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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.
in the wood
My aversion to excessive heat and unnecessary removal of clothing has been vigorously challenged by a sweet-smelling sauna with a cedar seat. I wasn’t expecting it, but these Damascene moments seem pretty common. Wildhut founders Thaisa Box and Lisa Deller had theirs in a small sauna on the beach in their native Brighton (“I found myself booking in advance because it was difficult to get in,” says Deller). It became their joint obsession, culminating in the production of this range of outdoor saunas designed to withstand the temperatures of the Baltic but also, crucially, the humidity of British gardens. And that is where we are currently sitting, in an eight-person version (the “Maa”), watching the trees sway and the birds jump through a triple-glazed picture window.
Wildhut’s heat can come from a wood stove, but in this case (and most) it is an electrical element inside a stove filled with olivine stones. It is over these rocks that, from time to time, you will pour a ladle of water, releasing clouds of steam known as lolyly if you are finnish, leil if you are Estonian. In Finnish culture, the spiritual meaning of lolyly has seen saunas recognized by UNESCO on its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. That, combined with the purported health benefits (improved cardiovascular and immune function, among others) is what Wildhut is looking to bring to the UK and beyond.
It is modular, so the parts can be transported to a garden (no crane required) and assembled in a few days. Each of the models is 2.5m high to meet building regulations and comes with an optional porch and shower. The cedar interior naturally repels insects and all accessories were designed to withstand fluctuating temperatures.
But heat and humidity are actually a secondary aspect of spending time together, according to Deller. “It’s a wonderful space to connect with people,” he says. “It’s part of our lifestyle that we didn’t know was missing. “We thought we had done it all, but the sauna added a whole new dimension.”
ground control
The search for a reliable insulated camping mat is often a balance between volume and quality, but the advancement of materials science is making that search increasingly easier. Vango’s latest (and warmest) fits into a sleek backpack that weighs 735g and measures just 22cm high by 13cm in diameter, and unfolds into a 195cm by 58cm mat that can be inflated with your mouth ( about 20 puffs) or using the backpack itself as a bomb. -bag. Ingenious lamination techniques and layers of aluminum film to reflect heat make it more than suitable for camping in winter (has an R-value of 5.6) and provides adequate support, even for heavily constructed cleats like mine. Added markings for rust-free recycled fabric.
By stove!
Wood stove owners may enjoy monitoring the fire they have built and adjusting the air controls to keep it burning to their liking, but our general tendency is to burn wood too vigorously. This ingenious “smart” stove controls the fire not by temperature, but by a light sensor located in the refractory brick lining. If the fire is too bright, it automatically reduces the air coming in, and if it gets too dim, it opens it up. The result is optimal combustion: cleaner, more efficient and with fewer logs needed. It’s the kind of technology that really takes care of itself, but smart home enthusiasts will appreciate the Charnwood Control app, which provides temperature readings, a “night mode” and more.
the big dream
I presented the predecessor of the Pod 4 last winter, praising its ability to regulate nighttime temperature by pushing hot or cold water through a special mattress cover, and after a longer period of sleeping on one, I’d say it’s one of those rare pieces of kit. I really miss it when it’s not there. Any complaints one might have had with the Pod 3 have been rectified in this version: the header Pod runs 40 percent quieter (a very gentle hum), there is an option to control it manually by tapping the sides (instead of playing with the application). ) and the mattress cover is thinner, softer and feels no different than a standard mattress topper. Rock solid operation, revolutionary relaxation.
a new flame
We have a strong primary connection with fire. Electric heaters, not so much. For decades, heater manufacturers have tried to compensate for the lack of dancing flames using a variety of lame techniques, but Dutch firm Kalfire has done it. Their holographic chimneys look amazing, but installation effectively requires building a fake chimney hood; This one, on the other hand, can be mounted on the wall. It’s a 1.5kW fan heater built around a screen displaying a fire, with LED lighting creating the effect of beds of embers and glowing logs below. It’s designed to sit under a 65-inch TV, and Kalfire can provide matching environments to integrate everything seamlessly.