LoveTwoCamp
Arcola, Pa
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Joined: 02/22/2005
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We have several older tents that have a strong odor after a long storage. I think it comes from the rubberized nylon used in the storage bag and rain fly.
Does anyone know of a way to get rid of the smell? Otherwise both tents are in good shape and still very usable. One is a three man backpack[Whit Stag] and the other is a four man backpack[Eureka] with a vestibule.
All of our tents were always pitched on throwaway painters tarps[keeps the mud and dirt from sticking to the bottom], outside of floor washed and dried, inside floor swept clean and wiped with a damp towel[no dirt falling on your head on the next trip], and either sun or towel dried before folding for storage. From Boy Scouts I know what a tent put away dirty and wet smells like.
* This post was
edited 07/28/10 06:25pm by LoveTwoCamp *
og
2000 Holiday Rambler AlumiLite 28'
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sum1
So-Cal
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Joined: 11/07/2005
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I do my best to clean and COMPLETELY dry my tents before storage.
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TN_CAMPER
Knoxville, Tennessee
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I'd put it in bright sunlight and see if that helps.
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inrcflyer
Indiana
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Check out your local Home Depot, I have used a smoke and odor neutralizer from their household chemical aisle. It is made by Zep and is called "Smoke Odor Eliminator" works great on camp fire smoke that gets into campers,tents,etc but has also killed other odors for me as well. Hope this helps you out.
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vacman
Indiana
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Fill tub with water, Put in 2 boxes of baking soda and mix. Submerge tent and let soak a couple hours, rinse, and hang out to dry..Vacman
John and Sandy
2008 Dutch Star 4354 Bath & 1/2
2008 Jeep Wrangler unlimited
So. Indiana
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SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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Any way to eliminate bad odor in tent after long storage?
Open it up and go camping for at least a week (not in the order)
(sorry, someone had to do that.. )
Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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parrothead7368
Shamong, NJ
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Put a dryer sheet or two in the sack, that should help.
Best Regards,
Norm
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tplife
SoCal
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I agree that baking soda will deoderize the tent. However, I don't think it will remove the cause of the smell, which are bacteria that like the soft tasty lamination layer on parts of the tent (mold and mildew). For this I'd use a 10% solution of bleach with some laundry detergent and hand wash inside and out. Line Dry and then erect the tent if possible for fully airing it out. When you store the tent, store it like you do your sleeping bag - in a big loose airy sack, or loosely in a well-vented cardboard box.
People's Republik of Kalifornia
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LoveTwoCamp
Arcola, Pa
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Thank you for your responses.
I decided to try the easiest and cheapest method first. I put 2 cups of baking soda into the bathtub with cold water, thoroughly mixed it with the tent, fly and storage bag and let it sit for several hours. I drained it and hung it over an outdoor clothesline and rinsed it with a hose. After drying, it seems that about 98% of the smell is gone. Before washing it, you could smell the tent from 20 feet away; now if you bury your nose into the fabric, you can only pick up a slight hint of the odor. So the method works and the tent is usable again.
I also agree that part of the problem was caused by storing the tent tightly folded and in the small backpack carrying sack. Probably storing it loosely in a box would be better for it, but having enough storage room is always an issue.
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TN_CAMPER
Knoxville, Tennessee
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LoveTwoCamp wrote:Thank you for your responses.
I decided to try the easiest and cheapest method first. I put 2 cups of baking soda into the bathtub with cold water, thoroughly mixed it with the tent, fly and storage bag and let it sit for several hours. I drained it and hung it over an outdoor clothesline and rinsed it with a hose. After drying, it seems that about 98% of the smell is gone. Before washing it, you could smell the tent from 20 feet away; now if you bury your nose into the fabric, you can only pick up a slight hint of the odor. So the method works and the tent is usable again.
I also agree that part of the problem was caused by storing the tent tightly folded and in the small backpack carrying sack. Probably storing it loosely in a box would be better for it, but having enough storage room is always an issue.
Got a great tent tip. Forget the tent bag. Use a duffle bag (if u are like me, you probably have a couple that haven't ever been used).
I also make it a point to lay my tent in the driveway (in bright sunlight) when we return home from camping.
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