All soap is biodegradable. It is an alkali salt of fatty acids from animal
or vegetable fats. You may wish for soaps with out perfumes - Ivory brand
serves the purpose. Joy or Dawn can be so had also, though fewer places
carry them sans perfume.

On Mon, Feb 6, 2023, 11:21 AM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>  Correct.  Mud pit is no fun.  So, down the road, I empty RubberMaid
> container with grey water on the side of the road.  That's it.  Also, I
> don't use biodegradable soap and shampoos, just the normal stuff.  As far
> as Northern California camping spots....man, that is a tough commodity.
> Year around.  Hence, I use the Vanagon Hot Shower On Demand solution, and
> camp nearby at some McDonalds or Starbucks.  BTW....the bathrooms in those
> facilities are excellently clean.  And the Wi-Fi.....equally marvelous.
> Also, I am an excellent "stealth" camper.  I have honed those skills over
> 40 years.
>
>     On Monday, February 6, 2023 at 08:46:40 AM PST, Pete Sicilia <
> pete@coffeepot.org> wrote:
>
>  To clarify my question a bit... I was both looking at preventing a big mud
> pit and looking for a solution that works at a state campground. I carry
> biodegradable soaps :)
>
> I'd also love to know if folks have preferred "camping al fresco" spots in
> Northern California that are reachable w/o syncro capabilities.
>
> On Mon, Feb 6, 2023, 6:20 AM ddbjorkman@verizon.net <
> ddbjorkman@verizon.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Grey water, with an environmentally friendly soap does no harm.  I just
> > pick a somewhat sloped ground, put down a ground cloth so we are not
> > standing in a mudpuddle and let it run off.  Many of the places we use it
> > could use a bit more water in the ground.
> >
> > Dave B,
> > the Boston one
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Pete Sicilia <pete@COFFEEPOT.ORG>
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Sent: Sun, Feb 5, 2023 9:29 pm
> > Subject: Re: [VANAGON] Vanagon Hot Shower on Demand
> >
> > What do you all do with the grey water? Do you catch it and do something
> > with it... or just let it drain into the ground/mud?
> >
> > On Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 5:47 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >  For me, it was an evolution.  It all started with me and my cousin
> doing
> > > Mountain Bike riding in the western Sierras in the early 90's.  Sure,
> we
> > > got all sweaty.  No fun getting into sleeping bag after all that.  I
> > > figured....there has got to be a better way.  I thought...all you need
> > is a
> > > metal vessel....fill it with water...heat up on Coleman stove; and, add
> > > some kind of propulsion unit to aggressively force hot water through
> some
> > > plastic tubing and into a shower nozzle.  And I exactly did that!  It
> > > worked perfectly.  Except, I chose a steel 5 gallon gas tank, which of
> > > course rusted like crazy.  Also, I chose a 12VDC submersible pump from
> > > Grainger; problem with that....it was intended for intermittent use; it
> > > rusted and froze.  I rethunk.  So next attempt was an aluminum 20 quart
> > > stock pot from Costco, and a 12VDC Marine Bilge pump, I started with
> 800
> > > GPH unit, but have moved up to 1100 GPH pump.  Oh my!  All systems are
> go
> > > now!  Then I got the crazy idea of using Vanagon to source hot water.
> I
> > > deleted Rear Heater long ago; I used the plumbing and fittings,
> > including a
> > > 20 foot piece of 1/4" copper tubing, wrapped around a paint spray can
> to
> > > form a heat exchanger device inside of Aluminum stock pot.  I used a
> > simple
> > > Ball Valve to turn on/off flow to copper tubing; this involved a
> > companion
> > > to run back and turn it off and on.  I used a standard BBQ grill
> > > thermometer from Walmart to monitor temperature; I used old wiring from
> > > rear heater to make this happen.  Readout on dash.  Next, I lost my
> > > companion to run back and turn Ball Valve off and on.  So, via Amazon,
> I
> > > got one of those motorized valves, and I found a switch (old Rear
> Window
> > > defogger switch) which fit the 3rd unused position on dashboard; yes,
> > with
> > > a tip of switch, hot engine coolant goes into copper tubing, heating up
> > > water in Stock Pot, all monitored by BBQ Thermometer.  Oh...you want to
> > get
> > > even more crazy?!!  Using 3D Solidworks, I came up with a delightful
> > design
> > > of a Shower Curtain, like a giant funnel into a RubberMaid plastic bin.
> > I
> > > know at this point, all you guys are  collapsing in fatigue!  I hear
> ya.
> > > If I were reading this thing, I would have given up by Sentence #2.
> Yes,
> > > it was a 30 year process.  It was filled with errors.  But now....I
> > > wouldn't leave home without it.  Absolutely...there are easier
> solutions
> > to
> > > the Hot Water Shower issue.  But mine is the finest.
> > > And of course, I can do it the old school way...pot of water on Coleman
> > > stove...in the middle of nowhere....it's so fun to see your breath in
> the
> > > cold morning air....and you are as clean as a whistle!
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>