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The only tent or tarp pieces that needed a Mirazyme bath were the vestibules for the 2-man Alpine Meadows (one dating from the 1970s), the almost as ancient 4-man vestibule, and the entirety of the nowadays little used and not often enough unpacked and aired out 4 man Alpine Meadows.
Off to the baths we go for a 5 minute swish and soak. Twenty gallon tub, two ounces (1 / 4 cup) of Mirazyme, as recommended for tents. That big tent took up one full load. The three vestibules, Alpine Meadows fly and tent/pole bags took another 20 gallon tub rinse.
A pre-rinse sniff test had shown the tent and pole bags, even the stake bag, to be the stinkiest of the stuff. Wassup wit dat???
P6240950 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Set up to dry. Gawd I hate leaving zippers open on tents, but I needed some pass-through breeze for a few minutes to dry out the bathtub floor and unfurled doors.
P6250952 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Zippers shut and after a day in the sun the tent and fly had zero odor. The pole bag, stake bag and tent bag still had a very faint whiff, and the 4-man vestibule a tiny bit as well, maybe because I tried to use the same leftover rinse water with an extra dollop of Mirazyme added.
A second Mirazyme soak in a 5 gallon bucket and sunny dry out resolved that faint remaining odor completely.
The 4-man Alpine Meadows has seen some loaner action. The vestibule had a few spark holes, and an odd 6 inch slit in the fabric at the bottom of the zipper flap, most likely from a borrower stuffing poles into the already tent filled bag.
Tenacious Tape to the rescue. At $5 for a 3 x 20 inch strip Tenacious Tape is pricey, but nothing else sticks as well or as long to fabric. Or screen.
We had something eat small holes in some of our household screen doors during winter storage. I am not buying a new sliding screen door, it took me a long time to find one that fit that track just right and slides well. Clear Tenacious tape, stuck together on both sides of the screen. Less redneck than duct tape anyway.
P6250953 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
After 20 years I finally got around to cutting these poorly located things off the tent interiors.
P6240948 by Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Yeah, I am that slow. 20 years of those warning tags getting caught in the door zipper. Not the best location for Eureka to have sewn them in, but dang those tags were built to last; they look almost new after the bath and were in better shape than the tent.
Last thing before I packed that little used loaner tent away. I saved a couple silica gel desiccant packs from on-line clothes the Missus orders. I stuck one in the little mesh pocket inside the tent while it was up, before it went back in the bag. With a tent that sees little action that moisture desiccant packet can not hurt.
Off to the baths we go for a 5 minute swish and soak. Twenty gallon tub, two ounces (1 / 4 cup) of Mirazyme, as recommended for tents. That big tent took up one full load. The three vestibules, Alpine Meadows fly and tent/pole bags took another 20 gallon tub rinse.
A pre-rinse sniff test had shown the tent and pole bags, even the stake bag, to be the stinkiest of the stuff. Wassup wit dat???
P6240950 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrSet up to dry. Gawd I hate leaving zippers open on tents, but I needed some pass-through breeze for a few minutes to dry out the bathtub floor and unfurled doors.
P6250952 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrZippers shut and after a day in the sun the tent and fly had zero odor. The pole bag, stake bag and tent bag still had a very faint whiff, and the 4-man vestibule a tiny bit as well, maybe because I tried to use the same leftover rinse water with an extra dollop of Mirazyme added.
A second Mirazyme soak in a 5 gallon bucket and sunny dry out resolved that faint remaining odor completely.
The 4-man Alpine Meadows has seen some loaner action. The vestibule had a few spark holes, and an odd 6 inch slit in the fabric at the bottom of the zipper flap, most likely from a borrower stuffing poles into the already tent filled bag.
Tenacious Tape to the rescue. At $5 for a 3 x 20 inch strip Tenacious Tape is pricey, but nothing else sticks as well or as long to fabric. Or screen.
We had something eat small holes in some of our household screen doors during winter storage. I am not buying a new sliding screen door, it took me a long time to find one that fit that track just right and slides well. Clear Tenacious tape, stuck together on both sides of the screen. Less redneck than duct tape anyway.
P6250953 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrAfter 20 years I finally got around to cutting these poorly located things off the tent interiors.
P6240948 by Mike McCrea, on FlickrYeah, I am that slow. 20 years of those warning tags getting caught in the door zipper. Not the best location for Eureka to have sewn them in, but dang those tags were built to last; they look almost new after the bath and were in better shape than the tent.
Last thing before I packed that little used loaner tent away. I saved a couple silica gel desiccant packs from on-line clothes the Missus orders. I stuck one in the little mesh pocket inside the tent while it was up, before it went back in the bag. With a tent that sees little action that moisture desiccant packet can not hurt.
