While it’s only March, I’m already beginning to think of summer. And with summer comes memories of cool evening soccer games, fresh vegetables (reminder: sign up for your CSA!), long meandering bike rides, and the total embarrassment of growing up with my parents’ outdoor shower.
In 1986, my father built the first edition of his outdoor shower which featured a 270 degree view of the Green Mountains. Beautiful for the showerer, but not so great for the rest of us hoping to enjoy the outdoors without a reenactment of Woodstock.
Embarrassment aside, the outdoor shower can be an easy way to enjoy the summer and be easier on the earth. All the grey water goes directly back into the ground (note: please be sure to use eco-conscious bathing products) and the water can be heated to the perfect temperature with long outdoor pipes.
For more information on a DIY outdoor shower, check out Sustain Lane’s quick tutorial here.
Construction is very simple. My father “perfected” the design for the fourth edition: beautiful stones for “flooring”, a low-flow showerhead, rock wall on one side, and his favorite part: an unobstructed view of Vermont.
