Are you filthy enough for a $700 portable shower?
Are you filthy enough for a $700 portable shower?
你是否“脏”到需要一台 700 美元的便携式淋浴器？
The Hottap Go is an all-in-one hot water system that justifies its high price. Hottap Go 是一款集所有功能于一身的热水系统，其高昂的价格物有所值。
Hot showers, like electricity, are a luxury that’s easy to take for granted. That all changes after a few nights camping at a music festival, a week toiling at a backcountry job site, or overlanding all summer in the great unknown. An itchy scalp and the vague smell of warm clams suddenly make the idea of spending hundreds on a portable shower seem less absurd. 热水淋浴和电力一样，都是容易被视为理所当然的奢侈品。但在音乐节露营几晚、在偏远工地辛苦工作一周，或是在广袤荒野中进行一整个夏天的越野旅行后，一切就变了。当头皮发痒、身上隐约散发出“温热蛤蜊”般的异味时，花几百美元买一台便携式淋浴器似乎就不那么荒谬了。
I’ve been testing the Hottap Go from Australia-based Joolca while vanlifing to shower after surfing and to wash up after cooking. It features a 12L integrated water tank which is an improvement on other portable showers that require an external container and long, cumbersome hose that’s easy to trip over. The Hottap Go also recirculates the water until it reaches your chosen temperature. This slows things down a bit, compared to “instant” portable showers, but it doesn’t waste water since it won’t produce an initial shock of cold water that’s usually sprayed into the ground. 我一直在房车旅行中使用澳大利亚 Joolca 公司出品的 Hottap Go，用于冲浪后淋浴和烹饪后清洗。它配备了一个 12 升的集成水箱，这比其他需要外接容器和长而笨重、容易绊倒人的软管的便携式淋浴器有了改进。Hottap Go 还会循环加热水流，直到达到你设定的温度。与“即热式”便携淋浴器相比，这虽然慢了一些，但不会浪费水，因为它不会像其他产品那样在开始时喷出一股通常会被浪费掉的冷水。
The $554 Hottap Go requires an external 12V power source, but in the US Joolca sells a 12V / 5A $165 power bank that attaches magnetically to the case. In Europe I had to roll my own with an €85 (about $100) power bank found on Amazon. The result is a true, fully self-contained hot water system that can be taken anywhere. 售价 554 美元的 Hottap Go 需要外接 12V 电源，但在美国，Joolca 出售一款售价 165 美元的 12V/5A 移动电源，可以通过磁吸方式固定在机身上。在欧洲，我不得不自己在亚马逊上买了一个 85 欧元（约 100 美元）的移动电源来凑合。最终，这套设备成为了一套真正完全独立、可以带到任何地方的热水系统。
To clear up any confusion right away: the Hottap Go requires electricity to power the integrated water pump and display but it heats the water with propane gas. It works with standard 1lb propane canisters out of the box, and larger tanks with a hose and regulator you must provide. 为了消除误解，我先说明一下：Hottap Go 需要电力来驱动内置水泵和显示屏，但它是通过丙烷气来加热水的。它开箱即可使用标准的 1 磅丙烷罐，如果使用更大的气罐，则需要你自行配备软管和调节器。
One thing I love about the Hottap Go is that the hoses, battery, showerhead, and gas canister can all be stored inside the water tank when not in use for easy portability and storage. I also like that the flow-adjustable showerhead comes with a magnetic holder. Taken together with its approach to preheating the water through recirculation, it’s clear that Joolca’s product designers have learned from the shortcomings of the current crop of portable propane showers. 我非常喜欢 Hottap Go 的一点是，不使用时，软管、电池、花洒和气罐都可以收纳在水箱内部，便于携带和存放。我也很喜欢那个带有磁吸支架的可调节流量花洒。结合其通过循环预热水的方案来看，很明显 Joolca 的产品设计师已经吸取了当前市面上便携式丙烷淋浴器的不足之处。
To shower, you first attach the quick-release hoses for the gas and showerhead, plug the shower into a 12V power source (power bank, power station, or the cigarette plug inside your car), set your desired temperature and wait. The unit will begin heating and recirculating the water until a series of beeps indicates that the target temperature is reached. I brought tap water up to a hot 47C / 117F (per the display) in exactly four minutes, which was just enough time to gather everything I needed to shower outside my van with my modesty preserved. 淋浴时，你首先要连接气管和花洒的快拆软管，将淋浴器接入 12V 电源（移动电源、户外电源或车内点烟器），设定好温度并等待。设备会开始加热并循环水流，直到发出蜂鸣声提示达到目标温度。我用了整整四分钟将自来水加热到 47°C / 117°F（显示屏读数），这段时间刚好够我准备好在房车外淋浴所需的一切，同时也能保护好隐私。
On one windy day at the beach, I noticed the Hottap Go had to keep reigniting, despite its leeward venting. It failed so often that I saw an E3 error message on the display. Repositioning the shower out of the wind kept the flame lit. The handle on top makes it easy to move, and the seal around the lid ensures that water won’t slosh onto the ground or your power bank. Otherwise, the Hottap Go always lit and stayed lit without issue during my testing. 在海边一个有风的日子里，我注意到尽管有背风通风口，Hottap Go 还是不断地重新点火。它失败的次数太多，以至于显示屏上出现了 E3 错误代码。将淋浴器移到避风处后，火焰就保持稳定了。顶部的提手使其易于移动，盖子周围的密封圈确保水不会溅到地上或移动电源上。除此之外，在我的测试过程中，Hottap Go 每次都能顺利点火并保持燃烧。
Joolca says the Hottap Go is good for two “great showers” or a single “long, luxurious one.” I was able to take two functional yet satisfying showers from its full 12L (3.2 gal) water tank, making liberal use of the on/off switch on the showerhead to conserve water while lathering. Joolca 表示，Hottap Go 足够进行两次“很棒的淋浴”或一次“长时间的奢华淋浴”。我用它装满的 12 升（3.2 加仑）水箱完成了两次实用且令人满意的淋浴，期间我充分利用了花洒上的开关来在打沐浴露时节约用水。
Water flow is just okay, even at maximum setting. It’s strong enough to penetrate long, thick hair when shampooing but it’s not going to jettison grime from my mountain bike, for example. The magnetic holder is strong and the showerhead feels good in the hand with a nicely positioned on/off switch. Adjusting the flow rate dial is a two-handed operation, but mostly I just left it on max. 水流表现尚可，即使在最大档位也是如此。它的水压足以在洗头时穿透浓密的头发，但比如想用它冲掉山地车上的污垢可能就不够强劲了。磁吸支架很牢固，花洒手感不错，开关位置也很合理。调节流量旋钮需要双手操作，但我大部分时间都直接开到最大。
If you’ll only use it once or twice a year, then spending over $554 for the Hottap Go portable shower doesn’t make much sense, especially when tankless portable showers like BougeRV’s cost half that. I much prefer the Hottap Go’s recirculating water tank, performance, and overall convenience, though I do wish the optional $165 magnetic power bank was included in that price. Still, for vanlifers like me or anyone who regularly spends days away from plumbing, $719 can be easily justified for what could be the best portable hot water shower available. 如果你一年只用一两次，那么花 554 美元买 Hottap Go 便携淋浴器意义不大，尤其是像 BougeRV 这种无水箱便携淋浴器的价格只有它的一半。我个人更喜欢 Hottap Go 的循环水箱设计、性能和整体便利性，尽管我确实希望那款 165 美元的磁吸移动电源能包含在售价中。不过，对于像我这样的房车旅行者，或者任何经常在没有自来水的地方生活的人来说，花 719 美元买下这台可能是目前市面上最好的便携式热水淋浴器，是非常值得的。