Smoke saunas were the most common type of sauna for thousands of years, but quickly dwindled after the advent of the continuous burning wood stoves. In the middle of the 20th century, the practice experienced a revival in Finland; I’ve always been curious why (this book doesn’t really explain why). But Jarmo is trying to spark a similar resurgence here in North America, and I support that effort!

When learning something new, your approach matters just as much as the content. These five pieces of advice will help you avoid blind spots in your knowledge.

1. Abandon the goal of becoming an expert; be a student, and stay a student. Even after you have learned a bunch, refuse to become an expert. Stay humble. Always pay careful attention. Even a long-time expert can discover new things and benefit from correction.

2. Principles are more important than prescriptions. Understanding the basic principles of sauna will result in greater flexibility for sauna builds and help avoid common pitfalls.

3. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt. Experts will confidently explain that you should trust them because they’ve, “built three billion saunas” or are, “100% Finnish” but this does not guarantee that they are always correct. Many common sauna conventions are just plain wrong. (See #2 for the best approach.)

4. The road of good sauna is flanked by two steep ditches. The ditch on one side is the overly strict, “if it’s not perfect, it’s flawed and bad,” often expressed as a rigid traditionalism. The other ditch is the overly permissive, “Any sauna is a good sauna,” which lacks principles and standards. The road to good sauna is paved with strong but flexible ideals.

5. Go deep. Sauna is a practice with rich cultural roots, and while you might not practice all the possible elements, it is wise to understand as many as possible so that you aren’t unknowingly watering down a rich practice.

STUDY (Be a Nerd)

Books
— The Sauna Is by Bernhard Hillila
— The Opposite of Cold by Michael Nordskog
— Sauna: The Finnish Bath by H.J. Viherjuuri
— Sauna With Finns: Sauna Stories from North America by Warkentin; Kailo; Halonen
— The International Handbook of Finnish Sauna by Allan Konya and Alewyn Burger
— The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design by Lassi A Liikkanen

Watch
- Heating the smoke sauna: https://youtu.be/jj94pxpAFOw
- A January Swim: https://vimeo.com/153813737
- The Truth About Sauna The Truth About Finns: https://youtu.be/i_rNFsHruDU
- The Sauna Experience: https://vimeo.com/151736393

Follow
nochihodosauna on Youtube (the sauna scene in Japan is exploding)
Estonian Saunas : Adam and his wife Anni on Youtube, Instagram
Sauna Sherpa on Instagram

Podcasts
The Upper Bench: https://www.theupperbench.com
The Sauna Trail: https://www.thesaunatrail.com
Sauna Talk: https://www.saunatimes.com/category/sauna-talk-podcast/
Kivia: https://www.kivia.ca

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Facebook: Wood-Burning Sauna, Sauna Construction and Use, Wood-Fired Sauna, Sauna Society
Sauna subreddit

EXPERIENCE

After mindset, this is perhaps the most important area. Sauna is a rather counterintuitive practice, so you are likely to have your opinions change, even if you are well studied. Expect your opinions to change.

Use as many different saunas as possible. Even bad saunas can be instructive. Pay attention to the quality of heat (soft or harsh), how you feel, and the different elements of the sauna. Here are a few sauna experiences to consider: electric, log, savusauna, different settings (remote, by a lake, big city, etc), bad ones, good ones, old-school rustic saunas, modern fancy saunas, infrared (not a sauna!), barrel, mobile, floating, sauna in the U.P., sauna naked, sauna with Russians, Finns, Swedes, Estonians, and others, and pay attention to how they sauna, use a vihta, bathe in a sauna.

You are selling the idea of sauna!

Saunachelin Winners 2022

TEXT LIST

SAUNAS

(1) Spa Metsa Otaka | Nagareyama, Chiba
(2) Thermal Climb Studio Fuji | Susono, Shizuoka
(3) The Sauna | Kamiminochi, Nagano
(4) Kitakobushi shiretoko | Shari-gun, Hokkaido
(5) 8hotel Shonan Fujisawa | Fujisawa, Kanagawa
(6) Kobe Sauna & Spa | Kobe, Hyogo
(7) Sanamane | Naoshima, Kagawa
(8) Saunaland Asakusa | Asakusa, Tokyo
(9) Sankara Hotel & Spa | Yakushima, Kagoshima
(10) The Hive | Tateyama, Toyama
(11) Paradise | Mita, Tokyo

SAUNNERS

Aufguss Professional Team
Shirakaba Sports Whisking
National Sauna Products Exhibition
Shigeo Takahashi — comedian
Tanaka Katsuki — manga author
Tokachi Sauna Council
Shingo Fujinomori — comedian
Mag Manpei — comedian/youtube show
Comprehensive Real Estate Developer Mitsui Fudosan Co
Hironori Yanagibashi — producer
LAST PARADISE Japanese sauna that I want to go to — book

HALL OF FAME

Mifuneyama Rakuen Hotel | Takeo, Saga
Yulax | Kumamoto, Kumamoto
SkySpa | Yokohama, Kanagawa

Often, especially as a kid, when going to the dentist for example, or another painful or unpleasant situation, I had a trick. The trick was to think of my happy place.

My happy place is the strawberry fields at my grandma’s place, my mom’s childhood home.

I can almost smell the fresh, bright red, huge strawberries, the grass, the smell of my grandma’s Karelia pies in the oven, or the smell of the wood burning in the red little sauna. The sensation of jumping into the lake to cool off from the summer heat.

This is my happy place, forever.

And when you step from an air conditioned building into the hot, thick air of the outdoors, the humidity groping at you in its unwelcome and invasive way, someone just might say, “It’s like a sauna out here.”

Saunas definitely have an image problem if they are being compared to Illinois summers. Up until a year or so ago, I had the vague idea that pretty much only people in fluffy, white bathrobes with more money than sense would sauna regularly. And crazy Finns, of course. Being neither of those (and not a fan of humid summers), I never considered it.

Then everything changed. My life as an active mom started a slow decline into an illness that refused to fit into any of the boxes that doctors thought it should. What started as lethargy progressed into exhaustion and muscle weakness. Then the muscle spasms started. Head nodding tremors, tongue tremors (Didn’t know those were a thing? Me either.), limb jerking and a strange gait as my legs seemed oddly beyond my control. My legs were weak and unreliable and I started using a cane to walk.

Tasks I didn’t have to think about before now needed intense concentration to complete. Brain fog became so thick that sometimes after just a few halting words , I would be reduced to simply staring at people, open-mouthed. The sentence that I could see in my head refused to line up and march out of my mouth.

It is stunning to me now how bad it got. I could not take care of my family, spending much of my time unable to get out of bed. I was so weak that I sometimes didn’t have the strength to sit upright through an entire dinner time, let alone cook it and serve it. When I would start to list dangerously starboard in my chair during a family meal, I knew it was time to get my cane and shuffle to my room where I could finish the strenuous business of eating while resting between bites.

I thought I must be dying. I mean, everybody is, but somehow I ended up on the fast train to Decrepit-ville. You can imagine my great relief when after years of decline, I finally got a diagnosis. Central Inflammatory Response Syndrome due to mold toxins. Or, by acronym, “CIRS”. Turns out that genetic testing isn’t just for cancer risk any more. Blood testing confirmed that I have really crappy genetics. The “inability to eliminate common, everyday biotoxins until they build up and make you a cripple” kind of crappy genetics.

One thing you learn when you hang out in the online communities of the chronically ill, is that we will try anything to feel better. Anything. Ionic foot baths are wildly popular. Diets consisting of mostly potatoes and positive thinking have their avid proponents. Coffee enemas are commonplace.

Lots of people seemed to swear by their infrared saunas, and I thought it would be worth a try. Saunas didn’t seem as repugnant to me as they used to, likely because my illness had also caused my internal thermostat to go haywire and I was cold all the time. It wasn’t unusual for me to be under a pile of blankets, yet unable to feel warm.

I read everything I could google on saunas and detoxification which is mostly a wild mix of infrared marketing and Scientology drug detox testimonials. Seemed like everyone I found who had detoxed successfully and wasn’t a drug addict had used infrared saunas. But I didn’t have access to an infrared, so thought I should give the “traditional dry sauna” at my local gym a try.

I launched gung-ho into a sauna routine. I went every day the first week, and spent between 2.5 and 3 hours in the sauna, taking a cool down break whenever I felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t trying to break any records, but it was intense. The detox reactions were brutal. My neck was so stiff and painful I dreaded every movement. I would fall into an exhausted sleep most of the rest of the day after sauna sessions.

I really can’t say I recommend starting sauna this intensely, but my instincts said to go for it, and I did. After that first, crazy week, I cut back to half hour sessions 3–5 times a week. Within a few weeks, I started to feel better after a sauna instead of wrung out. I began to experience post-sauna improvement in both pain and the next day’s energy levels.

Often in the sauna, my joints would become very hot and irritated. I started rubbing them with a towel and the increased circulation felt like what I needed. When I came across the sauna tradition of using a whisk of branches, it made complete sense to me. Vihta (or venik or vasta if you prefer) was like the answer to a question I didn’t think to ask. I ordered a birch branch vihta from Latvia right away. Using one feels right, and I was reminded once again that traditions are grounded in generations of accumulated wisdom, and should not be discounted lightly.

My interest in the traditions of sauna led me to try the cold plunge at a Russian banya in London. Well, my interest AND the unsmiling, grizzled Russian man who told me to. Even though the guy at the counter when I checked in told me to complete two sauna rounds before dunking the first time, apparently I am unable to argue with ancient traditions enforced by gruff Russian men, and went down the ladder into the frigid water with no protest whatsoever.

The cold plunge is amazing, like being reborn. The symbol of rebirth seemed particularly compelling since my own baptism took place in an unheated swimming pool on a brisk, fall day. I felt the parallel every time I went under the glacial waters, as if reliving the mark of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit on my head and rising a new creature with every dunk. I took pungent sips of kvass in between sauna and cold plunge sessions, and managed to get in 5 rounds before it was time to go. I left feeling both relaxed and invigorated, that state of being that characterizes an excellent sauna.

I have now been using the sauna regularly for 8 months. My sauna situation is far from ideal. I still use the sauna at my gym. There, they frown on both löyly (steam from the hot rocks) and vihta. The benches are never really clean and are assembled with phillips head screws so that you have to be very conscious not spread out carelessly or you will soon be sporting a nice, phillips head shaped burn.

Despite these drawbacks, my health has improved dramatically. I went from being an invalid to fully functioning; from desperate to thriving. I still sauna 3–5 times a week, often with my teenage daughter who inherited my crappy genetics (sorry, kiddo). She also has gone from difficulty forming sentences and holding onto walls for support while walking to nearly normal health.

Detoxification is a way of life for us, and we are learning that there are many stores and buildings that we have to avoid because their toxic load is too great. If we feel the physical effects of a place immediately and struggle for days to recover, it isn’t worth it. Sauna gives me the ability to try new places and have a way to reliably detox if it turns out to be laden with biotoxins. Sauna means I can go to church, restaurants, and birthday parties. Sauna gave me my life back.

In the increasingly toxic world we live in, I believe sauna is a practice whose time has come around again. Our world is ripe for a sauna renaissance. Chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and CIRS are being diagnosed in growing numbers, and these sufferers can benefit greatly from sauna. Sadly, I think some people who are part of the long time sauna community perceive those who start to sauna for health as being lesser, somehow. Sometimes, a militant sauna lover will get downright obnoxious if upon hearing the word “detox”, as if being motivated for health reasons makes one unworthy, and only the pure of heart can sit and sweat in honor.

The tradition of sauna is rich and deep, and not diminished in any way by what brings you to it. Even if you started to sauna because you have more money than sense, yet come to love it, that’s probably okay, too. Probably.

If you enjoy sauna and have a friend with a chronic illness, invite them to come with you. Who knows? You might be helping them back to a functionality they had given up hope of recovering. If you have a chronic illness and are wondering if a traditional sauna has health benefits, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”. Don’t hesitate to try it. Don’t think that it is an inferior version of infrared, as the infrared manufacturers seem to imply. It is not inferior, but a different and extremely beneficial modality.

Also, don’t think you need to have a perfect sauna setup to benefit. The saunas I have access to on a regular basis are far from ideal, and yet have changed my life for the better. When I open the door of the sauna and am blasted with a wave of hot, cedar scented air, I feel my whole body relax. It is as if my body has learned it has a good thing going here, and within moments, I am at peace. I am healing. And when the sauna expels me in that same cloudblast of heat, it is now with the ability to move, and live, and give again. Who knew sweating in a tiny room could be such a beautiful thing?

Over the years, the population in the area has declined; the co-op even closed. But there remain many signs of Finnish immigration. Cross-country trails are still groomed, streets have names like Suomi, Maki, and Hannula, and saunas are still fired up on Saturday evenings. This past spring, Julie and I visited Brantwood to see, and use a few of their saunas. We first discovered the area via articles and videos about the double-decker sauna at Palmquist Farm, which is where we stayed. Presented below are a few of Brantwood’s many saunas.

TWO-STORY SAUNA

Jim & Helen Palmquist have hosted scores of travelers over the years. In 1949, Palmquist Farm opened their doors to guests, sharing their 800 acres of land and Finnish heritage with visitors. They have cross-country trails, sleigh-rides, and two wood-burning saunas. The smaller of the two is a ‘sauna cabin’ which combines sauna with your lodging — great for those who want privacy.

Their second sauna, the main attraction for sauna hounds, is a separate building with a large hangout area and two-story hot room. The upper level harkens back to the old Finnish savusaunas that had one elevated platform instead of benches. The Palmquist sauna is definitely a unique experience. The löyly (steam) hits your feet first instead of your head. This makes for a very even heat. The lower level is setup for washing and would be great spot for vihta treatments.

KNOX CREEK & HILL HOUSE

Bill Hoffman (mentioned earlier) doesn’t have any Finnish ancestry. But the combination of growing up in the Brantwood area and his curious nature instilled a degree of Finnishness in him. He was even named “Galvanized Finn of the Month” by The Finnish American Reporter. Bill was instrumental in starting the Knox Creek Heritage Center. Two of their historic saunas are pictured below.

Setting is one of the most important elements of sauna. A sauna enthusiast would rather have a sub-par sauna set in a secluded forest than an amazing sauna in the middle of a big city. When you have both, great location and great sauna, then you’ve got something special! Bill, with the help of his friend Mike Macki, built a special collection of buildings in the middle of the woods. He calls them “Maki Talo” which is Finnish for “Hill House.” It looks like a little Finnish village in the middle of the woods; it even has a small chapel. And no Finnish village in the woods is complete without a sauna.

HAND-HEWN LOG SAUNA

The best sauna heat is achieved with a capable stove and log structure. The large mass of wood slowly absorbs heat, then gently returns it to the sauna bathers. Log saunas take longer to heat (often several hours), but the best things in life take time. In addition to providing the acme of sauna heat, log saunas look great, and sustain cultural tradition. This is why Dan Kivela built himself a log sauna — not just assembled but actually used a broad axe to hand-hew the aspen logs. He has a great setup, complete with rocks from Lake Superior.

WASTI SAUNA

We also had the privilege of visiting Terry Wasti’s sauna — built in 2013. He chose aspen walls instead of cedar. Aspen is a more traditional Finnish sauna material because cedar doesn’t grow in Finland. Terry’s sauna is heated with a Kuuma stove which was made in Tower, Minnesota. We appreciated the decorative touches like the water-tap hooks pictured below. Water is an essential element because historically, sauna was used as a bath — a practice that is still alive and well in Brantwood, Wisconsin.

Special thanks to Jim & Helen Palmquist, Bill Hoffman, Marcie Braski, Ethan & Amanda Bowen, Dan Kivela, Terry Wasti, and Anna Dielschneider.

In 1979, a small publisher in New York Mills, Minnesota, published a rather unassuming and tiny book about Finnish sauna. And while it didn’t receive much press and still doesn’t have much recognition today, it is one of the most important North American books about sauna. To understand why, you need to know who the author was and why he wrote the book.

Bernhard Hillila was an academic, educator, pastor, poet, and slack-liner, but, most importantly, he was Finnish American. Sauna became enormously popular in the 50s, 60s, and 70s in North America. But Bernhard noticed that his beloved cultural practice was often “mistranslated.” So, in the 1970s, he decided to write a book to correct the record and clearly describe sauna (the structure and practice) to a North American audience. He read all he could in German, English, and Finnish and traveled to Finland to consult with experts back in the homeland. And the result of the combination of this research and personal experience is a very accessible but surprisingly deep, introduction to Finnish sauna.

And this is why I have chosen it for our sauna book club this November (2025)! I would love to have you join me in reading The Sauna Is… We will do a weekly video meeting to discuss our thoughts. You can get a digital copy on Kindle.

Link to sign up.

Schedule:

It’s SOW-na, thank you! This is the sauna building I grew up with. I don’t know its exact building date except that it was before 1919. As with so many Finnish immigrant families, it provided living space until a house could be built. My Grandfather and Grandmother lived in this building for several months before moving up to the new domicile. Besides a temporary residency these buildings played many other important roles in Finnish society. In addition to its intended function of providing a method of bathing, it also served many times as a birthing station, part of the remedy prescription for many ailments (sweating it out) and also as a social gathering place — not only for family but for neighbors as well. This particular sauna also served people who would come and stay at my Grandparent’s resort.

My earliest memories include the kerosene lantern that lit both the dressing room and the steam room through a little window that separated the two compartments. The clean smell that came from it cannot be replicated by any other place I’ve ever been. Braided rugs on the dressing room floor and a green Prell bottle with a pearl in it that sat ready for use, decorated the entryway. The steam room had three benches. A claw foot tub sat to the left of the door when you entered. When we were young, we took baths in the tub instead of climbing to the highest position on the benches. As one grew older you graduated to the lower bench, the middle bench and so on. Two little doors called “luuku” opened up to the outside to let the moisture escape after bathing was done. They also provided relief when, as teenagers, Kelly Schjenken and I would try to cook each other out and put our faces up to a luuku for relief! Several galvanized buckets were scattered around the floor and benches to carry water and to soak your feet. When done you would rinse off with a refreshing pail full of cold lake water! Water thrown onto the hot rocks would pop and hiss as steam rushed to the ceiling and spread to anyone on the top bench with enough force to take your breath away. Unlike most saunas, these walls were plaster instead of wood and got very hot to the touch. The hot water tank worked on a gravity system with a pipe that wound its way around the fire box. Water would circulate making a bubbling noise. A clank could occasionally be heard as the metal expanded and contracted. A pitcher pump sat against the lakeside wall to pump water directly from Snaptail Lake. We did not use the birch switch “vihta” although I knew many who did. Later in life I gradually moved to using them, pleasantly surprised at how good they felt and how well they helped clean.

As we were growing up Grandpa would heat the sauna at least twice a week — on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The middle of the week and the early afternoon on Saturday were for the resort guests and called “bathhouse” instead of sauna. Our family time was Saturday evening. As I got old enough to heat it myself I would heat it more, especially in the summertime.

Balsam was primarily a Finnish community at this time, and most of the original families had their sauna. We didn’t partake in many others when I was young but we did enjoy Uncle Otto’s on occasion. I’ve only been in a “savu sauna” twice. This is a “smoke” sauna where an open fire was built inside under a cairn of rocks. When the rocks were sufficiently hot the fire would be put out, the luuku opened to let the smoke clear and then was ready for bathers to come in to use. It was easy to identify a savu sauna by the thick smoky smell and the sooty walls. If you weren’t careful you could come out dirtier than when you went in! I think the one I was in when young was at Willie Erkkila’s — but I couldn’t be sure. I did use one when I was an adult on the shores of Bear Island Lake. That one was built into a hillside and had earthen walls. When in high school many of us would gather at Johnson’s place on Lake 30 and use their sauna. We would go as soon as the ice would leave the lake. There was a giant white pine with a swinging rope out over the water. We would take as much steam as we could handle, run out the door, grab the rope and pendulum over the water and let go! Once committed, we could only grit our teeth and wait for our skin to feel like it was being pricked by thousands of needles as we hit the water that only hours before was covered with ice!

Saunas have become very popular. They’ve changed a lot, with most being inside with electric stoves. It’s a lot better than not having anything, but not like the experience of the old time wood sauna. Do yourself a favor and if you have a chance, take in an opportunity to take some “löyly”, or steam, in a real sauna!

One more thing — there is a word in the Finnish language that is pronounced “sana”. It means “word” but is not the WORD for sauna!

Originally posted on Snotty Moose’s Facebook page.

It’s easier to lower your standards than it is to raise your budget.

That’s today’s sauna thought. Too many people get stuck in the weeds overthinking, overcomplicating, and overspending. When the truth is, you don’t need perfection to start. You just need a sauna.

Ugly saunas are underrated. In fact, I’d argue they should become the new standard. Ugly is interesting. Ugly is UNFORGETTABLE. A sauna built with mismatched boards from your uncle’s garage, a stove that’s a little too big, or benches made out of whatever you could find locally, all of these things tell a story. And when there’s a story, the design becomes beautiful. The quirks aren’t mistakes, they’re signature features.

Take my own shop sauna as an example. It’s about as rudimentary and “ugly” as it gets...local lumber from the hardware store, no finished door, and a new “feature” every time I light it up. It took me about 4 evenings to build it, and its functioning well enough to invite friends over. Some sessions reveal a new bench height, others a different bathing situation. It’s always in motion, always evolving. And that’s the point. A sauna doesn’t need to be polished or final; it just needs to work.

Here’s what really matters: stick to the Big 4.

1. A heater properly sized for your space or build style.

2. Good airflow so the room breathes and dries.

3. Enough rock to make endless steam.

4. A way to cool down—get outside, dunk in the lake, roll in the snow, cold plunge or a garden hose shower.

If you have those four covered, everything else is forgivable. And yet, too many people get paralyzed waiting until they have more money, better plans, or the perfect set of materials. Instead of diving down the rabbit holes, go climb onto the benches of as many saunas as you can. Try different shapes and sizes. Learn by experience.

As a sauna designer/builder, I encourage my clients to do the same: use reclaimed materials, incorporate something local, add an element that has a story. I’ve worked with shipping containers, reclaimed timbers, oddball stoves, even one-off tools or ancient building practices I may never use again. Each of those choices added something memorable. They gave me more to talk about, more to learn from, and more variety to draw on for the next project. Compare that to the rinse-and-repeat builds where everything is safe, predictable, and factory-standard. While those might be efficient and profitable, they’re also forgettable.

And here’s the truth: most of us don’t have $20-40k lying around for a prepackaged sauna. Most of us are working within limits:budget, time, or space. And honestly, those limits are often where the best stories and the most rewarding builds come from.

So lower your standards, focus on function, and just get after it. The health benefits that drew you to sauna in the first place won’t show up until you’ve been at it for decades, so the sooner you start, the sooner those benefits begin. (*side note - I personally take a sauna because I love how I sleep better and it’s a great way to connect with friends and get my bathing in all at once.)

Anyways, you can always fine-tune later, or build another sauna down the road. Every imperfection is just another signature feature. Every build adds to the story.

Good luck!

1950’s

Sauna: The Finnish Bath
H J Viherjuuri - 1952

1960s

An American’s First Finnish Steam-Bath
Bethea Hyypia - 1960

Sauna the Way to Health
S.C. Olin - 1963

1970s

The International Handbook of Finnish Sauna
Allan Konya, Alewyn Burger - 1973

Let’s Have a Sauna
Marjatta Herva, Henrik Tikkanen - 1973

The Finnish Sauna
John O Virtanen - 1974

Sauna Studies
Papers from the 1974 Sauna Congress - 1976

Sauna
Alpo Reinikainen - 1977

The Finnish Sauna in Manitoba
Charles Sutyla - 1977

The Sauna Book
Tom Johnson, Tim Miller - 1977

How to Build a Sauna
Carlton Hollander - 1978

Sweat
Mikkel Aaland - 1978

Sauna for Health
Donald Law - 1978

The Sauna Is…
Bernhard Hillila - 1979

1980s

The Art of Sauna Building
Bert Olavi Jalasjaa - 1981

Suomalainen: The Finnish Sauna
Antti Arstila - 1983

Businessman’s Guide to the Finnish Sauna
Paasilinna, Ovaska, Coogan - 1984

The World of The Sauna
Caj Bremer, Antero Raevuori - 1986

The Sauna in Central New York
Melissa Ladenheim - 1986

1990s

Smoke Sauna
Risto Vuolle-Apiala - 1993

The Sauna
David William Salmela, Joyce Koskenmaki - 1995

The Sauna
Rob Roy - 1997

Sauna Exists. Therefore, I Am.
Pertti Raty - 1999

2000s

Sweating With Finns: Sauna Stories from North America
Warkentin, Kailo, Halonen - 2005

2010s

The Opposite of Cold
Michael Nordskog, Aaron W Hautala - 2010

2020s

The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design
Lassi A Liikkanen - 2021

• Lots of drainage

• Ample ventilation

• Benches up high

• Strong heat

• Rocks for making steam

• Place to relax and chill between rounds

• Facilities for bathing. Sauna is, after all, the Finnish hot air, steam bath.

These should be in every public sauna. There are so many mobile sauna rentals today that are missing one, and sometimes many, of these basics.

In 2021, Knut Lerhol and Hallgrim Børhus Rogn published a book about the Norweigan sauna scene called Badstufolk. Some of the things they cover are: the recent boom in sauna, the history of sauna in Norway, health benefits, badstue practice, building saunas, and examples of great badstue.

Note: It’s difficult to track down in North America at the time of writing, and it’s written in Norwegian (as you can see).

Title: Badstufolk
Publication Date: 2021
Publisher: Frisk
ISBN: 9788284370064

The Northwoods region is home many wonderful saunas. The state of Michigan, surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, has the largest number of Finnish immigrants, and consequently an abundance of unique saunas. These are a few interesting examples.

Sauna in a church

When it was built in the 1970s, Eden Evangelical Lutheran Church in Munising had one rather unique feature. Eino Kainlauri, the Finnish architect from Ann Arbor, included a sauna. While making the plans, he asked the congregation for ideas; one parishioner suggested a Finnish steam bath. Their sauna consists of changing room, spacious hot room, and some nifty artwork. It is heated with an Ilo rock-tower stove made in Dollar Bay, Michigan. What bible passage does the congregation read before saunaing? The story of the three Hebrew captives thrown into the fiery furnace — of course!

Finnish professor’s smoke sauna

It’s fitting that history professor Jon Saari would build a traditional, log Finnish savusauna (smoke sauna) at his camp in the woods. Don’t know what a savusauna is? See this article. While savusaunas have experienced a revival in Finland, sadly, here in North America they are mostly lost to history. Many connoisseurs consider them to be the pinnacle of sauna experience.

Detroit gangster haunt

For obvious reasons, you can’t wear a wire in the sauna. Maybe this is one reason The Schvitz, an eastern European style bathhouse in Detroit, was popular with the 1930s mob. The Schvitz has new ownership which has generated some buzz and is hopefully revitalizing this institution.

Island artist retreat

Rabbit Island is an idyllic, privately owned, artist community. And as if being located in Lake Superior wasn’t inspiration enough, they have a wood-burning sauna for residents to use! To read more about the fascinating origins of the Rabbit Island artist community, see the links below.

On the shores of Superior

No Finnish church camp would be complete without a sauna. Zion Lutheran in Hancock operates their scenic Camp Lahti retreat center on the shores of Lake Superior. Their sauna is large enough for a bevy of campers and is heated with a gigantic, custom made stove. All of this is just steps from a frigid dip in the waters of Gitche Gumee.

Historic saunas

Michigan is home to many historic saunas. A couple examples preserved for visitors to see are: the sauna at Old Victoria Restoration (a restored copper mining camp), and the smoke sauna at Hanka Homestead.

It’s a book…a book about sauna.

You might be wondering, “Why would anyone write a book about sauna?” or “Why would anyone bother writing a review of a book about sauna?” Those are good questions. There’s nothing noteworthy about a tiny, hot cedar room by the pool at the hotel or YMCA. But this book isn’t about just any ol’ sauna — it’s about “the Northwoods Finnish sauna tradition”. You might be wondering “What’s a Northwoods Finnish sauna?” Now we finally arrived at an interesting question worth discussing! So interesting in fact, that it was the inspiration for The Opposite of Cold.

The genesis for The Opposite of Cold was a magazine article written by Michael Nordskog in 2005 for the Lake Country Journal. In it, he recounts how his family lovingly rehabbed their wood-burning, lakeside sauna. For the article, he was paired with photographer Aaron Hautala (notice the Finnish surname). They tolerated each other’s company well enough that they decided to make a book together that would explore the roots and modern expression of Northwoods Finnish saunas.

Five years later, The Opposite of Cold was published as a beautiful, hardcover work. It is often described as a coffee table book, but it is more than that. In its pages, Michael recounts the history of Finnish immigration to the United States — especially to the great lakes regions of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He describes how Finns brought with them their tradition of sauna and how it has persisted and evolved over the years. Also, a few modern saunas, designed by Duluth architect David Salmela, are featured. The most interesting saunas in the book to me are on opposite sides of the spectrum. I’m fascinated by the old-school savusaunas (smoke saunas) and intrigued by the modern Salmela saunas. One of the strengths of the book is Aaron Hautala’s photography. He does an exceptional job of providing a look inside various saunas — an oft neglected view. He also created many beautiful images of lakeside saunas, demonstrating that the setting of a sauna is as important as the fire, wood, and rocks.

If you are a fan of Finnish sauna or are curious to see what the fuss is about, I highly recommend The Opposite of Cold.

A big thanks to the University of Minnesota Press for sending me a review copy of The Opposite of Cold. I try not to let free swag affect my reviews, but I’m human, so this review is most likely tainted (sorry), which is why you should read the book for yourself.

In 2022, Serlachius art museum opened their sauna, and a year later they published a book that showcases it and the associated artwork. Serlachius is set on the shores of Lake Hopunselkä in Mänttä, Finland (located halfway between Tampere and Jyväskylä).

The sauna, which was designed by Hector Mendoza, Mara Partida and Boris Bežan, can be used for about 14 USD. It has a large hot room, showers, places to relax, and the ability to plunge in the lake!

The book is small, hardcover, Finnish/English, with nice printing. It can purchased here: https://shop.serlachius.fi/fi_FI/kirjat/arkkitehtuuri/taidesauna-art-sauna-2

If I’m ever in the area, I would definitely visit and use the sauna.

Additional Info

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Art Sauna | Serlachius Museums | Serlachius.fi

The Mint of Finland has created a series of collectable, silver sauna coins. The first one was released on Finnish sauna day — June 8, 2018. Erkki Vainio designed the sauna side of the coin, which features a lakseside sauna and several trailing smoke columns from neighboring saunas. The collectable coin is encased in plastic and set in a birch veneer frame made by Finnish carpenters Puusepänliike Wooden Oy.

If you are interested in buying one, I would recommend purchasing the 20€ coin whose diameter is larger than the 10€ version. This fall, they are also releasing a 2€ coin (pictured above) which will be circulated as normal currency. It’s a handsome contrast of copper-nickel center ringed with copper-aluminum-nickel.

Introductory note

Savusauna: ennen ja nyt (Smoke Sauna: Then and Now) is written in Finnish, and since I don’t speak or read Finnish this review will be somewhat incomplete. But I am interested in the subject of savusauna (smoke sauna), so hopefully I will be able to share a few interesting observations relevant to both Finnish and English speakers.

What is a savusauna?

Savusauna is the oldest type of Finnish sauna. It is heated with an open kiuas that doesn’t have a chimney pipe. This 360º photosphere is an example of the interior of a savusauna and its kiuas. As fire heats both the large pile of stones and log walls, the sauna fills with smoke. This smoke coats the benches and walls with a layer of black soot. Once the stones and walls are fully heated, the fire is allowed to go out. The remaining coals and ashes are removed, water is then splashed on the rocks creating a fine water vapor (löyly) which helps drive out the smoke and fumes. After the sauna thoroughly airs out, it is finally ready to use. The process is labor intensive, taking several hours longer to heat than a more modern sauna equipped with an electric or wood-burning stove, but the experience is said to be superior to all other saunas.

In North America, savusauna use has almost completely died out. Most of them have either burned down, been retrofitted with wood-stoves, or been relegated to historical exhibits. Only “old-timers” recall what it’s like to use them. But this is not the case in Finland, where savusauna use experienced a revival sometime in the early-to-mid 19th century. The same downward trend was occurring there, then something happened to halt it (possibly the founding of the Finnish Sauna Society, possibly a realization that convenience wasn’t a substitute for the richer experience of savusauna). There are now an estimated 25,000 savusaunas in Finland with modern examples being constructed all the time.

Book review

Savusauna: ennen ja nyt is Risto Vuolle-Apiala’s 6th book on the subject of smoke saunas. Risto, a Finnish architect, has dedicated his life to using, studying, and writing about traditional, Finnish sauna. His books on smoke sauna reveal that there is much more to the subject than what is commonly known here in North America, which usually goes something like, “smoke saunas are the old type of saunas that have all burned down.” Risto begins this book by delineating the history and evolution of savusauna. He then goes on to provide diverse examples, from small to large, rustic to refined. He mentions a few specific categories such as forest saunas (metsäsauna), war saunas (sotasauna), and earth saunas (maasauna). He also explores savusaunas from different regions and includes the works of several architects. The text of the book often delves into the scientific and academic realms with detailed sauna footprints, temperature diagrams, and even an exploration of various types of kiuas. In addition to the informative text of the book, Savusauna: ennen ja nyt also contains many useful illustrations and photos (a few are included in this review). It is an excellent, well-designed, hardcover book for those interested in savusauna — especially Finnish speakers. It is my hope that someday this will be published in English and that savusauna use will be revived here in North America.

Further information

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about savusauna, and you don’t speak Finnish, I highly recommend tracking down a copy of Risto’s English language savusauna book. If you can’t find a copy to purchase at a reasonable price, try interlibrary loan. I also highly recommend this Facebook Savusauna group.

I would like to thank Moreeni Publishers for sending me a review copy of Savusauna: ennen ja nyt. I try not to let free swag affect my reviews, but I’m human, so this review is most likely tainted (sorry), which is why you should read the book for yourself.

My Sauna History

In 2007, I developed an enthusiasm for sauna during a job transition while in the Army. I was working out at lunchtime then taking sauna with some older, very friendly veterans at the gym. After moving, I built a pre-fabricated kit sauna from a supplier that provided wall, ceiling and roof sections. I built it in a couple weekends, and had an electrician wire it in. I used it 3–4 times per week for three years until I was forced to move again. The sauna made me feel great and was a huge daily rejuvenator. We also had a pool nearby that I would jump in — especially in the winter time. From then on, I craved that feeling from the heat and the endorphin rush.

Fast forward seven years. I was too busy to build another sauna, while all the time growing more and more tired of not being able to sauna when I liked. I had to travel 30 minutes in order to do so. Even then, it was just an electric, gym sauna without enough rocks or heat. Still, whenever I could, I visited and learned to enjoy a longer set of sauna sessions — sometimes up to three and a half hours.

The Sauna Build

Retired from military service, I could wait no longer. I decided to design and build one of my own. Originally, I was planning to build a large sauna with shower area and stone patio in my back yard. But I realized it was not yet in the budget for time and money. So I decided to build a “temporary” version as inexpensively as I could.

I set up a few Craigslist alerts on my phone to let me know when scrap wood, stove, chimney and other materials would pop up. I was able to source all of the wood for about $40, which included enough cedar for the interior and benches. Everything but the fasteners (nails, staples, rivets, and stove cement), vapor foil, thermometer, and the solar light is reclaimed. The insulation was leftovers from building my workshop, the stove came from a trade of reclaimed plywood, the chimney from Craigslist, some bricks from a house being torn down, the roof tar paper from a builder, the shingles from wood scrap, the flashing from aluminum scrap. I have about $380 into the project, with the biggest single expense, by far, being the chimney components.

I designed the plans from a variety of sources which included my own ideas, books, and internet layouts. I framed the walls to be 6'6" an all four sides, and 7' tall. The ceiling is framed 2x6"s. The walls are insulated with a layer of polysiocyanurate insulation and a layer of the foam foil insulation. Tinfoil serves as a vapor barrier between the cedar panel boards and the studs. There is plywood just inside the inner and outer paneling which reduces airflow. In the roof, there is a layer of foam foil and six inch thick pink fiberglass insulation (I figure equivalent of R-20 on the sides and R-30 in the ceiling). It heats up fast and stays warm.

Taking a lesson from the pre-fab sauna, I framed the walls, ceiling, and roof in my workshop using traditional stick frame techniques with 16" on-center stud spacing. I designed the roof with nearly a 10:1 pitch, which in hindsight is probably a little less than I would do again — but it has worked out fine. I had started to cut all the interior wall panels out of pallet slats when I found the cedar boards and used them. I sanded a huge stack of cedar, then ripped them to size and straightness. All of the interior and exterior cedar wall planks were pre-cut in the workshop to rough length before I moved everything to the assembly site. And yes, there was a bit of blood, as I have clumsy fingers and hands.

Duct tape is the handy-man’s secret weapon.

The walls are quite thick. From interior to exterior the layers are: cedar plank, tinfoil vapor barrier, 3/8" plywood, foam foil insulation, poly-foam insulation, 3/8" plywood, house wrap, pine planks. The door is pretty heavy with only one less layer. Fortunately, the ReStore has a huge bin of door hinges and latches. (I could make roughly 476 saunas with what was in the bin.)

The layout is a simple, two parallel benches on one side, with the upper bench at 22" wide and the lower at 18". I made duckboard flooring out of old pallet slats I sanded; it is superb. I don’t dump a lot of water, but what gets dumped seems to run out fine. The door swings outward, with its placement all the way to the front left edge to maximize space. I thought about putting in a window, but the only reclaimed glass I had was too large. It wasn’t a big issue for me, and my wife prefers not to have one — so we don’t. I will probably have a window when I build a larger sauna, but for now, it’s fine.

Lastly, I put a vent near the ceiling on the back wall, as far from the bottom of the door as possible. I installed a small piece of screen into the wall under the siding to keep the bugs out. There is a sliding piece of wood on the inside to control airflow. I considered a vent near the bottom of the stove, but instead went with a 3/8" gap under the door, which seems to be perfect. There is plenty of airflow under the door without affecting the temperature of the room or the fire.

The stove was in rough shape when I got it, but after a couple hours of work, I cleaned up the rust, filled the cracks, applied new stove polish, and put in a new door seal. The stove seems inefficient but still heats fairly well. I used large pavers underneath it, a layer of bricks on three sides, and bricks up the walls to the ceiling next to the chimney. When it gets too hot, it’s tough to cool down, even with the door wide open. Initially, I wanted to buy a Kuuma stove that I would be able to keep for many years. But it didn’t really fit with the reclaimed materials spirit, or my budget for this “temporary” sauna. I figure I will appreciate a better stove that much more when I get it.

Heating the Sauna

At the coldest point this winter here in Kansas City (9°F), it took about 45 minutes to heat to 170°F. In 50°F weather, it takes about 20 minutes. It holds heat like crazy due to the large amount of bricks (about 1500 lbs) and stones (130 lbs). The bricks also serve as an additional layer of fire protection. The stove has a layer of bricks on four of the six sides, leaving the top open for rocks and the front for the door. There is also a layer along two sides of the wall which goes nearly to the ceiling. The door can be open for several minutes without a significant temperature drop. This can be troublesome if I put in too much wood and the temperature is at 215°F.

I’ve had a real learning curve to figure out the stove management. In cold weather, it takes about two fireboxes full of wood to heat the sauna. In warm weather, it takes just a smidge more than one load. All of the unusable scraps I’ve collected over four months make-up my firewood pile of about two cords. I will have another cord’s worth after I finish some other reclaimed wood projects.

The wood heat is utterly fantastic compared to the electric heat of my old sauna or gym saunas.

I finished the build during a very cold snap. The first time I heated the sauna, I left it at over 230°F for a few hours without issues. Since the cedar panels had come from an outdoor fence, it was pretty well weathered, but a little warping occurred on the first heating. I pounded the panels back into place and it was good to go. I didn’t have the ability to cut them as a tongue and groove. Like EVERY other piece of reclaimed wood in the project, the cedar panels were warped and of inconsistent widths when I got them. So I ripped the edges of each piece to straighten them, make them even widths, and add a 5° bevel edge. I briefly considered trying to shiplap the boards, but they weren’t straight or even enough to do so. The bevel covers most, but not quite all, of the gaps.

The wood heat is completely different than the electric heat. There is no harshness to it at all. I have noticed that I prefer a somewhat higher temperature with the wood heat. It is difficult to overestimate the difference in heat quality. 210°F of radiant wood heat is more tolerable than 180°F of electric. Also, the steam is much better too. The stones can take as much water as you want to give them. It all goes to steam and the sound and duration are just wonderful.

My Sauna Practice

My sauna habits have evolved over time. The first couple years, I was very consistently a three round sauna-goer. I also used to read in the sauna, but no more on either count. After I had moved away from the first one I built, I had less opportunities to go to the sauna, so I tried to make the limited opportunities last. A sauna of less than 90 minutes feels too short. On the weekends, I often go for 2–3 hours. I’m in the hot room as long as I feel comfortable, then out to cool down as long as it takes to be comfortable again. Trying to stretch things does not seem to make a lot of sense to me. Comfort should always be a guide when in the hot room and when cooling down. Go back and forth as many times as you like. And bring water, LOTS of water. In Georgia, I had access to a pool for cold plunging. It was very brisk in the winter, but felt amazing. I do not have a pool or pond available for plunging here in Kansas. In the interest of cool rinsing, I have added hangers to one side of this sauna for outdoor solar showers (see photo below).

I have developed the habit of the enjoying the first cooling session in open air, and the second in water (in the form of a pool or shower). I have a pond nearby, but it’s not conducive for taking a cooling sauna dip. That first time in the water from the hot room is the most startling by far. Just stay in until you can breathe normally. I went from three rounds to as many as six or seven rounds. The relaxation becomes epic and wonderful. By far the best feeling of the session is always the endorphin rush that comes after the first watery cool down when coming back into the hot room and dumping water on the rocks again.

I drink a lot of water in the hot room, usually 3–5 quarts of ice water. I recently started adding a little apple cider vinegar and lemon slices. The slight astringency and sourness really go down well with the cool water. I usually start or finish the sauna with a beer. I make my own, and have a kegerator I built handy at all times.

Family, Finishing Touches, and the Kegerator

I am happy with this sauna, and my wife has taken it to it very enthusiastically due to the softness of the wood heat. I have two sons, and they both use it. Part of the reason I wanted to get this done and in use was for health reasons: to relax muscles, clean ourselves, and sweat out some toxins. Also, I sleep like a rock afterward.

It will continue to be a work in progress, always making little changes and updates. I am not liking the way the solar light is working. I had some leftover Thompson’s Water Seal left over from another project, and applied it unevenly and it splotched. There is also some ongoing maintenance to keep the stove going and the duckboard clean.

I would love to try a dedicated public sauna, but I haven’t found any in the Kansas City area. I was somewhat disappointed when the Finnish Traveling Sauna cancelled its visit to Kansas City.

And finally, a picture of my kegerator, because it’s cool, it’s been published (in Brew Your Own Magazine). It supplies beer before and after the sauna session.

Get a copy of the book to read the titular poem ‘The Sauna at Twelve-Foot’. More information at River Box Press. https://riverboxpress.com/books.html

Heating the Smoke Sauna

This video captures the essence of sauna — slow and set in nature.

The Truth About Sauna, The Truth About Finns

A fun and detailed documentary about Finnish sauna

Sauna By The Lake

Drone footage of an excellent log sauna build

Mobile Sauna Built in a Small Cargo Trailer

Great little mobile sauna video that shows the process of sauna

How to make a birch vihta

The Opposite of Cold

Aaron Hautala discusses his photography in The Opposite of Cold and what sauna means to him.

My Finnish Sauna Experience

First time experiencing a good sauna set in nature

Smoke Sauna Tradition in Estonia

A Finn’s Sauna

Short documentary about sauna set in Thunder Bay, Canada
Confederation College - Broadcasting Television Production - 2010
Director/Producer: Arthur Fiedler
Editor: Mike Collins

The Sauna Experience

A great little documentary that captures the essence of sauna. These guys get it!
Made by Kevin LeStarge

Sauna and Avanto in Northern Ontario

Sauna FES Japan 2016

Finnish sauna club event in Japan

Hymn for Cottage Life

Promotional, but nice, video about sauna as part of cabin life

360° Video Inside a Smoke Sauna

A January Swim

Pat Toomey swims in the waters off of South Boston everyday—going between the freezing water and the sauna.

OLDER VIDEOS

Finnish old public sauna 1976

Sauna

Suomi Filmi 1947

Home Sauna Bath

UK - 1958