Garden Sprayers?

[VeganChoirGirl]

I overheat pretty quickly out there. I bring a garden sprayer filled with water and ice everywhere in my bike basket. I mist myself when I start to overheat. Tada.

I also use mine to wash dishes (I don't evap, just haul out the 1-2 gallons I accumulate), rinse my feet before bed, and whatever else I can think of through the week.

[Teo del Fuego]

We have two showers sitting in an approx 8' x 15' black plastic evap pond. We use a wind driven evaporator, which is a big squirrel cage type thing built from bicycle rims, a fan, and a water wicking cloth.

[gyre]

Is the squirrel cage wind powered?

[jkisha]

Is the squirrel cage wind powered?

My guess would be that "wind driven" might just mean "wind powered". But that's just my guess.

JK

[gyre]

That's why I asked.
I've seen it used to mean the evaaporation was exposed to wind.

[Teo del Fuego]

yes, the squirrel cage is hooked up to a fan blade that turns in the wind. The guy who built it got the design from somewhere on ePlaya. It works very well for us.

[dragonpilot]

I have a couple of these, I can't imagine being without it during the daytime. Super refreshing

Oh yezzzz...I has one of doz too! Essential gear!

[FIGJAM]

bump

[FIGJAM]

Like this!

[AngelDanger]

Here's an on topic question/rambling...I am not super mechanically informed, though I did figure out most of your swamp cooler figjam (just haven't found a good cheap power source yet) after a lot of reading over the thread a few times. I am not sure though if I will have a power source at all this year, I typically tent camp, with few amenities. For my 5th year, I just got a colman tent fan for attaching to a window that runs on batteries because I am so tired of roasting in the morning, and I was thinking the other day how a nice misting system and some shade would even make it possible to sleep in the morning and maybe not require power. My first indication was a garden sprayer but I couldn't quite figure out how long they sprayed for and which one to get.

I am thinking something that will go for 10ish minutes or more, more is better of course, and be a very fine mist. I could attach a hose with holes to whatever it is and attach that on the inside top of a tent for naptime. Is this possible without a power source? The main thing I am a bit stumped on is getting it to go for more then 30 seconds or so. I would love to hear what other people have come up with, related to this or not!

I also am not opposed to a power source, and I am mechanically inclined (if not informed) I just haven't quite pinned down something I understand and would be not too pricey that I can get together in time and understand fully to be able to take care of out there.

Oh, and thanks figjam for being such a BAMF!!

[Elorrum]

uh oh, I'm channeling Rube Goldberg's cousin Ruth here. she could see pictures, but didn't know how stuff got put together, even in her imagination.

the garden sprayer is a good start, but the pressure goes down as the valve is kept open. might not get ten minutes.
so, a 3-5 gallon sprayer, fully pressurized. how about if it just sprayed in bursts? really it would feel about as cool, as the water would be evaporating and that gives you the cool feeling, and then spray again in say cycles of 5 seconds on, 10, to 15 seconds off?

cuckoo clock weights, or spring wound mechanism, or motor... turns a cam that pushes and releases the trigger on the sprayer as it turns around.

I love this site... they have some slow DC motors
http://www.sciplus.com/category.cfm/sub ... tegory/172

[Clar-i-ty]

I'll bite. One liter. I use it to rinse my dishes over a large funnel that contains a wad of aquarium filter floss, drains into gray water collecting container. This cuts down on water used for washing dishes. The floss dries with the dish and cooking moop, and goes in the trash. I also use the sprayer for mist to cool off.

I've used one of these with a special blend of water, vinegar and Dr. Zoggs to wipe down before I go to bed. Doesn't do bad for a quick light shower too.

[MyDearFriend]

I've used one of these with a special blend of water, vinegar and Dr. Zoggs to wipe down before I go to bed. Doesn't do bad for a quick light shower too.

Do you mind sharing your formula for that special blend? I have been trying different combinations of water, vinegar, and Doc Bronners, but, am not sure I am getting the best results.

[J/J]

I'll bite. One liter. I use it to rinse my dishes over a large funnel that contains a wad of aquarium filter floss, drains into gray water collecting container. This cuts down on water used for washing dishes. The floss dries with the dish and cooking moop, and goes in the trash. I also use the sprayer for mist to cool off.

To Elorrum"s Point on spray bottles, even though we are bringing a Hand Washing Station some great additional advice from Essjay for water preservation at this link
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34551&p=684206&hilit=sink#p684206

shall follow advice and bring spray bottle of clean water, spray bottle of water and dish soap, and add a spray bottle of dilute vinegar and spray bottle of sanitizer or dilute bleach in water. Sanitizer required for food service permit.

[melodiousdirge]

Dr. Zoggs

Googled with interesting results... what is Dr. Zoggs exactly? I'm assuming you don't mean surfboard wax.

[MyDearFriend]

I'll bite. One liter. I use it to rinse my dishes over a large funnel that contains a wad of aquarium filter floss, drains into gray water collecting container. This cuts down on water used for washing dishes. The floss dries with the dish and cooking moop, and goes in the trash. I also use the sprayer for mist to cool off.

To Elorrum"s Point on spray bottles, even though we are bringing a Hand Washing Station some great additional advice from Essjay for water preservation at this link
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34551&p=684206&hilit=sink#p684206

shall follow advice and bring spray bottle of clean water, spray bottle of water and dish soap, and add a spray bottle of dilute vinegar and spray bottle of sanitizer or dilute bleach in water. Sanitizer required for food service permit.

Please be careful not to mix bleach and vinegar together. I'm not sure how long each would have to sit before it could safely join the other in a gray water system; does anybody have data on that?

[melodiousdirge]

Please be careful not to mix bleach and vinegar together. I'm not sure how long each would have to sit before it could safely join the other in a gray water system; does anybody have data on that?

A Dilute bleach solution mixed with a dilute vinegar solution shouldn't produce enough chlorine to worry about, especially in a well ventilated environment like the playa.

[Clar-i-ty]

Dr. Zoggs

Googled with interesting results... what is Dr. Zoggs exactly? I'm assuming you don't mean surfboard wax.

Freudian slip. Doc Bronners is what I meant.

I'd say 1/6 - 1/4 vinegar, a good sqeeze of the Castile Soap and then fill it up with water. At home I do 1/4 vinegar, 1/4 lemon juice, a squeeze of dish soap and water in a spray bottle for household stuff. Especially good in the kitchen.

[FIGJAM]

bump

[HandJamMasterC]

I use one strapped to my Campmor camp kitchen with a bungee cord, as a pressurized hand washing and dishwashing system. Greatest thing ever for only $ 10.00 !!!

[FIGJAM]

Bump

[JStep]

I used mine for cooling off (myself and others), washing hands, washing dishes, cleaning off the camp table or anything else and last, but not least, making signs in the road for camps/bars looking to drive traffic in - which I had a blast doing! Very well received. (And yes, I always ask "Want some mist?" - I don't just spray people without asking)

[FIGJAM]

Alot of people use garden sprayers for all kind of things on the playa.

So what do you use yours for and how did you modify it to suit your purpose?

There may be a few people that dont know what a garden sprayer is.

Something like this....



They have a great many uses.

Thier small and portable.

I didnt like pumping mine up so I installed a steel tire valve stem from a local auto parts store.

Now I can just give it a shot of air from my compressor instead of pumping.

I think most burners will have at least a small 12volt compressor for bike tires and such.

A garden sprayer was a little small for my needs.

Sooooooooooo...........

Got a double bung water barrel for $15










and bought some stuff in the plumbing isle.....











the bungs are theaded and there enough nipple on the bottom to connect a piece of garden hose long enough to reach the bottom of the barrel.





Intalled steel valve stem.



Add some air.



PRESTO.......running water for my camp!



Its set up to put a regular garden hose on.

Add a spray nozzle and its a FIGJAM garden sprayer.

The barrels come in alot of different sizes, so build to suit your playa needs.

Mines 55gal. but I need enough for my swamp cooler and me and with the hose I can deliver water anywhere in my camp.

The walls of the barrel are about 1/2" thick so they can handle the pressure. More presser=longer squirt.


Your turn.

[dr.placebo]

We use a pretty minimal setup. One 2-gallon garden sprayer. One small tarp. Two towels. You can get pretty clean without using a lot of water (several showers per gallon, depending on duration). The towels soak up the water, then they are hung up to dry, and the tarp under the towels keeps the playa dry, so no gray water disposal is needed.

For those who like more of a head rinse, a squeeze bottle was used for hair by one of us (my hair is sparse enough to not need much).

The sprayer doubles as a cooling mister on hot days.

[FIGJAM]

Here's a little change to the water barrel "Garden Sprayer".



Installing a hose on the bottom of one of the bungs to extend to the bottom of the barrel worked, but the hose clamp rusted and let the hose fall off.






This is MUCH better!!!!!!

Cut a piece of 1/2" pvc 32 inches long.

This will fit the nipple on the bottom of the bung once you wallow the interior of one end of the pvc a little.



Use a little pvc cement, and you're good to go.











I have a 20' hose to have running water anywhere in my camp.

[FIGJAM]

bump

[inthecolumbiagorge]

We make misters for our shade canopies out of garden sprayers and they work pretty damn good! Pump them up and they spray for about 15-20 minutes per pump up depending on the sprayer. You can buy one already assembled here: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... ci_gpa=pla for $40 bucks or you can make one yourself for a little less but not much.

[some seeing eye]

Very useful thread, thx mr FJ. Now I want to put a tire valve on my weed sprayer! Fortunately there are no weeds at BM.

Any thoughts on maintaining and preserving compressors on the playa from the dust? I'm specifically interested in small electric pancake compressors. Thoughts on airbrush compressors welcome. Or do they fall into the category of electronic equipment, once to the playa they are doomed.

(Unfortunately compressors are not useful for making something useful, like pancakes, but they can drive nails like f**k)

[FIGJAM]

I bring a pancake compressor for the sprayer and airing tires and have'nt had any issues.

But depending on your needs, a 12 volt compressor from HF would work.

And yes, I love haveing a shrader vualve on my normal garden sprayer.

Get the all metel valves cause they have a nut on the bottom to get a good seal.

[FIGJAM]

bump.