The Complete Guide to Portable Camping Sinks
Nobody likes doing dishes while camping - but nevertheless, a quality portable camp sink is an important part of any camping kitchen.
In this post we’ll discuss the four main portable camping sink designs, the pros and cons of each type, how to add a faucet to your new camping sink setup, and which camp sink accessories will help make the job easier.
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Four Categories of Portable Sinks for Camping:
1. Non-Collapsible Portable Camp Sink with Drain
A non-collapsible or hard-sided portable camping sink is a great option for car or truck camping, and can be used as a storage container for other camping gear while not in use to better utilize the space the sink takes up (when compared to some of the other options below).
PROS:
Sturdy, non-flexible design
Built in storage for camping sink supplies
Inexpensive
Built in drain
CONS:
Bulkier than other portable camping sink options
2. Collapsible Portable Camp Sink with Drain
A collapsible portable camping sink offers most of the benefits of a non-collapsible version, but in a much more compact size due to it’s collapsible hard rubber sides. We’ve found that maximizing interior space is essential to enjoying car camping or truck camping on a regular basis, so this option is great for long-term travel while camping or on extended road trips.
PROS:
Compact, but durable
Inexpensive
Built in drain
CONS:
No built in storage for camping sink supplies
3. Nylon Fabric Portable Camping Sink
A nylon fabric portable camp sink - like the Sea-to-Summit Camp Sink - is by far the most compact portable camping sink option out there, primarily due to the fact that it’s constructed mostly of TPU coated Nylon fabric.
This portable camp sink uses the pressure of the water against the sides of the sink to support its structure - an ingenious design! While it’s small form-factor when not in use is perfect for backpacking camping trips, it ultimately isn’t as well suited for car or truck camping when compared to other portable camp sink options
PROS:
Extremely compact
CONS:
No built in drain or storage for supplies
Less durable than other options, due to nylon fabric design
Takes longer to dry after each as compared to other camping sink options
4. Folding Portable Camp Sink
If you’re hosting a large family camping trip, group camping trip, or longer fishing trip, this is the portable camping sink to own! While it’s not as compact as the other options, it’s folding design makes it portable enough. But it wouldn’t be a good option for typical family camping trips or longer term travel or road trips due to its overall bulkier size.
PROS:
Includes built in counter space, faucet (with garden hose connect), and drain
Easy to do larger amounts of dishes for groups
Very Durable
CONS:
Very large, compared to other portable camping sink options
Heavy
Longer setup time
So Which is The Best Portable Camping Sink?
After trying a variety of portable camping sinks on our various long-term camping trips over the years, we’ve found that a good mix of convenience, compactness, and portability is what makes for the best portable camping sink.
So we ultimately recommend a quality collapsible portable camp sink for most general camping situations - whether you’re tent camping, car camping, or truck camping, it’ll work well for most needs.
We currently use and recommend this SAMMART Collapsible Portable Camping Sink* and love its rugged construction, built in drain plug, small form factor, collapsible design, and budget-friendly price point for our camping setup.
How to Add a Faucet to Your Portable Camping Sink
Adding a faucet to your camp sink is a great way to make dish clean-up easier while camping. There are two ways to do this:
Battery Powered Camping Sink Faucet
These utilize a battery powered pump to provide pressurized water to your portable camp sink. Here are two of the best ways to add one to your camping sink setup:
KEDSUM Portable Camping Sink Faucet
This pump sprayer is a great way to add a faucet to your portable camping sink - just add a bucket of water and you’re all set! It’s powered by rechargeable 3.7v 2200mah batteries that provide up-to 60 minutes of use per charge, and it can double as a camp shower too.
Dometic Go Rechargeable Camping Sink Faucet
The Dometic Go faucet houses its rechargeable lithium-ion battery and pump in a very compact form factor with a simple touch button on/off. It includes a long flexible siphon hose and a magnetic base that allows it to be easily mounted above your camp sink with the included metal base plate.
Gravity Powered Camping Sink Faucet
A gravity faucet uses the pull of gravity to draw water, typically in a container elevated above your camping sink, through the faucet. Here are three easy ways to add one to your camp sink:
WaterStorage Cube Portable Camp Sink Faucet
The WaterStorageCube comes in three sizes and, unlike the large solid water containers we grew up using, it collapses when not in use to save space. You simply fill it with clean water, position it above your camp sink, and turn on the spigot.
Gravity Water Bag as a Camping Sink Faucet
These solar camp showers/water bags can make a great camp faucet. They’re easy to hang suspended above your camp sink to provide a simple camp faucet, plus if you hang them in the sun throughout the day you can have heated water on tap too!
Dedicated Camping Sink Faucet with Pressurized Water
If you camp frequently and want a more dedicated water container and faucet for your car camping or truck camping setup, these are a great addition to your portable camping sink (plus they double as a camping shower and water container too). These are generally a more costly option for a camp sink faucet, but they offer a lot more versatility.
Yakima RoadShower Pressurized Camping Water Container and Camp Sink Faucet
We used the Road Shower as our didcated camping water container and sink faucet in our truck camping setup for several years, and you can check out our detailed review of the road shower for an in-depth look. It uses a 7 gallon tank that is pressurized with compressed air to provide up to 65psi of pressurized water to the spigot, and is great for even the grimiest of dishes. Plus, if it’s mounted on the top of your vehicle, the water is heated by the sun.
DIY Camping Sink Faucet (Plus Shower & Water Container)
We designed this DIY solution that we currently use for our personal truck camping and overlanding adventures that combines a 10 gallon water container, gravity or powered camping sink faucet, and shower. You can check out the detailed DIY build guide here: DIY Camping Shower and Water Container
Portable Camping Sink Supplies:
In addition to having the right camping sink for your camp kitchen setup, you’ll also need some portable camping sink supplies to make doing dishes while at camp as quick and easy as possible (so you can get back to actually enjoying the outdoors)!
A Dish Scrubber
The MSR Alpine Dish Brush/Scraper is an excellent addition to your camping sink setup, and a great alternative to the traditional sponge. It’s also very handy to have a scraper when cooking with a cast iron set at camp (we’ve used this Lodge Cast Iron Set* for years and LOVE it).
Biodegradable Camping Dish Soap
Camp Suds or Sal Suds* biodegradable camping dishwashing liquid is also a staple for doing dishes in your camping sink, as both are environmentally friendly. And because they’re concentrated it doesn’t take much to do the job - so a small bottle will last you quite a while!
A Microfiber Drying Mat for Camping
A Microfiber Drying Mat is also really handy to keep with your camping sink supplies. You can simply stack the dishes on top of the mat and let them air dry, and the microfiber material drys much faster than a standard cotton dish towel.
Whether you’re camping solo, with your family, backpacking, or hosting a large group camping trip, we hope this guide has helped you select the best portable camping sink for your next adventure.
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And as always, thanks for reading!
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