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...]
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...]
Ben builds an awesome backyard sauna and his only regret may surprise you
Guest post series continues. We first heard from Ben here, who shared the now famous "Ben Square sleeper method" concept for sloping a sauna hot room floor. Well, good news: Ben has completed his sauna, and we are excited to share his story with you. Enter Ben: What compelled you to build your own sauna? We have had a sauna at our deer camp north of Orr, MN since 1983. It is a rare night that we don't sauna when we are there. I have always wanted one at home, and this summer we didn't have any large projects to do on our house, so I decided that this was the year to build it. How did you find saunatimes? Give us a few examples where the DIY ebook helped you out. I started planning the sauna last fall. I bought several books and read them cover to cover, but none of them told me HOW to build a sauna, just what some of them looked like. What I needed were details such as how much insulation, how to slope the floor, how to make a vapor barrier, etc. I started looking for … [Read more...]
Should I get a wood fired sauna stove or an electric sauna stove?
From the Mailbag: Hi Glenn, I ordered your e-book a couple of years ago and am finally (hopefully) getting started on my sauna build. I am converting a stand alone shed that is on the edge of our yard. My question is on the use of an electric versus a wood sauna. Without a double I love the thought of a traditional wood fired sauna. My fear is that the time to build and tend the fire to get it up to temperature will be a deterrent from daily use. I like to paddle on Puget Sound early in the morning and end my paddle with a swim in the cold sea water. I can't think of a better way to end this ritual than with a sauna. My thought is that with an electric sauna, I could simply turn it on and have it be warm when I get back. With a wood fired I would have to spend some time tending the fire before I leave. The same would be true when I get home from work before bed. With a wood fire, once I lay the fire and light it do I need to come back and damp everything down or can I light it … [Read more...]
What I Learned from Building an Outdoor Sauna with a Wood Burning Stove
Guest Post Series continues. Part II with Russ, who first shared his corbel system to support sauna benches here. And given his building skill and meticulous attention to detail, we thought it a good idea to bring Russ back to share: What I Learned from Building an Outdoor Sauna with a Wood Burning Stove Plan the whole space, not just the sauna footprint. You’ll need a deck, patio or other lounging area to rest between rounds in the hot room. You may also want to install an outdoor shower of some sort – and that should be easily winterized if you live in a cold climate. Plan the interior of your sauna carefully, so that windows from the hot room see the outdoors directly, or indirectly through a window in the door to the hot room, which is aligned with a window on the world. Also consider cross ventilation in the changing room, including retractable screen doors that work well in confined spaces. Carefully consider whether you want to build an outdoor structure out of … [Read more...]
A wood burning sauna without the buttons or dials: a psychosomatic analysis.
We wood burning sauna enthusiasts have to be careful. We can start waving our flag high and mighty about the virtues of a wood stove (vs, electric and especially *gasp* anything to do with an infrared light bulb). But we get it. We understand that heat isn't heat. Yes, those hell bent on an electric stove can try to tell us that all that matters is a sauna stove's ability to heat rocks. But we know there is more to it than just heating rocks. We may be psychosomatic. We may just be hell bent on the awesomeness of chopping wood and carrying water as part of sauna therapy because we are crazy. That feeling we get, in nature, of producing our own fuel in terms of harvested wood from our land may just be a misfiring in our brains somewhere. A caveman gene resurfaced because of a bad Leave it to Beaver episode from our youth. So, we overcompensate with a plaid shirt and an axe. Maybe. We may have a higher than average pyrotechnic tendency. Perhaps we were denied matches in … [Read more...]
A video tour of a kick ass wood burning sauna along the shores of Lake Superior
Whether sitting in your cube at work, or maybe sitting in seat 13c on flight 324 to O'hare, this 2 minute video may help one chill out in anticipation of their next authentic sauna session. … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Dan Baruch, a holistic health professional, shares how sauna is a key wellness priority
Dan Baruch has spent most his life researching and developing methods for health, vitality and performance. After working with people in-person for over 10 years in nutrition, training, bodywork and other disciplines, he began work on a holistic program for absolute beginners to advanced athletics. This work now exists through www.baruchealth.com an Online Education platform. BARUCHealth is a growing organization changing the way people think about health. BARUCHealth provides health based education in Nutrition, Movement, Self-Therapy and Meditation. The programs create a positive total health experience. BARUCHealth's mission is to inspire and enable people to practice the most effective and natural ways of achieving greater health, vitality and performance. BARUCHealth thrives on helping people successfully become superior versions of themselves and transforming students into teachers and one day activists. Dan was born and raised in Plymouth, Minnesota and … [Read more...]
Gary’s authentic sauna build in Wisconsin is warmly received by family and friends
Guest post series continues. Enter Gary from Wisconsin: Sauna season is definitely upon us. The sauna build has been a great adventure from the planning stages beginning last Spring though the construction phase with lots of tips and tricks from Saunatimes. Many times while hammering nails this summer the temperatures were in the mid 90's with humidities to match. It certainly felt like being in a sauna while building one. The irony was not lost on my wife who thinks I am crazy enough already to think sweating on a wood bench in a dark hot room is something to relish in. Being out in the extreme heat and sun to build the dark hot room in her eyes makes me almost certifiable. I suppose the sauna experience is hard for those who dislike the opposite of cold to appreciate. Equally hard to appreciate, unless you actually visit, is the Lamppa Manufacturing Stove Works in the little town of Tower, Minnesota. The factory is located about 1 1/2 hours north of Duluth. The Kuuma … [Read more...]
Sauna Talk: Jeff Hill “gets his name in the game” in Northern Minnesota
The 218 Sauna Talk Podcast Series continues: Jeff Hill has lived a few lives: A realtor and property developer for 30 years, mailman for 20 years, 20 years with the Tower Fire Department, and his latest venture is undertaking a Tiny House Village, USA concept for the Northland. Jeff is well familiar with sauna culture. Never lock your sauna, experience jumping through a hole in the ice, and try his low blood pressure cocktail for tossing onto sauna rocks. I picked up Jeff at the mainland public access, and took him by boat to our island cabin in Northern Minnesota. Jeff came prepared and spent the night at our "insta-cabin". A good sauna session is about relaxing and having fun. Jeff knows how to do both. Often outspoken, always with a big heart, please welcome Jeff Hill to Sauna Talk. Listen to Sauna Talk: Better yet, subscribe to Sauna Talk: click here for Itunes. click here for Google play. … [Read more...]