The Wood Burning Hot Tub isn’t simply just about the soak. It provides a reason, and a place, to pause from our busy lives. As we continue to use the hot tub, it becomes a treasured and unforgettable ritual shared with family and friends in nature. A meaningful routine develops around the whole process—the time of day, chopping and stacking the wood, lighting and stoking the fire, stirring the water, listening to the crackle of the fire, and spending quality time - either alone or together - before the water is ready.
Once the hot tub is ready, the other half of the ritual begins: sinking into the water, possibly with beverages or a book, toys for playing or a hand shower for cooling off. Your ritual might include the Nordic Cycle with periods of rest and other forms of heat like a sauna, or contrast water therapy with the hot tub and a cold dip in a nearby body of water.
We asked a few of our community members to share what their wood fired bathing ritual looks like, along with some of their favourite core memories around using the hot tub.
Craig & Kendra, Co-Founders of GOODLAND
The wood fired bathing ritual is essentially how GOODLAND came to be. While the ritual has evolved over the years, and will continue to do so as their children grow older, this is what’s happening today: Craig and Kendra clear the calendar one day a week for a family day centered around their wood fire hot tub, which is currently located on their deck overlooking the forest.
“It's a day of pause. You've committed to going with the flow, hanging around, and enjoying the day essentially. The hot tub is always a staple in that. It’s an activity for us—the whole process of preparing it, doing a few things while it heats up, getting your drinks ready.”
Craig and the girls check water first, changing or adding fresh water as needed. The girls help light the fire and get a good fire going, after which time they have about 45 min or an hour to themselves before needing to add more wood.“During that time the girls will help me stack the wood. We’ll grab the wheelbarrow and move some firewood a bit closer to the Hot Tub if it needs restocking.”
Craig monitors the temperature as needed while the family has a nice breakfast. Some days they’ll do a couple of small chores before all four get into the wood fired hot tub as a family. “Kendra & I will soak for a little bit and then we’ll leave the girls in there, playing with their teacups or Barbies, giggling. The Hot Tub is something we do together, even the preparation, and we're all participants. It gets us outside, out of the house, and it's a great relaxing and peaceful way to spend the day.”
One of Craig’s favourite recent memories on their Hot Tub Day involved leaning into a Pacific Northwest spring downpour: “After we got a good fire going, we put on our rain gear and went to a meadow with huge puddles. For 45 min we jumped, splashed, slid around, made a huge mess, and the girls had a blast. Then we hung our gear up to dry, they got their Barbies, and we played in the Hot Tub in the rain. We spent most of the day getting wet, being wet, and being in nature. It was just pure, simple enjoyment.”
Sydney Hoffman, Lifestyle Creator
Meet Sydney, a friend of GOODLAND who lives just outside of Toronto, ON. Her daily ritual with the wood fired hot tub varies with the seasons—mornings are for solo cold plunges to boost mental clarity and energy, while evenings are for shared hot soaks with her partner. For Sydney, these moments of pause in her GOODLAND Tub ground her and bring a sense of renewal, making the effort of the cold plunge always worth it.
“Depending on the day I like to get up and check on my garden. Go on a walk or run and then head to the tub for a cold plunge. Every morning is a bit different but as the days get colder I'm starting to incorporate my cold plunge back into my routine. It's a solo activity for me. One that I enjoy because mentally it completely changes my mood for the better. I'm mentally stronger, it gives me energy, motivates me, and clears my mind. I just feel so good after every cold plunge. It's really hard at times to get into the tub and to sit there for a few minutes but it's so worth it in the end.”
Jonathan Kuhn, Photographer
Friends of GOODLAND, photographer Jonathan Kuhn and his family have had their Wood Burning Hot Tub for several years. Based in Ontario, Canada, Jonathan and his family use the tub at their off-grid property across seasons—whether it’s in the winter snow or as a refreshing dip in the summer.
“We placed our tub by our sauna a few steps away from the waters edge at our lake front property. We spend most of our weekends at our little getaway so the hot tub gets fired up most weekends too. We of course enjoy having a relaxing soak in the evenings but the majority of our hot tub use centres around the whole family. We have an off grid solar pump fill the tub with fresh lake water in the morning and spend a few minutes gathering wood and splitting kindling with our son. There’s lots to do around the property while the tub is heating so we will do some fishing or go for a kayak and tend to the fire every 30 minutes or so.
The tub has been key in extending our swim season in the lake. We are usually the first people in the water after the ice melts and the last to be swimming late into the fall because a hot soak is just a few steps away. Our son has actually come to expect the 'hot pool' every time he goes for a swim regardless of if it’s filled or not.
We also like to invite friends to enjoy the water and the tub is always ready for them by the water. All day long kids and adults alike are going from the cool lake to the hot tub and back."
Erika Burnham and Kamalu Fernandez, Owners of NowHere
Located just an hour outside of Austin, TX, NowHere is an upscale nature retreat consisting of four cabins and a communal clubhouse. NowHere’s founders, Erika & Kamalu, sought to create the perfect setting to unplug from devices, allowing you to slow down and disconnect in nature: “We believe in the transformative power of the great outdoors and, most importantly, savoring the present moment.”
Erika and Kamalu knew they wanted to create a space to slow down and be immersed in nature, and have included one of our Wood Burning Hot Tubs in each of their cabins. When the Hot Tubs are not in use by their guests, they take turns using the soaking tubs for themselves. Their baby loves the warm water, and they often take time to bathe with him.
“We enjoy our wood fired hot tub ritual in the morning, first thing. While my husband is in bed playing with the baby I will make warm hibiscus tea then take some time to head outside by myself and start the fire. Once the fire is going I bring the baby in the tub with me for some alone time with him while my husband does his morning workout before joining us a little later for a whole family soak. We get in when the water is about 80 F and stay in while it heats up to about 90 F. We use water from our well.
If the baby is feeling energized we use the time to splash, climb the backrests, explore and look at the plants around us. If he's feeling relaxed and ready for a nap, we use the time for skin to skin contact and just slowly winding down. We always leave our soaking sessions feeling relaxed and connected to each other.”
Kaeli Robinsong and Mike Mavis, Owners of Moon Jelly Bathhouse
Moon Jelly Bathouse is a rustic, self-led day spa located near the surfing village of Tofino on Vancouver Island in BC. It’s an immersive experience featuring fire, air, water, seaweed, and spectacular views of Clayoquot Sound.
Mike and Kaeli’s daily ritual for their off-grid bathouse begins with a 30-minute boat ride to the floating spa. Once there, they pump seawater from the ocean into their two GOODLAND Hot Tubs, adding seaweed harvested sustainably by close friends. This prepares the tubs for thalassotherapy—the practice of seaweed bathing, popularized in Ireland, where Kaeli’s family immigrated from. Kaeli notes that seaweed, being rich in antioxidants & minerals, is incredibly nourishing for the skin and body. As the seaweed is heating up in the tub water, they gently stir the water and prepare the rest of the bathhouse for their guests.
A second ritual they cherish is after the bathhouse closes for the day: “Mike and I love enjoying our Moon Jelly Tubs at night, under the stars, jumping out of the hot tub into the phosphorescent…” The warm water surrounding the bathhouse promises the sight of the bioluminescent algae at night, as well as Moon Jellyfish which love the warm waters of the bay they live in.
We love hearing from our community—tell us about your 90-minute wood fired bathing ritual. Email us the details of your ritual and include a photo or two.
Kendra Nickerson
Kendra is a writer, editor, and strategist who is driven by a love for finding better ways to do things. She covers the Resources articles for GOODLAND—the how-tos and whys. Kendra loves to garden, cook, and go on vacations that combine nature with bathing. In her past life, she worked in art and design.
