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Let's See Those Hand Wash Set Up's

28K views 56 replies 32 participants last post by  dgoods 
#1 ·
Just made this is weekend, got tired of trying to rig 5 gal buckets. Probably a bit of over kill but as least is will stay in the boat in the event....

Let see what everyone else is using!
 

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#6 ·
I use 2 powdered laundry detergent buckets. They are much smaller and nest together nicely and fit in my drybox. When in use I stack them so you dont have to bend over so far. I have also found that the pumps need to be mounted to a piece of board to keep them from sinking into soft sand.
 
#30 ·
I use the same set up with 1/4 inch coper tubing at the wash bucket. I use clear plastic tubing from the supply bucket to the fuel bulb and on to the coper tubing. The tubing is flexible and is stored in the bucket with the lid for transport as well as the soap and trash bags. Try to have two stations with one at the groover and one at the kitchen. The coper tubing is held in place with A clamps.
 
#9 ·
A lot of restaurants buy their mayo in 4 gallon square food safe buckets that they throw away, just ask. Here are photos of my one gallon hand wash station for small one boat trips.
 

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#14 ·
No-pump hand wash system

Here is a picture of my gravity-powered hand wash system. It consists of 2 buckets and a feed scoop with a few holes drilled in it. I cut off the lip of the feed scoop to fit better into the upper tank bucket. Just dip the scoop into the upper tank bucket and hang using the handle.

It is inexpensive ($6 scoop at your local ranch store), light, works with any style of bucket and does not have parts to break, freeze or get mucked up with sand. Stack the buckets, drop the scoop and soap into the buckets and place in a medium-sized roll-top dry bag for a contained unit and last-minute loading on the boat.

It is old school for sure but it works great.
 

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#17 ·
Here is a picture of my gravity-powered hand wash system. It consists of 2 buckets and a feed scoop with a few holes drilled in it. I cut off the lip of the feed scoop to fit better into the upper tank bucket. Just dip the scoop into the upper tank bucket and hang using the handle.

It is inexpensive ($6 scoop at your local ranch store), light, works with any style of bucket and does not have parts to break, freeze or get mucked up with sand. Stack the buckets, drop the scoop and soap into the buckets and place in a medium-sized roll-top dry bag for a contained unit and last-minute loading on the boat.

It is old school for sure but it works great.
Where do you stow the log on your boat?
 
#16 ·
Here is my 4 gallon hand wash made from mayo buckets. 10" x 10" x 16" when packed and 32" high when set up at the spray nozzle.
 

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#19 ·
I've used a liquid laundry detergent dispenser (tip it on its side, press a button).

Not as good as a foot pump since you still have to push the button with a clean hand that you pushed with a dirty hand...but far better than nothing. Use the back of your hand for dispensing.

Works GREAT with hot water to clean grimy kids' camping hands...and use a squirt of hand sanitizer before eating.
 
#26 ·
I’ve moved to just using a water cube over a bucket. I prefer gravity flow and lots of water to wash. (Note the photo below is not mine, but you get the idea)

I usually start with clean drinking water in the cube. Then move onto the next clean available water source. If not drinking water I add a couple drops of bleach or boil some water on the fire at night to add to the jug.

This method wastes more water, and is probably not so good on a silty river where clear water is scarce.
 

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#37 ·
I’ve moved to just using a water cube over a bucket. I prefer gravity flow and lots of water to wash. (Note the photo below is not mine, but you get the idea)

I usually start with clean drinking water in the cube. Then move onto the next clean available water source. If not drinking water I add a couple drops of bleach or boil some water on the fire at night to add to the jug.

This method wastes more water, and is probably not so good on a silty river where clear water is scarce.

That's a clever design. The thing that gives me pause is that someone with dirty hands has to turn the lever to start washing which contaminates the lever and then they turn it back off when they're done, getting whatever back onto their hands and also being a potential vector to someone else. I imagine it would be fine most of the time but if you were trying to deal with something nasty like norovirus that the wash station might not be effective. I think that's why most of the commercial and copies or similar designs use a foot pump.
 
#31 ·
I built mine using a small bulb pump but might upgrade to the whale babyfoot. Here are the materials:

1/4" loc line (1) $8
small spring clamp (1) $5
1/4" primer bulb (1) $12
Brass Hose Barb with Straight Fitting Style, 1/4" Thread Size (2) $2
Total Cost: $27 (excludes zip ties and buckets)

I like having the modular faucet head. You can drop it down into the bucket to splash less and then raise it up as the dirty gets full.

Will post pictures later. Connect the loc line to the clamp with a zip tie. Loc line connects to the barb then barb to the primer bulb hose. The second brass hose barb is used as a weight to keep the intake at the bottom of your supply jug. I use 2 5 gal buckets stacked. Bottom one has a hole drilled in the side. I made a wood platform that the bulb sits on using more zip-ties.

The flow definitely leaves something to be desired but it was cheap and it works.

Here are some links (all on amazon or grainger):
Clamp
Hose Barb
loc line
bulb pump


EDIT:
You could use these parts for more flow
Hose Barb (2) $10
1/2" tubing $13
baby foot pump $23
1/2" loc line $9

total cost $60 (excludes zip ties and buckets)
 
#34 ·
I think yours was the inspiration for mine. Did you run the Grand last year? My buddy was on a tip and sent me a pic of your setup.

Two hand was a mandatory on any trip in my opinion.
 
#39 ·
I'll have to get mine out an post some pictures but I basically transformed a very simple zodi battery powered shower to be a pretty kick-ass hand wash system.

I pulled the connection from the zodi switch and ran it to a foot pedal switch for about $5 and mounted it on a small wood platform to keep it off the sand. Make quick disconnects between the foot pedal and the zodi battery box.

We have two setups in our group like this and since we have a fair number of kids that we travel with it make them more likely to wash their hands.

I originally use the actual shower head from the setup but recently transitioned to a piece of stainless steel pipe similar to the commercial systems you can buy.
 
#42 ·
By the time you stack the two hard side buckets inside each other. Put the pump, second lid, spigot, hand soap, sanitizer, dish soap, Clorox or Steramine in the buckets there is not much wasted space. The hard side buckets protect the contents and really help contain any accidental spills. That said, I have no idea how you could stack collapsible buckets so you did not have to bend over to wash. Hard to pump when bent down.
 
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