Some back away from installing a wood burning sauna stoves, in favor of the more convenient electric sauna stove option. And this is ok. But for those of us who choose the wood stove option, we: Enjoy tinkering with the fire. (much like making beer or cooking a meal from scratch). Appreciate knowing where our heat comes from (vs. plugged into an electric wire on the grid). Embrace the DIY aspect (cutting, splitting, stacking wood, is much like gardening). Why does wood fired pizza taste better? Why does wood heat feel better? Why do all chefs use cast iron frying pans (vs thin metal). Why is the University of Minnesota collaborating to create SaunaShoes with thermal mass in the sole? We ask ourselves these questions whilst "ember-izing" on the sauna bench. … [Read more...]
Zen and the art of sauna fire maintenance
Lots and lots of us have taken lots and lots of saunas. And we've tended to lots and lots of fires in our sauna stoves. 4,500 saunas (and counting), for me. Crazy. So, we know our sauna stoves. We know how our stoves burn. We know how much wood we are going to need to provide the right amount of heat for our sauna sessions. (including intermittent fasting). Isn't it awesome? … [Read more...]
Is your sauna stove benefitting from intermittent fasting?
We've all been there: "should I toss on another log?" Is there enough fuel in the firebox? Is the sauna hot enough? Those of us who have taken a lot of saunas often stand in front of our saunas and hesitate before throwing in a log, just to throw in a log. We have learned that: Our sauna stoves don't need perpetual stoking. Once the heat chamber is "up to temp," we can damper down our stoves, idling at a spot of efficient burn rate. (gasification). No excess wood: only enough to get the firebox hot and give us enough fuel for our complete sauna session. This is like our bodies: we perform best not too full, and not too hungry. For our sauna stoves, this means burning well and hungry for wood. Before adding a log, we pull the coals forward because our stoves burn efficiently from front to back. So, as we stand next to our sauna stove and ask "should I toss on another log?" We think again. Usually, we can get great heat for that last sauna round just by pulling our coals … [Read more...]
With sauna, the cool down is as important as the heat up
You know that feeling when we mistakenly step into a freezing cold shower? "yowwwwwwwwwww!!!!" and we jump back in terror "Omg, that's so coooolllllld!!!" Well, here's a little secret: we sauna enthusiasts seek out that feeling. We are like crack heads for that adrenaline rush. After experiencing this feeling over and over, we are able to unpack what is actually happening, in a weird, rational kind of way. Conventional sequence from contact with cold water: Skin: "cold water, man! I'll go tell the brain to get our muscles to react, fast!" Brain: "shit, the skin down there just told us that there's fucking cold water hitting the body. Time for conditional response! sending an outpouring of stress hormones right now. Hey muscles: pull back now!" Muscles: "righty, oh. On it!" We pull back. We breathe hard. We are freaked out, but we recover. Experienced sequence from contact with cold water: Skin: "cold water, man! It's just cold water, is this what we … [Read more...]
When bringing beverages to your next sauna party should it be in cans or glass?
Always, ALWAYS bring beverages in can containers to sauna gatherings. Never, NEVER bring beverages in glass containers to sauna gatherings. Same with boats. Same on the dock. It only takes one yahoo to knock over a glass bottle and smash. And glass fragments end up everywhere, including embedded in bare feet. Serious and immediate buzz kill to an awesome sauna party. BONUS: Transfer beverage of choice into a glass made entirely out of ice, and now you've got somethin'! (Especially after jumping through a hole in the ice). … [Read more...]
Is it better to take a sauna on an empty stomach or a full stomach?
The answer to this one is easy: neither. We go to sauna like we go to the gym, or go cross country ski, or pick up hockey, or a bike ride: not hungry nor not full. If we sauna soon after eating: We don't feel good heating up. Our bodies get super confused. As our body temperature rises in the hot room, our heart rate goes up. A higher heart rate is due to the need to pump more blood through our system faster. Same process as with rigorous exercise. Soon after eating, our body needs to devote energy to digestion, not the stress of heat. We don't feel good cooling down. Because our bodies are stressed and confused, our cool downs suck. We may burp or reach for water in an attempt to stabilize ourselves. At this point, we may get mad at ourselves for our bad timing: "ugh, why did I eat so much so close to sauna time?" Our sauna rounds are too short and we feel yucky. If we sauna when we are hungry: We don't feel good heating up. Our bodies are starving for calories. … [Read more...]
Bake and breathe: the best way to keep our saunas germ free and clean
Many authentic sauna enthusiasts know how to keep their saunas germ free and clean. And the method is super easy, requires no cleaning or scrubbing. Authentic sauna enthusiasts practice the "bake and breathe" method (or in Finnish: "leipoa ja hengittää"). What is the bake and breathe method for keeping our saunas germ free and clean? BAKE: When we are done with a sauna session, we make sure we still have some good heat in our sauna stoves. Then we exit our hot room and leave the door closed for the night. Why? A hot sauna will dry out our saunas after a sauna session. Germs can't live in this heat. This is BAKE. BREATHE: Next morning, authentic sauna enthusiasts will return to their saunas and prop open the hot room door until their next sauna session. Why? An open sauna hot room door will air out our saunas between sauna sessions. This is BREATHE. Bake and breathe: the best way to keep our saunas germ free and clean. … [Read more...]
Could 75% birch, 25% oak be about the best firewood mix for your wood stove?
Someone suggest differently, but we are having tremendous success with this mix. Get the fire rocking with well aged birch. Toss in a "yule log" of red oak. Fire hungry for more wood? Pull the coals forward and alternate between birch and red oak. Like the perfect cocktail, blending a wood fired sauna stove with mostly birch and a smattering of red oak promotes a super hot fire in the stove, and gives us a super hot long burn time. 75% birch, 25% oak. We have died and gone to sauna heaven. … [Read more...]
Why Lake Superior is the #1 sauna lake in the Continental US
It's a bold statement because almost ANY lake is a #1 sauna lake. There is nothing like stepping out after a sauna round, when "the idea of a cold lake plunge is about the best idea you've ever heard." But Lake Superior offers the sauna bather an additional edge, especially most of the time from about December to April: open water. It's crazy to think that a guy can jump into ice cold fresh clear open water on April 3, 2018 when at that same moment, EVERY inland lake within 300 miles has many feet of ice on it. Avanto is awesome. Not needing a hole in the ice is that much better. Nature is a crazy and wonderful thing. … [Read more...]
5 tips on how to not forget anything after your next sauna party
Anyone who has their own backyard or cabin sauna knows that guests are prone to leave a myriad of things behind. Sauna owners' lost and found bins are often overflowing. A recent look through the 612 Sauna Society lost and found bin revealed such common forgotten items as: water bottles used towels (eww) left behind Troxers, bathing suits, or underwear (more eww) sunglasses t shirts beer koozie copy of Proust, In Search of Lost Time, 3rd edition After a sauna party, if you find yourself almost back home but suddenly jolted with "damn, i forgot my...," well don't despair. Most sauna guests forget something. It's part of what happens with a good sauna session. Our minds are elsewhere. We are much more right brain focused and relaxed. We would forget our car keys if we weren't driving home. So, here's a simple tip so you won't ever forget anything at a sauna party: Don't bring anything. That's right don't bring anything. That's what I do. … [Read more...]