“Okay… But How Do You Shower?” (The Question That Made Us Laugh)

After I started sharing our stories from the road, I expected questions about routes, campsites, and places to eat. 

What I didn’t expect was how many people would ask about the everyday details, the unglamorous parts you can’t filter or crop out. Then one message popped up that made both me and Amanda laugh so loudly we startled ourselves.

“I want to know how you can bathe…?”

It’s a fair question. It’s also the question most people are thinking but don’t want to ask, because the moment you imagine living in a van, your brain immediately jumps to one thing: Okay, but where do you shower? 

So here’s our honest answer, with the messy truth included, because that’s the only way this lifestyle makes sense.

1) The Shower Tent: Our Portable Bathroom System

Before our first big trip, Amanda bought a shower tent on Amazon, and it ended up being one of the smartest purchases we made. 

It’s basically a pop-up privacy tent that folds into a flat circle, then springs open into a tall little room. It gives us privacy when there’s no bathroom, no campground shower, and no easy option nearby. Some people treat it like a luxury item, but for us it’s closer to a basic tool, like having a spare tire.

Not long after, I bought a second tent as a backup. That might sound excessive until you live on the road long enough to realize two things: gear breaks, and it always breaks when you need it most. 

A torn zipper or a snapped pole at the wrong time turns a simple shower into a frustrating problem. Having a spare gives us peace of mind, especially in remote areas where you can’t just drive to a store and replace things.

How we set it up:

We look for flat ground, preferably a spot that isn’t too exposed to wind. If it’s breezy, we stake it down or use rocks at the base to keep it stable. 

Then we hang a gravity shower bag from the van door or a high point nearby, or we use a small pump sprayer depending on what we have ready. The goal is simple: enough water pressure to rinse, and enough privacy to relax.

The water source, the part people don’t think about:

A shower tent only works if you have water, and on the road, water becomes something you plan around like fuel. We keep multiple jugs in the van, and we refill whenever we can, even if we’re not empty yet, because reliable water sources aren’t guaranteed.

Our refill spots usually come from:

• campgrounds with spigots
• rest areas or public parks with working faucets
• some gas stations or travel stops if they allow it
• occasional refill stations in towns

When we’re in remote areas, we treat water like a safety buffer. Drinking and cooking come first, always. Showering is what you do when you’re sure you can afford it.

How we make showers feel normal, not miserable:

Cold rinses sound tough in theory and they’re worse in reality, especially when the air is chilly. 

Our trick is to heat a small pot of water on the stove and mix it with cooler water in a bucket so it’s comfortably warm. It turns the shower from I’ll rush and suffer through it into something that actually feels like self-care.

Also, we learned quickly that you don’t need a long shower, you need an efficient one. Wet down, soap, rinse, done. The key is keeping it simple so you’re not wasting water or turning the whole van into a damp chaos zone.

Our personal tips:

We keep a towel and clean clothes inside the tent so we’re not stepping out wet, cold, and fumbling around. 

If we’re somewhere dusty, we also keep a small mat or old towel at the entrance so we don’t track sand into our bedding. It sounds minor, but those little habits make van life feel calmer.

2) Natural Water: The Best Shower Doesn’t Always Look Like One

If the shower tent is the reliable option, natural water is the memorable one. I love the feeling of being outdoors and letting nature do what it does best, which is reset you without asking for anything fancy.

Puerto Peñasco was the perfect example. After a day of sand, sun, and moving around, stepping into the sea felt like your whole body finally exhaled. The salt water rinsed off sweat, dust, and that sticky heat you don’t even notice until it’s gone. 

Even standing knee-deep for a few minutes and letting the waves hit your legs can make you feel refreshed in a way a quick van shower sometimes can’t.

But I want to be clear, we do this respectfully. Natural water isn’t a bathroom, and I don’t treat it like one. 

No soaps, no shampoos, nothing that leaves residue behind. Sometimes it’s just a rinse, sometimes it’s a quick dip, and sometimes it’s simply washing hands, face, and feet to feel clean enough to sleep comfortably.

3) Using Dry Shampoo: The Secret Weapon for Van Days

This is one of those things I never thought I’d care about until I started living on the road. Dry shampoo became our in-between lifesaver, especially on travel days when we’re driving long hours or saving water for the desert.

When you can’t wash your hair properly, your scalp starts feeling heavy, and that feeling can make the whole day feel less comfortable. Dry shampoo doesn’t replace a real wash, but it buys you time and makes you feel human again.

For Amanda, she applies it lightly at the roots, waits a minute, then brushes through. She keeps it simple and doesn’t overdo it, because too much makes hair feel chalky.

I’m not as precise as she is, but I’ve learned the trick is to use less than you think you need, then give it time to absorb before you touch your hair. 

On van days, even that small refresh makes you feel cleaner and more confident, especially if you’re going into town or meeting someone.

4) The Honest Truth: Sometimes We Don’t Shower

Now for the part people rarely say out loud. Sometimes we don’t shower. Not because we don’t care, and not because we’ve given up on hygiene. It happens because the road doesn’t always cooperate. 

Sometimes you can’t find a water refill spot. Sometimes you misjudge distance and realize you need to conserve. Sometimes you’re in the desert and you look at your remaining water and think, This is drinking water, not shower water.

In the desert, water becomes almost emotional. You don’t waste it because you feel the risk in wasting it. So yes, there were stretches where I showered once every two days. 

Amanda was better than me about staying on top of it, and she loves to tease me about that. She’ll give me a look and say something like, “You’re in van mode again,” and she’s usually right.

On those days, we do a good enough routine. Warm clothes, wipes, deodorant, clean shirt and hair refreshed. It’s not a spa day, but it’s enough to feel comfortable, and comfort matters more than perfection on the road.

This is the real rhythm of van life. Some days you get a full shower with warm water and privacy and even days you rinse in the sea. Some days you rely on dry shampoo and a washcloth and keep moving. 

The point isn’t to pretend every day is perfect. The point is to build a system that keeps you healthy, comfortable, and ready for whatever the next stretch of road brings.