Hi everyone,
I've only written several pieces on how the cold exposure is beneficial to health and well-being in general. It not only improves the immune system but also allows for a greater control over the mind. When incorporated into a daily routine, it can become a life changer for so many of us.
If you die once a day, then you know what life is all about.
Wim Hof
Taking an icy dip in a lake or an outdoor tub, might be a great choice during the wintertime. Nothing will beat the experience with mother nature. But if you want an ice bath to be available at hand, throughout the whole year, without the need to travel anywhere, getting a chest freezer and turning it into a cold tub might just be the way to go :)
Getting started
You'll need:
- a chest freezer (likely you can get one for around $250 including delivery) with at least 200 liter (or 7 cubic feet) capacity;
- greenhouse foil or similar (about 3 by 4 meters or 10 by 14 feet), to seal in the water;
- duct tape;
- scissors or a sharp knife;
Instructions
- reel out the greenhouse foil and position it inside the freezer in a way that the middle of the foil coincides with the middle of the freezer; make sure the longer side of the foil is parallel to the longer side of the freezer; if done correctly, the foil will pretty much evenly stick out of the freezer;
- pour some water into the freezer (just about enough to cover the whole bottom); it will make it easier to position the foil; make sure the foil touches the freezer surface in each corner, so the water pressure doesn't damage the foil; also try to get rid of as many ripplings as possible as it will be much easier to clean the foil in the future;
- gradually add water and distribute the foil evenly;
- when the freezer is half full, use scissors (or a sharp knife) to cut out the part of the foil that is sticking out; cut it in a way that, the edge of the foil is above the surface that emits the cold, and slightly below the edge of the freezer (if it's too high, you won't be able to close the freezer - the rubber seal on the cover won't evenly touch the freezer surface);
- use the duct tape to glom the foil to the freezer surface; again, remember to check if the tape isn't positioned to close to the top edge of the freezer;
- pour in more water; when about 2/3 of the freezer is filled in, jump in into the freezer to check if the water level is above your chest; if not add some more water; IMPORTANT! Before jumping in, make sure the freezer is unplugged!
That's it! Now plug in the freezer and wait for the water to cool down. I highly recommend you keep the water at around 4 degrees Celsius (or around 40 degrees Farenheit), as it's been proven to be the most beneficial (also that's more or less what you get in the outdoor conditions during the winter).
Tips
- get a thermometer with a probe to keep track of the temperature inside the freezer; make sure the probe doesn't touch the freezer surface and it's positioned in the middle (this way you'll get an average temperature)
- use a stick or a pole and mark the water level on it, so next time you refill the bath, you won't have to get in to check if there's enough water;
- use fast freezing mode on your freezer to cool down the water much faster;
Have a good one!
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