Advanced Elements Summer Shower review: a sun-warmed rinse when the water heater is out

This is a research-based review, based on manufacturer specs and published data. We do not test products. Specs come from Confluence Outdoor's product page for the Advanced Elements 5 Gallon Summer Shower (SS762), checked November 1, 2026. Hygiene and water guidance comes from the CDC, and scald guidance from the CPSC.

On city water, the shower usually still runs in an outage, because the utility supplies the pressure. Hot water is the problem. Electric tank and heat pump heaters stop, many newer gas heaters and tankless units need electricity for ignition, and homes on wells lose water entirely. After a hurricane, that can mean days of heat and humidity with no warm water to wash in.

A solar shower bag is the oldest workaround. The Advanced Elements Summer Shower is a 5-gallon bag with a clear side to collect sun, insulating layers to hold the heat, and a gauge that shows the water temperature before you use it.

Who should buy it

• Households in hurricane and heat-wave country, where summer outages leave people hot and sweaty with cold water or no water.
• Homes on wells that keep stored or collected water and want to stretch it with a measured rinse.
• Anyone wanting a light, cheap hygiene tool for the car or a camping kit that doubles for outages.

Who should skip it

• Winter outage planning. It needs direct sun to warm and has no other heat source. For winter, warm water on an outdoor stove and wash at a basin.
• Anyone needing pressure without hanging anything. A foot-pump shower such as the NEMO Helio LX stands on the ground and pressurizes.
• People who cannot lift a full bag overhead. 5 gallons of water weighs about 42 lb.

Strengths

• Free heat. Sunshine is the only fuel, so it uses none of the propane or battery you are saving for cooking and medical needs.
• Temperature gauge. You can check the water before it reaches skin, which matters because sun-heated water can get hot.
• Big fill opening. An extra-large valve with a twist-off cap makes it easier to fill from a bucket or hose.
• Packs flat and light. 1.41 lb, so it stores in a drawer until needed.
• 4-layer build. The maker says the layered construction helps hold heat once the water is warm.

Drawbacks

• Weather-dependent. No sun, no warm water. Cloudy hurricane aftermath days may give only a cool rinse.
• Gravity-fed. Like other bag showers it must hang above head height to run, so you need a sturdy hook, branch or beam.
• Heavy when full. About 42 lb at 5 gallons; fill it in place or carry partial loads.
• Sparse published specs. The maker's page lists no heating times, no flow rate and no maximum temperature.
• Uses a lot of water. A full bag equals five days of one person's CDC allowance for drinking and basic hygiene.

How it compares

Three ways to wash when the water heater is out. Figures come from each maker's page.

Using it in a long outage

Getting a warm rinse

1. 01Fill the bag in the morning and lay it clear side up in direct sun, as the maker directs, on a surface that will not puncture it.
2. 02Check the temperature gauge before use. If the water is too hot, add cool water or wait.
3. 03Hang it from a sturdy support above head height. A full bag weighs about 42 lb.
4. 04Wet down quickly, soap up out of the stream, then rinse. Running water only when you need it makes 5 gallons go much further.
5. 05Empty and dry the bag after use so it does not grow mildew in storage.

Budget water before you shower

The CDC's planning figure is at least 1 gallon per person per day, and that gallon covers drinking and basic hygiene, not showers. Do not empty drinking water into a shower bag. In a long outage, fill it from non-drinking water instead: tap water if the utility says it is fine for bathing, water drained from a tank water heater, or pool water, which the CDC allows for hygiene and cleaning but not drinking. Our guide can you shower during a power outage explains which water heaters still work without power.

Thunderstorms

Many summer outages begin with thunderstorms. The CDC says not to bathe or shower during a thunderstorm, because lightning can travel through plumbing; outdoors, an exposed shower spot is a poor place to stand during lightning either way. Wait until the storm has passed.

For keeping clean when the toilet also stops working, see our guide to sanitation without power.