Camping sauna from a tent and polyethylene: do it yourself

Many people believe that in order to take a steam bath in camp conditions, you need special equipment and special skills and knowledge. In fact, a camp bathhouse with a stove is very simple to build, and does not require practically any tools other than those that you already take on a hike: an ax, a shovel and, in some cases, a hammer.

The easiest way to arrange a bathhouse

The main stages of constructing a bath using improvised means

This chapter is a kind of instruction on how to make a sauna in camping conditions, and by following each of the stages, you can easily take a steam bath even far from the benefits of civilization. The requirements are quite simple, but the reliability and convenience of the structure depend on their implementation.

Selection of location

The following factors should be considered at this stage:

• The soil at the construction site must be quite dense, especially if a frame of stakes driven into the ground is being built. It is impossible to build a reliable structure in soft soil.
• It is best to choose a place next to a body of water - after the steam room it is pleasant to plunge into cool water, in addition, in the wild this is the only way to wash.
• The stove for a camp sauna is made of stones, so it is worth inspecting the area for their presence. Carrying boulders for a kilometer is not very smart, and it’s hard.

The stove requires quite a lot of heavy stones

Construction of the stove

Perhaps this is the most important stage, which determines how good the steam room will be.

To achieve a good result, you should follow a few simple rules:

• In the place where the heater will be located, it is necessary to remove a layer of soil and lay out an improvised foundation of stones.
• The stones must be oblong in shape, the surface must be smooth and uniform without foreign inclusions. The size of the stones is 20 cm or more; as is known, the larger they are, the longer the heat lasts.
• The construction of the hearth can be carried out in two ways: alternating layers of stone and firewood and subsequently maintaining the flame, or laying out a kind of hearth with a diameter of about 70 cm and the same height. Space is left inside for storing firewood, and a flat stone is placed on top. So that you can put a bucket of water on it to heat it up.
• After finishing the installation, you can make a fire, since the improvised stove for a camp bath heats up for quite a long time - about 4 hours, until the stones are white-hot or red-hot, depending on their type.

Advice: do not use layered stones, as when heated they lose strength and when water is poured over them they can simply explode, which can lead to quite serious injuries.

If you can find steel pipes or other elements, it’s much easier to make a hearth

Frame structure

A bathhouse in camp conditions is constructed from any available means that provide the necessary reliability of the structure. It’s a good idea if you have a ready-made metal frame of a suitable size - this greatly simplifies and speeds up the process.

If there is no ready-made frame, you can build it from improvised means:

• Wooden poles are quite strong and can be prepared on site.
• Rope, insulated wire (metal can melt the canopy when heated), twine and other materials to strengthen connections. If you have a hammer and nails, even better.

First, the size of the building is determined, after which 4 poles are hammered into the corners; if the building is long, then additional poles can be placed between the corners. Two more crossbars are laid crosswise on top; they are designed to prevent the ceiling from sagging.

Some people prefer a safe design in which the heater is located in a separate area, this minimizes the danger of touching hot stones. You can see the features of its device in the figure.

One of the options for a camp bathhouse frame that you can build with your own hands

After this, the frame can be further strengthened with spacers or cross members and all connections can be checked for reliability and stability. If everything is fine, you can proceed to the next step.

Canopy for camping steam room

Most often, one or two pieces of plastic film are used for these purposes. It is quite light, in addition, it can be used as a means of protection from bad weather. You can also use an awning for a camp bath made of tarpaulin or other fairly reliable material that retains heat well.

The size of the material should allow the canopy to be strengthened near the ground using stones or sand (a reasonable solution is to dig a groove around the perimeter, with its help you can significantly increase the tightness of the structure).

The floor in the steam room also needs insulation. First, coniferous spruce branches are laid, and branches of deciduous trees can be laid on top.

Using this simple method, you can significantly improve thermal insulation and increase the comfort of your stay in the bathhouse. The easiest way to use logs as seats.

In the photo: insulation with spruce branches and seats made of logs

Advice: never use synthetic materials used in the manufacture of modern tents as canopies - when exposed to high temperatures, they emit harmful substances, in addition, this option is very short-lived, and after several uses the fabric will become unusable.

Installation of frame and awning: options

Just as the methods of laying a stove differ, there are differences in installing the frame of a bathhouse. For the “white” option, the base of the structure is built a couple of meters from the heater so that the boulders do not cool down during the rolling process. At the site of the future steam room, it is necessary to dig a hole where the hot stones will be placed. If the frame base is made of:

• ready-made racks - they need to be assembled using technology;
• poles or stakes - they should be connected in the shape of a cube or hut, and tape, electrical tape or ropes should be used as fastening. The ends of the sticks need to be wrapped with scraps of old fabric so that they do not damage the covering material.

Black sauna
When a hole for stones has been dug and a frame has been installed above it, you can quickly transfer hot boulders from the stove to the future steam room using a shovel. The path between the heater and the sauna needs to be watered. After this, you should cover the frame with an awning, leaving a small overlap on all sides (“skirt”) outside. It is necessary to place heavy objects (logs, cold stones) on it to ensure better thermal insulation inside.

For a “black” sauna, the frame can be made in the same way, only it should be installed so that the stove is inside. First you need to remove firewood that has not burned out and cracked boulders from it. The ground around the heater needs to be watered, and the floor in the future bathhouse should be covered with spruce branches. After this, you can install a frame with an awning.

Advice. For those who are using a camp sauna for the first time, it is better to opt for the “white” version. In any case, it is worth remembering fire safety and making sure that the covering material does not catch fire from a spark or contact with hot stones.

Features of visiting hiking steam rooms

We looked at how to make a sauna while camping, but we should note the basic rules that should be followed to ensure safety and achieve the best effect:

• Until the firewood burns out, one of the walls or the ceiling should be left open to prevent the accumulation of smoke and carbon monoxide.
• When the stones are hot enough, a container of water is placed on them, which will be used to water the heater.
• After the wood burns out, all the heat is carefully removed, after which the tent is completely closed.
• It is reasonable to additionally protect the walls around the heater with thick fabric or a screen made of wooden poles.
• You should ensure that the canopy is securely fastened; the less heat loss, the longer the good temperature in the bath will remain.
• The stones are watered, causing steam to be released. Cooling down takes one and a half to two hours, this time is enough for an average tourist group to take a steam bath.
• You should not build a structure that is too large for several people; the larger the frame, the greater the heat loss.

Small sauna for two or three people

Exclusive projects

Every bathhouse owner wants his project to be something exclusive. In pursuit of uniqueness, people use expensive materials. Baths are built in absolutely incredible shapes and sizes. Many companies offer to realize any whim of a customer who has the means to pay for his imagination.

In addition to unusualness, what is important is whether the bathhouse is comfortable to use or not. The style of the main structure is taken into account

The bathhouse is thought through right down to the interior design

The style of the main structure is taken into account. The bathhouse is thought through right down to the interior design.

This applies not only to stationary buildings, but also to transportable bathhouses.

In the apartment

One such project is a bathhouse in an apartment in a residential building. There are several options here:

1. Textile sauna. It is a frame covered with fabric. To heat such a sauna, wiring is required. An undoubted advantage is its mobility;
2. Phyto-barrel. An excellent device for experiencing all the benefits of bath procedures using herbs. The device is very compact. It receives power from a regular 220V network. The head of the person soaring is outside, and the body is inside the barrel;
3. Electric. The kit includes a special remote control that allows you to regulate the temperature in the steam room and distribute the distribution of aromatic substances. Heating in such saunas is turned on in advance, 15 - 20 minutes in advance. After which they enjoy steaming in a 50 - 80 degree room;
4. Infrared. It is considered safe even for people who are contraindicated from visiting a regular steam room. In such a bath in an apartment, the penetration of heat into the surface of the skin is much greater than in a regular sauna. Thus, the removal of harmful substances increases by tens of percent. The temperature here ranges from 40 to 60 degrees Celsius.

If you are planning a sauna project in an apartment in a residential building, be prepared for certain difficulties. First, think about where you want your steam room to be. If the apartment has an unused storage room or balcony, then they can easily accommodate a simple steam room.

If there is no unused space, you cannot do without remodeling the apartment. The first difficulty will be visiting government agencies that deal with such issues, namely these services:

1. Fire department;
2. Sanitary and epidemiological;
3. Supervision of redevelopment of apartment premises;
4. Management company.

After holding all the necessary meetings, having received documentary permission for innovation in your apartment, go purchase equipment and materials. Next, observing all the rules and the structural features of the baths, begin to translate your idea into reality.

Attention! After completing construction work, be sure to dry the room. Start the drying time from 1 hour, gradually increasing the interval

Do not close the door to the steam room.

Ready-made camp baths

A ready-made tent for a camp sauna is the choice of those who like to take a steam bath in nature

Nowadays, there is no shortage of options for mobile sauna tents.

It is worth considering the main points:

• The size of the building and its features - the design may include a dressing room, windows and much more. The price depends on the availability of these parts.
• The material from which the tent for the camp sauna is made. It must be light, durable and resistant to high temperatures. To use the steam room in cold conditions, models with double walls are available, this allows you to use the steam room at temperatures down to -40 degrees.
• Presence of a frame. Some tents are a canopy that fits over any structure of suitable dimensions, and some have a frame, thanks to which the installation of a mobile steam room is greatly accelerated and simplified.
• Lightness of design. Some models weigh 2.5-3.5 kilograms when assembled, which allows you to carry them even while hiking.

Bathhouse for hiking for 4 people, the weight of which when assembled is 2.5 kg

Projects

A transportable bathhouse made of timber can be selected in accordance with the finished project, which differs in size and layout, or ordered according to your own project.

In addition, ordering a finished bath involves delivering the goods to the client with full installation and assembly on site.

We invite you to read: Installation of beacons for plastering walls

An important point is the fact that the cost of the project is affected only by the number of partitions, doors and other components, and not by their location. If you want to move this or that element, the cost should not change.

Among standard projects, the most popular are baths with dimensions:

• 3 by 4 m;
• 4 by 4 m;
• 5 by 3 m;
• 6 by 4 m;
• 6 by 5 m;
• 6 by 6 m;
• 6 by 8 m;
• 8 by 9 m;

Special stoves for camp baths

If you most often travel by car, a smart decision would be to purchase a ready-made mobile sauna stove. It is quite compact and light weight. It requires much fewer stones to work (many people carry them with them so as not to waste time searching).

Such stoves are equipped with a spark arrester, which is very important when used in tents made of flammable material. They have a fairly attractive appearance.

Pipes for the chimney are included; most often, tents have special holes for their installation.

Compact camp stove for sauna

How should a wood chipper work?

To ensure that the coals smolder for a long time and produce heat, the structure without a bottom is located on the ground. In this case, the heat does not dissipate in the surrounding space, but remains mainly in the smoldering coals, while the air draft is reduced to a minimum, preventing the closed fire from going out; When adding new wood, the fire will burn quickly.

If the design of the stove includes a lining under the bottom, the draft increases so much that cooking, which requires an hour or more, is disrupted and the wood quickly burns out. It is necessary to remove the bottom from the stove in advance, and place the structure of the walls on the ground. Nevertheless, such a stove uses fuel economically, is not subject to weather influences, takes up very little space, and produces almost no smoke (while the coals are smoldering). The stove is easy to carry (easily unfolds).

Conclusion

How to make a camp sauna and what to use for it depends on your desires and capabilities. Naturally, if you travel on foot, carrying a ready-made stove and a tent with a frame is quite expensive. In this case, the easiest way is to carry only a ready-made awning, and build the frame and stove on site (see also the article “Do-it-yourself camping sauna - in nature with comfort”).

If you are a fan of car travel, then you can carry a complete set and build a mobile steam room in a matter of minutes. Moreover, its size can be very impressive, which is important when vacationing with a large group.

In order to understand all the intricacies even better, we recommend watching the video in this article, which clearly shows the beauty of using a bathhouse on a camping trip.

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