Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

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anelson1
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Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby anelson1 » Sat Aug 28, 2021 3:07 am

Hey guys. So the rainfly to my tent has some mildew staining on it. I have used specialized spray, vinegar, and other homemade stuff to try and get it off of there. I've even gone so far as to toss it in the washer (cardinal sin, I know) and the stains won't come out. I'll re-waterproof it if I use it, but my question is, is that going to be bad for me to camp in at this point? I do have some asthma history. I'm assuming I've killed the mildew and it's just stains but curious what your guys' take is on whether or not that's going to be safe or even pleasant to camp with? Thanks for any thoughts.


KRONIIK
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sat Aug 28, 2021 12:25 pm

I think the staining itself is harmless; pretty sure you've killed off all the actual midew so as long as you can prevent new growth your lungs should be safe.
(But I'm not a professional "mildewologist", ether!)
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Bonecrusher101
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Sat Aug 28, 2021 12:36 pm

Im not gonna lie, I’ve considered a lot of things as dangerous while camping: Bears, hypothermia, snake bites, poisonous spiders, poison ivy, yellow jackets and hitch hiking hatchet swinging serial killers.

But honestly I’ve never put much thought into the dangers of a mildewy tent. I’d guess it’s just like everything else on the list you just chalk it up as a possible part of the experience! Good luck!
Be original and Enjoy every step along the adventure.
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby KRONIIK » Sat Aug 28, 2021 12:41 pm

Bonecrusher101 wrote:Im not gonna lie, I’ve considered a lot of things as dangerous while camping: Bears, hypothermia, snake bites, poisonous spiders, poison ivy, yellow jackets and hitch hiking hatchet swinging serial killers.

But honestly I’ve never put much thought into the dangers of a mildewy tent. I’d guess it’s just like everything else on the list you just chalk it up as a possible part of the experience! Good luck!


Me niether but I can certainly understand his concern with a history of asthma...black molds can be particularly nasty for folks with lung problems.
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Jackson Marsh
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Sat Aug 28, 2021 12:51 pm

Shouldn't be a major problem. Sunlight will help a ton.
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anelson1
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby anelson1 » Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:41 am

Thanks guys. Yeah, under normal circumstances it wouldn't bother me so much, but I got Valley Fever a few years ago and it messed up my lungs pretty bad for a while and left me with asthma (which I had never had before). Never want to experience that sort of thing again so I'm always a little extra cautious. Seems like a silly question to ask, even to me...but if someone was like "hold up....don't do it!" I'd heed the advice.
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby ihookem » Fri Sep 03, 2021 12:09 am

If you have breathing problems it can kick in your athsma. My son has a strange breathhing problem. He has problems in our cabin and has to take a predisone. I kind of have the same thing. I would spray int with lysol and be done with it. He shot his first buck 9 yrs ago and it made his eyes swell up.
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Re: Mildewy rainfly....usable? Garbage?

Unread postby Huntress13 » Fri Sep 03, 2021 12:45 am

The stain is probably just a stain. I would make sure that any treatments you used on it didn't affect the waterproof properties.
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