Fire Retardant Use In Tents

Most of us go camping to enjoy special moments in nature. Summer sunsets, fresh mornings and birdsong, crawling into a cosy tent on a cold snowy winter night. And few appreciate that the tent itself may cause harm. Some tents are treated with fire retardants to slow the spread of fire, however, the reality is that there is a growing body of knowledge showing that fire retardants in tents cause harm due to the toxic chemicals used. Alpkit tents are deliberately chosen to be toxin-free. In this article you'll find out:

• What is the effect of toxic chemicals when camping?
• Are tents flammable?
• What do I do if my tent has a fire retardant?

Effect of Toxic Chemicals In Camping

The majority of toxic chemicals in tents are those applied as a fire retardant. Exposure to high levels of organophosphates, which are the toxic chemicals used in fire retardants, is from inhalation that happens during pitching, use and takedown of a tent. Organophosphates are recognised as posing serious health risks and can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea to seizures, slow pulse, and difficulty breathing, even coma.

So are tents flammable?

All tents exposed to an open flame will burn irrespective of whether they are treated with a fire retardant. There is no such thing as a fireproof tent. Responsible use is to never use a naked flame isnide a tent and pitch a tent an appropriate distance away from an open fire.

If your tent does have a chemical fire retardant the health risks can be reduced by:

• washing your hands after set-up and takedown
• keep vent systems open so there is free-flowing air
• leave the flysheet off to increase ventilation where possible
• do not use open flames inside the tent