Scouts responsibility for tent.

[Gutterbird]

Last year, our troop had several fundraisers to purchase all new tents. It has been our policy that at the end of a campout, if the tents are still damp from dew or rain, that a scout will take the tent home to dry. The scout AND the parent have been briefed on this policy and asked to please lay the tent out to dry that same day and return at the next troop meeting. On occasion we get a tent back with a little mold due to the tent not being dried thoroughly. This past week, we opened a tent to use and there was a significant amount of mold on the tent. So much mold that the tent is unusable. The prior campout was very dewy and apparently this tent was not dried by the scout or parent!

 

We need to address this issue. How do other troops deal with wet tents and does anybody know how to clean mold from a tent?

 

[TAHAWK]

General background and some "natural" solutions: http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html [but forget Chlorine]

 

REI:

"Removing Mildew

 

Mildew can develop any time your tent is stored wet. It looks bad, smells bad and can damage your tent's waterproof coatings. DON'T LET IT START.

 

Alas, if it already exists, here's how to approach it:

 

Try some light scrubbing with a sponge during a regular cleaning session.

If mildew is still apparent, mix 1 oz. of MiraZyme (or similar product) to 20 gallons of water in a bathtub and dip the whole tent.(Note: Lysol also works, but its scent is attractive to bugs and critters and is thus not recommended).

For spot treatment, use 0.5 oz. of MiraZyme (or similar product) per 1 gallon of water and thoroughly scrub afflicted areas by sponge.

Set up the tent in a shaded spot and allow it to air dry.

Then, mix 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of concentrated lemon juice with 1 gallon of hot water.

Rub the solution into the visible mildew and once again, allow the tent to dry.

This procedure will stop mildew growth and eliminate the odor, but it will never remove the stain. This can also be used to control odors caused by spoiled food."

 

Sierra Designs also suggests MiraZyma.

 

 

 

 

[eolesen]

Simple for some troops... They don't buy troop tents (too late for y'all). Scouts usually take better care of their own equipment. If it molds, they're on the hook to clean up the mess, not some poor QM.

 

Part of your problem might be the "bring it back at the next meeting" requirement. It might take a day or two longer, but emphasize "bring it back when dry" instead...

 

Another option if you have a shed or a basement at the church or hut to borrow... Drying hooks in the rafters, and line to hang them from. This is how Northern Tier deals with all returned tents and packs, and it seems to work. I've got them strung in my garage. Tents last longer when they can breath.

 

If you have to clean mildew, try the REI instructions... Some people simply machine wash tents in a large mesh or lingerie bag on the delicate cycle. I've never had to deal with it on my gear, so take both suggestions with a grain of salt...(This message has been edited by Eolesen)(This message has been edited by Eolesen)

[Eagle732]

Tents are a headache for the reasons you mention. We never send tents home, we dry them at our meeting hall.

 

There's two ways that I can think of to deal with this;

1. Inspect each tent upon return from home the next meeting after the trip in hopes of catching a damp tent before it turns into a mildew mess.

2. Get out of the tent business and require scouts to bring their own tents. Kinda inconvenient for the scouts but then the ruined tent is then not your problem.

 

 

[sailingpj]

You could number each tent then have whoever is using the tent sign it out. Start a policy that if a tent gets ruined due to mildew the family has to replace it. Just having to sign out the tent should be enough to get scouts to take care of it.

 

You could even assign a tent to a scout or pair of scouts and they just always use that tent. Then if they let it mildew they have to figure out where to sleep for that campout.

[Tampa Turtle]

We have the kids pick a tent-buddy and one of them get a two-man tent. Usually someone has access to one. (We try to discourage the 3-4 man tents--they always seem the ones with chattering boys all night and too heavy).

 

We tell the parents to wait a while the first year because they will typically upgrade the "big 3" (backpack, sleeping bag, tent)

 

What typically happens is by the end of the first year a few hardcore boys will have acquired a one-man backpacking tent, hammock, or bivy. Kinda fun to see the boys check out the variety.

 

The Troop still has a couple tents the boys can borrow--but we have not had a good history. The ASM's often drag a loaner along before we leave. So boys don't do without.

 

[Eagle732]

We have over 20 Eureka Timberline 4 man tents which currently cost about $175 each.

All tents, fly, poles, and storage bags are numbered.

Each patrol has tents permanently assigned to them.

Each patrol has a QM who is responsible for tents and other patrol gear. The troop QM is ultimately responsible.

Tent buddies are noted on the patrol's duty roster for each camping trip.

 

 

 

 

[qwazse]

Our boys own their own tents, but that doesn't always guarantee that they'll be more responsible and air them out. The cleaning advice will come in handy.

 

If you can't identify the boy or parent, sounds like you all are cleaning a tent at the next meeting. If it bothers the boys enough, they can have the QM set up a check in/out system.

[Eagledad]

The cost of a tent is important, don't get me wrong, but remember in the big picture everything is about developing character. So I suggest looking at the cost of the equipment as the price for developing a scouts character while in his responsibility of taking care of equipment. Are the scouts being held accountable?

 

I know in our troop growth, scouts who committed several Saturdays washing cars at the beginning of our program took much better care of the equipment than the ones who walked into a better equipped troop later. Can that be fixed?

 

I personally like the idea of scouts bringing their own equipment, but then you will have to deal with the quality of Walmart tents after a big storm.

 

And, I think back on some of the heated discussions on this forum about unit policies of requiring tent mates because the health risk of scouts sleeping by themselves. I usually stay out of those discussions.

 

Barry

 

[shortridge]

As Eagle732 said: Patrol tents. Each under the control of the QM. If you know that you or your buddies will - not may - get a holey or mildewey tent next time, you're going to take pretty good care of it. If something happens - mildew, torn by a stick, zipper messed up, pole cracked in half - it's the patrol's responsibility to repair or replace.

[JMHawkins]

The scout AND the parent have been briefed on this policy and asked to please lay the tent out to dry that same day and return at the next troop meeting...

 

I know it sounds a little foolish, but have you actually "taught" the Scout how to dry a tent? briefing them on a policy isn't really the same as teaching them how to care for equipment. Sure, how hard can it be to "dry a tent" but we shouldn't assume the Scouts or their parents know what we know, right? I can see a couple of scenarios where a kid and his parents don't know what to do and get flustered. Maybe they don't have much room. Covering "what to do if you don't have a garage to hang the tent in" might help reduce the chance of failure.

[Second Class]

Most older scouts are going to want to buy their own tent.

 

Having troop tents is a good way to get a scout/family into the program without having to pony up $800.00 for gear.

 

We don't have a place to hang dry tents. We had a tent come back three years after the scout aged out.

Placing the QM in charge of another scouts mess is not right.

 

I don't have all the answers, but I sure have a lot of the same problems!

[Eagle732]

The troop's QM is responsible for all troop equipment and also supervises the patrol QMs. That's the job he accepted and he's responsible. And QM is a pretty popular job in my troop.

[Eagledad]

>>The troop's QM is responsible for all troop equipment and also supervises the patrol QMs. That's the job he accepted and he's responsible. And QM is a pretty popular job in my troop.

[Eagle732]

Having an adult QM advisor to check up on the process helps. When you have over $3,000 in tents you need to protect your investment.