There's nothing quite as 'gram worthy as a hot spring set against an idyllic mountain or waterfall backdrop. Problem is, the average gorgeous backdrop doesn't come with a perfectly placed hot spring. That no longer has to be the case thanks to the Joolca Hottub. The rugged, collapsible soaking tub packs down to car camping size, traveling anywhere on- or off-grid to bring that steamy soak deep into the most superlative scenery around. It's the ultimate après accessory for active and lazy days alike, whether spent in the backcountry or backyard.
Something of an Australian overland-glamping specialist, Joolca was founded in 2011 with the goal of bringing home comforts to the great outdoors. No product exemplifies the goal better than the Hottub, a go-anywhere soaking solution that's as rugged as it is luxurious, built to keep a muscle-relaxing, spirit-rejuvenating soak waiting at the end of even the most gnarly adventures.
Luckily for us folks in North America, Joolca is currently working hard to expand its presence in the market and bring its impressive wares to a more northerly breed of overland adventurer. It launched the Hottub last November and has been busy of late showing it across the four-show Overland Expo circuit. Unfortunately, we missed the Hottub at Overland Expo West, but we did walk away impressed with the Joolca vehicle-mounted drop-down privacy tents we checked out while there.
Weighing in at 33 lb (15 kg), the Joolca tub won't be a backpacking companion, but it is designed for car camping, overlanding, RVing and other vehicle-based adventure. It packs down to 30 x 17 x 11 in (76 x 43 x 28 cm), making it easy enough to stow in the included carry bag and throw in the vehicle.
It's true that the Hottub inflates with the included floor pump to its fully unfurled 77 x 36 x 20-in (196 x 91 x 51-cm) two-person form in about two minutes, but actually filling it up with hot water takes much longer. The tub works in conjunction with Joolca's Hottap, a portable LPG water heater with a 12-V pump that supplies and filters water from a natural source. That's critical since campers don't tend to carry around the extra 300 to 350 liters of water Joolca recommends for singles and couples soaks.
Joolca estimates the water fill-up process at a clean two hours, at which point you can jump in and enjoy a water temperature up to around 113 ºF (45 ºC, a safety feature cuts out heating at 122 ºF (50 °C)). The Hottap is designed to provide up to 15 hours of runtime on a standard 20-lb propane tank, continuously recirculating the water to keep it hot and inviting.
Weather too sweltering for a hot soak? The Hottub can also be used for cold soaks and ice baths.
On the downside, the Hottub doesn't have the jets that make a traditional hot tub so enticing to achy muscles. But as Joolca explains, that would cut down on portability and versatility, introducing more weight, more breakable components and the need to plug into shore power. So you'd be looking at a different product all together, something more like the backyard-oriented Coleman Saluspa series.
Joolca uses an inflatable paddleboard/RIB-inspired construction with drop-stitch PVC sidewalls and a PVC-skinned closed-cell foam floor, along with marine stitching and glue. The Hottub is built to hold up to the unpredictable rigors of the great outdoors and comes with a patch kit in case of leaks. A foam cover attaches to the integrated childproof clips to keep the youngest campers safe.
Seem crazy impractical? It's worth noting that the Joolca tub looks to be a neater, more grounded solution than other stabs at the portable hot tub, including the HydroHammock (website no longer active) and Nomad collapsible tub (still out there).
That certainly doesn't mean the Hottub is practical for the masses, but adding to its appeal is the fact that the Hottap is ready to use for hot showers, dishwashing and other hot water tasks. Joolca's US$549 Hottap Nomad kit packs everything you need, including the shower sprayer, connections, river filter pump and faucet attachment, into a storage box that doubles as the sink basin. The box's split lid even flips over to work as two dish drying drains.
As tempting as giving the Hottub a go is, we can't seem to justify the extra size and weight in our fully loaded camper vehicle. The Hottap Nomad kit, however, stands out as a clean, comprehensive shower and hot faucet solution that appears quite practical. We're currently testing it out and will be running a full review in the coming weeks.
The Hottub is available now on its own for $579 or packaged with the Hottap and necessary connections (no sink or shower functions) for $1,028, currently on sale for $938. Watch it in action below.
Source: Joolca