We warmly welcome back Travis Skinner to Saunatimes. We first learned about his unique sauna building projects with is Snail Shell Sauna, detailed here. Since then, Travis has been involved with multiple projects, and we are happy to revisit Travis' sauna building work with you: Hi Travis, so when and where did you first get attracted to Sauna? I started participating in sweats with my friends Joseph Becker and Tibor Breur. There was a regularly scheduled men's sweat once a month in Olympia, Washington. We would get together and have a ceremony, lead by Tibor at his house. Where are you are living and building saunas now? I spent time building at SunRay Kelley's homestead a few years ago and got connected with a small sauna on his property. Several years later, I have relocated my shop and home (the Leafspring) to his property in Sedro Woolley, Washington. Now we have the option to sauna in SunRay's yurt sauna or the Anglerfish Sauna. I am hoping to … [Read more...]
Custom Mobile Saunas wants you to have your own authentic sauna
When I first met Eric Bongard five or so years ago, he was elbow deep in building ice houses. What struck me about Eric is the quality of his craftsmanship as well as his entire command of the building process, from the chassis on up. Fast forward to a few months ago, and Eric and I began collaborating on his business shift to building quality mobile saunas. Working hard to make great mobile saunas Eric and I have had countless exchanges back and forth, discussing the many nuances of sauna building and design. We have had countless phone conversations, where we have hatched out such things as hot room size, stove location, sauna bench layout, proper drainage, lighting, window and door placements. Eric wants to make excellent AUTHENTIC saunas. He and I would go back and forth, riffing on the nuances, down to the inch, like a couple of crazy compulsive craft brewers perfecting their pale ale. The inaugural sauna We met the other day at an area lake in the Twin Cities for our … [Read more...]
Who will be the first band to trailer a mobile sauna on tour for optimal post concert R&R?
It's not far fetched. Bands on tour finish their encore sweaty and spent. The loud crowd, lights, action make for overstimulation and craziness in the head. Artists find their own way to "chill out" after a performance and we can think of no better way than a sauna session. How cool would it be to exit the green room after a gig, walk a few steps outside and into an awaiting AUTHENTIC sauna idling at 180f? And on off nights, the sauna can be deployed in a strategically located garden on the road, perhaps all misty wet with rain. A traveling sauna on tour isn't just a good idea. A sauna with a band on tour will expand the horizon of wellness, bursting through the monotony and stale hotel room air. If I were a band on tour I would (in order): Sleep on the tour bus. Wake up in new town and hit a sauna round or two. Do the radio in studio performance or other PR. Sound check. Bike around town. Preform the Concert. Enjoy 3 Sauna rounds Repeat. And … [Read more...]
Shipping container pop up sauna brings a community spirit to Wellington, New Zealand.
From the mailbag, Enter Sam: I was just listening to your most recent podcast, good stuff! Your call for listings of saunas all over the world reminded me to email again, feel free to throw our sauna up. We are in Wellington, New Zealand (although I'm originally from Idaho). From a building perspective, biggest challenges: Framing inside the container due non-flat walls. Corrugations, reinforcements, etc. Sufficient ventilation and draining. The big metal box doesn't breath well, and as it sits next to the ocean people swim a lot, bringing lots of moisture in with them on top of sweat and water for the stove. Every time we ship the container things shift a little, door closes differently, etc. A few other things unrelated to the fact that it is a container. Cedar we paneled with shrunk more than expected, causing a few gaps. We did a feature wall with cedar shingles that caused a few headaches. Mostly all good and your book was super helpful! The Positive … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Six 612 Sauna Society Steering Committee members Sauna Talk from the heart
In this episode of Sauna Talk, we get to hear why six of the 612 Sauna Society Steering Committee members believe in the sauna experience so deeply. In Minneapolis, MN, there is a 2,000 member strong sauna community, called the 612 Sauna Society. For the past couple years, folks have signed up and gathered for sauna sessions in a mobile sauna. The mobile sauna was hauled around to "residencies." While the sauna was parked in public places like brew pub parking lots, frozen urban lakeside shorelines, and along the sidewalk of a downtown city street, our king Sauna Meister JP would organize time slots for 612 Sauna Society participants to partake in their own sauna experiences. Often this involved taking a sauna with folks they didn't know. People were very receptive to this concept, especially during the frosty cold months December through March. Now, something more magical and substantial is underway. The 612 Sauna Society Cooperative. The 612 Sauna Society is … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Justin Evidon. If you could bring a kick ass mobile sauna anywhere, where would you choose?
Maob, Utah. The mobile sauna has received official dispensation, and has been trailered up to the summit shelf. The Canyonlands National Park District Director is sitting on the sauna bench to our left. His hat and uniform hang on a hook in the changing room, where a candle glows softly on the window sill. The candlelight sheds enough glow for us to see a big smile on his face. "I'm so glad you guys convinced me to do this!." You are sitting with us for a pre sunrise sauna and the director is telling us stories about the majestic park. We hit a generous splash of water on the sauna rocks. We take it all in. Then we exit the hot room to this: The air is crisp, below freezing, but your body is radiantly warm. The endorphin rush buzzes, akin to the feeling after your favorite exercise. You've heard stories and have untangled some wires in your head on the sauna bench and now it's time to let nature do it's magic. This is Sauna Talk with Justin … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Four Sauna enthusiasts are “drawn to the steam” for National Sauna Day in Northern Minnesota
It was a perfectly rainy early June afternoon for this Sauna Talk session at my cabin. We road tripped together to experience National Sauna Day in Embarrass, MN. What better way to get right into nature, and all get on the same page than with a massively awesome sauna session complete with cold plunges into the cool lake? We start on the bench with Garrett Conover. 1,200 miles from Maine to Northern Minnesota. Cotton grass and tamarack sets my heart aflutter. Sauna and nature. Joined by John Pederson and Lee Sarkela. Us 4 characters as long tail sauna enthusiasts. Tracing the steps back to Pine Island as the island or origin for us being together. 612 Sauna Society parables behind the scenes. Gas fire going out, trailer jack breaking. 2,100 visits to Little Box Sauna, 612 sauna society 2015/2016 this winter. 600 return visitors. A lake plunge, then Round 2: Sauna a Tick Removal Strategy after a hike. The universal feel of water being … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk with Scott Raisanen, Commercial Sales Manager Tylo/Helo
It was a cold Minnesota winter's evening when we gathered in my backyard sauna. We get started talking about the cold, sort out our beers for the night, talk about making nICE mugs, and Minnesota Wild apparel. I hope you stay with us, as we settle into our sauna session. Though Scott grew up surrounded by sauna in Minnesota, he landed in Finland on his 20th birthday for a year abroad. There, Scott got seasoned with sauna in the 'ole country tradition, solidifying a profession in the sauna business. Today, as commercial Sales Manager Tylo/Helo, Cokato MN. Scott has seen his fair share of sauna: "If you don't have a good sauna heater, you don't have a good sauna." "I've walked away from sales because it wasn't done correctly." A kick ass sauna: It's way less than the price of a car. What's the big deal? Rule of thumb: At the lake, never lock your sauna building. It's good karma to have a sauna ready in case someone runs into problems on the lake. Snowmobile breakdown, … [Read more...]
JP and the 612 Sauna Society: mobilizing the Minneapolis and St. Paul sauna culture one lake plunge at a time
They say there are two types of people in the world, those that say there are two types of people in the world and those that don't. As it relates to mobilizing sauna culture in North America, there are also two types of people in the world, those that don't give a shit and those that get off the couch and make things happen. And a recent census study reports the former at 99% and the ladder less than 1%. But someone built the first craft brewery in America. Someone started the first yoga studio in America. And someone created the first drinking glass made out of ice between sauna rounds. JP ships. JP gives a shit. JP doesn't have dollars in his eyes, but a deep integrity towards advancing and sharing the health and wellness benefits of sauna: the physical benefits, as well as the societal benefits. The physical benefits to sauna have been detailed in multiple places, including here. Societally speaking, in JP's interview with Max Musicant, founder Musicant … [Read more...]
Heading to a sauna party? Follow these 7 tips and you won’t be left out in the cold
With sauna becoming more popular, more and more folks are being invited over to backyard saunas and mobile sauna gatherings all over town. Just yesterday, a couple millennials were spotted at a Minneapolis intersection, hunched over their Uber apps, used towels draped over their shoulders, radiating the unmistakable post sauna glow and bright smiles. What a warm sight! Yes, the sauna cat is finally out of the bag, and before you start packing a travel bag to attend your next sauna party, consider streamlining with: Nix the water bottle. Drink 32 oz of water before you go out the door. Getting in front of hydration is critical for a good sauna session. Drinking a shit load of water before you go to a sauna party ensures that you'll have enough water in your system. Critical for avoiding dehydration, drinking 32 oz of water before sauna will jump start your sweat and toxin release on the bench. As bonus, you don't have to worry about forgetting your water bottle when it's … [Read more...]