The lack of running water gets to be normal after awhile, just a bit inconvenient.  I remember being frustrated trying to find practical steps on how to live without plumbing.  The main tip is to use less water which with practice won’t be as hard as you think.  But in the summer I can splurge as storing untreated water is no longer a waste of space. So here is a description of my rainwater “faucets” which are a nice luxury item for the brief time we don’t have to worry about freezing temperatures.

I had planned to use a tarp and 30 gallon barrel to collect rainwater, but so far my mini-system described in this post has provided all the rainwater we need (we haul our main  water supply as described in earlier posts).  I use a gallon container to collect rainwater off of our trailer (thanks to C noticing it would be a good spot).  I transfer the water into mosquito-proof old laundry detergent jugs with their handy spouts as faucets.

We use the rain water to wash our hands and occasionally pre-rinse a particularly dirty dish.  I am going to miss the easy handwashing when it gets too cold in a few more weeks, and will go throughmore hand sanitizer, but it will be OK.

Camping will be a breeze now that we have so many hacks to get by without water instead of spending so much time trying to get water. Disclaimer – we totally “cheat” on showers and laundry by paying to do both in town.