Nothing cuts the chill and soothes sore muscles like a sauna. Build a riverside sauna for less than $300 with these easy instructions.

The $280 Sauna

Step 1: Draw up your plans on a piece of scrap paper. An 8x8-foot platform will comfortably fit 4-6 sweaty people. We found that an 8-foot wall accomadates one row of "extra-hot" bleacher seating. Slope your roof to a 6-foot wall to save on wood and nails.

Step 2: Wood and the woodstove are your biggest expenses. Find cheap wood at the back of a timber yard — look for graying piles of rough cut cedar or pine, wear a plaid shirt and 3-day shadow (female sauna-builders are advised to find a male friend for rural timber negotiations), and don't pay more than $200.

Never underestimate the resources to be found at your local landfill. We scored three pieces of insulated chimney pipe for free, as well as enough panel insulation and corrugated tin roofing scraps to insulate and put a durable lid on our sauna.

A cast iron boxwood stove will run you about $150 new — much cheaper than a dedicated sauna woodstove and perfectly servicable. Or scoop one from a relative's barn (free). Use an old roasting pan and fill it with river rocks; place atop the stove.

Step 3: Get hammering — those walls don't build themselves! With a friend, expect to put in 3 or 4 full days, depending on your carpentry skills.

Step 4: The finishing touches are what really make your sauna a gathering place for friends and fellow paddlers. Sand the benches so they're splinter-free smooth, pick up some discarded pails to fill with river water for a post-sauna hot wash, and don't forget to grab a branch of birch sapling for a traditional Finnish whipping (it feels good, trust us).

Step  5: Invite your friends over. Ask them to bring firewood and beer. Enjoy!