First winter with the tub

[tkruel]

As it is really starting to get cold here, I was wondering how all of you:

Keep your towel warm?
Where do you dry off?
Use a robe?
What kind of floor covering outside or inside?

And any other cold weather tips you may have.

Thanks

[wmccall]

We  use large heavy robes and we wear cheap sandals. If there is snow on the ground, we wear the sandals right into the tub.  When it is below freezing our tub is at 104, so I feel comfortably warm when I get out long enough to get the robe on and add the dichlor and close up the tub.  
Wind is the killer.  I've gotten out of the tub down to 4degrees F this way if there is no wind.

[Brewman]

I just bring the towels down with us, and let them be outside.  I don't use a robe, Mrs. Brewman does.  
She towels off quick right after she gets out, puts on the robe and pops into the house.
I get out, shut the cover, towel off, put on slippers, grab any stuff we bring out, and head inside.
As Bill said, if there is no wind, when you get out of the water you have a couple of minutes before you feel really cold.  I've been out single digits below zero.

[drewstar]

Congrats on your tub.

IMHO, outdoor winter tubbing is the best.  It's one of the top reasons I bought my tub.   There is absolutey nothing better than sitting outside on a fridigd winter night watching the stars and sitting in the tub.


My tub is ver close to the house (less than 5 feet) and I do not find the need to bring a towel outside. Getting out of the tub, you'll find your body is very warm and you'll have more time than you think before you start to get cold.

My tub is a few steps outside of my laundry room door. I've fixed up the room  and have a few towels on a rack there, as well as a bench,  and thick terry robes on the hooks. I was thinking of a japanese screen in one corner so guests had a "disrobe" area.

I have a square of carpet by the door to help with dripping bathers.

I don't use a suit unless I am with others that are shy.  A soggy wet bathing suit in the cold is not pleasent.

I bring out my dichlor in a premeasured waterproof bottle (an old test strip bottle). This helps minimize the time outside after my soak.

getting into the tub, I flip only half the cover and hope in, and open it fully while in the water.  I do the opposite when getting out.  

If it is very cold out, I'll go out fully clothed, and open the cover, light the torches, and bring out any refreshments and get the tub ready and then go inside the house before getting nekked.

[Perk1]

Like Drewstar my tub is only a few feet from my back door.  If it is really cold, I will open the tub and startt the jets before I get undressed and into my suit.  I will also leave the towel inside if it is really cold.  When I am done I pop into the house, dry off on the little carpet there, get dressed then go back out to add chemicals, let the tub run a bit then go out and close her up.  The one thing to watch out for is frozen water on your spa steps when you are getting in or out and frozen water on your deck.  If it is realy cold the water will frereze up rather quickly and could make things a little slick.  Just watch your step and you should be fine!!!

[drewstar]

Like Drewstar my tub is only a few feet from my back door.  If it is really cold, I will open the tub and startt the jets before I get undressed and into my suit.  I will also leave the towel inside if it is really cold.  When I am done I pop into the house, dry off on the little carpet there, get dressed then go back out to add chemicals, let the tub run a bit then go out and close her up.  The one thing to watch out for is frozen water on your spa steps when you are getting in or out and frozen water on your deck.  If it is realy cold the water will frereze up rather quickly and could make things a little slick.  Just watch your step and you should be fine!!!

Perk try bringing the chems out in premasured doses with you. It was recomended to me here on this site  and works well for me.

After comming in from a  soak, I put on one of the spa robes and just want to relax in front of the fireplace with a night cap. The last thing I want to do is put on my clothes back on and  go back outside and fool with the tub.

I wish they made an auto cover lifter (Kinda like a garage door opener) for tubs.    

[Anoroc]

drewstar- dont you leave the cover open after putting in the chems?  So you would have to back outside anyway.  Or do you just add the chems and close the cover?

[drewstar]

drewstar- dont you leave the cover open after putting in the chems?  So you would have to back outside anyway.  Or do you just add the chems and close the cover?

Here's what I do:

- Close half the cover.
- Dump the premasured dichlor into the far side of the tub.
- Turn on the clean cyle.
- Get out of the tub
- Flip the cover fully closed.
- Go inside the house
- Have a beer.


it 's my understanding that I don't need to keep the cover open after  adding the sanitizer (Dichlor) but must leave the cover open when oxidizing (Shocking with MPS).

Do I have it wrong?

[hamrhed]

Drewstar,

Wlat type of beer do you use???

And if the cover is closed how do you get the beer out???

Just Kiddin,,, I think you have the method down!!!!

[drewstar]

Drewstar,

Wlat type of beer do you use???

And if the cover is closed how do you get the beer out???

Just Kiddin,,, I think you have the method down!!!!

Last night it was a Sam Adams Winter.  The night before a Watchusette IPA.   During my Turkey party last week it was home made Mint Juleps (discovered a left over batch from the summer. This was dangerous).

[hamrhed]

Cool, I as well am a Sams drinker...

Is that Watchusette IPA a local out in the Worcester Area?

I enjoy the local fare  ie; BBC Steel Rail Pail Ale, Paper City has a few also...

I have heard of Mint Juleps, but what are in them?

[wmccall]

it 's my understanding that I don't need to keep the cover open after  adding the sanitizer (Dichlor) but must leave the cover open when oxidizing (Shocking with MPS).

Do I have it wrong?

My understanding is the opposite. I think the dichlor gasses more than MPS - But I'm willing to listen to arguments either way.

[Backpains]

Ok here's my two cents:

We have our hot tub enclosed and it's maybe 5 feet from the front door. Robes are always in our bathroom hanging so they are warm and ready to go. Towels we grab one towel and it gets put in the dryer after we get back in the house so that it's dry when we want to use it again. I get in first and flip the cover the rest of the way over..we soak for about an hour in the am and pm and then I get out dry off and while hubby is drying off I add what chems I need to (I keep them in a bucket bottles of alk, bromine, and whatever else we need is in this bucket. I noticed that this morning it was very cold and I didn't seem to have to much problem getting dried off and in the house. Oh and we wear shoes to the hot tub room it has a concrete floor and I've been trying to talk hubby into some of that indoor outdoor carpet but he seems to think it'd be to slick.

[drewstar]

Cool, I as well am a Sams drinker...

Is that Watchusette IPA a local out in the Worcester Area?

I enjoy the local fare  ie; BBC Steel Rail Pail Ale, Paper City has a few also...

I have heard of Mint Juleps, but what are in them?

Yup,. Watchusett brewery.  Are you in the area? I am in Boylston.

Berkshire Brewing is the best beer I have tasted in a long, long time.  I like thier IPAs.  I can't get a break on their case price though.

When I go up tp Maine skiing I stop in to Gritty McDuffs  (freeport) and pick up some Scotish ale.  That's a treat.

Mint Juleps in a quick  nuthsell =  Mint flavored Ice tea with burbon.

[Anoroc]

I too thought I read in a thread somewhere that with dichlor you need to keep cover open.  Maybee closing the cover once in a while is not such a big deal??