How to use a solar shower bag
Updated: 23 October 2026
How to use a solar shower bag is a short sequence: fill it, lay it flat, hang it only when you wash, and test the stream on your wrist. The mistakes that spoil it are an air bubble, a hose kinked from the packet, and a hosepipe left in the bag. Peter F. drew on review notes for the bags in the [solar shower comparison](/hub/garden-watering/solar-shower), plus WaterSafe and NHS guidance, saved on 21 October 2026. Which bag to buy is the [solar shower bag buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/solar-shower/sub/solar-shower-buying-guide). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How to use a solar shower bag is a short sequence: fill it, lay it flat, hang it only when you wash, and test the stream on your wrist.
How to use a solar shower bag is a short sequence: fill it, lay it flat, hang it only when you wash, and test the stream on your wrist. The mistakes that spoil it are an air bubble, a hose kinked from the packet, and a hosepipe left in the bag. Peter F. drew on review notes for the bags in the solar shower comparison, plus WaterSafe and NHS guidance, saved on 21 October 2026. Which bag to buy is the solar shower bag buying guide. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Hose | Temp. strip | Hang | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  RISEPRO RISEPRO 20 L black | 25 inches | Yes, °C/°F | Not stated | 8.7 | about £8.90 | View offer |
| Best value |  RISEPRO RISEPRO 20 L green | Not stated | Yes, °C/°F | Unclip strap in reviews | 8.3 | about £7.40 | View offer |
| Alternative |  TRIXES TRIXES 2 x 20 L | Flexible hose, length not stated | Not listed | Hook, rope and support bar per bag | 7.9 | about £12.99 | View offer |
On this page
What has to be true before you start
You need direct sun on the bag, fresh water from a tap you trust, and a support that can hold about 20 kg once the bag is full. A cloudy lunch will not deliver the 40°C lines printed on the listings. Decathlon's own 10 litre solar camping shower, a different product, says heating depends on the start temperature, the air, the ground, the wind and the sun. Use that list as conditions, not as a result for these ASINs. Reviewers talk about a high hook, a van roof, or sitting down when the hook is low. A flimsy shower-tent pole is a poor beam for 20 kg. If you cannot lift 20 kg, fill to about a third and accept a shorter rinse.
Fill, lay flat, then hang
Fill the bag from the tap, then take the hosepipe out of the water. WaterSafe's guidance on hosepipe backflow is plain: do not leave a hose submerged, because dirty water can be drawn back towards the supply. Squeeze the air out before you seal the bag. A black-bag review describes an air bubble that heats while the water stays cooler, so a bag that feels hot can still run lukewarm. If the bag has a clear side, lay that side up. Keep the bag flat in real sun, and hang it only when you are ready to wash. Reviewers find hoses kinked from the packet, and one black listing prints the hose as 25 inches, about 64 cm. Straighten the fold with your hands. If the only hook is low, sit under it.
Test the water, then shower
Open the valve and run a little water before it touches you. TheFestivals warns that a bag left in the sun can become scalding, and tells you to add cold water if it is too hot. Their note of about 8 minutes for 20 litres is their copy, not a timing of these bags. Use your wrist, and keep a child's hand out of the first stream. If the water stings, stop, mix in cold water, and test again. The NHS says cool running water for 20 minutes for a burn or scald, and NHS 111 is the line if you are worried about the skin. A printed 45°C already meets the Health and Safety Executive's 44°C whole-body context for vulnerable people.
Empty, dry, and do not store it warm
Empty the bag the same day, with the valve open, and let it dry before you pack it. Water left warm in a closed bladder sits in the 20°C to 45°C band where legionella can multiply, which is the Health and Safety Executive's context for stored water. Do not seal a warm bag for tomorrow's hair wash. The TRIXES listing is not for drinking water. A split bag is a return under the 30-day right to reject goods that are not as described. Where the used water goes on a pitch is solar shower for camping. If you have not chosen a bag yet, the conditional pick is on the best solar shower bag page.
Common questions
How long do I leave it in the sun in Britain?
Leave it in direct sun until a wrist test is warm enough for you. One green-bag review passed 30°C after four to five hours on a dashboard in half-decent sun, and another left the clear side up on a bonnet for about six hours. A listing that says three hours to 45°C is a claim, not a British average. Cloud, wind and a cold fill all slow the rise.
Which way up?
Lay the bag flat in the sun. If it has a clear panel, put that side upwards, which is what a green-bag reviewer did on a bonnet. A black bag has no clear face, so the task is to keep it flat and to squeeze the air out. An air bubble warms before the water does.
How high does it need to be?
It needs to be high enough for gravity to give you a rinse, and strong enough for about 20 kg when the bag is full. UK reviews say high, van roof, or they sit when the hook is low. If the only support is a light tent pole, do not hang a full bag from it.
What if the hose is kinked?
Straighten the hose with your hands before you open the valve. Reviewers receive hoses folded in the packet, and a hose printed as 25 inches, about 64 cm, on one black listing has little spare length. If the fold has cracked the plastic, stop and use the return window. Pulling a stuck hose is how the outlet tears.
How do I know it is not too hot?
Run water onto your wrist before it touches your head or a child. Add cold water and test again if the stream stings. The NHS advises 20 minutes of cool running water for a burn or scald, and NHS 111 if you need advice. Decathlon recorded water beyond 50°C in tests of their own shower on a windscreen, which is their product. The listing's 45°C line is not your measurement.
Can I fill it from the garden hose while the hose stays in the bag?
Fill from the hosepipe, then take the hose out before you walk away. WaterSafe warns that a submerged hosepipe can let water flow back towards the supply. A hose left in the bag for the afternoon is the mistake, at home and on a pitch tap. The bag is a container you fill and then close.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources listed in the research digest. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the saved listing lines for these five products. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
- HSE, legionella sources (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE, scalding (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 paragraph 15 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- WaterSafe, hosepipe backflow (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- NHS, burns and scalds (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Met Office, Southern England climate (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK, solar thermal technology note (retrieved 22 October 2026)