How to Make a Sweat Bath in the Wilderness

Select a suitable open area. Find a level spot, preferably rocky (to avoid a muddy mess), with enough space for a four-person (or larger) tent and a large fire several feet away. It should also be near a clear stream or pond if possible.

Cut the bottom off of an old dome tent. Leave a 6–12 inch (15.2–30.5 cm) border around the bottom so that the tent will hold its shape better when assembled.

Assemble the tent. Set it up the same as you would if it had a bottom. You may need to stack rocks at the corners of the tent to hold the poles in place.

Collect rocks. Find several large igneous rocks. DO NOT use rocks from a river or creek, as they will shatter and burn your body badly. (see Warnings below)

Heat the rocks. Build a large fire several feet from the tent (see Warnings below). Once the fire has built up a lot of hot coals, place several of the rocks in the bed of coals and continue to fuel the fire around them for 30-45 minutes.

Build a rock-ring inside the tent. Make sure that nothing hot will touch the side of the tent or the people in it. (See Warnings.) Place a pan of cold water next to the rock ring.

Transfer the rocks. Use heavy leather work gloves and a pitchfork (or a sturdy camp shovel if no pitchfork is available) to remove the red-hot rocks from the fire pit and place them carefully into the rock-ring inside the tent. It's a good idea to sweep and/or blow on the stones to remove any ash, dust and embers that might go into the lodge and then into your lungs.

Get inside the tent. Zip it shut from inside, leaving a small air hole.

Make Steam. Pour water slowly over hot rocks to create steam. Repeat until the tent is hot and steamy. Enjoy your sweat bath for 15 - 20 minutes.

Bathe in cool water. (Optional) Exit your sweat bath and jump into a pool of clean, cool water and enjoy the marvelous cleansing effect. This may be the cleanest you'll ever feel in the wilderness, even without soap.