The Overland team has spent the last 6 months designing, testing, and modifying our sauna tent and stove prototypes, seeking easy transport and setup, excellent heat, and good airflow.
While testing out the Overland sauna next to the Deschutes River in Maupin, Oregon, we wanted to be extremely cautious with the dry end-of-summer conditions. Taking inspiration from the "you may only smoke while standing in the river" signs, we decided to set up our tent in a section of the river that's about 6" deep, sheltered by a small rock wall made of river stones that someone else had built.
It was magical.
The tent has no bottom layer to it, which makes this water setup possible. While the tent did not quite get to the 180-200 degree F we have experienced on dry land due to the cold water inside the tent, it still got plenty hot for a good sweat. Being able to zip open the door (there are two on opposite sides), walk a few feet, then lower yourself into the rushing cold mountain runoff of the Deschutes was a core memory for many of us. You should have heard the whooping and hollering.
The next day, several white water rafting teams made excited and curious comments about this tent with a stove pipe sitting in the river. You might just find yourself some new friends when you bring the Overland sauna with you.
This unexpected context for the Overland setup gives us all tremendous excitement to get these kits out into the wild. Find cold water on your next adventure and bring the good heat with you!