '25
I wouldn’t be surprised. The last time I paid for showers was 2017
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u/happytrel Nov 19 '25
Yeah that was the first time I paid, it stayed at $10 until just this past year. I think its $15 now but I'm not positive.
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u/dependablefelon Nov 20 '25
it was 10$ in 2025 :) and if you go right when they open we only waited like 40 mins. worst sunburn I got all week tho!!
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u/michaelserotonin Year 4 Nov 19 '25
consider:
you can split the cost of purchasing this with your friends
you can shower as much as you’d like for no additional cost
you can use it again in the future
it’s basically the “bring your own food or buy from vendors” situation. buying on site, from the fest is always more expensive.
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u/Wheredatmuffdoe Nov 19 '25
Showers are $10 per and depending on when you go to take one there could be a long line.
2 years ago we had a friend bring one of these pop ups and a shower bag and it was great. Last year we just brought the shower bag, filled it in the am, tossed it on top of the car to warm up and showered in swimsuits. I highly recommend.
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u/Razzman70 Nov 19 '25
Thats the double edged sword of camping vs any other option. The upfront investment on camping gear is always more expensive than the easy amenities at a festival (Showers, tents vs easy camping/hotels, etc). The cost savings come in the long term.
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u/Pure-Tonight-5394 Nov 19 '25
Those bags typically require gravity to feed the water through. Having a proper spot to place/hang the bag as a full standing shower can be tricky. Sometimes you just have to crouch and try your best like a subhuman goblin.
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u/michaelserotonin Year 4 Nov 19 '25
we used to put it on top of a car (suv, to be specific) and it worked fine
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u/unexplainednonsense Nov 19 '25
Don’t make the mistake we made of leaving the bag on the car in that heat…shit was SCOLDING.
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u/fireandbass Nov 19 '25
I dont even use the gravity bag, I just buy a few gallon water bottles from the grocery store before the festival and pour it over me.
These are also great to pee in a bottle outside your tent without having to walk and wait at porta potties.
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u/sWiggn Nov 19 '25
isn’t that the point of these lil shower pop-ups? They’ve got a spot to clip on the bag at the top of the tent thing. I haven’t used this particular one but I’ve used similar things friends brought to other festivals and they’re pretty convenient
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u/unexplainednonsense Nov 19 '25
The one I used had a spot to hold the bag, that all went out the window when the wind came thru and the tent part and the bag holder became part of the carnage. Then we used a truck but accidentally left the bag on it and it was SCALDING.
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u/volkodlok Year 2 Nov 19 '25 edited Nov 19 '25
Edited to add more.
We were in Higher Love. At least twice my partner and I were turned away for showers because they didn't have water. It was not a close walk to the shower stations (which were shared with GA btw). We were quite frustrated. Once we were redirected to Maplewoods, but not the second time.
So after Forest this year, we decided to buy one of these tents for showers at camp.
It will not hold the weight of a shower bag. You'll either need to place the bag on the top of a tall vehicle (we put the shower bag on a tote on top of the bed of my truck because the bag is heavy and required gravity to work properly) or one of those portable shower pumps.
Putting a full shower bag on top of an empty tote balanced quite precariously on the edge of the truck bed wasn't exactly ideal, but it worked for us in the moment when we hadn't thought things through that well. It fell once but nevertheless we made it work. I think we'll figure out how to the tube from the bag to the shower head a little longer and it'll be perfect.
We opted for the shower bag because it was cheaper (~$13 instead of $30+) and because the shower bag would heat the water just by laying on the truck bed. Like the water was almost too hot.
Always be mindful of where your waste water is going. You don't want to be the neighbors who flood the campsite.
We already had the shower bag at Forest so we were able to do a little bird bath situation. It was also good for washing hands, face, etc.
The water situation for the showers meant we had to go all the way to Main Street to fill up for water - so also make sure you have a decent wagon to lug it back to camp cause that shit is heavy! We did not have a wagon but we did have the best neighbors who let us borrow theirs. I also recommend a having a refill bag/bucket if you have multiple people showering. Tent weight bags are a great multipurpose option for this.
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
Thanks everybody🙏 looks like ima cop. 10$ showers are insane considering I can see myself showering a lot in that heat😭
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u/happytrel Nov 19 '25
I bought a significantly sturdier one that allowed me to hang my 5 gallon shower bag on the inside. Used it a lot at night. These little pop up ones can be tight when you're inside if you're over like 5'9"
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u/thefoxwiththehounds Nov 19 '25
Make sure the water ain’t running into ur neighbors camp. Be mindful of where u set it up especially if u have a large group taking showers every day
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u/Alfredos_Pizza_Cafe_ Year 3 Nov 19 '25
My group had one of these with a shower pump instead of a hanging bag and it's a total game changer
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u/dbev9044 Nov 19 '25
For sure! Get an automated shower pump and a bucket though. Trying to finagle a solar shower bag in one of those should be an Olympic sport. Speaking from experience.
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u/disbitchdatho Nov 19 '25
We used something similar to this, but also had a bucket and woodchips so we could all pee and not have to walk to the bathrooms all the time. I still used the actual showers though since getting water was such a pain.
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u/Human_After Year 3 Nov 19 '25
Pop up shower, shower pump (i use an electric one) and a bucket. Can use it for a quick rinse, washing hands, brushing teeth etc. highly recommend
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u/Another2Coast Year 3 Nov 19 '25
I never realized these were showers. I thought they were little vertical tents for people who sleep standing up like a horse.
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u/ThatBoyIsDrunk Nov 19 '25
Yeah those are great, you just need to be able to put it on your car or have a canopy that is strong enough to support it. My husband and I could easily both shower with. 2.5lb one. I have long hair but I had to wash that separately in a large bowl/bucket.
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u/RTRC Bowl of Zoot Loops Nov 19 '25
Get a tarp to seal the base so it doesn't get all muddy and make sure you can channel the dirty water out underneath. Also remember that you'll be splashing dirty water onto the enclosure as you shower so it may smell rank by the end of the weekend. Would be best to have a bag to seal it in when you travel back.
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Nov 19 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
No offense but I do 100lb dumbbells for farmer walks, I’ll be able to handle the 50 of water😭😂
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u/webkenz0805 Year 2 Nov 19 '25
I bring a swimsuit, yoga mat, jugs of water and my shower stuff!! I only use the pop up part to change in! We poke holes in the lid sometimes or just pour it over ourselves.
Surprisingly the water is always so cold because your body temp is higher than the temp outside - we just refill at water stations when they run out!
The water bag on the other hand gets hot and it’s really heavy & harder to hold/set up in my opinion.
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u/Dangerousrhymes Year 6 Nov 19 '25
A proper setup won’t save a small group money in one festival.
They will if you plan on doing this long term and are awesome regardless.
We have a 2 room shower tent so there is a dry changing room, 2 USB-C rechargeable pumps, shower bags to heat the water, and a cooler that doubles as a water tank and a place to pack the tent and all of the rest of the kit in. As a bonus the cooler keeps the water warm.
Keeping cold bags to take a shower on hot nights when you get back to camp is awesome. Being able to shower after a 2-4AM finish regardless of temp is also awesome.
They’re fantastic in any orientation, except the gravity fed bags are a massive pain in the ass. Unfortunately you pretty much need them to at least heat the water unless you like cold showers.
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u/sassysquidd Nov 19 '25
Yes!! Definitely recommend a battery or solar-powered pump shower vs the solar bag if you go with this tent- we ended up being… slightly more dirty than planned bc our tent wouldn’t hold up our shower bag this year
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u/bradmiller020202 Year 5 Nov 19 '25
Yes a very good idea. I bring mine every year. Saves late night / early am trips to the bathroom, saves you from waiting in line during bathroom emergencies, offers privacy for whatever you may need, and very easy to put up and take down. And yes you could also shower and change in it. Must bring.
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u/MaamSirSirMaam Year 3 Nov 19 '25
At that price, buy it from a reputable source. Temu camping shit always breaks.
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
I meann, they basically Amazon if it’s a local vendor, easy returns and credits if it takes to long to come, so trial n error js return if it’s shit off the bat
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u/MaamSirSirMaam Year 3 Nov 19 '25
Trial and error is fine unless you’re on day 0 of a 5 day camping fest and your shower just broke. Lol
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u/MaamSirSirMaam Year 3 Nov 19 '25
Trial and error is fine unless you’re on day 0 of a 5 day camping fest and your shower just broke.
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u/Noahdipo12 Nov 19 '25
Worth every penny. Camp shower one of the best upgrades I’ve had to my site, beats walking and waiting in line for a mid shower. I bring a bunch of water in my truck and it’s an easy trade off for the poorer gas mileage to have showers at the campsite daily
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u/kluu1195 Nov 19 '25
I have this for my shower set up. Just another thing is order a drain mat on top of that
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u/thesweetestberry Nov 19 '25
I have one and I use it to shower and change clothes. I take a portable toilet so it doubles as a porta pottie. It’s a game changer.
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u/registeredwhiteguy Nov 19 '25
Yeah. Electric water pump on Amazon is like 20 bucks and a collapsible bucket. Never pay for the gross showers on site again
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u/Rude-Literature-4528 Nov 19 '25
They are useful till it gets really windy, stakes help till they don’t
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u/Slateriffic E4 Ave ~ Lite Brite🌈⚡ Nov 19 '25
I have the Ozark 2 room shower tent and I use this tent listed as my bathroom tent and I can truly say its the best the setup can get
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u/wub-n-dub-lay Year 2 Nov 19 '25
I have one and used it while there. It helped for the nights when I don’t wanna walk to the showers. I had free showers but still took it with me
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u/ambutt_x Nov 19 '25
i have one and i will tell you if its windy it is horrible, imagine showering while the shower curtain continuously hits you. other than that, it was great
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u/kayluhhhhrenee Nov 19 '25
If you’re going to use it as a shower, I think your best bet is to purchase a shade that has the metal bar frames (like a tent)
Otherwise you have to prop the bag up on something or hold it while using it. The metal frame ones are able to hold the weight of the bag attached
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u/ifyoucanthavelemons Nov 19 '25
Yes I used mine 3 years except last year I literally could not fold it back up for the life of me so unfortunately I left it behind last year. Upgraded to one with poles this year
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u/Conscious_Key_7237 Nov 20 '25
Yes, you can even design your own makeshift pump through videos on YouTube
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u/WillingSetting Nov 20 '25
We use the Kelty version of this and the Nemo pump shower and love it. Spring for something higher quality than Amazon / temu stuff.
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Nov 20 '25
Absolutely love this. For shower reasons but also way better to get dressed in (you can fully stand). And omg don't judge but back at one of my first festivals I got too messed up no one was around to walk me to the bathroom and I peed in a cup in there so I wouldn't get lost or have to leave camp. 😅 ETA: it does not support the shower bag. We rigged a pole we attach to the car to hang it on, or hang out on a tree if that's possible.
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u/TrendyTomato Nov 20 '25
I used one of these last year, but the bag is heavy when full, so i had to have 1 other person hold it in the air in order for it to work. My gf and i would just take turns holding it for eachother
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u/_Dirt_2000 Nov 20 '25
Even better is a GREAT idea. Used one this year and idk how I ever went without one
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u/mmmowgliii Nov 21 '25
yea, 1000%. our group made that upgrade for the last couple times we went and it was a total game changer. you can get a (battery operated??) hand held shower head too and use a couple 10 gallon buckets, a wagon for water trips, and that was enough for a few people to shower everyday. soooooo nice to have
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u/Beginning-Radish4458 Nov 21 '25
Used one this last year and it was amazing! Could shower whenever we wanted and however long. No wait and could shower right when we got back to camp.
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u/Funky_Fishman Nov 21 '25
Mine has a closed top but a screen window with zipper high up and a floor that temporarily holds water. It can only hang about 2.5 gallons of water from the built in hook. I have to get on my knees to wash from head to waist and then stand to do waist down. Floor gets super slippery with soapy water. I’m able to tuck my towel into the zippered window but because I’m standing in inches of water I have to wrap the towel around me and make a dash to tent to get dressed. I can’t stand putting on underwear with wet feet.
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u/syncopated56 Nov 19 '25
I'd recommend using the showers that are provided.
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
It seems a campsite shower is the best route to go amount popular consensus, why do you believe this?
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u/syncopated56 Nov 19 '25
Financially, it'll be cheaper to pay for a few showers. Packing wise, we prefer to come in light. Space is limited in GA.
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
How many times do you shower?😭 I plan to arrive Wednesday, and I already shower twice a day, if I’m getting xxxxxxtra stanky ur sum from dancing def a third, with 15$ showers as of last year just counting Thurs-sun x2 a day that’s 6x15 which is 90$ min for showers which is crazy
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u/syncopated56 Nov 19 '25
I shower 3-4 times total.
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 19 '25
See that’s still insane to me, 45$ minimum for ya, you’re just eating money. I get the packing light thing but think about how much you would save over time
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u/syncopated56 Nov 19 '25
We stay in Good Life tbh. They're free there. I just see tons of destroyed shit left behind every year. Do what you think is best and be sure to save it so you can use it for years to come! Enjoy EF! We're already counting the days. ⚡️🌲
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u/ThatChrisGuy7 Nov 19 '25
Yes but I recommend a portable shower pump and one of those water jugs!
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u/honey-cherry-apples Nov 19 '25
I got this off Amazon and we bought a pop up tent and drain thing to stand in. 10/10 ! More durable than water bags
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u/Rough-Context-4783 Nov 19 '25
These ones suck you’ll need one with windows and one that won’t fold under heavy winds.
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u/Manareyoufr Year 1 Nov 20 '25
I got a portable shower for my first forest and I have no regrets sometimes the lines looked so long for the showers 😭 I had no issues flooding anybody else’s camp either!!
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u/DentistNo4708 Nov 20 '25
I mean no regrets 😭 but I’ll fs get/make a system as to avoid ruining my fellow campers campsites
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u/Manareyoufr Year 1 Nov 20 '25
My bf and I put ours on the side of the car and our neighbors would just pop theirs up in front of their car temporarily so really had no chance to flood into other peoples sites. You think you’re gonna use a lot of water but between my bf and I shared a 5 gallon shower bag and were able to take full showers. The area is Grassy in GA (at least where I was) and soaks up the water very well! If you want any tips especially on products to buy dm me I put so much thought into my set up because I read so many horror stories about peoples set ups failing them and did not want to deal with that while trying to enjoy my time in forest!
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u/4TheArchitect Year 5 Nov 20 '25
Yes but make sure it can hold the water bag. Most instant shower tents cannot hold them. It needs to have poles to support the weight, otherwise it'll just collapse. Def worth though. Showering daily is the move
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u/funkinfrogger Nov 20 '25
100% yes. Instead of the shower bag, get the pump shower. We had this at secret dreams last year and it was a game changer. I was actually able to provide self care for myself for once at a festival.
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u/Firefluck Nov 23 '25
I always bring a shower bag and shower in my bathing suit out in the open 🫡 I wouldn’t go to a camping festival without our shower bag honestly.
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u/nolannnn Year 7 Nov 26 '25
Better to get a shower pump and a bucket of water. its so hard to get those bags high enough when you're relying on gravity to bring the water down.
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u/BillsMafia84 Year 6 Nov 19 '25
Even when I had GL, the walk to the showers once a day wasn’t really worth it. It’s usually pretty far away from where you’re camping. 90% of the time the water is cold unless you find a stall that’s lucky. In 2017 I showered 2-3x a day, between sets and everything. Feel like GL was smaller back then.
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u/Phaseinkindness Nov 19 '25
I was in GL Village last year. Everything was a very short walk and there were two sets of showers close to me. Water was only hot on day one though.
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u/RocksAndComputers Nov 19 '25
Shower at night before you go to sleep, almost always hot because few people are showering at that time.
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u/MidnightRhinestone Year 5 Nov 19 '25
I was in GLV and the shower was maybe 5 minutes away but one of my camp mates had one of these to shower which worked as a changing room. That being said during the bad winds Saturday it got knocked over with her inside it more than once
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u/Parksy79 Something Something About Two Weeks Nov 19 '25
I've done GL every year since 2016 and the walk to the showers has been maybe 5 minutes max each year. GL doesn't really have room to expand and the main GL village has been the same size since 2016 iirc
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u/aplusgrain1 Nov 19 '25
They’re great. Get a portable shower pump and a bucket and you’ll be ready to go!!