Chapter 67: How to Remove Odors, Mold, and Mildew From Your Tent and Camping Gear

It’s easy to put some of your gear away while it’s wet. When you come home from a long hike, you’re tired and ready to relax.

You might forget the gear is still a little wet from when you packed up in the morning and put the tent in your pack. Or other wet gear can transfer moisture to your tent while it’s in your pack.

By the time you notice it there’s that unmistakable mildew odor. You love your gear and you spent a lot of money for it. Now you wonder if you’ll ever be able to get rid of that smell.

McNett makes a product called Mirazyme, an enzyme and microbe-based odor eliminator. It’s meant to handle not only camping gear, but mildew and odor problems that affect wet suits, dry suits, waders, rubber boots, and other athletic gear.

If you have a piece of gear that is difficult to dip completely in a sink or tub, you can spray to saturate all surfaces and air dry.

It’s very concentrated, so you mix just ½ ounce in a sink or bathtub of warm or cold water. Dip the item saturating it inside and out. For non-fabric surfaces, soak 10 to 15 minutes. Do not rinse. Remove the item and air dry it.

I gave Mirazyme a very difficult test. I have an old tent from the early seventies that has a lot of great memories. It has also had a mildew odor for many years.

After a thorough dunking and drying with Mirazyme, the odor was gone.

Try to keep all your gear dry, but if something does develop an odor or mildew problem, remember there’s a cure.