{"created_at":1728651939,"content":"<img src=\"https:\/\/banya.lol\/nvk-banya.jpg\">\n<h1>An opinionated guide to Sauna.<\/h1>\n<small>\nBy NVK <a href=\"https:\/\/primal.net\/nvk\">đ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nvk\">đŠ<\/a>\n<\/small>\n<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n <br> <small>Updated from the Sauna, October 7th 2024<\/small>\n<p>\nAfter years of experimenting with different sauna types, Iâve developed strong\nopinions on the subject. The purpose of this article is to share these opinions\nwith anyone who is interested in them and, hopefully, help others get more out\nof their sauna experience.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIâm certain my opinions will offend some, including all the people who (in my\nview) are doing it wrong. I know that saunas are important to many cultures\naround the world and that my strongly held opinions may offend some of those\ncultures.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMind you, although I grew up in South America, I do have a fair amount of slavic\nblood in me. When I was a child, my grandfather regularly took me with him to\nthe shvitz. One of my fondest memories from this time was the âScottish Bathâ,\nwhich involves standing against the sauna wall, execution-style, so that someone\ncan spray you with freezing water from a high pressure hose. Iâve never heard\nof this outside of South American and canât attest to whether it has any real\nScottish origins.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe various health claims about using a sauna are beyond the scope of this\narticle. All I have to say is that, like many things in my life, like Bitcoin,\nthe meat\/keto diet, and fasting, I find sauna to be yet another cheat code to\nlife: itâs a simple thing that just makes life a lot better. If you want a good\nprimer on scientific health benefits of sauna, I recommend starting with <a\nhref=\"https:\/\/www.foundmyfitness.com\/topics\/sauna\">this article by Rhonda\nPatric<\/a>. She goes in depth.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nTo be clear, it should go without saying that I am not a medical expert or\nprofessional. None of the opinions below are, or should be interpreted as,\nmedical advice. There are many people for whom sauna use is not recommended. It\nwould be prudent for any sauna user to consult with his or her doctor before\nentering a sauna.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<i>Thanks to S. for taking the time to do a very helpful first review of this\narticle. And thanks to The Wife for helping make my words legible and helping me\nmake time to saunaâI donât know which sacrifice was bigger.<\/i>\n<\/p>\n<h2>Banya or Nothing<\/h2>\n<p>\nWhen I talk about saunas, Iâm talking about a sauna with a stove, either wood or\nelectric, that allows for steam. I call this âBanya styleâ. To be clear, Iâm\ndistinguishing between saunas and steam baths. Steam baths have their own place,\nbut they arenât my thing and I donât consider them saunas.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nA breakdown of the main types of saunas may be helpful, so you know which to\navoid:\n<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Wet saunas, which are typically cedar rooms with wood burning or electric\nstoves onto which you throw liquid to create steam (I call this âBanya styleâ);\n<li>Dry saunas, which are typically cedar rooms with wood burning or electric\nstoves without added steam (like Korean style saunas); and\n<li>Infrared saunas, which, unlike traditional saunas, donât heat the\nsurrounding air. Instead, they use infrared panels to warm your body directly.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\nIn my opinion, itâs Banya style or nothing. Iâm not a huge fan of dry saunas,\nand I donât even bother with infrared saunas. Infrared is a fiat-shitcoin. I\nwant steam!\n<\/p>\n<h2>How to Sauna<\/h2>\n<h3>Sauna Etiquette<\/h3>\n<p>\nIf you read no other part of this already-too-long-article, read this.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSaunas are social places. There are proper ways of being in a sauna with others,\nand there are ways to do it wrong. You donât want to be the person who ruins it\nfor everyone. Here are some important etiquette tips:\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Silence vs. Chatting:<\/strong> Itâs not a question of whether you have\nto stay silent in a sauna or if itâs ok to talk. It depends on the circumstances\nand who else is around. If youâre using a sauna that isnât your own, ask the\nstaff about the preferred custom. The noise level in a sauna differs depending\non the group in the sauna at a particular time. If you do want to chat with\nothers, thereâs nothing wrong with that. But, pay attention to whether there are\nothers in the sauna who'd prefer it quiet. And definitely do NOT be obnoxiously\nloud â yes, Iâm looking at you bachelor(ette) group who just discovered the\nRussian Banya.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Coming and Going:<\/strong> People rotate in and out of the sauna at\ndifferent paces, so there will be people coming and going during your shvitz.\nBut there are ways to come and go that are considerate and proper.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nKeep the f-ing door closed (which was the working title of this article). Once\nyou leave, donât come back inside moments later. Doing so disturbs your fellow\nsauna users, lets out the all-important steam, and prevents the sauna from\nreaching an appropriate temperature.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf youâre in the sauna with a group of friends, try to coordinate your comings\nand goings so youâre all on the same cycle.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf you can only last 5 min at a sauna, donât go in too often at the risk of\nruining it for others (assuming itâs not your own private sauna).\n<\/p>\n<p>\nBe fast when closing the sauna door when you come or leave. Otherwise, you will\nget dirty looks from others and may even hear mumbles of âquick quick, fast\nfastâ from a Gray Beard. And you will deserve it.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nNever open the door right after someone puts water on the stove to make steam.\nItâs all about the steam. Donât waste it.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Controlling the heat: <\/strong> if you canât handle the heat in the\nsauna, donât just turn the heat down, because it ruins it for others. Instead,\ngo to a lower bench or get out and take your break. Saunas are meant to be hot.\nThatâs the whole point.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Personal Hygiene: <\/strong>Shower before you go into the sauna. Donât\nwear perfume, smelly deodorant, or fragrant lotions. Smells get amplified in a\nsauna. Have a towel under you, don't leave your drippings behind. Best yet, make a Z with your towel, this covers your butt and down under your feet.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Clothing: <\/strong>sauna is not a place for wearing clothing. It is a place to get back to nature. If you are shy, just wrap a towel around yourself. People ask if I don't feel awkward, the answer is no. Who cares, humans naked is not novel. In many countries, it is strictly forbidden to wear clothing or bring anything but a towel into the sauna. It's understandable that may not be possible in North American public saunas on mix gender \"family\" days. If you have to wear something, then wear something 100% cotton or marino wool. You don't want plastic being backed into your genitals. One more thing, leave the watch out as it gets hot and will burn you. Also, flip-flops\/sandals, stay outside. \n<\/p><p>\nSome saunas sell body scrubs and masks for you to apply before or in the sauna.\nNote that once in the heat, these can get goopy and drippy and may melt into\nyour eyes and mouth. So (in this opinionated guidesâ wifeâs opinion), they are\nbetter in theory than reality.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Adding Oils and scents: <\/strong>As discussed below, it can be nice to\nadd certain oils and other scents to the steam. But if there are others in the\nsauna, ask first before you do.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Where and how to sit:<\/strong> Hot air rises. So, the higher benches are\nhotter and the lower benches are cooler. If you are a newbie, pick a lower bench\nso you donât have to leave as quickly and open the door unnecessarily.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nItâs great to lay down in the sauna, but if it gets crowded, sit up to make room\nfor others.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWhen moving around to find your seat, donât walk on the benches in your sandals.\nLeave your sandals outside the sauna or on the sauna floor.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Sauna Temperature<\/h3>\n<p>\nIn most proper Russian style Banyas you will find temperatures of 80-95 degrees\ncelsius, which, in my opinion, is the best range. Thats near your body. \"Offical\" on the dial will he 100-120C. But sometimes you want to take\nit a little easier or last a little longer in the sauna. In these cases, 65-85 at body, dial at 80-100.\ndegrees celsius will do.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nHowever, if your sauna is below 85 degrees celsius on the dial, you might as well just go\nhide under your bed sheets and not waste your time.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAt some saunas in hotels, gyms, or spas, you may not be allowed to set the sauna\nas high as youâd like (see below). There are many tricks to circumvent these\nfrustrating restrictions, but my legal counsel has advised me not to go into any\ndetails here.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Sauna Duration <\/h3>\n<p>\nThe amount of time you spend in the sauna is a matter of personal preference and\ndepends on the number of cycles you do (more on cycles, below).\n<\/p>\n<p>\nFor your first round, my opinion is that most people should try to last 15\nminutes in the sauna. If a sauna is at the proper temperature, most people will\nstruggle to stay inside any longer. If you can stay inside for 20-30 minutes,\nyour sauna is probably too cold and\/or there is not enough steam. Many saunas\nhave hourglasses inside to keep time, and Iâve never seen a sauna hourglass with\nmore than 15 minutes, which should be a good hint.\n<\/p>\n<p> My preferred is; \n <br><br>Cold Plunge => Sauna 15 min => Cold Plunge => Hydrate with Salt & Water, Rest 5-10min => Sauna 15min => Cold Plunge => Hydrate with Salt & Water, Rest 5-10min => Sauna 15min => Cold Plunge => Hydrate with Salt & Water, Rest\n <br><br>if you can rest in the sun even better (no sunscreen poison please). You can add alcohol drinks to the hydration if you feel comfortable with that. But only add food after the last cycle.\n<p>\nFor subsequent rounds, hydration starts to play a bigger role in how long you\nstay inside. Most people seem to last longer on their first round than on their\nsecond or third. If you can do 15 minutes on your second round, great. But 5-10\nminutes is also fine.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Sauna Cycles <\/h3>\n<p>\nThe traditional Russian Banya method (and in this writerâs opinion, the best\nmethod) is to do sauna cycles. Go into the sauna and just stay as long as you\ncan take it (up to 15 minutes or so). Then take a cold shower and\/or cold plunge\n(see below). Then robe-up and go relax with water, tea or beer. Once you start\nfeeling ânormalâ again, repeat. For me, three cycles is the sweet spot. Iâll do\nmore cycles if Iâm spending the day at the Banya facility. If Iâm at home, where\nI often sauna every other day, I find just one or two cycles does the trick.\nSometimes I add a cycle or two on the weekend.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nOccasionally, I like to go into the sauna as itâs warming up and before it\nreaches optimum heat (i.e. at around 60 degree celsius). This way, I can stay\nlonger in the sauna for my first round (about 30-40 minutes). If I take this\napproach, I generally only do one more short round after my cold plunge.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Cold showers and plunges<\/h3>\n<p>\nIn my experience, you want to take a cold shower or a cold plunge (or both, plunge is better)\nafter the sauna cycle.After you come out of the sauna,\nimmediately jump into cold plunge for a bit, i don't like to stay too long. Some Banya facilities\nwill have a bucket filled with cold water that you can pull with a string to let\nthe water pour over you, pull a couple times. The banyas may also have a cold pool of water into\nwhich you can plunge for a bit.\n<\/p>\n<img src=\"https:\/\/banya.lol\/nvk-coldwater.jpg\">\n<p>\nIf Iâm at my country place, after I get out of the sauna I jump into the cold\nlake. If itâs winter, I like to roll in the snow, which is satisfying. Some\ncultures would say that itâs not a real sauna experience unless you roll in at\nleast one foot of snow.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAfter your cold shower or plunge, put on a warm robe and go relax before going\nback into the sauna. I like to relax for 5-20 minutes, depending on how much\ntime I have. This allows the bodyâs temperature to decrease slowly. I do not\nrecommend going directly back into the sauna after your cold plunge. If you\ndonât give yourself enough time after the cold plunge, you will overheat and\nwonât last very long when you return to the sauna.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Position <\/h3>\n<p>\nThere really are no rules here. The way you position yourself in the sauna\ndepends on your mood and preference, and there are many options. For example,\nyou can sauna seated with your legs hanging down or with your knees up. You can\nlie down if thereâs room. My favorite position is to lie down on my back with my\nlegs up against the wall and, assuming the ceiling is low enough, with my feet\nstretched against the ceiling. This is a great way to stretch the hamstrings\n(check out stretching under âSauna Activitiesâ, below).\n<\/p>\n<p>\nChoosing whether to sit on a higher bencher or lower bench is the best way to\ncontrol the temperature you experience without adjusting the room temperature\nitself. You will notice the heat in the sauna increases exponentially every inch\nyou go up. If you are struggling to stay in the sauna but donât want to get out\njust yet, try moving down to a lower bench to last a little longer. Lying on the\nfloor is the coolest spot and a great place for kids to start getting exposed to\nsaunas.\n<\/p>\n\n<hr>\n<h4>There is no shame in going to lower benches or even the floor, there is only shame in opening the door before 15min<\/h4>\n<hr>\n<h3>Getting Steamy<\/h3>\n<p>\nWithout steam, the sauna would just be a sad, hot oven (Iâm looking at you,\ninfrared sauna).\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe steam in the sauna has many benefits but most importantly it increases the\nthermal coupling of your body to the air and it feels great.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe amount of steam in the sauna is a matter of personal taste. You donât want\nto make it into a steam room (remember, steam rooms are NOT saunas). But, you do\nwant the sauna to be very moist. I find that two to four ladles of water in a\nmid-size sauna every five to seven minutes does the trick. Keep it between\n50-60% humidity.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI keep a bucket of water in the sauna at all times so that I can continue to\nladle water as I shvitz. Make sure to get a wood bucket and a metal ladle with a\nwooden handle. Wood ladles will crack, and if the handle is metal, itâll burn\nyou when you grab it.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf, when you enter the sauna, itâs already been on for a while, the wood is\nlikely to already be wet and the sauna full of steam, so you may not need to add\ntoo much water. However, if youâve just turned on the sauna and the wood walls\nare dry, you will need to ladle more water to make the air moist enough. If the\nsauna is too moist for comfort, open the door and let it dry out a bit\n(obviously, only do this in a private sauna).\n<\/p>\n<p>\nEssential oils and even beer can all be added to the water to create scented\nsteam. I recommend starting your sauna with just water, and add the scent as you\nget going.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nYou can try all sorts of different essential oils. Iâve tried everything from\noak and cedar to tangerine and cinnamon (gag) essential oil. In the end, there\nare really only two oils that are worth it, in my opinion. The first is\neucalyptus. Iâve experimented with different types of eucalyptus oil, and the\nvariety you use makes a difference. My favorite is eucalyptus globulus. I also\nlike diluted pine tar oil.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWhen you settle on your essential oil, add a healthy dose of the oil to the\nladle filled with water. Never put the oil onto the oven directly. Itâll just\nburn.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIn a few Russian facilities, Iâve seen Gray Beards pour Russian beer onto the\noven and it was actually quite nice. Itâs almost like being in a cozy bakery\nwhile you sweat\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSome people like to place a salt brick or compressed solid blocks in their sauna\nfrom time to time. Put the salt block on the stove and pour water over it. The\nsteam takes on a saltiness that feels nice. If a salt block is not available,\nyou can get a cast iron teapot, fill it up with salt water, and place it on top\nof the stove.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAnd for my most important steam tip, I recommend using the âtowel spinâ. This is\nan effective and underrated technique to help circulate steam in the sauna.\nAfter creating steam, take your towel above your head and spin it around hard,\nlike a ceiling fan. This movement works like a convection oven and spreads and\nequalizes the heat and steam throughout the room. It might make the folks\nsitting lower down in the sauna a little hotter, but that's what theyâre there\nfor, isnât it?\n<\/p>\n<h3>Hydration<\/h3>\n<p>\nBeing hydrated is important to having a positive sauna experience. You will lose\na lot of your bodyâs water in the sauna. Ideally, start to hydrate well up to an\nhour before your sauna. I like to add a pinch of salt to my water to encourage\nwater retention.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nDo not bring any drinks into the sauna (the exception being a dedicated\nsteam-beer, see above). Have your water or beverage when youâre outside the\nsauna, resting. If you find you need to drink water inside the sauna in order\nto cool yourself down, then itâs time for you to get out and allow your body a\ncool-down.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWhen youâre outside the sauna, donât immediately down a glass of super cold\nwater because you will cool down your internal body too fast. Personally, I like\nto drink warm tea after my first two cycles. After my second cycle, I enjoy a\nbeer (pre-keto days), soup, or vodka drink. When non-keto, I do enjoy adult drinks in the cycles.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf you are doing a sauna while on a multi-day fast, you need to have water and\nsalt, at a minimum. Otherwise, you will deplete your natural reserve of\nelectrolytes and not be able to think straight.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Sauna Frequency <\/h3>\n<p>\nWhen it comes to frequency, if you are not in the equatorial heat do it every day. I now do mornings and end of day if I can. so 2x 2-3x cycles. \nIn the summer, living in a hot & humid location, I sauna a lot less frequently. My desire to sauna is greatly diminished because I spend a lot of\ntime in the sun and heat.\n<\/p>\n<h3>What to wear<\/h3>\n<p>\n<strong>Sauna Hat: <\/strong>I highly recommend wearing a Russian\/Finish style\nwool hat when youâre inside the sauna. It may seem counterintuitive, but wearing\na hat keeps your head cooler. An overheated head is not good for your brain.\nWearing the hat stops you from overheating and lets you stay longer in the\nsauna. The temperature in a sauna is significantly hotter the higher in the room\nyou are, and oneâs head is at the top of the body (for most people). So protect\nyour brain in style with a felt sauna hat. If you donât have a felt sauna hat,\nbuy one. They are easily found online. But in the meantime, you can wrap a dry\ntowel around your head. Donât forget to take your sauna hat off as you relax\nbetween cycles so your head can cool down.\n<\/p>\n<img src=\"https:\/\/banya.lol\/nvk-hat.jpg\">\n<p>\n<strong>Clothing: <\/strong>These days, many public saunas will have family days,\nmen-only days, and women-only days. For obvious reasons, youâre only allowed to\nsauna naked if youâre attending one of the single-sex days.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf youâre at home, thereâs no good reason to wear shorts or a bathing suit.\nSauna naked. It's a lot more pleasant.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nIf you do wear clothing in the sauna, be careful with items with materials like\nmetal or plastic attached. Things like pins, buttons, or string-ends will get\nvery hot and probably burn you. Remember to take off any heat-conductive jewelry\nand leave your smart watch outside, as the heat will ruin its battery.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nDonât wear your robe inside the sauna. A robe is what you wear outside when\nrelaxing or eating. If you wear it inside, youâll overheat (and look like an\nidiot). Go ahead and sweat out that body shame robe-free. You can bring a towel\ninto the sauna to sit on, if you want.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nShoes or sandals are highly recommended in public facilities. I mean, there are\nmany people walking around wet. Ew. But keep your sandals outside the sauna\nitself, or on the sauna floor.\n<\/p>\n<h3>Sauna activities. <\/h3>\n<p>\nDonât overthink it. Sitting in a sauna is activity enough, in my opinion. But\nthere are some sauna activities you can do:\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Veniks\/Viht beating: <\/strong>these are bundles of leaves (commonly\nbirch, oak, or eucalyptus) that are pre-soaked in hot water. Someone with both\nstrength and capacity to exert themselves in the heat will beat your whole body\nwith the leaves. This exfoliates your skin and also gets the plant oils to\npermeate your skin. And itâs very relaxing. If youâre at a sauna facility,\ndonât just grab any bundle you see lying around - that belongs to someone else\nand veniks arenât shared. You have to bring your own or buy them at the front\ndesk.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Stretching:<\/strong> this is a great activity to do in the sauna, but\nmake sure to go very easy. Your muscles will be super warm and you donât want to\noverdo it and hurt yourself.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Exercise or Sex:<\/strong> your heart better be in good shape if you try\nout these high intensity activities in the sauna. If you engage in the latter,\nyou better be in your own home sauna. With respect to the former, I think doing\nsome leg-ups can be very satisfying.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Phone use:<\/strong> If youâre at home, itâs nice to use your sauna time\nto shit-post on Twitter or read an article, if you feel like it. Just keep your\nphone close to the colder, lower parts near the floor or itâll overheat and shut\ndown. You can also place the phone outside of the air vent and play a <a HREF=\"https:\/\/bitcoin.review\">podcast! The Bitcoin.review is great ;)<\/a>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Napping:<\/strong> I donât recommend this. If you fall asleep or pass\nout, you will probably die due to overheating or dehydration.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Chatting:<\/strong> Saunas are great places for conversations (subject to\nthe caveats I address above). Note that nowadays, microphone modules are both\nvery tiny and can withstand high temperatures, so itâs no longer recommended to\nreenact mafia movie sauna scenes.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Eating and Drinking: <\/strong>As discussed above, never have food or\ndrink inside the sauna. But when you finish your sauna, take advantage of\nwhatever snacks the facility offers. For Russian joints, the soups, fish roe and dry salty\nfish snacks are great. Again, donât eat before your sauna; wait until youâre\ndone. Some places will have bottled salty-ish lake water, and beer seems to be a\ngood source of salts and re-hydration. Vodka drinks are nice sometimes, too. My\nfavorites are vodka with beet juice and horseradish, vodka with pickle juice, or\njust a chilled shot of Zubrowka (vodka infused with bison grass). Teas are also\nvery enjoyable post-sauna. I prefer non-caffeinated berry teas. Some Banyas even\noffer free tea to patrons.\n<\/p>\n<img src=\"https:\/\/banya.lol\/nvk-food.jpg\">\n<h2>Ready to Sweat It Out?<\/h2>\n<p>\nThanks to this fantastic guide to sauna, youâre now feeling confident and\nexcited to seek out a solid sauna. So where do you go?\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<h2>Where to Find a Sauna<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Spas: <\/strong>Spas are not the best place to have an optimal sauna\nexperience. Saunas at spas are typically not hot enough and spas have annoying\nstaff whose job it is to enforce idiotic rules and practices that prevent you\nfrom having a real sauna experience.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Gyms & Hotels: <\/strong>These are some of the worst places to sauna. For\nliability reasons, these saunas tend to be too cold and there are often\nmechanisms that prevent you from raising the temperature. Here, youâll often see\nsaunas with glass doors, which may look chic, but are inefficient and stupid\nbecause they donât seal properly and leak steam. Gyms and hotels are high\ntraffic areas, so people who donât know what they are doing are constantly\ncoming and going from the sauna, which, as we discussed, is a sauna no-no. If\nyou still want to try the sauna at your gym or hotel, I recommend going in\nnaked. Itâll deter people from joining you and ruining the little steam you\nmanaged to get going.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Traditional bath houses (Banyas):<\/strong> These usually offer a great\nexperience because they deliver a super hot sauna, good cold baths and plunges,\ndelicious food and drinks, and knowledgeable staff.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Home: <\/strong>Yes, you can build a great sauna in your own home! You\ncan create a small space in your basement, turn a closet or cold room into a\nsauna, or just add an outdoor hut or barrel sauna in your backyard. This is the\nbest way for you to control the whole experience and do it often. As with\nanything, the easier it is to access, the more you will do it.\n<\/p>\n<p>\n<i>Build it. They will Come<\/i>\n<\/p>\n<p>\nMany people have asked me for details about sauna building. If youâre ready to build your own personal home sauna, here are some important\nconsiderations.\n<\/p>\n<h4>Materials<\/h4>\n<p>\nSaunas are insulated rooms, most commonly finished with cedar tung and groove\nslats. Cedar is used because it doesnât rot with moisture. You donât want\ntreated wood as it will release all the bad stuff that keeps the wood from\nrotting into the air when heated. Cedar interior is often placed over a vapor\nbarrier, followed by insulation and then the outer wall. Many outdoor saunas are\nnot insulated. They simply have a single layer of cedar 2x6 planks functioning\nas both the interior and exterior. Non-insulated saunas need much more heating\npower in the winter.\n<\/p>\n<h4>Structure<\/h4>\n<p>\nFor indoor saunas, you may want to find a bricklayer to build something for you.\nTraditional facilities often have brick-lined rooms and very large wood-burning\nstoves.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nYou can buy prefab outdoor saunas, which are often sheds or barrels. After\nexperimenting with both, Iâve concluded that barrel saunas are inferior, even\nthough thatâs what I have at my country property. This is because barrels have\nconcave ceilings and inner walls. This means the benches are lower and the curve\nmakes the topmost part of the ceiling (and the hottest part) the furthest from\nyou, or inaccessible. The spinning towel trick really helps in the barrel.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWhen it comes to buying a sauna, go with the most traditional structure\npossible. They are based on thousands of years of evolution and knowledge.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nPortable tent saunas are fun, but impractical because you have to set them up\nbefore each use.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nBench height inside the sauna is important. I think the top-most bench should be\nvery near the ceiling. This way, when youâre lying down, you can use the ceiling\nto stretch the hamstrings. As a rule of thumb, bench length should allow you to\nlie down completely. It is also nice to have at least one lower bench for\nvisitors or less intense sauna days.\n<\/p>\n<img src=\"https:\/\/banya.lol\/nvk-feetup.jpg\">\n<h4>Sauna Ovens<\/h4>\n<p>\nThere are two main types of sauna ovens: wood burning and electrical (with gas\nheating being available, but not common). If the location you are building\nallows for it, go with electrical. Itâs practical and easy to get going quickly.\nThis means you will use it more often. Wood burning saunas are romantic and\nsmell great, but it is a lot more work to get a fire going, especially in the\nwinter.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nOpt for oven sizes that are recommended or above recommended for the size of the\nsauna. A larger oven means more thermic inertia, more rocks for steam, and\ntherefore less time to warm up the room. Bigger is better. The Scandinavians\nmake the best quality ovens.\n<\/p>\n<h4>Oven controllers<\/h4>\n<p>\nThere are two types of temperature control devices: the analog cooking-style or\nthe digital type. I think, due to liability and safety, all ovens have a timer\nthat max out at one hour.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nThe digital oven controllers are fantastic and I have one in the city in my\nbasement sauna.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nHowever, you have to consider your environment. For me, temperatures in the\nwinter can reach below -30C and in the summer, over 40C. This massive range can\ntake a toll on outdoor equipment and materials. For this reason, I opted for an\nanalog controller for my outdoor sauna in the country, since the weather will\nlikely ruin the electronics of the digital controller.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI would avoid ovens with analog pre-heat timers. They are great in theory, but\nthe implementation is utter garbage. The timer wonât be precise and itâll just\nlead to frustration, for example, when you thought you set the oven to start in\nthree hours, but it actually started in two hours and already turned off.\n<\/p>\n<h4>Important Sauna Gear<\/h4>\n<p>\nWindows are nice to have, especially if you have a view to enjoy. Opt for at\nleast a cedar door with a little window. Do not go with modern glass door\nstyles. They are crap. They have gaps, no insulation, and let in too much light.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nSaunas need thermometers and hygrometers (to measure humidity). The thermometers\nshould be rated for saunas and be visible inside. This is both for safety and\nbragging rights.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI think having an hourglass inside your sauna is a must. Being able to know for\nsure how long youâve been inside is important, since your sense of timing inside\nthe sauna may be off depending on the state of your mind and body on a given\nday. You shouldnât wear a watch inside the sauna, since itâll overheat or break.\nHaving a clock visible from the inside is also a good idea, especially if you\nsauna often and have a wife and kids who you donât want to leave you.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nAir circulation is an often-overlooked but important part of a sauna design.\nSaunas should not have stale air. The best sauna design creates natural âreal\nconvectionâ by placing an air intake under the oven wall and another at the top\nopposite wall. This allows fresh air to enter the sauna while in use. Be sure to\nadd regulators, since you donât want to cool the sauna or expel all steam.\nWithout regulators you may get too much or too little air in. With too much air,\nyou may cool the sauna down too much and\/or lose too much steam.\n<\/p>\n<h4>Nice Things to Have<\/h4>\n<p>\nLights are optional but welcome additions. It can be unpleasant to have no\nlighting at all, especially in an outdoor sauna on a cold, dark night. Lights\nshould be warm-temperature and low power. I recommend an oven light, since they\ndonât sweat the heat (get it?) and are often low power.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nPut a baking tray under your ovenâthank me later.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nWood âpillowsâ for your head are nice and donât get sweat-stained and stinky,\nlike a fabric pillow.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nKeep some extra felt hats near your sauna so when you or your guests forget\ntheir hat, you still have easy access to one.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI like to keep a couple of essential oils on the floor of the sauna, for easy\naccess. If you keep the oils too high in the sauna, theyâll get too hot and\nspoil.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI place some duck boards over floor tiles in the sauna to prevent cold feet.\n<\/p>\n<p>\nI also like to keep a small, natural broom inside the sauna to sweep up any dirt\nor leaves that come into the sauna on peopleâs feet.\n<\/p>\n<h2>Final words<\/h2>\n<p>As you can tell, I have some strong opinions when it comes to the proper way to enjoy a sauna. My hope is that my musings will help you to maximize your own sauna experience.. If you follow this guide, Iâm certain you will benefit from and enjoy the sauna as much as I do and, just maybe, you too will develop your own strongly held opinions that will most definitely offend me.<\/p>\n<h3>Thanks for reading, please close the F-ing door.<\/h3>\n\n<p>ps, you can get a Bitcoin Honey Badger Sauna Hat <a href=\"https:\/\/store.coinkite.com\/store\/ht-sauna\">here<\/a><\/p>","pubkey":"e88a691e98d9987c964521dff60025f60700378a4879180dcbbb4a5027850411","tags":[["title","An opinionated guide to Sauna."],["summary","After years of experimenting with different sauna types, Iâve developed strong\nopinions on the subject. The purpose of this article is to share these opinions\nwith anyone who is interested in them and, hopefully, help others get more out\nof their sauna experience."],["image","https:\/\/blossom.primal.net\/618754205a57323940402d1bbb7b910eebefdea2e1cecc0dc973e8baef3d82bc.jpg"],["t","sauna"],["t","health"],["t","bitcoin"],["t","healing"],["published_at","1728651939"],["d","An-opinionated-guide-to-Sauna-4ts6ca"]],"kind":30023,"sig":"79039e1e17e11c3eb044175a380c94b6cf36e5411b36d28307d943c76dd26e955f180b95bdf3743fe9b3fd1d372945995b6eb5c4dcc787ce5d4bed5e80735559","id":"17d859cd3f28e7cb1ed24e626744740701d87b152c20f8130a9bf4b93f9ed66a"}