Kuiu Bear Stink

[operator449]

So good news, got myself a nice spring nwt bear. Bad news is the haul out and some rough terrain left a ton of bear stink all over my gear. My guide vest, mountain pants, gloves are all no longer noticeable. My Kuiu 145 merino just can not shake the stink off. Tried baking soda, baking soda with vinegar, sunlight dry, warm rinse, cold rinse etc. Just dont want it to smell (mostly when damp) but do not want to go to regular detergents. Recommendations? Good problem to have a the smell means success but...

 

[moxford]

Maybe Febreeze it?

 

[archer wapiti]

Buy a bag of charcoal briquets or natural lump (or make your own) seal your gear in an airtight container with the charcoal. Check on it periodically. I don't have any recommendation on how long. Give it a week or four. Results may vary. Not guaranteed.

My friend turned me on to this when he told me how he deodorized his car with charcoal briquets that he put in boxes in the back seat.
I store sealed coolers with charcoal in them. No smell when I open them.

 

[camping1601]

So good news, got myself a nice spring nwt bear. Bad news is the haul out and some rough terrain left a ton of bear stink all over my gear. My guide vest, mountain pants, gloves are all no longer noticeable. My Kuiu 145 merino just can not shake the stink off. Tried baking soda, baking soda with vinegar, sunlight dry, warm rinse, cold rinse etc. Just dont want it to smell (mostly when damp) but do not want to go to regular detergents. Recommendations? Good problem to have a the smell means success but...

Are you sure it's not the shirt itself? My 145's smell awful when wet and I have heard this from many others. If I sweat while hiking the person behind notices it.

 

[fngTony]

Also heard it being the shirt it self. Mostly the camo printed ones from what I read. Are yours camo?

Years ago when I detailed cars we would put coffee grounds in a bowl and let them sit in the car over night. This worked great for cigarette stench. When my work boots get nasty I sprinkle coffee in them.

Maybe try some dawn dish soap first. If the oils and sweat are not cleaned they won't allow the fibers to be cleaned.



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[coachjdub]

Are you sure it's not the shirt itself? My 145's smell awful when wet and I have heard this from many others. If I sweat while hiking the person behind notices it.

I agree. That is why I sold mine after my last years elk hunt and went with FL bsaelayer instead. It's just a faint smell, but I wasn't a fan of it.

 

[Titan_Bow]

That's odd about the Kuiu, I thought one of the main benefits of merino wool is the lack of scent. I have several merino pieces from Icebreaker, smart wool , and Kryptek, and none of them seem to ever hold scent.

 

[operator449]

Thanks for all the replies. It is definitely a stink over and above the general wet Kuiu merino stink on the camo etc. It is mostly on the lower sleeves from handling the bear on the haul out, the gutting,cleaning etc. It is suprising to me that all my other gear came out with a little baking soda wash. I was soaked with water and sweat when handling him so wonder if that is partly why it was so bad, it ingrained itself with the kuiu wet smell....

 

[Pramo]

I had this happen to a Core 4 merino shirt from bear stink. I tried everything like soaking in vinegar, washing in oxyclean, sitting in the sun, etc. and finally just threw it out. Good luck I'm going to watch this thread to see if anyone has a cure

 

[5MilesBack]

Are you sure it's not the shirt itself? My 145's smell awful when wet and I have heard this from many others. If I sweat while hiking the person behind notices it.

I sold mine just because of this stench. My sense of smell is my greatest sense and I couldn't even stand to wear them after a short hike and a little sweat or a light drizzle on them. It was like I was packing a dead rotting sheep on my back. The FL camo ones weren't much better, but their solid colors are fine for some reason.

 

[operator449]

Sounds like solids for base layer is the way to go, or sythetics. Of course I bought into the camo pattern but they will smell me long before they will see me...

 

[camping1601]

Smoke it around a campfire.

 

[camelcluch]

Ozone treat it. Scentmaster works well for the stinks.

 

[charvey9]

Why no regular detergents?

 

[operator449]

Was trying to avoid regular detergents for the strong smells. In the end another baking soda wash with a bit of vinegar and then put in the dryer while still wet and for a short cycle and it is pretty good. It of course shrunk on me a bit which was fine considering the loose fit anyway. In the end it is a good problem to have. Would have been interested to see how this all went down had been wearing a peloton shirt...

 

[GotDraw?]

I read this a while back-- someone tried various methods of removing stink from synthetics... can't hurt to try it on wool!
Here's the full link, too: http://www.thegearcaster.com/2012/09/how-to-de-stink-your-synthetic-outdoor-apparel.html

BTW-- Let us know if it works!

"Nature’s Miracle:

Commonly used as a pet stain and odor remover (stick with me on this one), the solution can actually be used to remove stains and odors from clothing. Made up of nothing more than water, enzymes, and alcohol, Nature’s Miracle will break down the fatty deposits and bacteria stuck in your synthetic clothing fibers. Simply soak the offending areas before throwing in your regular wash. My polyester outdoor gear came out miraculously stink-free.

Baking soda: Much like you would for a bee sting, make a paste of baking soda and water to rub on the offending areas. Let sit for awhile before throwing it in your normal wash. You can also add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle to remove general odors. The paste solution seems to work for mild stink as routine maintenance, but not on baked in odors.

Vinegar: You can add a small amount (1/2 cup-1 cup) of vinegar to your wash load to help break down oils and kill bacteria. Use sparingly, as your clothes can come out smelling like vinegar which makes wearing them again a bit of a nightmare.

Salt: I was a little skeptical about this one at first but the science makes sense. Salt is a natural anti-bacterial so will kill those critters lurking in your synthetic apparel. Simply soak the offending item in a salted (few tablespoons) bath of water before throwing in the regular wash.

Nature’s Miracle is by far and away the home remedy winner for me. As soon as I get back from a ride, run, or other outdoor activity, I spray some on the offending areas of my synthetic apparel then throw them in the laundry basket. After washing, the stink is gone.

 

[GotDraw?]

I have also read a number of great reviews of MiraZyme and its ability to eliminate odors! Even on backpacks/gear from full AT through hikes.

Here's one article...

MiraZyme: How to Remove Mildew from Backpacking Gear

Mildew spots on the hip belt and back of a winter backpack
White mildew spots on the hip belt and back of a winter backpack

Whenever you get back from a hiking and backpacking trip, it’s important to hang up your tent, backpack, footprint and other gear and let it dry off so that mildew doesn’t form on it. But mildew can also grow on gear that is stored in a damp place like your garage or basement, so you need to inspect your gear periodically to make sure you don’t have a problem.

Besides imparting a musty smell, mildew breaks down the materials in backpacks, tents, sleeping bags. bivy sacks or other backpacking gear, weakening them and making them more prone to rips and holes. You’ve probably spent some serious money buying this gear and its pays to take care of it.


Signs of Mildew

Mildew manifests itself as white or dark spots and can occur on all fabric types ranging from canvas and pack cloth to and polyester and silnylon. If you do nothing to treat mildew, it will eventually digest the clothing or gear it’s growing on and ruin it. As mildew spreads, it can also leave a stain on your gear and clothing which can be difficult to remove.

Stop Mildew from Spreading

In order to salvage mildewed gear, a simple first step is to stop the mildew from growing further. Move the gear to a dry location and expose it to sunlight. This will retard its spread until you can get around to killing the mildew and removing it permanently. Be careful not to expose the mildewed items too long to bright sunlight because the UV can also degrade or bleach colored fabric over time.

Kill the Mildew Dead

When you’re ready to get rid of the mildew that is left on your gear, your best bet is to use an enzyme cleaner like MiraZyme which will kill the mildew, clean the item, and eliminate the mildew smell. Mirazyme contain enzymes and microbes that kill mildew and eliminate odors. It’s also commonly used on wet suits, Gore-tex dry suits, and sandals to remove bad smells and funk.

Directions

1. To use MiraZyme, fill your bathtub or a plastic container with water and add 1/2 ounce (two capfulls) for each 20 gallons of water. Keep the water luke warm – not too hot and not too cold.

2. Dip the mildewed item in the MiraZyme solution and let it soak for 15 minutes. For backpacks, open all of the zippers and compartments so they get soaked. The same with sleeping bags, bivy sacks, tent bodies, technical jackets, sweaters, etc. You can also fill a spray bottle with the MiraZyme solution and spray it onto the item, soaking the affected area. Dipping is preferable over using a washing machine because the agitation is likely to tear delicate items or ones with lots of straps. Dunk the itema few times to make sure that all the trapped air escapes and that all of its surfaces get wet.

3. Soak in the MiraZyme solution for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the item and drip dry. DO NOT RINSE!

Results

It’s an astonishingly simple process and one which often eliminates all trace of the mildew from an item permanently, and because MiraZyme comes in a highly concentrated form, one bottle lasts a long time.

 

[Dameon]

I use Nature's Miracle all the time and buy it by the gallon from Petco or Petsmart. My wife is in a wheelchair and the seat cushions smell funky after a few days. I spray the cushions at night and they are good by morning. I also use it to clean up dog and kid stains off carpet, upholstery, and clothing. It is expensive, but it works well. I never tried it on hunting gear, but I can't think off a reason why it wouldn't work.


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[Cgeb]

Spray scentkiller on it seriously, you know the deer hunting stuff. I tried it on other odors seemed to work for me.

 

[charvey9]

I've washed every merino item I've ever had in regular detergent at least once, and put in the dryer just fine. KUIU, SmartWool, First Lite all with no problems. It particular the KUIU items would stretch out after a few days, and needed a good spin in the dryer to get them back into shape. When hunting season rolls around I may wash them again in a non-scneted detergent.