Off Grid Cabin: Our Shower Setup - How it works!

We received several messages from viewers, asking for more details about our off grid cabin shower setup. This video goes into detail about how the setup works. It utilizes a small 12 volt on demand water pump, and a handheld shower head with an on/off switch to save water.
Water is either collected from our rain gutters, or we hike down to the river and haul up buckets in both cases, we usually run it through a 400 micron filter to remove sediments or debis - it's bad for the pump.
Some of the items used in this project:
Amarine-made 12v Water Pressure Diaphragm Pump 4.3 L/min 1.1 GPM: amzn.to/2DK0iY1
Camco 43715 Shower Head Kit with On/Off Switch: amzn.to/2r00mLb
5 Gallon 400 Micron Medium EZ-Strainer Insert: amzn.to/2TpfWfY
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#offgrid #offgridcabin #offgridshower #rainwatercollection

Пікірлер: 100

  • @lynnrabe4428
    @lynnrabe44285 жыл бұрын

    Just discovered your channel. In process of sorting out an indoor shower for my cabin and i love your setup! No running water,plumbing etc. here, just hauling in rainwater. Ill check out your other videos. Thank you for sharing!

  • @vanessawebber235
    @vanessawebber2354 жыл бұрын

    Todd, you're a good man!! Not everyone would haul water like that.

  • @SimpleLivingAlaska
    @SimpleLivingAlaska5 жыл бұрын

    Awesome to see your set up, we are hoping to build a shower room in the next few years!

  • @jeep4ron
    @jeep4ron5 жыл бұрын

    What a great set up. Those little pumps are awesome for all kinds of things. Have a great day..!!

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    living Off Grid McGarvey style Thanks friend for stopping by. Been watching your grow your home and land for a long time now. Watching your "Off Grid Knowledge" video right now. So much agreement. Common sense, goes a long long way - especially when you have to think outside the box.

  • @bearpawtimber8739
    @bearpawtimber87395 жыл бұрын

    Haha. I just made a video of my Off grid shower set up. All off a sudden this is in my recommendations. Beautiful place you have. New sub from one cabin in the woods to the next.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    Welcome Bear paw!

  • @toneyjohnson8910
    @toneyjohnson8910 Жыл бұрын

    that is a great idea I do some base camping and that will work great thanks.

  • @shermontclair8259
    @shermontclair82594 жыл бұрын

    GREAT place you have. If you get bored and want to help me set up on your way, stop in Lovells. Thank you for sharing

  • @builtontherockhomestead9390
    @builtontherockhomestead93905 жыл бұрын

    That is a great setup. Gotta love modern plumbing though.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    Oh of course. 4-5 gallons at a time, really forces you to be efficient while getting clean. That first shower you take when you get home from the cabin, is usually a long one :)

  • @cherrylynn7173
    @cherrylynn71734 жыл бұрын

    Nice video! Great info! You have beautiful silver hair!

  • @amoore0713
    @amoore07133 жыл бұрын

    Todd! That's a great setup!

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! Working great so far. Rainwater collection will be the bees knees.

  • @amoore0713

    @amoore0713

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s that would be extremely helpful for you guys up there! So nice you guys have a little getaway, you seem to enjoy it a lot!

  • @grdelawter4266
    @grdelawter4266 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent information, excellent description, excellent video!

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much!

  • @grdelawter4266

    @grdelawter4266

    Жыл бұрын

    I was so impressed with your video that I used your links and bought 2 pumps and 2 shower heads. I also just bought a 2 pack of automotive type on-off rocker switches. After I received the pumps and shower heads, I was able to go get the fittings to connect the 3/8 tubing to the shower head. Now I’m trying to come up with an idea to weight the end of the plastic tubing so it doesn’t float. I don’t like the cup idea. I’m considering adding a very short piece of copper tube at the end as a weight. I need to test the buoyancy. Otherwise, you really impressed me. I never considered a pump so small at only about 1 gpm. I knew most shower heads require 2 gpm, therefore you see my dilemma. You opened my eyes

  • @vIBEDoUT-Channel
    @vIBEDoUT-Channel3 жыл бұрын

    Great Homestead ! ☮

  • @AcornHillHomestead
    @AcornHillHomestead4 жыл бұрын

    We have a very rustic off grid cabin. No slope. Its only a spring-early fall set up. A bar of soap, towels and an oil lantern then off to the lake we go for a nice cool bath. 😉. We can take sponge baths in a gallon of water too. Rocket stove heats water we carry but would love a gravity set up using a small black water barrel heated by the sun.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    4 жыл бұрын

    That's the beauty, you can can be as simple or complex as you deem necessary 😃

  • @kellykuwabara6252
    @kellykuwabara62522 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the video - great ideas, especially the on-demand pump with the on/off shower head. I was wondering, what kind of adapter do you use to connect the shower hose to the tubing? (What are they called)?

  • @42Fab
    @42Fab5 жыл бұрын

    A couple of stainless steel nuts on the end of that hose will keep it at the bottom of the bucket. epoxy or ziptie them in place

  • @tonyndebr
    @tonyndebr5 жыл бұрын

    Wow you two! That’s a great setup! It’s all but free AND you get some exercise to boot!

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    One trick we use, is two buckets each half full. Seems much easier than one full bucket alone - as it balances the weight a little better.

  • @tonyndebr

    @tonyndebr

    5 жыл бұрын

    That’s a great idea too! It’s important to have equal weight on each side for balance.......at least for me. When someone offers to carry something I often decline only because it’s harder for me to carry one at a time. Unless of course they take both! LOL

  • @calvinabbott6920
    @calvinabbott69202 жыл бұрын

    Rigged up a system for hunting camp a few years back used a small gas powered water pump with black PVC pipe to a shower head with the pipe exposed to sunshine a hot shower would last until the gas ran out.

  • @wildflower746
    @wildflower7465 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing that with us. It will help me with my off grid shower solutions. Much appreciated

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    You're welcome! Hope you gained some good "nuggets" to apply to your own system.

  • @FoodForestPermaculture
    @FoodForestPermaculture5 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic ! FFP

  • @Gromp
    @Gromp5 жыл бұрын

    genius!

  • @channelbizt
    @channelbizt4 жыл бұрын

    I love the wood, so much nicer (and easier to install I guess) that tiles. Is that just an outdoor varnish over the wood? How do you find it? Does it need to be sanded down and re-applied often? Thanks for the great video anyway. Just put up my first cabin I hope to be fully off grid. Videos like these are a great help.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    4 жыл бұрын

    It's cedar. We don't do much to it. But maybe a coating of linseed oil every couple of years, may be a good thing.

  • @AlmostHomestead
    @AlmostHomestead5 жыл бұрын

    Nice little setup. I can relate to hauling buckets of water. Our cabin was a dry cabin until installing a water system and hot water tank under the cabin about a year ago. Have you thought about getting a larger rainwater catchment tank?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    Definitely. The gutters are trash, and I have to redo them first. With guards. I already have a 55 gallon tank ready fir storage 😀

  • @AlmostHomestead

    @AlmostHomestead

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s I have a second 500 gallon tank at our garden that I need to hook up a rainwater catchment system too while its the rainy season.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    I've done nothing with garden watering at home at this point. We have a 25+ deep hand dug brick line well near the garden, but I have not taken advantage of it yet. Maybe next year.

  • @willowoodherbals
    @willowoodherbals2 жыл бұрын

    any way to find out where to get that shower basin

  • @jumpoffa5011
    @jumpoffa50115 жыл бұрын

    You need to invest in a water ram pump. It will move the water from the creek to the cabin without carrying 2 5-gallon buckets of water up a hill. Then you can use solar water heater to get hot water or use a electric water heater to use as much hot water as you may want. FYI :-)

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    We've thought about so many options. Rain water is definitely on the list for this upcoming year. But we need to overhaul the gutters first. We already have a lot of the supplies we'll need - 55 gallon plastic barrel, etc. Doing something more like a ram pump, isn't something we'll probably look at doing until we retire - and we can spend more time there. Right now, with weekends only once or twice a month isn't worth it at this point. How well do RAM pumps deal with vertical lift? We have about 150 of elevation from the river to deal with 😃

  • @jumpoffa5011

    @jumpoffa5011

    5 жыл бұрын

    I'm not an expert but I am told they can get the job done. If worst comes to worst you can have a secondary pump to push it the rest of the way up the hill. I suggest that you get it into place(after the winter) just so you will have it working. Water barrels is great, except during the winter. That is when you have to rough it with the buckets up the hill. New meaning to slip and slide. LOL :-)

  • @lindap7087

    @lindap7087

    5 жыл бұрын

    That 1870's Homestead ł

  • @robsdeviceunknown

    @robsdeviceunknown

    5 жыл бұрын

    I was just going to recommend same thing, few hundred bucks at most you can ram pump water right into cabin.

  • @woodspirit98

    @woodspirit98

    5 жыл бұрын

    you actually need water which is higher than the ram pump for head pressure in order for it to work. that stream looks too flat and level for a ram

  • @danielhuxley9317
    @danielhuxley93174 жыл бұрын

    Why don’t you have a small insulted holding tank off the plug? You could filter the water and recycle it to run constantly in a loop...

  • @radoslavkalas246
    @radoslavkalas2462 жыл бұрын

    Great video, just wondering, why you do not collest the rain water, I have a cabin that is not completely off the grid - it has electricity, so we have an electric pump, but I still collect rain water, even when my property is really small and I have room for just three tanks that combined are something like 200 gallons (900 liter - ish). Every source of water matters...

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    2 жыл бұрын

    We plan to. Hopefully this coming season. We have to install some gutters first.

  • @rweiss1110ify
    @rweiss1110ify3 жыл бұрын

    Why don't you collect the rainwater? I have a 250 gallon IBC tote under my downspout attached to 20 feet of gutter. 1 inch of rain will fill that tank. I also have a 12 volt pump hooked up to a switch inside attached to a filter at the tank. When I need water I just flip the switch, the battery is hooked up to a little solar panel that I got at harbor freight.

  • @mikesexo5386
    @mikesexo53862 жыл бұрын

    How about a long ass hose and a couple sum pumps battery powered fed into a 50 gallon tank with activated charcoal filters

  • @woodspirit98
    @woodspirit985 жыл бұрын

    I've been stuck on this idea of using on demand propane water heater but figuring a safe way to vent it outside is challenging. either way you still need a small motor and a vessel to keep the water in. I like your setup better. simple works best.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    If we lived there full time, or at least part of the year, I'd make a change. But for our weekend visits 1-2 times per month simple does just fine for us.

  • @woodspirit98

    @woodspirit98

    5 жыл бұрын

    I just bought a small off grid cabin 14x18 on five acres. my plan is sell my house and move into the cabin and continue to work 5 more years while living full time in the cabin. So I need to come up with water fridge/ freezer and solar to make it happen.oh and an indoor shower.

  • @jenellebennett5206

    @jenellebennett5206

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@woodspirit98 an indoor propane heater, is really no different than a propane stove as far as the offgas,...if concerned, vent through roof using same methods as a shower or stove ,or use a roof box vent ,...mount a carbon monoxide detector ,and put propane tank outside (if concerned, run hose through wall with extended hose)....problem solved ,enjoy your shower

  • @captwar
    @captwar3 жыл бұрын

    I could help you out here. You don't have to keep walking up the hill with water. You use a 5 gallon can to catch rain water. You should use a barrel or two barrels. That is what we do.

  • @rextyro
    @rextyro3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks! But do you worry about the waste water? How would somebody manage this? I want to set up an outdoor shower by using creek water, but don't want to pollute the creek downstream. Any thoughts???

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    3 жыл бұрын

    We use only natural organic soaps and do not drain back into the river

  • @Splat55099

    @Splat55099

    3 жыл бұрын

    you need to dig a septic tank or the ghetto way would be just install leeching lines.(which might back up depending on your water table and the amount of water drained) Even if you do that its still good to do what he said and dont pour anything harmful down the drain. If that is impossible due to the ground conditions (i.e. rock or something) then I am not sure, maybe use a wastewater tank and drain it elsewhere.

  • @bikeninja956
    @bikeninja9563 жыл бұрын

    pretty cool my friend. So could you not avoid the pump altogether with some kind of lift system to raise the water up higher therefore just using gravity instead...maybe like a small battery powder lift/elevator, so you put the big bucket on at floor level then use the elevator platform to raise it up?

  • @davidhile5363
    @davidhile53635 жыл бұрын

    I have enjoyed your cabin videos. We have a place in the Manistee Nat. Forest halfway between Manistee and Cadilac. We're from extreme northern Indiana. Beautiful country up there !!! Dave

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    We must be close. Town closest to us is Hesperia. You near there?

  • @davidhile5363

    @davidhile5363

    5 жыл бұрын

    +That 1870's Homestead We are about 40 miles north of there. Just south of M - 55. We have a mobile home in a 40 acre woods.

  • @Ailmbeauty
    @Ailmbeauty Жыл бұрын

    Do the lines under the cabin freeze in the winter?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    Жыл бұрын

    This is a dry cabin

  • @mikelee7876
    @mikelee78765 ай бұрын

    Gotta filter that water

  • @larryhoutz3213
    @larryhoutz32139 ай бұрын

    What temperature do you have your hot water for a shower?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    8 ай бұрын

    No set temp, just feel it

  • @HomesteadDad
    @HomesteadDad5 жыл бұрын

    How many showers will that battery last for?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    I'd think alot, we only charge it once a year. But then again we only go up once a month, so not sure we've put it to a proper test.

  • @HomesteadDad

    @HomesteadDad

    5 жыл бұрын

    That 1870's Homestead good to know. Thanks!

  • @adelelashmawy2156
    @adelelashmawy21565 жыл бұрын

    How do you charge the battery?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    That pump will only run about 1 gallon per minute. So with 5 gallons of water per shower, it doesn't use much juice. In the fall when we close up for the winter, we bring the battery home and put it on charger in the garage over the winter. In the spring, when we open it back up we bring the battery back with us. It normally lasts all season on this single charge. But, if it does end up getting low, we'll bring it back home with and charge it where we have grid power. I also have a this charging cable for our generator ( amzn.to/2E4iyM4 ) which would allow us to charge at the cabin as well, but we haven't had the need to use it yet.

  • @TheNealsHomestead
    @TheNealsHomestead5 жыл бұрын

    Looks like a pretty good deal you've got there for your shower. Romantical? Lol, is that a word?

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    It sure is a word 😁. Our daughter said it to us many years ago, and it stuck.

  • @user-yy7oj8np8h
    @user-yy7oj8np8h5 жыл бұрын

    A new subscriber from Libya . Is the water drinkable ? Their color is strange . The wonderful work of Mr. bin Laden ..

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    We generally do not drink the river water. Doubt it would harm you in a SHTF situation - we haul in potable water in 5 gallon jugs for consumption.

  • @user-yy7oj8np8h

    @user-yy7oj8np8h

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s So it is not fit for bathing .

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@user-yy7oj8np8h it's totally fine for bathing, I don't drink my bath water, lol

  • @rc3291

    @rc3291

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s Run that turkey fryer another 10 minutes and it would be safe to drink

  • @Tripsolo65
    @Tripsolo655 жыл бұрын

    Say feller, You could cut your cost on propane WAAAYYYY down if you'd just get a rocket stove (bare bones with gravity feed) to heat the water. It runs on twigs and small sticks which as best I could tell you gots plenty of. Enjoy your hot cheaper shower.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    Good idea

  • @Tripsolo65

    @Tripsolo65

    5 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/oJp1qqOMqJiWcps.html you can move this inside during the winter and outside during the summer.

  • @Tripsolo65

    @Tripsolo65

    5 жыл бұрын

    Also your idea is brilliant. I'm working something up based on it.

  • @Tripsolo65

    @Tripsolo65

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s It's me again. Been thinkin' bout your situation a little more. I don't know what your situation is financially, but, I had written this to a friend of mine based loosely on your set-up. You might think about a Black 55 gal. drum for a rainwater catchment barrel to save some walkin' to the river for starters. I believe this sure would make your life easier. "Well, I don't know if I told you or not, but where those bottom level bunks were I would add A Wardrobe / Closet and A Shower ( with the shower toward the back corner). I think I personally would run the "Flue") through the roof above where that Black Chair is (Will explain in short). Where that dining room window is, I'd have me one half that wide and have a 35 gal. blue plastic water tank on a pedestal in a closet with towel & linen storage on a shelves above it. Now, I'd set this model ( kzread.info/dash/bejne/oJp1qqOMqJiWcps.html ) stove under that flue with the wood feed aimed toward where the kitchen is (That would place the heater in the center of the house). Now, whenever I wanted hot water for a shower or dishes etc. I would place a huge stockpot filled with water, with a brass spigot welded to it toward the bottom, on top of the heater. I'd have me a rubber hose band clamping the hose on the spigot and running over to the water barrel (lower than the stock-pot) in the closet. Now when that water on the heater commenced ta boilin' I'd open the spigot and drain that scaldin' water into the cool water in the barrel in the closet and flip on an aquarium pump in the tank that could maybe re-circulate or "mix" the water. From there I'd use this method, which I thought was really ingenious ( kzread.info/dash/bejne/eWas0c1-j9GfZLA.html ). Now, in the summer, I'd cap that flue and wheel that heater out onto the porch by the kitchen window you saw to the left so I could 1. pass the hot water hose through the window ooorrrr, have a hose or line run on the outside of the house that comes through the wall into the barrel."

  • @Tripsolo65

    @Tripsolo65

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s Last time I swear, I want to apologize, because I just saw your video on how the shower worked and drew a WRONG conclusion. I thought your situation was a permanent one, I did not realize that was your weekend hideaway of awesomeness LOL..., that being said, this might work well for you in principle now that I have seen you have a woodstove in the house but on the deck, a hot tub in the woods would be nice LOL... kzread.info/dash/bejne/eoGe0rmll8axXbA.html

  • @jumpoffa5011
    @jumpoffa50115 жыл бұрын

    1st to comment. LOL :-)

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    First reply! 🔔

  • @parallelburrito
    @parallelburrito5 жыл бұрын

    Major fail. Gravity bro.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    How so?

  • @parallelburrito

    @parallelburrito

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s All those gizmos when you could have utilized gravity to make the shower work. Sorry to troll you there but that system could be so simple.

  • @1870s

    @1870s

    5 жыл бұрын

    Perhaps you didn't catch the part where we are carrying our buckets of river water UP 160ft from the river. And considering my wife and others use the system I don't think the average person could lift 5-10 gallons over their head to set on a shelving system. But that's for the view and comments they all matter

  • @parallelburrito

    @parallelburrito

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@1870s Yeah I saw it doesn't seem ideal. Appears that you need rainwater collection desperately.

  • @jenellebennett5206

    @jenellebennett5206

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@parallelburrito I'm a framer and what most people dont think about is how much water weighs ,...have you ever thought about how much your rainwater bucket weighs (above you)?....dangerous...you dont know how many times I see unsafe inadequate framed structures or brick from unmaintaned chimneys above people and they dont even know....what's waiting to hurt them ...I think hes doing just fine with his set up