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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
Spencer Adkisson
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 4, 2008 - 01:25am PT
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All by myself. I used willow saplings and string to create a dome and then covered it with blankets and a tarp. I've got some real nice lava rocks from Mt. Shasta to put in the pit, and a roaring hot fire stoked with manzanita firewood. Does it get any better? It's a pretty big one though; comfortably fits 12-16 people, and I can stand up in there (I'm 6'4"). The next one I will build will be more of a "squashed dome" that fits 4-6 people, and no taller than 3 1/2 to 4'.
But still...sittin' around pickin' the banjo by the fire, then sewatin' my arse off in the lodge. It's good.
Oh yeah baby...Oooooohhhh Yeeeeaaaah.
Anybody else ever built one of these things? How did it work out?
Might be heading out tomorrow to do some manky bolt and rap anchor replacement in a secret, undisclosed location. I'll post up on that too.
I'll try to get some pics up pronto. Hope everybody else is having a wonderful week also. Cheers~~~~~SA
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
valley center, ca
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My son in law has, loved it, learned how from some of the Indians on a near by rez. They are great. Good for you, maybe some of your joy will over flow to Owlman. lrl
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Phil_B
Social climber
Hercules, CA
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Built a river sauna on a trip down the Main Salmon once.
Dig a trench in the beach, cover with tarps and prop up with paddles. Heat up some rocks in the fire pan, put in rocket box, carry to the sauna and then sprinkle water on top.
Best part was that we had the river there to cool off when it got too hot.
Portable, too
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Ricardo Cabeza
climber
Meyers,CA
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No real advice on the sweat lodge part of it, but a word of caution on lava rocks.
I was camping near pig rock a few winters ago and decided to have a nice campfire. The rocks in the wash made a really great fire ring. About an hour and a half later, the darn things start exploding! My sleeping bag got a huge hole in it and Chris got shrapnel in his eye, requiring a trip to the doctor.
Anyhow, good luck with the lodge, just watch those lava rocks!!
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L
climber
A place with rocks...lots and lots of rocks...
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Wow Spencer,
That sounds like an amazing project!
I've never built a sweatlodge, but have done several of them. Usually the smaller and more closely packed in people are, the better the sweat. Something about the energy in small places. (However, there is a point where closeness can turn into claustrophobia, so you have to be careful--haha!)
Burning sage is really nice during a sweat...and being able to jump in cold water afterwards like Phil did is also pretty fantastic. Also, soaking the blankets that cover the lodge first gives you a much more intense sweat.
Never had the experience of lava rocks exploding like Ricardo--I thought porous rocks would be less inclined to explode than the more solid variety, but who knows.
Looking forward to your TR.
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drgonzo
Trad climber
east bay, CA
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Sounds like the high temperature equivalent of waterboarding.
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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One time I was fightin' fire up in I-da-ho and we had been out in the woods for a looooong time. The powers that be thought we were going to get hit with a big storm and long lined in rolls of plastic so we could build shelters (typical fed waste of $). We built a sweat lodge instead and sweated out weeks worth of soot and filth. Everyone had these black streaks running down their bodies. Cleanest I was all season.
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Anguish
Mountain climber
Jackson Hole Wyo.
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"The Indian Tipi; Its history, construction and use", by Reginald and Gladys Laubin (late of Jackson Hole) is the bible for my weekend tipi life in Sublettistan, south of the Hole. A chapter is devoted to the sweat lodge.
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Spencer Adkisson
Trad climber
Reno, NV
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 4, 2008 - 08:05pm PT
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Hey Ricardo, it they were in a wash, then they are essentially river rocks, which are no bueno for sweat lodges. Lava rocks, Granite, and Limestone are the choice rocks for sweat lodges. They hold the heat best, and look really cool when glowing red.
L, I hung a few sage smudge sticks from the center of the lodge with string, so that when water is poured on the rocks the steam will rise and release some of the sage aroma. It works well. Also, I lined the pit with Pennyroyal from the garden, but it makes it a little too smokey in there. My next feat will be to add Eucalyptus oil to the water bucket to pour on the rocks. That always works well.
Gotta go stoke the fire...more later...PEACE~~~~~SA
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