A few excerpts from his 1979 book:

  • Time:  “The sauna was not built for saving time, but for spending it well.”
  • Honesty:  “Perhaps the setting is conducive to honesty and getting at the bare facts of an issue: rank and status disappear with the clothing, and one must communicate simply as one imperfect individual who must accept another individual.”
  • Sleep:  “After a sauna one does not worry about insomnia.  And one doesn’t need a prescription for a tranquilizer.”
  • Scalp:  “Bathing… in sauna is, in fact, and excellent first step for good scalp care, which contributes to healthy hair.”
  • Skin: “The sauna does give the skin an aura, and it is said that a woman looks her most beautiful an hour after sauna.  In the sauna… dead skin is removed, and live skin is rejuvenated.”
  • “In this age of slick promotion, the concept of the sauna has at times been misunderstood and misrepresented.”
  • “The acme of the sauna experience is achieved when the shower is replaced by a dip into a lake and when one can sit outside in the altogether, dried by unpolluted breezes.  Some brave souls enjoy a roll in the snow or a dip into a hole in an ice covered lake.  While contemplating such an experience can be a shock, the sensation itself is delightful.”
  • “Many persons find it particularly enjoyable to combine exercise and sauna bathing.  A good workout in tennis, swimming, bowling, or jogging, followed by relaxing and cleansing heat, is a most satisfying  experience.”
  • “In Finland it is very natural to ask friends or neighbors to come for sauna.  As more Americans build saunas, this custom will develop naturally.”
  • “In the sauna a very unusual combination of processes develops: a person sits peacefully at rest while his blood vessels, nerves, and glands work hard.  After such an experience, the person may well feel that he has had a strenuous workout, even though he has been quite relaxed and at ease.  It is difficult to gain a greater senses of physical renewal than that which is provided by this unique combination of exertion  and rest.”
  • “There is no rigidly prescribed procedure – one should use the style he enjoys most.”

My 8×12 sauna plan assumes a wood, not concrete floor.

  • 2×6 green rim joists.
  • 2×6 green studs at 16″ or 24″ on center.
  • 3/4″ subfloor,  et voila.

sauna-patio-pine-island-compressed3

Stephen, I know your sauna has a cement slab, and i’ve built a couple saunas with a cement slab base (which could be argued is the “A” job) yet I find with a wood base to your backyard sauna it can be:

  1. built quicker.
  2. leveled easily, even down the road.
  3. moved if you move, of if your partner gets wiggy.
  4. called a ‘temporary structure’ for frowning building code inspectors.
  5. extended easily as a header for a deck (yet I prefer a slate patio with an outdoor sauna, so as to reintroduce the stone medium from sauna rocks to your feet whilst between sauna rounds).

For a great 3D blueprint of an awesome mobile sauna or backyard stationary sauna design, click here.

mobile sauna on wheels

The intention is to get folks to try out a real sauna at some special events.  Plus the Mobile Authentic Finnish Sauna will be available for folks to try out in their own backyards (before committing to build a sauna or buy one for themselves).  Theory is, once friends and family get to experience an authentic Finnish sauna, they’ll be hooked!  And rightfully so, health and wellness, green, and escape with ‘staycation‘.  Mobile Authentic Finnish Sauna: cabin life right in your own backyard.

Here is a list of Minnesota special events where I’ve wheeled over my mobile sauna:

Let’s get a mobile sauna in your town!  I’ll help you wheel it around.  For a worldly view of mobile saunas, check out this site!!  saunasessions.ca has a wonderful posting of well organized photos and information on the craziest collection of mobile saunas… enjoy!  (one of my favorites is the firetruck sauna).

Maybe we can get over to Finland to check out the Mobile Sauna Festival.

At the mobile sauna yesterday, we had good effect with an international/reggae/African play list.  Nothing Ragga and Rough, but more ambient dub (King Tubby, Thievery Corporation) with a mix of African (Amadou & Mariam, Fela Kuti).  When at the sauna controls, choosing instrumental music, and (or music where one doesn’t understand the lyrics) seems to resonate like a cold water splash on sauna rocks.

Thanks to my brother, I have a waiver/disclaimer prohibiting top 40.



mobile sauna at Old Chicago, Uptown Minneapolis

Authentic Wood Burning Sauna to visit Uptown, Minneapolis February 6-7, 2010.

Old Chicago Uptown, bar sponsor for the The City of Lakes Loppet Cross Country Ski Festival, is excited to offer up the use of an authentic Finnish sauna to racers, sauna enthusiasts, plumbers, pipe fitters and and spectators in conjunction with this weekend’s festival in Uptown Minneapolis.

mobile sauna at Old Chicago, Uptown Minneapolis

Folks interested in taking an authentic sauna are encouraged to bring a bathrobe or towel, swimsuit and a pair of flip flops.  The sauna will be in the front of the parking lot, adjacent to the Old Chicago entrance. The sauna will be idling warmly from 2-7 pm Saturday and 2-5 pm Sunday.

Old Chicago will be featuring “two for one” Summits during the above happy hour times. Old Chicago will also be featuring a $4.00 Pasta Bowl on Saturday 2/6 (4:00 to 6:00 with Loppet bib or registration). Patio will be open for an ice cold beverage and cool down between sauna rounds. Come experience that ”up north” Scandinavian feeling and take a sauna at Old Chicago with your fellow cross country ski enthusiasts!

The City of Lakes Loppet festival:
http://www.cityoflakesloppet.com/

The Mobile Sauna:
http://www.saunatimes.com/2010/01/04/the-mobile-sauna-by-saunatimes-com/

Old Chicago:
http://www.oldchicago.com/

xxx

My good (virtual so far) friend Stephen built his own sauna in North Carolina.  Watch through his video. It’s a great sauna, wonderful aesthetics and touches: slate patio walkway, nestled amongst foliage, and a great outdoor shower. Note Stephen’s OSHA approved sandals: