New to this site but not new to camping. Have trawelled through 20 pages of posts incase this has been asked before but found nothing.
This year foe the first time we have had to do our tenting in peak season so I'm not used to having to share the shower blocks with all the other happy campers.
Just spent a weekend on a site with only 4 showers in the female block and as they had a very large "chaging type area" I was having my shower then getting dried and changed in this area so as to keep the queue down. Also I am a bit on the large side and the shower cubicles are quite small.
I received some very strange looks whilst getting dried and dressed (no I wasn't flashing my bits off for all to see!). I wasn't soaking the floor as I always where flipflops in the shower and dry most of me off in the cubicle before venturing out.
What do others think? Should I struggle in a shower cubicle or is it acceptabe to get dressed in the communal area (when there is one?) bearing in mind most gyms and swimming pools only have communual changing areas now.
Strange question I know , but I did find it rather uncomfortable putting up with loads of strange looks and stares , especially as I was actually vacating a shower after 5 mins instead of the 15 it was taking most others whilst they did everything in the cubicle.
Keep smilin'
Sal
------------- The sun is always shining ....somewhere!
I don't see why there should be a problem getting changed in a communal area if you are comfortable to do so. As you said, you are freeing a shower for someone else to use considerably sooner then otherwise. Sounds like the other campers were the ones with 'issues' and I would ignore them and carry on!
im with u on this one sal i woulp prefer the person in front to use the shower cubicle for the shower and the changing area for changing they would complain more if imstayed in shower for 20 mins
Ive never seen anyone do that ,and ive been camping for years ,so ,maybe they hadnt either so they were surprised ? and thats what the looks were ?
Good Idea tho ,if you were feeling cramped in the cubicle ,certainly cant see anything wrong with it ,andI would have been pleased no get into the showe faster!
i also agree with all of the above its not you with the problem it must be them
i usually take my 3 year old for a shower with me and there is nothing worse than having to wait ages for the shower with a little un i would really appreciate someone in front of me as considerate as you.
i would (and do) exactly what you did - get changed in the changing area, the last site i went on a lady in front of me even left the shower running for me! i dont see the point of struggling to get dry and changed in a wet shower cubicle, if there is a changing area.
the ladies looking at you funny could have been newbies that have never had to use a shower block like that before? Either way, at least you was the one that was properly dry and didnt drop your clothes on the shower floor
I think you deserve a pat on the back for being so considerate!! I'd do exactly the same if the showers were busy! I know wot you mean about getting dried in the shower, i always managed to get some part of my clothes wet, its so annoying, oh and i always where flip flops too!!
agree with all the others ... i'd be looking at you and smilingly saying thank you for being so considerate! i too changed in the communal area so that my children could go in after me and others didn't have to wait. i don't care about flashing my bits off anyway ... not that there's anything exciting to see i'm afraid!! i think it's the others that had the problem, not you!
I take a lightweight dressing gown thing with me and wear it to the shower, quickly dry off and then go back and get dressed in the tent. I prefer to dress in my tent as it's usually a bit cleaner!
If the site is busy, or the cubicles are small I do the same thing - quickly dry myself off, put on underwear then move into communal area to apply deodorant/sun cream/moisturiser/bug spray/whatever is required for the time of year, get dressed without getting clothes wet from the floor and also so I can sit down and dry my feet properly. Then brush teeth, apply mascara and I'm out.
I don't know whether or not other women give me strange looks when I'm doing this as I just keep my head down and get on with the process. I usually say good morning or chat to others in the loos, but NOT when I'm half dressed.
------------- Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
I don't see any problem in dressing in the shower block as you indicated.
But there are alternatives. I don't like some showers, as I/m rather tall. No room for my elbows or even lack of height. I have sometimes during cold weather used a dressing gown in the past, made of the same stuff as towels. Walk back to the tent and finish drying there. Gives a bit more privacy.
Sizes of showers differ. I have been on campsites with very decently sized showers, even rather large ones.
Overhere in Holland these days there is a tendency to create some 'family showers' on campsites, either in the middle room accessible for male and femal, or in both male/female sections. These are showers to bring children with you or disabled persons. They are one well sized shower room with two showers sometimes also plus wash basin, not separated from each other, so that you can shower yourself, and the other one -kids, disabled companion, partner etc.- under the second shower. It does even happen that the complete family, two adults two kids goes in it at once. Can be very efficient.
For you such a shower would be a good solution, as they also easily allow for larger sized people.
So why don't you check on the existence of 'family-showers' on Britisch campsites?
In Sweden is saw showers like in gyms: a row of shower cubicles in a separate space, clothing hooks and benches in that same space for dressing outside the cubicles.
What am i doing reading this? I`m a man. Why don`t you girls un-dress in the tent,put on a nice fluffy towelling dressing gown ,have your shower,don the gown and finish the drying back at the tent?
Thanks for that guys , I'll continue to free the shower up as quickly as possible then and be dried properly and keep all my clothes dry at the same time!
Keep smilin'
Salx
------------- The sun is always shining ....somewhere!
Being lucky enough to have facilities on board I sometimes don't venture near the shower blocks all weekend if I'm caravanning rather than tenting, but when I have I have never seen a separate changing area, only the bit with sinks in, nowhere to hang anything or sit to dry my feet.
But if there was one then I think Sal's idea is good.
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
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Topic: Shower Block Etiquette
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