Wet tent!!

“COMPLETELY forgot to unpack my tent and let dry after hiking last weekend on the PA AT. It's been a week and it had rained the last night on the trail, so my tent was wet. I just opened it to dry it out and the tent is still soaked. It's got a stale smell but I don't see any mildew spots yet.... think I'm safe? Any suggestions on getting the mildew spot out? How about a weak bleach solution?”

“This is from Serria Designs.....
What is mildew and how do I clean it off my tent?
A musty odor, and/or small cross-shaped spots on the tent fabric indicate mildew formation. Mildew, a fungus spore, requires a dark, warm, moist environment to grow. Mildew uses the dirt and soil found on many tents as nutrients to grow and reproduce. This fungus actually penetrates the urethane coating of the tent fabric and grows between the tent fabric and coating, eventually lifting the coating from the fabric. Waterproofness is thus lost and the fabric is eventually destroyed.
Should mildew begin to form, immediate action can be taken to retard further growth. Wash the tent as instructed above. Next, sponge-wipe the tent with a dilute solution of McNett MiraZyme. Sponge over the affected areas and allow to air dry, out of direct sunlight, without rinsing. This will kill the mildew on the tent, and prevent it from getting worse, but it will not remove the mildew marks.
If your tent has developed a bad odor it is probably due to an advanced case of mildew, which can cause the urethane coating on tent fabric to break down and start to delaminate. Because of this, washing your tent can cause the deteriorated coating to peel off completely, so proceed with caution. Sponging the tent floor is likely to be the kindest way to clean your tent. If the mildew advances and the coating begins to peel, further measures can be taken to kill the fungus and retard the process. However, the damage that has already been done cannot be reversed. Prepare the following solution after washing the tent as previously instructed: 1 cup of salt, 1 cup lemon juice (concentrated) and 1 gallon hot water. Rub the solution into visible mildew. Set up the tent with the affected areas facing the sun. Allow to dry. Once dry, remove all peeling coating. Apply a coat of McNett Tent Sure to the areas where the coating has peeled. This will help restore water repellency. (For more information on McNett Mirazyme and McNett Tentsure visit www.mcnett.com)




This is from Diamond Brand

How Do I Deal With Mildew On Tents?
If your tent has developed a serious case of mildew, it’s time to take action. Mildew will not only ruin your camping trip, but it will eventually ruin your tent. To make matters worse, detergents and commercial mildew removers will either damage the waterproof urethane coating of your tent or destroy the fabric itself.
Here’s the best solution we’ve found to stop mildew on tents:
Step 1: Mix ½- cup of Lysol in 1 gallon of hot water. Wash your tent with the solution (use a sponge) and let it air dry.
Step 2: Mix 1-cup salt and 1-cup concentrated lemon juice in 1 gallon of hot water. Wash your tent again with this solution and let it air dry.
This won’t remove all of the discoloration caused by mildew, but it will kill the mildew itself. Remember, after use your tent should be thoroughly aired-out before being stored. Even if you camped in perfect weather, dampness from the ground, from condensation and from respiration will provide enough moisture for mildew to take hold. Your tent will also last longer if you avoid storing your tent in its stuff sack. Instead, hang up the tent or keep it in a large and breathable storage bag.”

“I would just let it airdry slowly. I would hesitate putting a strong oxidizer on the mildew. If you do try this...remember Bleach is 5.25% hypochlorite solution, the rest is water in the bottle. So dilute it, you only need the slightest residule of the disinfecting compound to do it's job right.”

“Thanks! Really appreciate it.”

“If you do decide to wash the tent...Don't put it in a machine...pitch it outside, get in your swimsuit, crawl in and have at it.


The neighbors love it.”

“LOL, my neighbors would probably call the police. They do it a lot to us.

So, in everyone's expertise opinion, do you think a week is long enough to build up that bad a case of mildew?”

“maybe not, let it dry really good and check it out.

I used some mild soapy water and a soft brush once to clean one up.

if it holds a little smell pack a fabric softener sheet in with it, it'll smell fresh then.”

“Good idea. I have it set up and drying right now.”

“If they call the police, just make sure you arn't smoking pot inside that tent when they arrive....Believe me on this.”

“What do you do when your panties are wet?

Do the same thing with your tent.”

“Ok I havent been a member of this forum long enough to call anyone a freak, but Miss Anne Thrope you sure are freaky!”

“The only problem is IF it does mildew it can ruin the tent.

If it was me, I just might try step 1 and 2 from the Diamond Brand cut and paste.”

“Twinks has just got to be laughing her azz off right now! Tent karma has made it's complete circle! LOL!”

“Nigal, then it shouldn't be ending on me considering she was the one that started the controversy! LOL”

“I was giving scorchie a parallel reference that she has ecountered more times than most with more people than most in more situations than most.”

“Where do you come up with this crap? Apparently you have a vivid imagination. Get a life.”

“Being a skeezer is not a bad thing.

It is just a thing.”

“That's funny.. I'm not that thing though. Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Not much disapoints me any more.

Storing a wet tent for a week is pretty much at the top of my tolerance.”

“How helpless does a person have to be to ignore their gear?”

“It wasn't the first thing on my mind when I got back. Had to take people to the bus station and then study for finals. I'll bet bacpac has never forgot to do anything in his life.”

“Baby doll, I just scratch where I feel an itch.”

“stop feeding it Scorhy!”

“i see you've had your sunday 12 pack , bacpac”

“But it's fun to poke at!”

“An itch just feels good to scratch.

You know that.”

“IT TOOK YOU A WEEK TO UNPACK YOUR WET TENT???

Your punishment for such unforgiving forgetfulness is to sleep in a stinky tent.”

“Have had a lot on my mind... completely forgot.”

“Maybe just a few hundred less posts and you would have had time.”

“ouch...”

“If you come home from a trip and the tent is wet you at least hang it up or drape it over something. It will dry out.”

“When I come home from a trip everything gets hung out to dry.

It just does.”

“For future ref... Just don't do it again, K? Not a week (groan) -- not even a day! <G>

Tie it on the outside of your pack if ya gotta”

“So she forgot, big deal. No one on the board can say they've never made a mistake.”

“Call me a perv, but the thought of scorchies wet panties tucked away for a week gives me a chubby.

Can I get an Amen?”

“Amen???,, WHAT,, more like infection.

LOL@observers

Sorry Scorchy,, live and learn. The few minutes or less is all it would have taken.”

“Damn, sorry I posted this thread!... it was an honest mistake. I normally always hang it up or set it up to dry. Just been crazy busy these past few weeks.”

“Hell Scrotchy, I've done the same thing. When I get home the LAST thing I want to do is have to mess around with gear.”

“That reminds me that I need to hang my tarp up tonight. Hopefully I will have stopped raining by the time I get home.”

“as soon as I get home I unpack everything. I already smell from the weekend so why wait another day to empty the pack.”

“"Maybe just a few hundred less posts and you would have had time."
observers

Observers gets a definite LOL for that one (but Scorchie you know I love you.)

"stop feeding it Scorhy!"
Roam Around

Roam gets an Amen for that one. :)”

“After 12 hours on the road overnight, I need some sleep. What's a few more hours while I take a nap. And another day, and another ... Gee, you make me feel so guilty.

But, OK, you smarties! What do I do with my wet, car camping tent when I'm headed up trail for two weeks? My little car is loaded and there is insufficient space to spread out a dirty, wet tent in the car.”

“hmmmm, if it isn't raining you could hang it up outside of the car ;)”

“I am sorry to inform you that leaving a note on your tent informing the mildew that you don't have space to spread out your tent in the car will have very little impact on the natural growth of mildew.”

“and smelling like stale fish that has been festering in a rubber bag??? Then try new wet/dry tent tampons. They have wings and are way more absorbant then other brands. In a 2 to 1 testing, Wet Dry Tent Tampons are 30% more absorbant. They now come in their very own ultra light self applicating systems. Just toss it in the wet tent, pull the string and viola!. the Tent Tampon self inflates and absorbes all the wetness in only moments.

No more messy wet damp icky smelling tents, this new and improved product can even be rolled up and stuffed into a compression bag with your wet tent. Take the tent out later and it will be high and dry, because the Wet/Dry Tent Tampon has a multi-layering system that allows moisture to enter in, but won't let it exit out.

The Wet/Dry Tent Tampon is reusable too. Purchase it once, and reuse it over and over again. Just hang it out to dry over a clothes line and roll it back up and reinsert it into its self applicating storage device.

Yes, say goodbye to wet damp and icky smelling tents...order your Wet/Dry Tent Tampon at

www.Tent_Tampon.com

Don't settle for inferior products...get yours today.”

“A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up and down the aisles. The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him. He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife. She directs him down the correct aisle. A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.

Sh! e says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?

He answers, " You see, it's like this, yesterday, I sent my wife to the store to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco and some rolling papers; cause it's sooooooooooo much cheaper. So, I figure if I have to roll my own ........... so does she.”