DIY Cold Plunge Tub: 55 gallon barrel drum. (6 Week Update Review)

Does cold water plunge therapy work? A six-week update review from a beginner.

I was gifted a 55 gallon barrel drum for Christmas. Original full article here:

Cold Moon, Cold Plunge: Benefits to Ice Bath.

My very first plunge was just before the cold moon.

The wolf moon howled and made an appearance somewhere in between.

Last night was the new moon.

For a six week follow up; I’ll follow up with six questions:

How do you feel? Is it really worth it?
- Yes! I’m trying to persuade everyone to do this. Cold plunge is WORTH IT!
- I’m over the moon!
  I feel great! On days I do my ice bath, I feel my very best overall. It helps tremendously with my lower back issues and scoliosis. My breathing feels much more productive. My mood is boosted instantly after an ice bath. Breaking out into a good-mood dance and ready to tackle the day!
  
  I believe it’s helped with my “I’m always freezing” complaints.
  
  The entire family got sick twice in January. I was sick once for about three days. This was during my off-period; when the barrel was a solid chunk of ice.
What’s the average water temperature?
- That’s the thing about an outdoor plunge. It’s unpredictable as the weather. Let me break it down;
  
  December 25th:
- 45° water / 43° outside
  January 12:
- 35° water/28° outside
  January 14:
- Snow storm/frigid temps/froze up barrel/no plunging
  January 29:
- Cleaned and refilled barrel.
  January 30:
- 44° water/ 34° outside
  February 10:
- 52°water /61°outside (warmest day)
  
  As you can see; I had roughly two weeks on. Then roughly two weeks off. And I’ve been back at it again for the last two weeks.
  
  I could have kept a journal and wrote down numbers. I kinda wish I did. This is going by memory. I remember the coldest experience was 35° water; with 28° outdoor temperature.
  
  I had one morning with a wind advisory going on. It was a bit much. Brrr!
  
  The longest plunge was seven minutes; the water was 43° that day.
How often do you plunge?
- Ideally, three or four times a week.
  
  Altogether I did between 15 to 20 cold plunges in six weeks. It could have been much more. Like I said before; the weather is unpredictable.
  
  Much of the east coast was slammed with a snowstorm on January 14th. I REALLY wanted to go out that day; but, it was so incredibly windy.
  
  A couple days later, a cold front came, the temperatures were in the single digits. Then… It happened. My barrel became frozen.
  
  A warm front came at the end of January. After a second snow storm. The snow melted, and the ice bath melted! Then it was time to clean it out and change the water.
How do you keep it clean?With a 55 gallon barrel drum; there’s no filtration system. Simply put; I dump the water and scrub it out with bleach. When I am “filling it up”, I put in about 30 gallons of water (or ⅔ full).
What is the best part?
- During–After being submerged for about 30 seconds; it happens. That euphoria when all your muscles relax. You begin to breathe deeper.
- You can feel your belly expanding/contracting in the water.
- Taking deep refreshing breaths as you gaze at the sunrise.

Watching the animals in the morning; the birds and squirrels.
- After– The pain-free part! The overall great mood boost. I quickly dry off with a towel. Then I put my yoga mat on the patio. Starting off with a horse stance dance. Hold a plank. Do some outdoor winter yoga.
- Move, flex, and flow. Thank God for the new day. Moving and breathing life!
- One morning, it was snowing during my outdoor winter yoga. “Snow-ga” is probably one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had in my life. Feeling the snowflakes land on my back. It was like pins and needles; but rejuvenating and electrifying.

What is the worst part?
- Wind. After that one morning with the wind advisory; I’d advise anyone to skip if the wind is roaring.
- An iced up barrel. When the barrel froze up and I couldn’t use it for 17 days– It really put things into perspective. I was reaping the benefits, then suddenly had to stop. My mind and body missed it!
- My #1 complaint is the cold toes. It can last up to an hour. It can be bothersome, but the overall big benefits outweigh the little frozen toes.

There ya have it!

I’m still persuading everyone to give it a try.

Typically sold for $35 at Rural King; you won’t find a more economical price on a cold plunge “tub”. Or check out Amazon’s selection of barrel drums here!

All you need is a saw for the top, a chair to climb in and out of, and water!

The barrel is such a cheap way to reap these amazing benefits!

For more information on the benefits of Cold Plunge; this article has so much great information:

https://www.signos.com/blog/cold-plunge-benefits