Today I have for you a conversation with friends and long time Field Mag contributors Elias and Theresa Carlson, within which explore the BTS of their handmade wood fired hot tub—diving into everything from design inspo, lessons learned, and a rough cost breakdown.

And if a hot tub is just too hot for you, they also incorporated a custom cold plunge into the design. Cus even in Idaho mfers stay on trend!

Read on for the Q&A and check out the full step-by-step instructions on how to build your own DIY hot tub here.

Where'd the idea for a DIY wood fired hot tub come from?

Theresa and I grabbed a cheap 2’x4’ galvanized stock tank at a yard sale a few years back and installed it on the edge of the yard near the forest. It quickly became an integral part of our Idaho summers. When the temperatures hit 90°, a quick dip in the cold tank could turn a sweltering slog of a day into a real delight. We’d grab a couple cold Rainier beers and a towel, chill ourselves to the bone in the 50-degree fresh water from the well, then pop out and soak up the sun until that cold water sounded nice again.

But summers here are short, and soon our thoughts turned to a cold-weather version of the same experience. The resulting project is perfect for fall here in Idaho.

Did you have construction or DIY experience going into the project?

In college I had a summer job for several years with a home remodel construction company doing grunt work and basic building work alongside one of the company's primary carpenters. I learned a lot, but was still very much in the entry-level phase in terms of building knowledge. For a job like this some basic building knowledge will be required—I'd classify it as solidly intermediate level.

It'd be a simple project for anyone who builds for a living, but if you've never built anything you might want to call your pal who knows what he's doing. You'll need to know how to level and square a deck, and have some familiarity with basic tools like a chop saw, table saw, drill, jigsaw, etc. That said, if you're comfortable with that kind of stuff it's not rocket science. Think everything through carefully, read the instructions for the tub hookup, measure twice, cut once, and you'll be alright.

Cost Breakdown & Time Commitment

Total cost: $2,200-2,300*
- Chofu Stove, $1200 + tax & shipping
- 2'x6' galvanized stock tank, $300
- All deck materials, $700-$800

Total time: Approximately 60 hours (30 hours x 2 people)**

*This would probably be closer to $3,000 without the cost savings from using salvaged siding, and free screws and nails, and could be dramatically more expensive depending on what materials you use. For example, 2x6 fir for our deck was $10/board for an 8' piece. Cedar in the same size & length was $50/board (which is why we used fir).

**This could be significantly less for an experienced builder who doesn't have a four-year-old and seven-month-old to take care of at the same time. Everything seemed to take me twice as long as it should.

Lessons Learned from the DIY Hot Tub Project

1. Get in the tub before you buy it!

We got a 4' round tub first after seeing Tanner and Tess’s setup. But I'm 6'2" so when we got it home and I sat down in it we immediately realized it was too short for my long-ass legs and I had to drive it back to the hardware store to swap out for the 2'x6' tank. We think the 2'x6' is the perfect size for two people. We also considered a 3’x8’ tub to accommodate four people, but that was a jump from 175 gallons (two hours to heat) to 300 gallons (four-plus hours to heat), so we stuck with the two-person tub.

2. Even in fall, a cold plunge tank is a must.

We have a 2'x4' galvanized soaking tub off to the side of the deck which we fill with cold well water from the hose. After 5-10 minutes in the hot tub you start to get overheated. A quick dip in the cold tank is invigorating, stimulating, and makes the hot tub feel even nicer when you get back in. After three or four hot/cold exchanges you become extremely relaxed.

Read full interview here

Have a good weekend ya’ll. Go peep some leaves!

tysvm

-gh

Quite a few new subs rollin in while I’ve been away, so shout out you all and welcome aboard! After a few weeks out west I’m finally back in the saddle. My ti…

Read more

For much of North America, the idea of “going north” represents heading into nature. For New Yorkers, heading “upstate” is an idea that looms large year round. The largely deciduous region of the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains hold …

Read more

By way, in part, of Field Mag contributor and f…

Read more

Good news is, today, you're favorite cabin and cabin-adjacent stuff-focused newsletter is here with big vibes by way of a small studio cabin set on the drier side of th…

Read more

Read more

Today I woke up in a tent next to a creek under a canopy of old growth …

Read more

Read more

Read more

Last week your boy went rogue …

Read more

And this week’s newsletter isn’t about cabins, but rugs. Hope you find it fun :)

Welcome to Friday Carpets!

My Moroccan rug origin story starts with a good old fashioned press trip. If you’re not familiar with press trips, here’s the quick and dirty: One or multiple brands pools together marketing budget to send one or multiple magazine editors (or influencers, youtubers, podcasters, etc) to a cool destination to do activities and test their product and later write/post about it. Nobody makes money in media, but often we get free stuff and sometimes we get to go cool places. We ain’t buying homes, but if you need a new HydroFlask, I got you.

This time around, the cool place was Morocco and the free stuff was adventure cycling apparel provided by Swedish outdoors brand Fjallraven, among others. I was there representing Field Mag, the publication I run when I’m not writing this newsletter. Below is a pic of your boy pedaling in the literal Sahara desert. It was a wild few days. Glad I didn’t die.

After the press trip wrapped, I snuck in a quick surf trip to the coast with old friend/trip organizer James Nixon. He’s a good dude and a good surfer. We both caught some waves. It was sick. But that’s enough of the non-rug talk. In the final hours of our trip, during our 4+ hour taxi ride back to Marrakech for our last night, we spotted a Kasbah adorned with big ass rugs. So we pulled over in the middle of seemingly nowhere, got out, and walked into a wonderful place.

A number of people appeared out of nowhere, wiping sleep from their eyes. We were just a couple days after the end of Ramadan and the exhaustion from a month of fasting (and a day or two of partying) was evident. But their spirits quickly brightened as soon as they saw two gringos in search of souvenirs.

I was in the mood to barter so the vibes only kept elevating. Immediately we got into it, in the best way.

Immediately rugs began to be pulled out and put on display. And our education began. All rugs were woven by Berber women, the non-Arab indigenous population of Morocco, using mainly handspun sheep wool, goat and camel hair. Colors are natural, dyed with organic materials like cobalt, indigo, saffron, cumin, cumin, ginger, turmeric, and others I can’t remember.

The designs are dictated by the different Berber groups—I found myself most drawn to the abstract iconography of the Nomad people who have for centuries roamed the Sahara raising sheep, goats, and camels, and in more recent generations have turned to farming in the adjacent mountain regions. Their expert and purposefully irregular weaving symbolizes their independence from the urban areas and its largely Arab population.

Below are two beautiful examples of nomadic design, with the left getting its blue hue from indigo, and the right cobalt (which is mined in the Atlas Mountains, where we were cycling).

The dealer said the distinct designs are often freestyled by the craftswomen, line by line, and often employ both hand stitching and loom weaving. The asymmetrical fringe was admittedly a little unattractive to me at first, but I came around after the dealer (Hassan, by now my good friend of course) explained that the fringe represents life continuing on in many directions but only forward.

A great deal of other symbolism was explained that has since escaped my screen-smoothed brain. But rest assured, it’s all good stuff that made a sale even more imminent.

A half an hour of browsing later I settled on a very large cobalt blue Nomad rug, which reportedly had taken the makers six months to complete, working a couple hours a day. At roughly 10’ x 13’ it was literally too big for my apartment, but I felt like I might as well shoot the moon and bring home something truly unique. An aspirational purchase, if you will.

After more banter and some playful jabs we got down to brass tacks: price.

Hassan went high. I went low. He growled. And the volley began. I then threw a curveball—add the minimalist white sheepskin rug, made entirely of black and white sheep’s wool, also by Nomad weavers. Excited, we continued. At roughly half his original ask and up a rug, we shook hands. “I’m happy with this deal,” I said as clear as day to wrap things up in typical American fashion.

Hassan, who himself is Berber Nomad, turned and said, “Deal or no deal, I’m happy. It’s not a matter of business, but of choice. Everyday I am happy.”

Below is Hassan’s business card. He requested we “make propaganda” about his operation to help him and the Berber women that make these beautiful works of art. Next time you’re in Morocco, look him up. (And yes, he takes AmEx.)

Have a nice weekend. Chose happy.

-gh

Read more

But first, a cabin that folds into a cub…

Read more

Read more

Almost too much so.

When…

Read more

Read more

Read more

So, throughout the week, while too weak…

Read more

Read more

As before, I, Graham Hiemstra, foun…

Read more