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Setting up your ice bath

Your ice bath is a VITAL+ Pro portable cold plunge. It needs no tools and no permanent installation. This guide takes you from unpacking to your first session, and through packing it away.

Setting it up yourself? If you didn't book our set up and pack down, you set it up yourself and you take full responsibility for it. We don't supply a hose, so use your own garden hose or bucket and your own water. Ice and a chiller aren't included either: you add your own ice.

Before you begin

Choose your spot before you fill it. A full ice bath is far too heavy to move.

  • Surface: flat, level and stable. Grass, pavers, decking or indoors all work.
  • Drainage: somewhere the water can drain away when you empty it.
  • Access: a clear path in and out, away from kids' play areas.

What's in the bag

  • The ice bath tub (4" thick, insulated, military grade)
  • The thermal lid
  • A hand pump
  • Sanitiser tablets
  • The carry bag

Step by step

Step 1: Unpack and lay it flat

Take the tub out of the carry bag and unfold it flat in your chosen spot. Check it over. If you spot any damage, take a photo and contact us before you use it.

Step 2: Pump it up

The tub arrives flat. Inflate it through the side valve with the hand pump from the bag until the walls feel rigid, then make sure the valve pins are in the raised (closed) position. Don't fill it until it's firm.

Step 3: Fill it

Fill it with your garden hose or buckets of water. Leave 10 to 15 cm from the top so it doesn't overflow when you get in.

Step 4: Add your ice

Around 10 to 14 kg of ice brings the water down to about 10 to 15°C. Bags from the service station (about $3 each) or containers of water frozen at home both work. The blue cubes in our photos are for show only and don't cool the water.

Step 5: Add a sanitiser tablet

Drop in one of the sanitiser tablets from the bag. Add another every time you fill it.

Step 6: Lid on

Put the thermal lid on to keep the cold in and the water clean until you're ready.

Want to see it done? Watch the VITAL+ Pro tub setup video. It also shows a chiller, which isn't part of your hire.

Your first session

  • Start around 15°C for 2 to 3 minutes. New to it? 2 minutes or less is plenty.
  • Have a warm towel and warm clothes ready before you get in.
  • Never plunge alone. Have someone else there.
  • Get in slowly, keep your breathing slow and steady, and get out whenever you want.

During your hire

  • Keep the lid on between sessions. It keeps the water cold and clean.
  • Top up the ice as it melts.
  • Change the water if it starts to look cloudy or dirty, and add a fresh sanitiser tablet each time you refill.

Draining and packing away

Booked our pack down? Leave this to us. Otherwise:

  1. Open the drain valve at the base and let the water run out somewhere it can drain away.
  2. Dry the inside thoroughly before you let any air out.
  3. Fold the tub and pack it into the carry bag with the lid, the pump and any leftover tablets.

Safety

Please read our safety guide before your first session, including who should check with a doctor first. Stop straight away if you feel dizzy, sick, short of breath, or have chest pain. Call 111 in an emergency.

Questions or problems during your hire? Call or text 020 4143 5144.

About the ice bath