The Upper Bench

Episode 50 - Eero says "hi" from Finland. Sam and Risto host the weekly livestream and field questions from the chat. TOPICS 00:00 Introduction & Host Updates 09:39 Sauna Ventilation & Heat Distribution 14:16 Managing Wood Stoves & Chimney Setup 19:07 Sauna Construction, Mobility & Costs 25:35 DIY Sauna Controllers & Automation 29:11 Shipping Container Sauna Builds and Other Te...

The Upper Bench kicks off Finlandia Foundation's national Sauna Week 2025. Check out their other sessions at https://www.nationalsaunaweek.com. We examine sauna through the lens of the classical elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

Eero returns from his first trip to the U.P. Sam chops TONS of red oak. Risto tries a new sauna in town. And Wade joins us to talk about The Law of Löyly. Episode 48 CONTENT 00:00 Catching up 02:10 Eero's visit to the U.P. 03:18 Kurtti sauna 03:48 Knuuttila sauna 06:07 Radiant heat 09:02 Describe the sauna scene U.P. there 13:35 Next Stop on Eero's sauna talk travels 15:27 Ilo heaters and...

Help us plan our topics for 2025 and join us for our livestreams.

Episode 46: Rob Licht Rob joins Eero, Sam, and Risto to share his sauna story that started with the humble Podunk sauna and ended with Rob running his own sauna construction company. We discuss art, craft, construction science, and why Rob wants to make sauna boring. Rob Licht Custom Saunas https://roblichtcustomsaunas.com/ https://roblichtcustomsaunas.com/blog SPONSOR Kreamy Soaps www. KreamySoap...

Episode 45 - Eero, Sam, and Risto catch up after some travel and discuss Risto's sauna adventures in Cambodia, Eero's Finnish spa experience, Sam's masonry heater musings, Eero's big news for 2025, and our advice for hotels and gyms in North America. SPONSOR https://kreamysoaps.com code: "upperbench" LINKS https://classyhotelspa.com https://azumayacambodia.com https://www.kumpeli.fi/ CONTENT 00:00...

Sam, Eero, and Risto review the Upper Bench 2024 Meet-up in Toronto. They are joined by Markus, Todd, and Ryan to talk about upside-down sauna design, hidden strip mall saunas, and Markus' cottage sauna. SPONSOR Kreamy Soaps www. KreamySoaps.com 25% discount code "upperbench" CONTENT 00:00 Introduction 01:58 Upside-down sauna design and the shindig at Markus' 09:27 Amazing Chinese noodle lunch 10:...

Anne-Mari Paster, Elizabeth “Helvi” Brauer, and Julie Rice join The Upper Bench to discuss the cultural nuances of sauna and nudity. They share personal stories from Finland and the United States, touching on the importance of comfort, consent, and respect in sauna settings. The conversation explores how different backgrounds shape views on nudity, from traditions in Nordic countries to more reser...

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...

In this episode of "The Upper Bench," we dive into the experience of sauna bathing, washing in the sauna, and how these traditions are still very much alive in Finland. Join us as we discuss the differences between wood-burning and electric saunas, the best way to keep clean in the sauna, and unique setups in Finnish apartments. Whether you’re throwing water onto the rocks or stepping in...

Global Sauna Culture: Insights and Innovations with Nikita Miltiadou from Australia Join us as we explore the unique and evolving world of sauna culture with our special guest from Australia, Nikita. Dive deep into the influence of the Finnish sauna tradition, proper sauna etiquette, and the technical challenges of building an authentic sauna experience. Discover how Australia's first dedicate...

Julie and "Risto" Rice are grilled by Sam and Eero. Stay tuned for a special announcement at the end of the episode. LINKS https://www.theupperbench.com https://www.thesaunatrail.com EPISODE SPONSOR https://kreamysoaps.com TOPICS sauna adventure sauna and the outdoors connection and community Toronto Meetup 2024 CONTENT 00:00:00 Introductions and announcements 00:07:09 How Julie and Rist...

Haley and Cody Goodreau, from Logbook Stories, join us to talk about unique saunas in the U.P., their sauna build, and Haley's sauna book. Stay tuned for a special announcement at the end of the episode. LINKS https://www.theupperbench.com https://www.logbook-stories.com https://www.instagram.com/logbook_stories/ CONTENT 00:00:00 Introductions 00:04:15 Haley and Cody's sauna build and expe...

Join us in this enlightening episode as hosts Sam, Eero, and Risto sit down with Scott, the newly appointed President of the North American Sauna Society. Dive deep into the rich traditions of sauna bathing, its cultural significance, and the future of Scott's plans for NASS. CONTENT 00:00:00 Introductions 00:06:36 Scott’s sauna journey 00:09:10 Sauna spark from Finland 00:11:26 Why bathing in...

The Upper Bench - Episode 36 Sam, Risto, and Eero respond to Matt Justice's video. His original video: https://youtu.be/IbcE0b4X99Y CONTENT 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:38 Matt Justice's video 00:16:15 Different motives to sauna 00:17:52 Modern shortcuts vs old-school sauna 00:24:05 Our experiences using infrared

Risto shows Sam and Eero more Yooper saunas. (03:52) Sauna 1 (08:50) Sauna 2 (11:55) Sauna 3 (14:45) Sauna 4 (17:21) Sauna 5 (19:29) Sauna 6 (21:34) Sauna 7 (23:10) Sauna 8 (25:46)  Sauna 9 (29:17) Sauna 10 (34:24) Sauna 11 (35:43) Outro

Bullseye Sauna 034: Aiming for a robust sauna practice while making the most out of what you have; why the law of löyly isn't the most important law of sauna; is saunaing naked a requirement? building a sauna community CHAPTERS (00:00) Eero's in Finland! (04:30) Sauna vs. hot box (11:25) Don’t pour water on the rocks! (14:57) Engage your physical body (21:11) The Law of Löyly (steam) (23:0...

The Upper Bench welcome Markus Raty to the show. Find Markus https://www.saunaist.com https://www.instagram.com/thesaunaist Hauliwood Vampires - Sauna Song https://youtu.be/7nFqPpdW-SQ TIMESTAMPS {00:00:00} Introductions {00:03:30} Markus’s electric sauna {00:06:53} Markus’s story {00:11:31} Childhood saunas and the Hotpert heater {00:16:09} World’s hottest sauna? {00:20:20} Soft vs sharp steam {0...

The Upper Bench 032: Dr. Mark Timmerman joins us to share his experience of growing up with sauna and his current practice. He also fields our health questions about detoxing, inflammation, cold plunging, and more. https://www.patreon.com/TheUpperBench Hosts Eero Kilpi (Saunner), Sam Wacha (Saunner), Christopher (Risto) Rice (also a Saunner) Theme Music: Conga Se Menne "Guess Who's Coming...

Repost of Finlandia Foundation's Sauna Week presentation - Four Generations of Finnish Sauna Panel: Eero Kilpi, Sam Wacha, Christopher (Risto) Rice, Lassi Liikkanen Finlandia Foundation https://finlandiafoundation.org Other Sauna Week Videos https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg... Saunalogia https://saunologia.fi Screenshot of Slides https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Td8S... TIMESTAMPS {00:00:...

The Upper Bench 030: The Upper Bench's three hosts Sam, Eero, and Risto are joined by three sauna and inipi enthusiasts in North Dakota--Aaron, Bobby, and Neal. We discuss how to carefully learn from traditions and foster a vibrant local sauna and inipi community. Our apologies for the rough sound in this episode. Dakota Media Access interview https://reflect-dakotamediaaccess.cablecast.tv/Cab...

The Upper Bench 029: Lauren and Sean from Plunj join us to discuss the history and current state of sauna culture in Utah. LINKS Plunj - https://www.plunj.co The Sauna Experience Video - https://vimeo.com/151736393 The Finnish Way book - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36722041-the-finnish-way The Upper Bench website - https://www.theupperbench.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/upper.b...

The Upper Bench 028: Justin from Cedar and Stone joins us to share his experience of growing up with sauna, the history of sauna in Duluth, and starting a sauna company. https://www.patreon.com/TheUpperBench https://cedarandstonesauna.com Hosts Eero Kilpi (Saunner), Sam Wacha (Saunner), Christopher (Risto) Rice (also a Saunner) Theme Music: Conga Se Menne "Guess Who's Coming to Sauna&quot...

The Upper Bench 027: Terhi and Anna from Terhen join us to discuss Finnish sauna treatments and traditions, and the difference between how men and women approach sauna. https://www. TheUpperBench.com https://terhen.fi/en/frontpage Hosts Eero Kilpi (Saunner), Sam Wacha (Saunner), Christopher (Risto) Rice (also a Saunner) Theme Music: Conga Se Menne "Guess Who's Coming to Sauna" TIMEST...

The Upper Bench 026: Random Show Hosts Eero Kilpi (Saunner), Sam Wacha (Saunner), Christopher (Risto) Rice (The Sauna Trail) Theme Music: Conga Se Menne "Guess Who's Coming to Sauna" TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Introductions, Risto’s sauna project, public saunas (00:04:06) Sauna bathing time in a public sauna (00:06:33) Sauna bias (00:09:46) Robust sauna experience, time spent in a sauna i...