The idea for the Big Kahuna portable shower was born 20 years ago on a camping trip in the Pennsylvania coal areas, where coal dust is a real pain in the @#%$ to get rid of. Jeff Stinchcomb, the inventor of the Big Kahuna, realized he needed some kind of portable washing system to deal with the coal dust problem and thought he might as well try and build one himself to his own specifications. So he did and the device he came up with was baptized “Frankenstein.”
Fast forward 10 years later to California, when Jeff showed his invention to a friend who thought it was really cool. He told Jeff that if they could get the product shelf ready and bring investors on board, “Frankenstein” could really take off. So they took it to the Wal-Mart headquarter in Arkansas, which immediately put in such a big order that Jeff and his friend weren’t able to make them fast enough. Realizing they needed to fine tune their operation, they turned instead to internet sales and to displaying their product at trade shows. Five years of hard work online and on the trade show circuit and they were finally on their way. They began making the Big Kahuna in a variety of sizes to better suit the needs of their customers. After a few years of breaking even, in 2011 they sold over 4,000 Big Kahunas with zero returns, a true testament to the quality of their product. That same year they partnered with Camping Shower World as one of the official online retailers of the Big Kahuna Portable Shower product line.
Family owned since 1990 and assembled in America, the Big Kahuna story is a simple one of perseverance and a belief in a rock solid product.
The Florida Keys just sounded enticing, romantic, and alluring. The stuff made of pirates and expatriates. I had a few days off and decided to visit a couple of the recommended hiking spots along US 1. Looking on-line, the name Bahia Honda jumped out at me. For some reason, a mental picture of fighting Samurais came to mind. A hike through oriental gardens, wind chimes tinkling in the gentle breeze in subtropical Florida sounded exactly what I wanted and needed.
I recently learned that it is a good idea to research the local area prior to traveling to a new destination. As it turns out, there is a yearly event in Key West called the “Fantasy Fest.” The official website refers to this celebration as a 10 day long decadent costuming and masking festival. Tourism expects to exceed 50,000 visitors and an income of 30 million to be generated. There are parades, drag shows, food exhibits and bikers that flock into the small community.
The 50,000 visitor influx is what affected me the most. It took as long to reach Bahia Honda Key on US 1, in the bumper to bumper traffic, than the entire rest of the drive. Cars, vans, bikes, trikes, and campers were all en route to decadence. I could see in a few vehicles that the party had already begun. Some were already in costume; at least I hope that’s their costume! Ultimately I reached my destination after passing through idyllic communities named for the Key on which they existed. Many appeared to be relics from the 1940’s and 1950’s. The buildings were in need of paint and repair. Many store fronts were vacant; a testament to the economic climate. Famous Key Largo started the run of key names no one ever completely remembers. I actually thought I could hear Jimmy singing in the background. They have a turtle hospital there; I didn’t realize there were so many pet turtles. Notable keys were Islamorada Key, a group of four Islands. Centered at mile marker 81, a memorial erected to the victims of the largest hurricane to hit the Keys (on Labor Day in 1934) exists. A tidal wave 19 feet high wiped out the community and it appears they are still rebuilding.
On Marathon Key, the largest of the land masses, a dolphin sanctuary exists with a very cool statue in front of the building of a mother dolphin and calf. There is also a decent sized airport the flying enthusiast can land on and take off from.Just past Marathon Key is Bahia Honda Key. It turned out that Bahia Honda isn’t Asian at all. It is Spanish for “deep bay”. And I always thought my car was Japanese, who knew? The island itself is about 525 acres in total. It is uninhabited except for the state park where I was heading to hike the Silver Palm Nature Trail. Because of the park’s proximity to Key West and Fantasy Fest, all of the overnight camping accommodations were occupied and the little park was flooded with squatters. Most were tailgating in anticipation of activities to the south; so that the hiking trail was peacefully desolate.
In 1934, when “Hemmingway’s Hurricane” destroyed so much of the Florida Keys, the train tracks built by Henry Flagler were lost. Some of the original foundations from the railroad were used to create the road way now known as US 1. When it was undated, there wasn’t enough room for two lanes of traffic, so the original roadway was abandoned and a new route was made. Some of the old structure exists and before I started on the trail, I had a panoramic view of the local keys and unbelievably colored waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
All along the Silver Palm Nature Trail I could hear the gentle sounds of the waves washing up on the shores. Bahia Honda is very close to a Florida Keys Deer sanctuary on Big Pine Key and I was able to see a few nibbling vegetation along the short trail. Key Deer are somewhat smaller than the ones I was used to in the northern states. I also managed to see a Miami Blue Butterfly. They were thought to have been extinct since hurricane Andrew devastated Florida. Bahia Honda State Park is the only surviving colony of this species known to exist anywhere in the world.
There were several species of plants that are unique. A few observed are the Yellow Satinwood, Key Thatch Palm, the endangered Small-flowered Lily-thorn and of course, the Florida Silver Palm for which the trail is named.
Educational information posts along the trail reported the possibility of seeing reef fish, rays, barracuda and shark in the waters, however, all I saw were the blues, greens, and violets of a peaceful sea. It was a short hike, but well worth the time driving. Afterwards, I did go to Key West to check out the Fantasy Festival. In tribute to Bahia Honda I dressed up as a samurai, and I fit right in.
Recently while planning a backpacking trips throughout Europe, my girlfriend and I were reminded of a story told by a good friend of ours about a similar trip. For the purposes of retelling the story I’ll assume the first person and retell it as though I were him (basically as we heard it).
“I met my wife hiking on the Appalachian Trail. She was a model doing a shoot for a clothing company and I just happened by. Recently, for our first wedding anniversary she suggested, demanded actually, that we spend the weekend where we met, hiking and camping for at least a day and a night. My wife is many wonderful things, but I never thought of her as a “nature girl.” A valley girl for sure, hiking for her is a day trip to the mall. I responded: “there won’t be a Sherpa to lug your stuff around.” Her only response was her best pouty look, usually reserved for the camera. I asked “how much of the trail do you want to hike?” Suddenly the pout became a smile as she gleefully said “all of it!” I’m quite sure she didn’t know that the Appalachian Trail is over 2,000 miles long and takes 6+ months for an accomplished hiker to complete.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail starts at its northern point at Mount Katahdin in Maine and terminates at Springer Mountain in Georgia. Started in 1923, major hurricanes, the Depression, World War II and its travel-limiting rationing all served either to break or delay efforts to complete it, the goal not reached until mid-1951. Earl V. Shaffer, a Pennsylvania veteran “walking off the war,” had reported three years earlier that he had walked the entire trail renewing interest in the project.
The Appalachian Trail doesn't really have a fee for hikers and campers to use it, but because it winds through many different national and federal parks there may be some associated campaign and permit fees. There are a bunch of the simple hard shelters along the trail, most typically they are open type "lean to" structures. Most of the structures don't require a permit and backpackers can use them if they are unoccupied. While it does provide some shelter from the elements, it is far from the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Beverly Hills-I could hardly wait to see my beautiful model wife exist under these conditions.
We elected to start off where we had first met, in New York where the trail crosses the Hudson River. There are 88 miles of the trail in New York, and at this portion, it is actually only an hour or two away from New York City. My plan was to take her to the city when she finally admitted that she was miserable: an attempt to salvage our anniversary. When the time came around we packed (I didn’t notice a single cocktail dress in her knapsack-perhaps she was serious about this) and drove to Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park, the site of our first meeting. We unloaded and spent some time getting oriented (and making out-when we found the exact spot of our first meeting,) then decided to head south. We started at a leisurely pace talking, laughing and just enjoying each other. It was one of those late summer dog day’s with hotter than expected weather. It was just simply gorgeous and peaceful. The first wild life we came across was a white tail doe and her fawn. While the fawn was busy nibbling something on the ground, the mother was looking about, darting her head back and forth checking for any sense of danger. We kept very still until they meandered off and continued walking, talking about having a baby of our own (one day.) Suddenly Tasha squealed with joy and said she had seen a mouse. With the superiority gained from watching Jeopardy every night I asked if she was sure it was a mouse and not a rat, or a skunk, or a gopher, a mole, or a vole? Out came that pouty look again so I let it go. A second later, another squeal: “there’s another one!” It was a squirrel! We both laughed as if it was the funniest thing ever. A little while later I had to, you know, go to the bathroom…squatting down. I asked her for the toilet paper. She looked absolutely dumbfounded and asked, “didn’t you pack it?” “No worries,” I said, “I’ll use leaves. “ I could tell by the look on her face she desperately hoped she could hold it, herself, for another day and a half. 
We hiked onwards seeing dogwood trees, pines, a lady slipper hidden in the grass and a variety of native birds. A bluejay, in particular squawked his welcome loudly, or maybe it was a warning. We walked and talked until night fall when we located an available lean-to. We dined on cold chicken and killed a bottle of wine she had packed (I knew there was brains behind all that beauty.) I was simply amazed at how easily she fell asleep after we reenacted our wedding night (details censored). I looked at her resting so peaceful, so tranquil, and so beautiful and was so thankful we had met. Then I joined her falling into a sound sleep.
Towards morning, it was still dark; I awoke with a very uncomfortable, almost unbearable itching sensation, “down there.” I quietly got the flashlight and looked to see if I was being attacked by mutant radioactive insects but there was nothing there. The itching was driving me crazy by sunrise and I sheepishly asked my wife to look and see what was going on. No matter what you think, there are some things you shouldn’t have to share with your spouse. Humbled, I lowered my pants and I could hear her trying to control her giggling. “What is it,” I demanded,” what do you see?” Now she was laughing uncontrollably. Through the spasms of laughter she asked, “You didn’t use poison ivy leaves to wipe yesterday, did you?” I was mortified. I couldn’t believe that I was stupid enough to have done that. She rooted around in her knapsack and handed me a bottle of calamine lotion and a tube of steroid cream. “I know you’re allergic to everything, so I packed this just in case.” Now do you see why I married this woman? It was most definitely for her brains.”
The moral of the story: Be careful how you pick your leaves.
So my girlfriend and I will most definitely be packing some extra toilet paper on our trip to Europe.
Eccotemp L5- Is it the perfect travel companion? Perhaps more than that, the Eccotemp L5 may be the perfect replacement hot water heater/shower, depending on your needs.
Ever been frustrated when you lose power and cannot take a hot shower? How about when you’re out for a weekend of camping and you slip into some mud and it’s everywhere? The hunting cabin; the boat; and what about the beach house-where you still want to lay out in the sun, but you hate having all that sand on your skin?
It’s time to look into a portable shower system that can give you a great shower, no matter where you decide to take one (exercise caution on your choice of venues however: some people just don’t like seeing others “au natural” in public!).
There is perhaps no other portable tankless water heater and outdoor shower better suited to such a wide range of circumstances or available at such a good value as the Eccotemp L5.
It’s got essentials and extras both, but what really stands out about this unit, is that IT WORKS! Straight from the box this unit can produce hot and satisfying showers in a wide range of venues, without a ton of extraneous items or parts. With the right bundle you won’t even need to find a place to put the shower; it will be plug and play.
Sure most units on the market can produce a hot shower in no time when you connected to a water faucet that's the beauty of this unit the Eccotemp L5 introduce a hot shower in no time when connected to a bucket of ice water! You can get a good flow similar to most home showers, better-than-average water pressure, and the shower runs completely off the grid, with a couple of D cell batteries.
The Eccotemp L5 unit only weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and is the size of a big book, but the best part about this product isn't the size, it’s the incredible reviews this unit gets: this review isn't the only glowing one, as there are thousands upon thousands of other outdoor enthusiasts, off the grid lifestylers and eco-conscious individuals who love the Eccotemp L5.
It uses a propane fuel source, which has a relatively good eco-footprint can be extremely cost-effective and provides instantaneous hot water. The unit connects to a standard barbecue grill propane tank and can last for about 20 hours worth of showers before refill. 20 hours! That's a lot of showers.
Because of its size and ease of use, you can rig the Eccotemp L5 just about anywhere: inside of a relatively small boat, in an outdoor shower stall at the cabin, hung on a tree trunk with a portable shower tent, or just about anywhere else you can envision yourself taking an incredibly hot shower.
The propane fuel source isn't just eco-friendly and burning in almost every way, it outperforms electric water heating elements. Do you spend winters in the Antarctic? You want to get one of these tankless hot water heaters, as that electric heater just won't cut it. Worried about ruptured water lines? You don't have to worry about that anymore, as the Eccotemp L5 gives you the option to disconnect hoses after each use, a few seconds of reassembly and you're good to go. Now the most extreme conditions won't phase your water heater or your water lines – you don't have to worry about expensive repair bills, and this unit is so economical to run anyways.
Features of the Eccotemp L5 you’re going to want to get your hands on:
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Propane heating element
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Instant hot water from any water source that isn’t frozen
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Small design
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Excellent safety features built in
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Great cost/value
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Good build quality and low maintenance
This shower is so versatile and so extremely usable straight out-of-the-box that in the end, it doesn’t matter what you plan on doing with this unit-as long as it involves a shower-it will excel!
Moving to a predominantly outdoor area can be very fun, but getting used to the new area can have its hurdles. I’m reminded of the first week I lived there (I have since moved back to California).
My family and friends were overjoyed when I moved here a normal comment being: “now we have a place to stay when we go on vacation.” I was actually happy because I knew I would miss everyone once the relocation was finished. I learned early on that to take my quests to the big theme parks every visit meant taking out a second mortgage on my house, as the tourist industry isn’t for the weak of wallet. The years I lived there, I found a variety of less expensive yet enjoyable activities to entertain visitors when they would come. Only a month after I had settled in, my brother Michael and his family came from New York for two weeks. Michael is a great guy, a professor at a community college with a bit of a dry personality. I had planned to spend the first Saturday on the swamp fishing. Mike had a different plan. “We’re going bird watching” it was almost an attempt to make it sound interesting.
“Bird watching…really?” was my reply, but I recovered swiftly as the hurt look at my condescending tone of voice caused me to be a bit more flexible, “oh, that’s sounds great.”
Michael took us all to The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife trail. I didn’t even know that it existed. The trail is over 2,000 miles long and is broken up into four geographic divisions. There are the East Florida, West Florida, panhandle and South Florida trails. Because Florida is an extremely long state, about 500 miles, each section of the trail offers varied exposure to habitat and fauna. There are nearly 500 locations throughout the trails. We spent two full days at the South Florida trail and didn’t see a fraction of it.
I had always thought of bird watching as something nerdy guys did to impress nerdy girls. I saw bespectacled thin runty guys with binoculars and a little moustache speaking Greek. It was probably a bunch of Latin bird names, I guess. What I found was an arduous physical trek full of interesting and beautiful birds, plants and scenery. Though created for tourists and Audubon aficionados, the trail was very much like I imagined the Seminole Indian’s saw before Florida was invaded by Disney. I learned more about native Florida in those two days than I had in twenty years. I also learned a lot about my brother.
In planning a trip to the Great Florida Birding Trail, there is an interactive map on line where you can select the birds you’d like to see and then their likely locations along the trail are listed. We elected to select locations and see what there was to see. When the map said two miles, it meant two miles of boarded walkway meandering through relatively dry pinelands, swampy marsh and hardwood stands. When we left the walkway to explore I had difficulty keeping up with my nerdy brother who had obviously been hitting the gym. I used every bird sighting as an excuse to stop and recover from the hot and humid climate Floridians enjoy during the rainy season. It didn’t seem to faze Michael, and I, the resident was getting wrecked! We saw a Blue Heron, Giant Egret, and Barred Owls. We think we saw a Limpkin. Florida is the only breeding place in the world for this crane looking bird. And we saw nesting cranes. We saw white tailed deer, but they looked smaller and more delicate than the deer I managed to wreck a car or two on in upstate New York (PETA probably does not approve this story by the way). The swamp was kind of ugly, but cool looking, like a bunch of lettuce leafs had been scattered over the water. I had to get a closer look, but being not nearly as adept as I am now at maintaining my footing, I slipped in the mud. Everyone thought it was very funny had a big laugh. Including a couple of super nerdy birdwatchers who had the white bullfrog sunscreen on their noses.
At the end of our “two mile” four hour walk; I was covered in dried mud, smelled suspiciously like a mixture of rotting lettuce and sweat; I was hungry and tired. My brother looked as if he had just had a nap and wanted to go on to the next location, eager and ready to continue his investigation. I learned a lot about my adoptive state that day. I learned a lot about my brother and though have always loved him; I certainly respected him more that day. I was eager after that to see new out of town visitors-I knew exactly where I would take them!
Sometimes no matter how much fun it is being around your children, you need a break. When camping it can happen even faster than normal. With the outdoors giving you a relaxed sense of surrounding, and a mellower attitude, sometimes you need the kids to just take a break and find something fun to do on their own. Maybe it’s some alone time with your spouse, maybe it’s just to relax after a hard day of relaxing in the great outdoors. Whatever it is: Snipe Hunting is the answer.
The elusive snipe is a creature of mythical origin, in the grandest sense: a non-existent animal sure to give you at least 3 years of use if your kids are under the age of 14. Essentially it is your job to lay out the details: what the snipe looks like, how it moves, how to catch it, what the reward is for doing so. But embellishment is key. If you can’t convince your kids, they will see right through your shenanigans. You need a safe spot, obviously nighttime is best, and you want someplace where you can keep a relatively good ear or eye on the kids. Play along as much as you can to enhance their desire to find the Snipe.
A good snipe hunt goes something like this:
Kids, I didn’t want to tell you about this, but since I think I saw one earlier when we were setting up camp…well never mind. It’s nothing.
(You have piqued their interest now; they will pursue the idea of whatever you are talking about.)
Well, I don’t know if I should, I have only really ever seen one in my whole life before today, and I’m not even sure if I saw it.
Them: “What? Saw what? What is it? Tell us Dad!”
Well I don’t want to get your hopes up, so maybe I shouldn’t.
Them: “COME ON DAD! TELL US! Yeah Dad tell us.”
(Looking at the wife with a sly grin)
It’s called a snipe. It’s like a prehistoric monkey that moves really fast through the trees. You can hear him, and sometimes even see him, but he’s incredibly hard to find…I mean, I probably shouldn’t even be saying this, but one of my friends when I was growing up found one, and his family moved to a really big house, and he got all kinds of toys and stuff. They say the snipe has hidden treasure in his house. They have houses under the trees.
Them: “…” “Really?” “Cool.” “Yeah, cool.” “I want to find a Snipe.” “Me too!” “Dad, help us find the snipe!”
At this point, the story takes on a life of its own. In between family activities, you can revisit the snipe hunt, and really, no matter how often you fail at finding the snipe, in the backs of their minds, they always remember, that there is a chance they could find it.
The following scenarios and lines work well to perpetuate the snipe story.
Out of breath, coming back from going to the bathroom: “Kids! I just saw something that looked like a snipe-grab the flashlight, hurry, let’s go!”
Or while sitting with the wife around the campfire, overindulging in smore’s and fire roasted hotdogs while the kids are already n the fringe areas of the campsite in the tree line, looking for the snipe: “I just heard the snipe mating call in THAT direction.” Or, “Do you hear that? The branches moving like that? Sounds like the snipe!” Or even, “The guy in the campsite just came and asked me if I had seen the snipe that just ran through our campsite…”
It will invigorate your young kid’s desire to find this thing.
Some important pointers to keep this gig alive and well:
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Make it as androgynous and hard to find, yet interesting enough to seek out, as you can. Maybe that means you describe it as have a beak like an eagle, a body like a snake, the tree-climbing skills of a monkey and the camouflage of a chameleon.
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Encourage your kids, don’t let their hope die out for one time finding the snipe. Maybe that means you have to see it, or get into character more often as the trip nears a close.
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Never laugh too much behind their backs about it, kids are pretty good detectives, they will see right through you if you aren’t at least a little bit careful.
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Give them a cool goal to go after, like: “If you guys find the snipe, we will come back out in two months again.”, or “…we will all stop for ice cream on the way home at my childhood ice cream shop.” Or, “$10 to whoever brings me back the snipe, alive so I can see it…”
Be safe, there are a lot of bad people in the world; make sure your solo snipe hunter isn’t going out into the dark while you sleep. Make sure that your kids are within earshot at all times. Maybe invest in a set of cheap walkie-talkies so you can keep tabs on each other. Nothing takes the fun out of a good humored joke, like a bad injury, or a lost child.
Create a good back story, stick with the details, and create all the drama of a big budget Hollywood thriller, and you and the wife are all set for relaxing, and laughing next to the crackling fire at the campsite.
Don’t forget to eventually tell them that the snipe doesn’t exist…or does it?