Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What do i bring to a community or private sauna session?

We always send out a “how to prepare” email to new and practiced sauna-goers that outlines: what to bring, how to prepare, directions (to the sauna and within the sauna) and some notes about sauna practice, etiquette and culture. Some highlights on “what to bring”:

• In preparation, maintain a healthy hydration level. Bring a water bottle big enough to rehydrate during cool off periods.
• Bathing suit (best to come prepared with it already on, but we also have a changing room attached to the sauna in those cases you might forget)
• Towels (2 per person recommended)
• Bathrobe and/or fuzzy blanket if you want
• Slip-on footwear to wear outside the sauna while cooling off and/or water shoes for lakeside or creekside sessions
• In darker months, a headlamp is recommended
• Salty snacks if you like or something to roast on the campfire
• Smiles!​

2. How do i prepare for a community or private sauna session?

How to prepare:

1. Make sure you sign our waiver, please. If you don't have access to the online waiver, we will have physical copies upon your arrival.
2. Please enter the sauna pre-showered.
3. No admission to the sauna if you have open wounds, a communicable disease, fever or you feel otherwise unwell. Contact us to reschedule if needed.
4. In preparation, maintain a healthy hydration level. Bring a water bottle big enough to rehydrate during cool off periods. No drinks inside the sauna room, please.
5. Bring your bathing suit, preferably already wearing it, towels (2/person recommended),bathrobe if you want, and slip-on footwear to wear outside the sauna while cooling off.
6. We have lights in the sauna dressing room and around the sauna area. During dark hours, you might also want to bring a headlamp, flashlight or lantern for additional lighting.

3. What Safety tips do you have for me when operating the mobile sauna for a private session or mobile sauna rental?

We will give you a full tutorial on sauna safety at the beginning of the session. However, here are some important pieces to be mindful of:

1. Be careful around the sauna stove. Do not touch the chimney, metal heat shields or the stove other than the stove door handle and ash pan. Be cautious when adding wood to the fire.
2. Remove jewelry before entering the sauna room
3. When moving around the sauna, please use the guardrail and handles for support.
4. The wood surfaces can get hot to touch. For safety, comfort and hygiene sit on a towel and drape another towel over the backrest to avoid bare skin contact.
5. To get the most out of the experience, do what feels comfortable and don’t push it. You should be able to relax and breathe calmly through your nose in the sauna. Once the heat starts feeling uncomfortable, it’s time to move outside and cool off. You can expect to start building a higher tolerance to the heat and ability to comfortably stay in the sauna for longer periods but this takes time and “practice”.
6. If you start feeling lightheaded, shortness of breath, headache or unwell in any other way, please exit the sauna immediately.
7. Be careful around the mobile sauna unit as the surrounding ground may be uneven and dimly lit with a possibility of slipping and tripping hazards.

4. What does kamu sauna provide for a community or private sauna session?

Along with the Sauna, we provide:

• Essential oils
• Campfire
• Camp-chairs
• Cold plunge - lakeside, creekside or with plunge tubs
• Electrolytes
• ILOMAA FOREST FARM (www.ilomaa.ca) tea during Community Sessions
• Fresh water
• Lanterns
• Guidance + firewood
• Sauna vibes + löyly

​See you soon! Check out our upcoming Community Session dates. If there’s a date not listed, reach out and we’d be happy to book you and your private group in or set a new Community Session date.

5. Can i throw water on the rocks?

Yes please! It isn't an authentic Finnish Sauna Experience unless water on the rocks is involved.  This is what it known as "Löyly." “Löyly” is a Finnish word describing all the qualities of the steam created by pouring water on the rocks. As a Finn, I (Juho) was raised to understand löyly as critical to sauna and holding a similar meaning to spirit, life or a really good vibe. It has no English-language equivalent. Optimal löyly lowers down on you softly from above and surrounds your body in a smooth but intense embrace of heat. Not-so-nice löyly hits you hard from the front to back. Some tips:

• Try to start off easy with one ladle or less of water on the rocks and build up from there and see what feels the best. The more water you throw on the rocks, the more it cools down the rocks. After the initial heat wave, the sauna cools off quicker. So, if you are generous with löyly, you’ll likely need to run the fire a little hotter.
• Don’t overdo it with the water. If the water makes more of a “splash” than a “hiss” the rocks have cooled off and will need to heat back up.
• Feel free to experiment with the different essential oils in the löyly water. Add 1-2 drops into a full ladle of water, never add the oils directly on the rocks as this causes the oil to burn.

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Read more about löyly on our Kamu Sauna Journal here!

6. What temperature should the kamu sauna be at?

Temperature is a matter of preference. Some like it hotter than others; there is no “right” temperature. We try to keep the Kamu Sauna at 75-85֯ C.

7. Is cold plunging part of an authentic Finnish sauna experience?

A full sauna experience generally consists of cycles or rounds. A common practice to start with is 10-15 minutes of heat, followed by 5-15 minutes of cooling off and resting either outside or in the dressing room. Some might go for a swim as a part of their cooling routine. The more adventurous may include a cold plunge/polar dip as a part of their cool-off. While cooling off, it’s a good idea to rehydrate and relax and try to let your breathing and heart rate decrease before heading in for another round of sauna. You can repeat this as many times as feels good to you. If you are new to sauna practice, three rounds might be a good number to start with but this varies from person to person.

Cold plunging isn't a necessary part of an "authentic" Finnish sauna experience however is a feature we add to every sauna rental or sauna experience, either by parking our mobile sauna at a cold lake or by providing cold plunge tubs.

8. How do I manage the sauna fire?

Tending to the fire is an essential sauna practice. It is an important responsibility to please ensure that the fire doesn’t go out in the stove. It can be a little tricky to maintain the right temperature in the sauna but here are some basic guidelines:

• To maintain a steady temperature, add 1-2 pieces of wood every 15-20 minutes.
  
• If it’s too cold add more wood, if it gets too hot, wait a little longer and add less.
  
• Temperature can also be adjusted by cracking the little window and opening the sliding exhaust vents in the sauna. A good rule of thumb is to keep the fire a little too hot and the vents wide open rather than the fire cold and vents closed.
• Keeping the vents open ensures desired airflow and a refreshing sauna experience, never close the vents completely.

9. What is your Cancellation policy for sessions and rentals?

Full refund issued if notice provided 14 days or more before your rental. A credit will be issued if notified between 14 days and 48 hours prior to your session. Generally, no refunds, credit or rescheduling within 48 hours prior to the event.

10. Do you build saunas?

You bet! Juho provides both building services and consultation services to help you build your own authentic Finnish sauna. To learn more, see here under our CUSTOM BUILDS section of our website.