The Upper Bench 042

In this episode, Sam, Risto, and Eero chat about their recent sauna adventures, including Eero's return from Finland and meeting the a hilarious Finnish comedian. The conversation dives deep into the joys of wood-burning saunas, the art of making steam (and how it’s addictive), and even survival tips when your sauna doubles as a cooking stove during a power outage. We touch on some serious topics too, like the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the importance of staying prepared in emergencies. Plus, get excited as we look ahead to our upcoming Toronto trip, where we'll meet listeners and sauna professionals alike! Join us as we geek out over sauna culture and share a few laughs along the way.

CONTENTS

00:00 Catching up & Eero's Finnish Gala

02:35 Sam's experience with the Hurricane and sauna as the ultimate survival tool

08:50 The glories of wood-burning saunas & our Toronto meet-up

13:49 Are we too negative???

15:30 Our thoughts on Aufguss & active vs passive sauna

20:40 Eric's sauna build progress

23:54 Wood-types for paneling & wood care

30:11 Ultra basic sauna benches

33:27 "Dry boxes" vs sauna

40:35 Making steam and rock tower heaters