The goal of this project is to design and construct a portable shower.  It will provide travelers a means of showering without paying for a hotel room.  It can be used anywhere: on the side of the road or in a rest station bathroom.  The shower and all its supports are collapsible and fit neatly into the corner of a car’s trunk.  In addition, the entire apparatus is inexpensive.  It allows the user an unobstructed view of his or her surroundings while providing ample cover and protection.

In order to accomplish these goals the shower was designed as a backpack.  The user actually straps the supports for the shower curtain to his/her back and then affixes the water reservoir to the top of the backpack.  The reservoir is a 0.8-gallon “Sunshower” collapsible water tank.  This reservoir is designed to quickly heat water using the sun’s energy.  A built in temperature gauge ensures that the user will never burn him/herself.
The support for the curtain is made of PVC piping of two different sizes.  The supports can be taken apart.  The larger diameters of PVC actually fit inside the smaller diameter pipes to save space.  The supports are attached to the user via two shoulder straps and a waist strap.  These straps provide ample stabilization for the water reservoir.  The shower uses standard shower curtains and shower curtain rings so that if a curtain gets worn or moldy it can be replaced at a low cost.

This portable backpack shower apparatus provides everything a traveler needs to take a shower in privacy and safety.  It is simple to set up and even simpler to use.  The reservoir fills easily from any sink and its small size guarantees that it can be carried almost anywhere.  In a matter of moments the user can be enjoying a hot shower in safety and privacy.