Prepare Your Camping Shower Kit

Most campers, this time of year, are gearing up for warm weather and lots of fun trips.  As you start to prepare for the upcoming camping season, don't forget to check, create or redo your shower kit and toiletries.  I created a shower kit for our family that stays in our camper so that we are always ready.

Even though I'm a certified glamper, I also believe in simple and easy.  Our family toiletry kit for camping is no exception.  I put together a kit that is easy to tote back and forth to the showers that ;everyone can use.  I also didn't want to spend a ton on money on this kit.  Clean and functional was my goal.

Stores like Dollar Tree and Big Lots are great places to shop for your shower kit.  These two stores are where I found most everything in our kit.  These stores are cost effective and are full of handy items that are practical.  Before you start shopping, take inventory of what you have at home.

The brand name deodorants were $1 each at Dollar Tree!

I used an extra hair brush I already had.  Use what you have if there are duplicate items at home.  I had quite a few things that were extras that I stashed into our kit.  

After you have inventoried what you have at home, make a list of what you need or just a master list to make sure you don't forget things you will need.  Lists are underrated and serve a big purpose.  When we took our first camping trip, I made a shower kit but forgot a hair brush.  We made do, but our hair was a little wild.  Make a list.

Our shower kit is a plastic basket with a handle that I found at Dollar Tree.  I actually purchased 3 of these baskets.  One is for our toiletries.  Another basket is used to hold our shower flip flops, and the third one is for dumping shoes into to keep from tracking up everything inside.  It works pretty well.  Best of all, if they get dirty, wet or something spills in them, I can hose these baskets out and dry them easily.

These baskets were also at Dollar Tree.  I have 3.  One for our shower kit, one for flip flops and one for other shoes.

Inside of our toiletry basket, I stuffed everything that we would use as a family.  One kit is all we need.  I didn't want to have every member with a different tote, bag or set of items.  It is just too much for me to manage.  Depending on the ages and genders of your children or even the size of your family, each member might mean their own kit.  However, this works for our small family of three.

Our shower kit has all of the basic items that we need for our trips.  If you have toiletry items that you really love at home - shampoos and conditioners, then purchase those little travel bottles and fill with your favorite shampoos, conditioner, mouthwash,etc.  I used a Brother P-touch Easy Hand-Held Label Maker (PT-H100)  to label each bottle.  Each one can be refilled easily.  We didn't really need big bottles of shampoo, conditioner, etc.  Travel bottles are easier for us to pack.  Again this is going to depend on the size of your family and length of trips you take.

Travel bottles are great and can be refilled over and over.  I purchased these at Big Lots for $1.50!

Another thing that I added to our kit was some homemade conditioner for me.  I have been reading and learning quite a bit about natural products that can be made easily.  I made a conditioner that is 1 part apple cider vinegar, 2 parts distilled water and 5 drops of lavender and 5 drops of mint essential oil.  I LOVE it!  My hair is really soft.  My hair is typically oily but not with this conditioner.  And it has become a favorite product on camping trips!  It is in a spray bottle that came in my little travel bottles.  I just spray it on my hair after I shower.  Give it a try!  

I also found these little toothbrush kits at Big Lots that were $1 each!  They had a toothbrush, toothbrush case and travel sized tube of toothpaste.  I labeled each clear bag and made sure that each one of us have a different color brush to keep them separated.  You could also ask you dentist for a toothbrush or a similar kit at your next visit or just call and request.  Most dentist give these out at dental appointments and would probably be happy to give you a few toothbrushes for your camper!

Toothbrush kits that I found at Big Lots were perfect!

I'm a big believer in products that do double duty.  If you are body wash user, then check out the Honest Company's body wash and shampoo.  It is 1 product that does both.  It is easy to use and lather's well.  I like a shower puff when I bath, so I use this body wash while camping.  However, my guys like bar soap.  So, I have a bar of soap in a soap holder for them.

Honest Company is a favorite brand and work great for our kit.  I love the body wash and shampoo combo product and the body oil!

Honest Company also makes a great body oil that is easy to apply, and I prefer it to lotion.  This is another great product to have.  You could even add a little essential oil to the bottle for a lavender scent at the end of the day.  

Other items that you need are flip flops.  Walmart and Old Navy are both places that have inexpensive plastic or rubber flip flops for the shower.  I purchased ours at Old Navy this year because they had their flip flops out sooner than other stores.  A cheap pair will work just fine for this.

Finally, I recommend getting a tote bag of some sort that just stays in your toiletry kit.  Use it to place clean clothes in for taking to the shower.  You could even stow a second tote for dirty clothes.  Most people have these totes laying around.  I have tons of them from conferences and events.  I like a canvas or fabric tote bag because they last longer than grocery sacks and can be washed.  If you are afraid your family will mix them up, label them with a sharpie marker - Dirty and Clean.

A well thought out shower kit will keep you feeling clean and fresh while camping.  And, it will keep you from trying to find a store if you are in remote locations.  Plus, I just hate having to make do or make extra trips to the store while camping.  It kind of spoils the fun for us.

Plus, now that I have most everything in our camper, all we have to pack are clothes and food.  It makes trips so much easier and fun.  If you want a pre made list for your toiletry kit, you can access my toiletry starter list.  Feel free to make it your own.  And, if you want to use this list electronically on your phone, copy and paste your list into Google Keep.  Make sure you have the app loaded onto your phone.  This will make life a lot simpler.  Feel free to contact me with questions about how to use Google Keep or about this post.

If you are looking for other lists and planning help for the spring and summer camping season, check out my Camping Lists and Menu Page.  I also have pages devoted to Camping Gadgets and Gear as well as my Pop Up Camper Remodel Page.   

Feel free to comment about how you constructed your camping shower kit.  What are some must have items in your kit?  Now that the days are getting warmer and longer, camping season is here.  Get ready for a great season of camping fun!  I hope you will follow along.  Sign up so you don't miss a post.  It is easy to do!  Thanks for taking time to stop by!

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