Most communication is carried out through body language. Apart from dance music being pumped through the venue like elevator music, patrons often rarely speak. Communication: Saunas and sex-on-premises venues are places where words are kept to a minimum.
Drugs: Don’t take drugs at a bathhouse, or go to a bathhouse when you’re high.Poppers, a cock ring, some toys, or a douche are other things you might want to pack in your gym bag. Same goes for condoms if you want to use them. You might want to think about taking your own. Accessories: Most bathhouses will provide lube, but it’s not going to be the best quality.If not, a small drawstring gym bag can be a handy way of carrying your valuables. Lockers: Most bathhouses will provide lockers.Some bathhouses provide flip-flops, or take your own. Footwear: It’s advisable to wear something on your feet.You will need to pay for entry, and you might want to buy some drinks or snacks while you’re there. What advice or guidance would you give to someone who was thinking of going to a bathhouse for the first time? Grindr can hook people up, but it doesn’t offer the setting or ambience of a bathhouse. Bathhouses remain rather exclusive and clandestine. The whole erotic construct of bathhouses continues to hold appeal, even in these days of the mainstreaming all that is gay. The golden age of the 70s may be over but the bathhouse construct isn’t - they’ve evolved. The HIV epidemic contributed to the closure of a lot of bathhouses, is the golden age of bathhouses over? I’ve known a number of men over the years who regularly meet at the bathhouse - they bond as friends, and they also have sex in a buddy-type of way.
But bathhouses are also an important communal setting - much like the gay bars and clubs have historically been, except that the bathhouse setting offers the added dimension of sex. That kind of cultural tradition doesn’t exist in the US, so it’s really only in the larger cities where you can now find gay bathhouses. In Russia they have the Banya, in Germany and Scandinavia they have the sauna, Turkey the hamman, Japan the onsen, and Korea spas are very traditional. In parts of Europe and Asia, communal bathing and saunas has long been part of everyday life. In the age of Grindr, some people might think that bathhouses are places for just for older or unfit guys, however that’s ill-informed - lots of young and fit guys really enjoy bathhouse encounters. But in my experience, I’ve seen a broad variety of all types of guys at bathhouses. Some bathhouses cater to the Bear/Daddy/DILF demographic. You also want your sauna to be busy, you need a good number of guys to ensure a congenial atmosphere.Īll sorts. It can still be a bit clandestine or anonymous but security and safety are key factors. Although there are those men who prefer places that are bit less polished, more rustic, in a raunchy-type of way. Others find a glory hole set-up a draw.įor a lot of people, cleanliness is key.