Stink Bomb Tent

PU coated tent fly? Could it have sat in a warehouse until the PU rotted? That's what it sounds like to me. Once PU rots it starts smelling really, really bad. You are due a refund.

Not sure what it is but PEW – nasty.
No wonder it was so cheap.

At any rate great design but I would change the side awnings and add a removable vestibule.

Very nice because I can sit way up in the entrance and it has a healthy overhang over the door.

Supposedly the 2015 model will be substantially lighter so….

PU can develop a kind of mold that you can get rid of, I've done this with old tent flies and other PU coated fabrics. I use Mirazyme, which can be found at REI and lots of other places.

Basic idea is to soak the fabric in water+Mirazyme, then let it dry WITHOUT rinsing it off. The Mirazyme kills the bacteria or whatever smells bad. I've had pretty good luck with it, most items completely lose their odor, on occasion one doesn't but it doesn't smell nearly as bad.

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I doubt it.

It smelled when I got it.
It was sort of smoke smelling but not quite smokey.

I think what happened is the rain activated whatever smell it was.

Doesnt smell like any outdoor gear I have ever used.

Skunk?

When I first got it I set it up here inside just to see what it was like and let it sit for 2 days. Finally the semi smoke smell subsided.

Set it up outside over the holidays and it smelled fine before and after the rain.
Let it totally dry like I said above, but I checked it out after it dried climed inside etc and when I broke it down and no smell.

Packed it up and later that is when it stank.

Not skunked while I had it and I know what a skunk smells like. Ask me how – LOL.

Smells more like sulfer or rotten eggs.

I think its either some bad Chinese chemicals or somebody bought it and somehow skunked it with something.

I recently looked into MSR shelters, and there are a *lot* of online reviews (retailers, here, OutdoorsMagic) going back to the mid-2000s that describe their PU-coated flys degrading when stored, particularly when stored even slightly wet. Most describe the fly becoming "tacky" or "gluey" or actively sloughing after rain exposure, some percentage describe a distinctive smell.

SD's Mike Glavin (gmontlake) has been impressively active on the forums lately for a big-brand exec, and very responsive to design suggestions; I'd shoot him a PM or email him at http://zenbivy.com/, invite him to the thread, and ask about this.

Apologies for the minor drift: how's condensation? BC.com review has me leery.

The coating is not sticky or coming off.

As far as condensation, I have never used it only rain tested it with me not in the tent.

Since it is a hybrid tent I would think you would get some condensation depending and leaving the Main door flap open as much as possible would be mandatory. It has a porch overhang which is nice.

The gear storage areas on teh side are too small for much of anything except maybe shoes.

Try spraying it with the "Anti-Microbial" version of Fabreeze.

Then turn the tent inside out and hang it outside to dry and et the sun's UV rays, which do kill some bacteria.

I use A-M Fabreeze on the inside of my WM down bag every time I return from a trip. That and direct sunlight help keep bacteria down.
Also I use a dedicated "sleeping" shirt (& long johns for colder weather) to keep my sweat off the bag.

Too late as it is out the door and on the way back for a refund.

It could have been packed wet by a previous owner then returned to Sunny later, but who knows really.

What I find odd is the gray fly is what stinks and not the doors or floor or netting. I still think there is something wrong with the coating on the fly material.

Too bad because it is a nice tent, super easy to set up and the porch is really nice in that you could cook under the overhang. Also light for a 2 person tent.

Needs to be made out of Cuben with a removable Vestibule really but they are coming out with a lighter version.