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Topic: Dangerous Chemicals In Tents?

Dinkydeb

09/10/2016 at 10:58pm
Location: Northampton
Outfit: Campus Borneo 4 + Lily (Jack Russell)

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Hi

I recently borrowed an MSR Hubba NX Solo backpacking tent from a friend with a view to buying it if it suited. Was slightly alarmed to read a label sewn to the inside of the tent that alerted the user to the fact that the tent contained chemicals known to the State of California to be carcinogenic. Now, I'm not a particularly nervous type, but I thought I'd look it up and to cut a long story short it seems that most tents are made of materials which contain chemicals known to cause cancers. The culprit seems to be in the stuff they use to make tents fire retardant and it also affects furniture, e.g. sofas. This stuff is being used everywhere. I wondered if anyone else had come across this, once I started researching this subject, there is a lot of stuff on the web about it. I like the fact that MSR has clearly labelled their product with the warning but a bit more research has revealed that not all tent manufacturers are using such processes and I understand that Hilleberg and Vaude are pronouncing their tents (or some of their tents) as being free of these particular nasties. Has anyone else read about this subject and, if so, has it steered you away from buying a particular tent. Or sofa? Just curious.

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Ewen c

10/10/2016 at 12:05am
Location: County Kildare Ireland EU.
Outfit: Tents

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This all hit the press earlier this year and there was a post on here about it. There was an American study in May which focused on chemical leeching and air quality. If I remember rightly the levels were below the permitted US levels but too high for Europe. However, I think the chemicals in question are banned in the EU.

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Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
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Dinkydeb

10/10/2016 at 6:28pm
Location: Northampton
Outfit: Campus Borneo 4 + Lily (Jack Russell)

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Hi Ewen, I'm guessing the risk is small (at least, that is what the tent manufacturers are telling us), but I don't know that I feel reassured. I'll check out the post you mention, cheers.

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Ewen c

10/10/2016 at 7:04pm
Location: County Kildare Ireland EU.
Outfit: Tents

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Maybe best to use a European tent.

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Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag

Dinkydeb

21/5/2017 at 6:05pm
Location: Northampton
Outfit: Campus Borneo 4 + Lily (Jack Russell)

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Hi Ewen - long delayed response here! I did end up buying the MSR, but the worry never went away so I took it to the dump recently (don't want to pass it on to anyone else). With funds not unlimited, I have just purchased a Berghaus 3.1 to use for cycle camping and backpacking. It's not the lightest backpacking tent but acceptable at under 2kg, and it looks well made, robust and nice and simple. The MSR had a strange chemical smell to it which hadn't improved in the cupboard over the winter, really quite a strong smell, so I'm glad to have got rid of it.

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Ewen c

21/5/2017 at 6:12pm
Location: County Kildare Ireland EU.
Outfit: Tents

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I'd rather have an MSR than a berghaus. We recently acquired a Coleman cobra 3. No smell...

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Hypercamp Alaska
Vango Force 10 mk3
Vango F10 Helium 1
Coleman Cobra Pro 3
Coleman Cobra 2
Naturehike Star River 2
Eureka! Solitaire
Dutch army goretex bivvy bag

Bramston

23/5/2017 at 7:21pm
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Try airing the tent well before using it after long storage.

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