My Chemical-Free House

A Guide to Creating a Healthy Home

Mold Avoidance

Prevent & Decon Mold in Your Car & AC

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prevent and treat mold in vehicles

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This article covers the sources of mold growth in vehicles – AC system, high humidity storage, spills, leaks, and design malfunctions – and how to prevent them.

I go into detail on the four methods used to clean the HVAC system out, as well as methods to clean mold and cross-contamination in the vehicle as a whole.

The AC is usually the most difficult area in the vehicle to manage microbial growth. While there are certain makes and models of vehicles where this is more of an issue, to some degree it’s a problem in all vehicles due to the inherent design of the AC system.

Preventing Mold in Vehicles

Preventing Mold in the AC and Heating System (HVAC)

prevent mold in the car's AC system

The fungi and bacteria grow mostly in the evaporator core and immediate surrounds, due to humidity and moisture that forms when AC is in use. Mold can form in the ductwork as well.

To help reduce mold formation in the AC system, run the fan for the last 10 min after using the AC. (Defrost is also AC, so you need to run the fan for 10 minutes after defrost as well). This helps the evaporator dry out.

Using recirculate can worsen the problem in some situations. Bringing in fresh air (if the outdoor air has drier absolute humidity) as opposed to using recirculate can help the evaporator to dry out.

Another thing you can do is to avoid parking in areas where a lot of debris can enter the air intake.

Similarly, when driving through very dusty areas, you are bringing in dust and spores through the air intake. You may want to turn off the HVAC system completely in those conditions.

Maintenence on the vehicle should include changing the cabin air filter as needed (when it’s dirty).

I would include one of the four HVAC cleaning methods below as a preventative (before you start smelling or reacting to mold) if you do use the AC system regularly.

For those Extremely Sensitive to Mold in HVAC – How do you Turn off the AC?

Many folks who are extremely sensitive to mold do not use the AC system in their vehicle at all. If you refrain from using this right from the start with a new car, you will avoid most of the problems here.

If you want to avoid AC use altogether, using just the heating system should be fine. But, keep in mind many new vehicle models have automatic climate control which will use both heating and cooling under many different conditions (not just when defrosting). If you want to turn off the AC, look for a vehicle where this can be done – new cars have a way to disconnect the AC compressor. Ask a mechanic how to do this.

Does the auto setting on cars use AC and how to turn off AC

If you have already used the vehicle’s AC or you bought a used vehicle that has some funk in the HVAC system, then even the heating setting will circulate the fungi and bacteria throughout the vehicle.

Buying a vehicle with heated seats is a good idea in case you become sensitized to the vented HVAC and need to turn it off for a while (and try and clean it). Some very sensitive folks have had to turn it off permanently if they have not had success with the cleaning methods.

One other hack is that you can externally mount the HVAC system to get easy access to the evaporator. This is a very unusual hack. You can find photos of it in the group Mold Avoiders on the Road.

Alternative Ways to Stay Cool in the Car

Cars that Come with Cooling Seats

Some of these built-in systems blow unrefrigerated air through the cushions. And some use refrigerated air that is tied into the main AC systems. The unrefrigerated air system may be safe in terms of mold prevention.

Safer Cooling Seats (or Heating)

You can also add your own cooling and heating seats to avoid the use of your car’s HVAC system.

Cooling seats that you add yourself work simply by adding a fan that blows unconditioned air which helps to cool you down.

This one (pictured) that uses fans is affordable.

The heated seats use coils, just like a heated blanket or heated jacket. Some models like the Naipo do both.

Then there are gel seats, I like the idea of the ones you put in the freezer first, then you bring it out to the car with you. This is a kids version. If you know an adult version let me know, I think it’s a good idea. You will want to dry those off though, when they come out of the freezer they are probably going to condensate.

Cooling Vests

When I used to have severe heat intolerance, I used cooling vests on my body – both active and passive vests work.

The active vests provide more cooling but are more expensive.

They were life-saving for me until I healed from heat intolerance.

Preventing Mold in the Car (as a Whole)

does mold grow in cars just from sitting in humid climates
Many of us stored our vehicles in the humid winters of the Pacific Northwest, to come back to moldy cars

Why Mold Grows Inside Vehicles

There are a few ways your vehicle can become moldy inside on the seats and upholstery. Sometimes just leaving a car to sit in a very humid place for long periods of time can cause mold to start growing on the seats.

More common though, is a spill or window left open that wasn’t dealt with fast enough.

Other sources of water damage are less common:

  • Debris accumulating in the air intake areas and connected drains (keep your air intake area clean, and change the filter). The cowl intake and drain area can collect debris. Those areas are connected to body cavities that can harbor microbial growth. Thus structural mold is possible in a vehicle, though this is less likely than mold growth in the HVAC and inside the vehicle.
  • Rainwater that has gotten into the HVAC ducts and car interior in some past Ford models – causing hidden pooling of water.

Ways to Prevent Mold Growth in Vehicles

Prevention here is key. Once mold is actively growing and has made it through to the foam in the seats, it’s a huge problem that is hard to fix.

When storing your vehicle for long periods of time in a constantly humid climate, it’s best to leave it in a sunny spot and leave it with a dehumidifier. Climate controlled indoor storage is of course ideal.

Though generally, a vehicle should be able to withstand a good amount of humidity while being stored, really high humidity for long periods has been a problem for me. I left a truck in 70-95% humidity for a couple of months and came back to mold growth. No known water intrusion.

Many others in the Pacific North West and similar climates have left vehicles sitting to come back to visible mold growing (and not from leaks).

Both active (battery-powered), and passive dehumidifiers will help. You can also monitor the outdoor humidity.

I would check on the vehicle (or have someone check on it), both to empty the dehumidifiers and possibly to dry the vehicle out actively with heat and airing every few days if necessary.

When you spill something or leave the window open, just do everything you can to dry it out within a day, which includes the above: usually sun and air, or heat and air. Add dehumidification only if it’s going too slowly.

Decon/Clean Mold or Cross-Contamination in a Car

DISCLAIMER: Some of the cleaning methods discussed in this article, that include ozone, chlorine dioxide, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonia, require knowledge of safety precautions for handling the materials, and executing these methods. Please take full responsibility for your health and wellbeing and make sure you understand the risks, precautions, and procedures – not all of which are explained here in full (please research them before proceeding or consult with an expert). Full disclaimer here.

use a HEPA vacuum to decon mold in a car

If you do have some light surface mold in the car or cross-contamination, I would start with a deep clean.

If you had a big spill that didn’t dry out, or you suspect someone else did in your vehicle, you might want to open the seat covers to check on the foam. Some have zippers. If they don’t you would have to cut them open to check.

Mold in the foam cannot be properly remediated other than with replacement.

Deep Clean your Vehicle

You can remove light surface mold or cross-contamination by steam cleaning or shampooing the seats.

Make sure it is dried out quickly after that. Car detailing shops can do this. Just make sure you know which products they are using, as some might not be acceptable, toxin-wise.

A mechanic I talked to near Vancouver BC, does a shampoo of the seats with high temp extraction, then an enzyme spray on the seats instead of ozone to reduce odors. I use similar enzymes to break down odors.

DIY HEPA Sandwich for a Car

If it’s not so bad as to warrant a steam clean or extractor shampoo, use a HEPA vacuum, which you can do your self. Vacuum the seats and carpet, and upholstery.

For a vehicle, you want a rather flexible hose. I would use the Shop-Vac. I’ve used this one before with the HEPA filter and HEPA filter bags.

You can then wipe down all surfaces with quats or the cleaning product of your choice. A proper HEPA sandwich would involve another round of vacuuming.

Having your car or truck professionally detailed can help, as they do a very thorough clean, though I haven’t seen them do HEPA vacuuming.

Using Ozone on Cross Contamination

I use this little one from Amazon

If those methods don’t cut it, and you are still sensing mold in the vehicle, you will want to use the methods below.

Many people do use ozone and it does work, but it leaves behind oxidation, which smells quite terrible.

Depending on how long you ozonated it for, it can take a while to die down.

I don’t agree that you will damage the wiring easily, you would have to use extremely high levels for a very long time to do damage like that. Many mold avoiders have ozonated vehicles at very high concentrations for 24 hours, many times. I have done a couple 24-hour treatments on my truck.

Car dealerships use this all the time as well (but normally in much shorter treatments, like 1 hour). Many people only do 2-hour treatments for mold, which should not cause damage to the plastics, and would only cause minimal oxidation odor after.

There is more info below on pumping ozone through the HVAC. If you don’t need to pump it through the HVAC, just see my general post on ozone and run it inside the vehicle. I use the little Airthereal.

Please read through the precautions thoroughly, since ozone is a dangerous gas that can be deadly.

Another oxidization method, though it is a weaker oxidizer than ozone, is to use chlorine dioxide gas. That method is explained below, in its own section.

Other Fogging Methods for Mold

If you have another decon method that has worked well for you in decontaminating your house from mold, it’s likely you can use that here – like thieves oil fogging, Concrobium fogging, or using quats.

Silver Hydrogen Peroxide though, is likely too much oxidation for most vehicles, though it can be used in the empty part of metal cargo vans.

Chlorine Dioxide Gas to Treat Mold

Chlorine Dioxide, like ozone is an oxidizer. Like ozone, there is evidence that it breaks down mold and mycotoxins.

Although it’s weaker than ozone, you should take the same safety precautions outlined here. It is dangerous to breathe in and it’s explosive in certain concentrations.

You may not need to be so far away from it like with high doses of ozone, which is an upside. It’s also cheaper and easier.

Keep it simple and buy the ready-made tablets or packets on Amazon. They are inexpensive and work just as well as mixing it yourself. NosGuard is one brand, Reset is another one.

Read the safety instructions carefully on the product and make sure you understand them. Never use a chlorine dioxide product in occupied spaces.

If you want to make it yourself, please take full responsibility for your safety and wellbeing. Here are the instructions:

How to make chlorine dioxide gas treatment for the home or car: 6.5 oz (roughly 3/4 cup) Oxine plus 3-4 tsp citric acid in glass or heavy plastic container, one for each room. Leave it for 3 hours for a shock treatment or 24 hours for a deep treatment.

You can make a smaller batch for smaller spaces with the same ratio. It takes about a minute for the reaction to take place, the liquid will turn yellow, and for about 3 hours it will release chlorine dioxide as a gas. Take similar precautions as with ozone for airing it out and re-entering.

Four Methods for Cleaning Mold from the AC (HVAC) System of the Car

1. Take it to a Dealership – Have them Clean out the System

Skill Level – Easy. Results – Can work, depending on which methods they use.

how to clean mold out of the AC system of a car

There are a number of different cleaning methods used by automotive repair shops to clean out the AC system. Some use ozone and even run it through the HVAC in the same way as described in the next section on ozone.

There are also treatments that are similar to #4 on this list, introducing a product into the system to clean the evaporator.

One mechanic explains: “one is a mist treatment, using a product which foams up. You drill a hole in the case and then introduce the mist to the evaporator core and let it sit, give it time to work, and then flush it out.” (source).

Some of these might have fragrance of other toxic additives but others would be acceptable for many folks who are sensitive.

2. Using Ozone Through the HVAC

Skill Level – Intermediate. Results – works on most mold and bacteria.

how to use ozone to clean out a car or AC system

This is a technique used by some car detailers and dealerships and mold sensitive folks.

The simplest way to do it is to run an ozone machine in the car while the vehicle is running so that the ozone is pulled in through the air intake. Most people would run this through for a couple of hours. Depending on the amount of ozone and the time you run it for, you may need a window open to provide oxygen.

If you are running the machine in the car I would use a small machine like the ones on Amazon for under 100$.

Instead of running the vehicle, you could alternatively, hook up the battery to a battery charger to run through the HVAC settings that way.

For any serious contamination or if you want to blast this more directly through the HVAC, mold avoiders tend to use an external ozone machine that pumps in the gas, giving the machine full access to oxygen outside. Bioblaster is the most popular one.

If you are in the Facebook group Mold Avoiders, you will be able to see an example of a Bioblaster hooked up right to the air intake here.

That machine is overkill for me. But others may need this. I would have no problem running the smaller ones on Amazon that I have used many times and pumping those through the HVAC system with tubing from the outside.

To get it through all the different parts of the HVAC system, the ozone needs to run through it on all settings (heat, AC, recirculate). Run it through each setting for at least 20 min. The next section explains more about how to access the air intake.

This is tricky because of how far away you need to be from the ozone. Let it air out each time before coming close enough to the vehicle to change the settings. Again, ozone precautions are here.

3. Spray Through the Air Intakes

Skill Level – Beginner to Intermediate. Results – May or may not work.

spray in the air intake to kill mold in a car
The air intake is usually right under the front windshield

In this method, hydrogen peroxide or quats are sprayed through the air intake.

Some very mold sensitive folks have had success with 10% hydrogen peroxide sprayed into the air intake with these video instructions (not with toxic products like scented Lysol). Seeing the process in a video really helps to make sense of it.  

Spray the hydrogen peroxide through each setting for 3 min. You can use this mister.

You will be using 29, 30 or 35% peroxide (depending on what you can source) and diluting it down to 10%. Please research and take full responsibility for handling and spraying this concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

Some people found this worked better with quats (a type of ammonia). This ACDelco product was recommended.

4. Greg Muske’s Quats Cleaning Strategy

Skill Level – Very Advanced. Results – Likely to work if you do it right.

how to clean the evaporator core
From http://biotoxinjourney.com/clean-driving-machine/

Greg Muske from Biotoxin Journey has a detailed and more complex method of accessing the entire HVAC system and runnings quats (quaternary ammonium) through it.

You need some mechanical expertize for this method as it does involve drilling into specific parts of the system, which differ depending on your make and model.

You need someone who can understand the heater core diagram for your car, which you can look up online. You’re going to locate the evaporator core. Then drench the two cores by running about one gallon of quat solution into 3 access holes. Followed by a water rinse.

Greg also misted quats through the ductwork via the vents and the opening for the cabin filter directly above the blower (after removing the filter), and air inlet holes located under the hood next to the firewall. Unlike when cleaning the cores, this was not rinsed out. It was dried out by running the heater and fan on high.

Greg then cleaned out the rest of the car by using a steam cleaner on the carpet with Thieves Oil Cleaner. (You can use the cleaner of your choice). All other surfaces in the vehicle were wiped down with quats.

Full instructions and a video can be found here: Clean Driving Machine. This section was printed with permission from Greg Muske.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping people create healthy homes.

This post was written with input from an engineer, a mechanic, and a car detailer.

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Healing MCS with Mold Avoidance – Interview with Solona

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This posts contains affiliate links to the books I read and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

This is an interview with Solona, a fellow Canadian, who I have known in the online world for a few years. I have followed her journey from severe MCS, to planning effective toxin avoidance, to 85% recovery in just 4 months. She’s still in the journey, but is recovering quickly.
I wanted to interview Solona because she had and overcame the key bottlenecks which are:

  1. Assuming she was already avoiding mold
  2. Making an avoidance plan with brain-fog
  3. Finding a safe home to heal in

We talk about a couple books in this interview – the Beginner’s Guide to Mold Avoidance by Lisa Petrison, and Bryan Rosner’s book Lyme Disease Supercharge (which is actually about Mold Avoidance). I want to add Julie Rehmeyer’s book Through the Shadowlands to this list of helpful books in this journey.

INTRO

Corinne: This is my first interview. I want to do a healing from MCS, mold illness, healing from CFS series.

I want to talk about the journey from severe MCS, to quite a rapid healing journey.

STARTING WITH SEVERE MCS

I want to inspire other people who are starting out, who have high MCS, who want to go further with avoidance in order to get better. Not to just avoid avoid avoid and go in circles.

Is that correct, would you say you had severe MCs, I remember you talking about fragrance residue on packaging.

Solona: Oh definitely.

C: Did you have any other symptoms like fatigue?

S: I was diagnosed with CFS, I think about 20 years ago. I was bedridden for a few years. At my very worst, the scariest symptom I had was paralysis, especially around gasoline. I would lose the use of my limbs and I couldn’t walk or use my arms. And then I would get slurred speech. Those were the scariest symptoms. Then the garden variety ones also.

C: And I remember the forest fires, was that a big turning point? We are talking about the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The fires hit hard, 2 years ago, was it?

S: It was last summer. The big clue that this was mold, was that I relapsed after nearly 10 years of being mostly recovered. After being in Ontario. I went to Ottawa for a job. It’s really bad there and I crashed within about 2 months. I moved back to my home in BC to get well, then the forest fires hit in 2018, and even when they cleared I did not recover.

C: So Ontario was worse

S: Ontario was what made me crash, for sure.

BOTTLENECK 1: ASSUMING ALREADY AVOIDING MOLD

C: One thing I found really interesting ….We were both in the Canadian groups for MCS and other groups. I have seen you over time, though we haven’t talked on the phone, I don’t know you really well.

But one thing I saw that I wanted to talk about is I have seen photos of your house [where you were really sick right before avoidance]. I think at the time you did think you were avoiding mold. Is that because it was better than many other houses? And you were able to sense mold in other houses?

S: It’s because I never knew about extreme mold avoidance. I had a very good sense of smell so I can smell mold. I had no idea about outdoor toxins or molds you don’t smell, molds you don’t see. I was living in mold and I didn’t know it. And that’s why I didn’t recover like I did before. And I can’t really explain why I was OK in that house a few years prior.

But I can say I have recovered symptoms that never went away before, now, with mold avoidance.

C: Houses get worse over time if there are errors. It wasn’t a very new house, what was it from the 70s?

S: 70s yes.

C: I’m also in BC and the houses are not well built.

A lot of other people are in this stage now –  you had no visible mold, no water stains on the ceiling, right?

S: No, nothing obvious

C: No smell of mold. Did you have a basement?

S: No

C: basements are often musty, but you couldn’t get under it to see if there were any problems.

S: As I later learned, once I unmasked I didn’t really tolerate the area well for some reason.

C: When you started the more extreme avoidance you moved from one area of BC to another. Not extremely far. Some people do mold avoidance and they feel like they have to go to the southern US or even to the Caribbean.

S: I think it’s about 3 and a half hours [from the moldy house in Slocan Valley] to Kelowna [the first new location for avoidance]. The thing is, I learned through experience there are levels of unmasking. And I think I unmasked and cleared out and healed to a certain degree in Kelowna until I left went to an even clearer place [Idaho] and came back. I cleared out even more and now I don’t think I can tolerate Kelowna.

C: OK, you started in the Slocan Valley where your house was, then when you started mold avoidance you went to Kelowna and improved, and then you went to northern Idaho and improved even more?

S: That’s right. I spent a week in northern Idaho and felt incredible, and did a tonne of healing even in that one week. And then went back to Kelowna and instantly felt sick again and my symptoms got worse the longer I stayed.

C: [Going back in time again] I’m interested in that time, where you got a lot worse, you went to Ontario, probably hit a moldy building, came back and then hit the fires, and everything was really hard. But what do you think lead you to that shift [to mold avoidance]….

S: You did!!

C: Me?

S: It was 100% you. I was trying to find housing…..to buy a new house….

C: ….and I was like “no, they’re all terrible”

S: Yeah, well, no, it was when I decided….. I finally gave up… I looked for housing for ages, I finally gave up and made a joke that I will live in my car. So then I was posting vehicles. I put a deposit on a camper van.

I remember you said, “you don’t know what’s behind the walls”. And I was so discouraged at that point.

C: That was the one that was built out…. it was old. [Camper van build outs are very prone to mold].

S: Yeah it was old enough that it probably would have been contaminated. And I didn’t know about extreme mold avoidance, I hadn’t read the Beginners Guide to Mold Avoidance. I didn’t know all the nuances.

I was so discouraged I was like, “stop telling me the vehicles are not good!” So then that led me to actually read the book [Beginner’s Guide] and go, “ohhh now I know what she’s talking about”. I bailed on that camper van. And then changed my plan to actually doing extreme mold avoidance.

C: But you were in the mold groups, I wasn’t just coming into other groups and saying things like that! That was an extreme mold avoidance group.

S: And I didn’t know that it was different than what I was doing [already].

C: So, we’re going back to that time [again for a minute]. Houses are so difficult to find around here. You had MCS and some mold sensitivities. When you’re in that extreme level of MCS, you’re so limited. Usually people end up choosing moldy houses.

S: We are avoiding new houses because of the offgassing….

C: ….and maybe some have fragrance you are ruling out so many options, even just a cross-contamination of a fragrance.

So you were in the mold groups and the van was an idea, that van was tricky, I’m glad that van didn’t’ work out!

Then you found the most amazing vehicle of all time…

S: I researched probably 15 different solutions – inserts for trucks, medical transport, then I thought, what about an ambulance? Then that led me to the term Campbulance. I was watching van life videos like crazy to learn how to do it. I thought the campbulance would be more sterile and well maintained.

I found one being sold by the Province of BC. The Province gets rid of them every so often. I did tonnes of research and moved into an ambulance.

C: Ya, it’s such an awesome vehicle.

BOTTLENECK 2: MAKING A PLAN WITH BRAIN FOG

This is another key area. It didn’t seem like you had that much brain fog at the time.

S: Oh, I did at the time.

C: Cause now you can see the improvement?

S: It’s not as bad as it was in the beginning, but I was having trouble at work….

C: This was a critical time, you did have less brain fog or more clarity [than others], you were able to sift through the information, organise the information that was in the groups.

That’s another bottleneck stage. The first bottleneck, is thinking, I’m already avoiding mold because I can smell it in other buildings. The second bottleneck is how do I make this happen. What are the options and the solutions.

Do you think that looking at the struggles of others in the groups now. Do you think there was anything different about you at that point?

S: I think because I’ve been doing this for so long, MCS avoidance. I deliberately made a career I can do from home. My life has revolved around [MCS]. I don’t know that I could have done this just winging it if it was my first time, as quickly as I did it. I already had a job set up….

I also have a brain that is good with spreadsheets. I had spreadsheets with all the different vehicle options, all the features that I needed.

C: You had places lined up, you had places with wifi, since you need to work.

S: Exactly.

I listed and downloaded all of the apps, like freecampsites.net that show you where you can boon-dock, where they can show you wifi signals, I just researched all the places I could go.

C: I remember you even had a spot in case the fires did come (this last summer). Which was a lot of research.

[But], you also didn’t get into the bottleneck where you over-researched and just didn’t do anything. Like this ambulance could break down, this van is moldy, this tent might not work…

S: I think I got lucky because I didn’t do it perfectly at first.

C: No one does!

S: I made lots of mistakes but it still worked anyway. I think it just works out, you just keep doing it and it works out.

C: I think I want to stick that point a little bit, because you were able to do that strategic thinking planning comparing and get to the solution in a reasonable amount of time.

S: I think it’s a lot easier to do that when you have a sounding board, someone who is a little more cognitively with it. Now I have a few facebook friends and I help be their brain.

C: In the beginning, there are not a lot of people, and that’s why I do this as a job, there are not a lot of people who have the bandwidth and time to help the people that are in the beginning who have cognitive difficulties. I think it’s a key time for people to get help with the decision making. Especially if they are worse off than you.

Once I saw you get on a roll with it, I was like, oh, you’re gonna be fine.

S: 20 years ago I would have needed my mom, I was planning my trip to BC to get well, I told her I need you to be my brain. I think if someone is worse they need someone to lay it out step by step for them.

C: And now that you’re at the stage where you have some experience, you’re doing a little better and you can hook up with other mold avoiders who are in that stage and you can help each other. That’s a lot easier to find because you can mutually help each other. In the beginning, that’s a lot harder to find, because you’re the one in need. And a lot of people get stuck there. That’s a tricky spot if you get stuck.

BOTTLENECK 3: FINDING A SAFE HOME

[On to] the ambulance! I don’t want to talk too much about the ambulance because I could talk a LOT about the ambulance. We need to find out more, if we can find out how this was built. I think this has SIPS walls or spray foam. It is well built.

S: I asked for the blueprints but never got them. I just know it’s well insulated. A refrigerated truck is similar.

C: I want to dig deeper and I know other people are looking into custom building. Yours… I wish we could dissect it. It’s not very new right?

S: It’s a 2009.

C: It’s not too old. Most trailers don’t hold up that long [to mold]. There’s the fiberglass types. I go through all the types that tend to last a little longer but they all have their drawbacks. Yours I think is made like the older Camplites, that have a sandwich laminated wall. Or it just wouldn’t hold up this long. Maybe in 10 years when it dies, we open it and rebuild more of them like it!

That’s another difficulty – finding a trailer that is offgassed. I bought a Camplite when I was starting out, it was metal-foam-metal. I thought this would be fine. This was 8 years ago. It was so strong with the offgassing, it blew my mind. It reeked like glue. It was a well-made trailer, but I wasn’t able to use it until it offgassed. I regret selling it, because once it did offgas I should have kept it for emergencies or traveling. I just didn’t realise what a gem it was.

There are other options, vans that don’t have wooden walls and nothing in them….

RECOVERY, NOT JUST AVOIDANCE OF TRIGGERS

C: You actually made pretty quick gains…

S: I think the reason was that I spent 10 years in avoidance, and it was a pretty fast and short crash.

And this is why I knew it was mold, that mold avoidance is the reason I got well, because I spent a year in the Slocan Valley (in BC, Canada), which is as pristine as it gets in terms of MCS – no cell towers, I had the best water, the best air [in theory], and I still stayed stick for a year [after returning from Ontario], and then as soon as I did mold avoidance, within two months, I was like I’m going to go for a hike now. I went, WOW.

C: And then from there you got even better. So within the first two months… you started in Slocan, then you went to the Okanagan. Within two months you saw quite a lot of results.

S: I left in June and within two months I was slow hiking, by August I was feeling even better.

C: By now…. you started June….. it’s been 4 months.

S: It’s mid-October now, I’m in Idaho. The longer terms things are healing now. I had really bad psoriasis. My energy levels are even better. My diet and appetite are even better.

C: That’s so awesome.

Are you still sleeping in the ambulance.

S: I’m sleeping in a tiny house/cabin. That was built with MCS and mold in mind.

C: And you’re still feeling as good or better.

Yeah one sign of health is remembering my dreams and have lots of dreams, really good sleep, 8 hours. I have the best sleep now, I go walking every day, I work full time. We carry water, I can chop firewood. I can do lots of physical tasks I couldn’t do before.

C: Do you want to say what percent you are better?

S: 85%. That’s pretty subjective.

C: Yeah, some people would be thrilled with 85, and some people as they get better they will say they didn’t even realise there was another level of health.

I’ve also been sick for a long time and have trouble with those percentages.

S: I leave 15 % because I could do more intense hikes. And I also give it such a high number because some of the really scary things are better.

I can (but don’t) pump gas. I got diesel on my hands and brought it inside, and though, “oh, that smells bad”. And I was perfectly fine. For me that was a huge huge leap.

C: I don’t think people know I was as extreme as you, or close. I was floored by having someone else pump my gas [at my worst].

S: I went dancing and it was a room full of perfume – when I was really bad I would have been really sick after 5 minutes. In this case I actually danced for I don’t know, maybe an hour. Then I did get sick but I was able to step out and be OK. I’m not perfect where I can dance in a perfume room for 3 hours.

C: It’s [still] a lot of progress in a short amount of time. It’s taken me a lot of years to be OK around perfume. And everyone has such a different journey. It’s really hard to say how it’s going to go. Some people, their MCS disappears almost immediately, though they might not have been as severe as us from the beginning.

For people as severe as us, it’s not unusual that it’s going to take some time. Fast gains are always exciting though.

FINAL MESSAGE FOR THOSE WITH MCS

S: I think the one and only thing I wish the people with MCS knew, is that mold avoidance isn’t necessarily what you think it is. It took me years to realize it’s not what I thought it was. [Understanding the role of] outdoor toxins is HUGE. Understanding it’s not a smell. At least giving it a shot. I have heard a lot of people say I’m already avoiding mold. Which is what I used to say. Then realizing, oh, I really wasn’t.

I think the best way I can explain it, it’s not just your everyday average mold, it’s “super toxins”. And avoiding those is a bit of an art form, but it’s worth learning and at least giving it a shot.

C: I agree. What I see is that people with MCS and lyme are aware of mold. They are aware of the offgassing, the fragrance, toxins in the outdoor air. [All the toxins out there]. But some toxins are more destructive. If we can take out the bigger ones….

I will link to Lisa and Erik’s book, and Bryan’s book, I should add Julie Rehmeyer’s book as well, Through the Shawdowlands which is also very helpful. They talk about taking out the master toxin. Mold is one of the really key ones. Fragrance isn’t the master toxin. You won’t get out of this by avoiding fragrance.

I know for sure from watching this for 10 years.

—-

You can contact me for one on one help with problem solving for mold avoidance or finding safe housing.

Mold Avoidance Coach

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My coaching for moderate to extreme mold avoidance is based on helping you with your individual limitations to problem solve a plan, no matter how complex the situation.

I bring in my expertise in safe housing and my long-term view of healing locations to help you figure out where to go and where to stay. I use not just my own experience but the experience of hundreds of recovered avoiders whose cases I followed closely.

“WOW Nature The World Of Web” by TheWOWClub licensed under CC0 1.0

My Story (in Brief) – Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes!

I started mold avoidance in 2013, at that time there were no Facebook groups and no Beginner’s Guide to Avoidance. I don’t think there was anyone providing coaching.

I bought an all aluminum Camplite and built a MCS safe tiny house, as I also had extreme MCS at the time. I had bad brain fog and mental and physical work was extraordinarily difficult. I was not able to take care of myself at the time. With brain fog I could not even begin to formulate how camping would be possible.

The Camplite turned up with high levels of offgassing, my plan to use that to scope out the best locations in my area would not work.

I moved into the tiny house and began extreme avoidance there, but in one spot. My health picked up and up. I unmasked and got a lot better. With key supplements, meds and diets, I got started back with online work and taking care of myself on my own.

My Camplite was a gem and I didn’t know

I made a lot of mistakes in mold avoidance that cost me a lot of money and a lot of further hits to my health.

Now there is so much more help on the Facebook groups and information provided by Lisa Petrison, but for those starting out it can still be extremely overwhelming.

I wish that I had support along that way in building the tiny house, with choosing the Camplite and with how to go more extreme with the limitations I had. As well as the likely pitfalls that are money sinks.

That’s what I provide now to folks, from my experience and from watching what has worked in the long term for others who healed (and what went wrong for those who didn’t). Some of my mistakes cost $100,000. That’s what I want to help others avoid. Housing mistakes are costly!

What I didn’t know was that the Camplite was a very valuable and hard to find asset (once it did offgas), while tiny houses, even though it was great for me from the get-go, are built very poorly and will almost certainly mold up fast if not built right.

I made the common mistake of building too soon, building without building science knowledge (only building for MCS), and selling a rare to find trailer.

Then I made one of the biggest mistakes I see folks make in the early stages of mold avoidance – BnB hopping.

BnB hopping is what most folks start out with when they are leaving a moldy house. But here is the problem (especially if you have severe MCS/chemical sensitivities), almost all BnBs are moldy. It’s a financially and physically expensive mistake to “randomly” choose a BnB (especially an older one that is geared towards MCS) and hope for the best.

I will help you choose indoor buildings in two cases – if severe illness means indoor spaces must be the starting point, not trailers or tents, or two, you are not very ill and we think we can help you get better while still staying inside (more moderate avoidance, or, the first step to more extreme avoidance).

When I lost my tiny house to mold, this began my “second run” of extreme avoidance. I spent most of two years in tents, disabled again by a tick bite, but this helped me recover to the point of finally bringing down my sensitivities (while staying unmasked) to be able to do well in regular housing again.

Well designed and well built condos can be good if carefully analysed and vetted

What is Mold Avoidance Coaching?

These are some of the areas we will look at together:

HELPING YOU WITH COMPLEX PROBLEM SOLVING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN

You will come up with your initial plan through the consults, if you have limitations, even severe limitations with energy, cognition, finances, jobs and families etc., we will put together an initial plan that includes a number of options.

After the first consult you will have more ideas to investigate before choosing which road to go down.

DECIDING HOW EXTREME YOU SHOULD GO

I do not push anyone towards going more extreme than they want to, but I can help you decide based on your illness, goals, and what you are willing to do, what would be the best route to go.

If I think something’s possible that does not seem possible to you right now, I will point this out. Often an RV and tenting can work even for the severely ill.

CHOOSING THE TYPE OF LODGING

The main focus of my job as a Building Biologist is safe housing. Housing includes tents, shelters, trailers, tiny homes, and of course regular standard buildings.

A big part of most consults is that you will come away with more options on where you can stay and I will help you to figure out which living situation will suit your situation, limitations and sensitivities.

Again, after the first session there will be almost always be homework as you will have more options to look into and some of the ones you thought might work may now be crossed off the list.

We are going to look at:

  • Tents – how to camp alone and/or with severe symptoms and limitations.
  • Shelters – how to set up a shelter in your yard or on a large property or farm that will be inexpensive, small but very comfortable in terms of temperature and staying out of the elements. This option is far too often overlooked. Those who cannot stay in tents or regular buildings can find a shelter that will work even if we have to do all glass.
  • Trailers/campers/RVs – which one best suits your needs, the finances of buying an RV, offgassing and chemical sensitivities, what’s the best way to go about buying one, what are the pros and cons of different types and models. Which ones are mold prone and which ones tend to last.
  • Building a tiny home or small structure – how to choose a small structure or tiny home that would be best for where you are in your avoidance journey, considering sensitivities, costs and ease of build.
  • Regular housing – if you need or want to stay in regular housing we are going to look at types of buildings and HVAC systems less likely to go moldy. We will also use my list of recently vetted places and network of unmasked vetters to see if we can find you a vetted indoor space.

CHOOSING A LOCATION

I’m a big believer in the Locations Effect as I have watched this phenomenon over many years (almost 10 years now). I have followed and tracked where folks have gotten better in North America (the US, Canada and Mexico along with the Caribbean).

I have knowledge of locations in Europe as well as Africa though we have fewer reports from those areas.

What I do is organise all the reports from avoiders so that you can see pros and cons of different locations, make sense of the differing reports or contradictory reports, and we will come up with a short list of ones that might be best for you.

Your backyard may be your starting location in some cases!

“WOW Nature – The World Of Web” by TheWOWClub licensed under CC0 1.0 

Common Mistakes in Mold Avoidance

  • Choosing regular housing that has not been vetted and hoping for the best (it’s likely to be moldy and/or too high in offgassing).
  • Building (or buying) too soon in the journey (building before finding the best location, unmasking and having enough energy to build properly will not yield good results).
  • Building without the ability to design and supervise a mold preventative build.
  • Buying an RV/trailer/van that is moldy or prone to mold.
  • Hoping to go on a sabbatical and then be unmasked enough to choose regular housing right after.
  • Setting out when severely ill WITH NO BACK UP PLAN. This one is in all caps because it can easily put your life at risk. If you are heading to a BnB/hotel or to a campsite you must have a back up plan, especially if your energy is very limited. If you have lots of energy and can take a night or two of no sleep and still sort things out, that is one thing, but with limited energy, you need a back up plan.
  • Following the path of just one successful mold avoider and not taking into consideration the differences in situations, sensitivities and abilities that might make your road to healing very different.
“WOW Nature – The World Of Web”
by TheWOWClub
licensed under CC0 1.0

What to Expect in a Coaching Session

But most folks have a more complicated picture. If you have a lot of brain fog it is best to start with writing out your situation, options you are considering etc.

Then in the first phone call (1 hour) you will likely come away with more things to research as your options. You very likely could be more overwhelmed then when we started, as we will come up with new options and cross off other ones.

After the first phone call I will send a summary of the call and your research items and then you will complete your research. After you have looked into those ideas/options. A second call will go over your plan. The follow-up could also be done over email in some cases.

I want my clients to succeed. After one call you will be left more overwhelmed with options and ideas to consider and this will not set you up to succeed. You will come away without a plan B, and wondering why I didn’t warn you about x, y, z, there simply isn’t enough time in a short session.

It’s like doing one round of a physical treatment or taking one pill of a medication and not continuing.

After doing this for a number of years, I have seen that the process is not complete without a minimum of time to work out your plan. The minimum about of time to book is 2 hours + a summary email ($180).

Mold avoidance doesn’t end after that initial plan is set up. Once you start on the first leg of your journey this will give you feedback on your plan – what works for you and what doesn’t.

The first leg of your plan will not be perfect, mold avoidance is a work in progress.

Booking

When booking consulting/coaching through the Paypal/Credit Card links you are agreeing to the following:

I consent to participate voluntarily in My Chemical-Free House Mold Avoidance Consulting and I expressly assume all the risks entailed in mold avoidance and I take full responsibility for my well-being and all decisions made before, during and after the email and phone consultations.

I understand that Corinne Segura is not a medical or mental health care provider and she is not providing health care, medical therapy services or attempting to diagnose, treat or cure in any manner whatsoever, any disease, condition or other physical or mental ailment of the human body. Rather, she is serving only in her capacity as a coach, educator, mentor
and guide.

After booking please email me to get started!

Book the 2 hour + email summary session here.

To your healing!

Corinne

“Nature.” by Vivian Farinazzo is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Using Ozone to Kill and Denature Mold

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The Effectiveness of Ozone Generators on Mold, Mycotoxins, Fragrance and Smoke 

Ozone kills and denatures mold on surfaces, eliminates many VOCs and odors such as perfume. It can also remediate smoke smell in certain materials. 

This post contains affiliate links to relevant products that I use and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For those who prefer a video format, I have explained the process of a shock treatment and the risks in this video.

For individual help with using ozone safely for your application, you can schedule a consultation with me here.

Does Ozone Denature Mold and Mycotoxins?

Some say that ozone kills mold spores but does not denature the toxins (EHC). 

These two studies show it can denature the toxins. Based on these two studies (that use very very high amounts of ozone), and the experience of me and those extremely sensitive to mycotoxins leftover after remediation, I do think it is accurate to say ozone actually kills and denatures mold. 

It can still be a good idea to HEPA vacuum after ozonating to clean up dead spores. 

A shock treatment is either a very high doses for shorter amounts of time or very long treatments (from 24 hours to 48 hours). You really have to experiment if you want to denature mold and see what works for you, and be prepared for byproducts (discussed more below).

Which Ozone Generator to Use


 I started with the Jenesco Ozone Generator with an output of 100-2100 mg. This is a high-quality unit with a timer and dosage control. 


I liked this unit because it’s well made and, the timer settings and dosage control setting were useful.


This one comes in around $400

I have the little Airtherial 5000 mg one (pictured left) this is the lowest cost one I have seen. If you are doing a shock treatment for mold you need one with a hold setting like this one. If you are using it at low amounts for fragrance you will only need the basic timer.

You cannot control the dosage with these little inexpensive ones but you can find them for under $100 on Amazon.


For only a little more than a hundred, you can buy this Ivation model which can dial down the dose from  6000 mg to 500 mg. This is what I would use for going after fragrance and smoke as well as cleaning product residue. You don’t want a high dose for that application.

Results with Offgassing, Mold, Fragrance, Smoke

Offgassing

– Chemical smell in Camplite trailer reduced after a few treatments

– Glue smell reduced in brand new metal cargo trailer (this seems to work really well o the new glue smell in basic trailers).

-I would not use this is a new house or conventional trailer (that is full of plastics and upholstery) to reduce offgassing, it’s too risky and does not work that well

Mold

– Mold remediated in an all-metal trailer after 48 hours high dose

– I also had a mold problem in another house I was living in. After the mold was remediated I was still very sick – throat swelling, extreme POTs and terrible insomnia. I then ozonated each room for 24 hours with the machine and was able to come back without any symptoms. I removed all the fabric and cushions from the area before ozonating and there were no adverse chemical reactions with the wood or anything else in the house.

– I’ve used it 4 times now in post remediations with a 24-hour shock treatment. This for me definitely denatures mycotoxins. I have also done 48 shock treatments in metal trailers that were very effective. (I let in oxygen during that time).

– However one of these times the 24-hour treatment created horrible byproducts in a wooden house. Even after excessive airing out, I got extremely sick. It seems as though I overdid the ozone or did not have enough oxygen coming in. Big risk here. It was a long time before I could go in that house again.

-Some people found it useful to shock a room or tent and to “flash” belongings before any mold toxins could take hold.

Fragrance, Smoke and Funky Smells

– Smell removed from funky smelling fabric (towel that had a smell that washing would not remove). 

– BUT: gave some fabrics like wool and cotton a strange smell when doing an intense 24 treatment 

-Ozone can help a lot with fragrance in a car or house as well as smoke smell. Car dealerships use ozone but not super high amounts of for long amounts of time. 

-This is very useful if the fragrance and smoke smell are your big concerns. Go low and slow on fragrance, cleaning product residue and smoke until you start to see a difference. 

-To remove odors the time needed for treatment is much less than the shock treatment for mold. This will reduce a lot of the risks. Car detailers run ozone for 15 min to 2 hours, typically, or until they can remove the smoke or other problematic odour. 

You have to be sure you are using it safely and understand the limitations

How to Use Ozone Safely

– Ozone is a very toxic gas. People and pets should not be in the building when an ozone machine is on. Do not even take one whiff of it. Make sure you have a plan to turn it on and off while holding your breath. Ideally turn it off without entering the room (through the electrical panel). It clings to your clothes even if you hold your breath and walk through – this is not safe.

– Ozone needs to be 5-10 x above safe levels for humans to impact bacteria and mold (Pinto).

– The place should be aired out after using ozone to make sure that the gas is not inhaled. Ozone is unstable and will dissipate, but it does not dissipate as fast in a closed space with no airflow. If other VOCs form (see below) then it is necessary to air out the place for a while. The half-life of ozone is 40 min-25 hours. If byproducts have been created then give it a few days at least. Make sure there are tonnes of open windows for the air out.

– One reason government health sites do not recommend the machines is that the shock treatment used to get rid of mold toxins is a very harmful level if inhaled (deadly if you stay in there). Even the low levels recommended as safe by some manufacturers is probably harmful to anyone sensitive to toxins. So there is a huge risk if someone does not know how to use it safely. It is possible they are also wary because of the negative reactions outlined below. In many conventional houses, it might not be possible to avoid all those secondary reactions with materials.

Limitations of Ozone 

-Ozone cannot remove carbon monoxide or formaldehyde (EPA).

– It cannot get into porous materials to remove mold or chemicals (EPA). My experience suggests that it does denature mold that is near the surface of porous materials. I don’t think it goes very deep.

– It will not help with chlorinated hydrocarbons (vinyl, plastics etc) (EHC)–

– May not work on clothes and shoes (Pinto). My experience is that there is a bad reaction with any fabric in high amounts. But lots of folks have had success remediating clothing and shoes including leather shoes. Though not all types of leather will hold up the same and some rubbers in shoes will eventually break down. 

Negative Reactions and Byproducts of Ozone – What Can go Wrong

Ozone reacts negatively with some compounds creating more VOCs. Some of the substances it reacts to are:

  • New carpets (EPA)
  • Active tobacco smoke (EPA)
  • Terpenes (to form formaldehyde) (CDH)
  • Styrene (EHC)
  • Floor finish that contains pinine (Pinto)
  • Ceiling tiles (from a client of mine) 
  • Old carpet (from a client of mine)
  • Fabrics (from my experience)
  • Wallpaper (from a client) 

I have found there is a negative byproduct left with almost every porous material if you do this in high enough doses for long enough.

High doses of ozone used to really clear out mold toxins will also degrade or harm certain materials such as:

  • Plants
  • Rubber (especially vulnerable is natural latex)
  • Coating of electrical wires
  • Fabric
  • Some artwork
  • Unfinished metal will rust

My experience is you really need to do many many treatments before you start breaking down most rubbers.  I have done many high dose (shock treatment) ozone treatments and not broken down coatings on electrical wires. 

Folks to ozonate electronics with success (just don’t do it too many times and if the rubber parts are already close to breaking down you could have a huge problem). 

I have seen Taylor guitars remediated with success. 

How to do an Ozone Shock Treatment

For a shock treatment, remove everything fabric or wrap them in plastic, this includes mattresses. 

Remove plants, pets, and artwork that is not behind glass. Tape up electrical outlets. Remove all electronics. Make sure you have everything you need before turning the machine on. 

Hold your breath while turning it on and while turning it off. Air out the place with fresh air for 24 hours. This is based on my experiences.

Make sure you research if this is safe for you and worth the risk. Understand why the EPA does not recommend it. It is too easy to do something wrong where you could breathe some in. Treat it like the deadly gas that it is. If you are not sure if it will react with your carpet, walls, ceiling then it is a last resort treatment. You can also test a low dose first to see if any weird smells form.  

Make sure it is dosed correctly for the space and if running it for 24 hours it needs an oxygen source. Overdoing it can make your place intolerable. I recently had a bad experience where I overdid it with the ozone, it took a month to be able to go back in. 

How to Dose Ozone

I generally use 3500 mg/hr in a single medium-sized or large room for a shock treatment. A shock treatment which is what kills and usually denatures the mold is usually 1000 milligrams per hour (mgph) per 100 sq feet (at 70 degrees with relative humidity at or below 20%). The level you are aiming for is 6 to 10 parts per million. Many people shock for 1-3 hours but those of us super sensitive tend to keep going until the substance is denatured. I have gone as high as 5000 and 7000 mg/hr in a very small trailer for 24 – 48 hours. 

The machines I like are the Jenesco Ozone Generator with an output of 100-2100 mg. And the little 5000 mg ones on Amazon that are low cost with a “hold” setting.

Sources:

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/ozonegen.html
CDA: http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/environmental_health/eoha/pdf/ozone_generator_fact_sheet.pdf
EHC: http://www.environmentalhealth.ca/summer96ozone.html
Michael Pinto: http://www.moldsensitized.com/ozone-generators-and-interior-mold-remediation-a-recipe-for-disaster/

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Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

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A Guide to Non-Toxic Camping Gear (And Keeping it Mold Free) | 2020

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I have updated this post after having spent 2 years of close to full-time camping. The focus is still on avoiding chemicals, but I am adding more unusual camping equipment and techniques for avoiding mold, updating new gear I really like, and some new tricks.

This post contains affiliate links wherever the brands I like have an affiliate program. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

For individual help on choosing the best camping gear for you, and how to keep it mold-free, you can schedule a consultation with me here.

Choosing a Tent Type

A Cheap and Easy Start – Pop Up Tents

non-toxic pop up tent, offgassing

I bought a pop-up tent as my first tent. I went for one of the cheapest options here just to get started quickly. I was able to use it after one week (with the doors all open at first for air) but it was about 1 month before I found it offgassed the chemical smell, and I could close up the doors. I was super sensitive at that time.

A number of brands have pop up tents in this style which are super easy and quick to put up and have a decent design in terms of the amount of ventilation (more on the style I prefer with ventilation below).

Mine leaked in heavy rain so I don’t like this style of tent, other than the fact that it is very easy to pop up and if you get a good tarp over it you will be waterproof – I always put a tarp over now, more on that later.

Anyone super challenged with putting up tents might want to start here.

Rain Fly Styles – Preventing Mold and Avoiding Chemicals

For heavy rain, a tent with a really good rainfly is needed that comes down almost all the way to the ground like many of the REI or MEC brands and this Backpacking tent (pictured left). I used the Winterial version of this style for many months.

When it comes to tents on the ground, this is the main style I look for because of the good rainfly which keeps it more waterproof.

Having mostly mesh on the inside also reduces your exposure to chemical offgassing and helps to prevent condensation on the walls.

Technically you don’t need a tarp over it, but I always add one. Water that soaks the tent walls will then soak anything that is touching the walls inside. The tarp is also needed so you can get in and out when it’s raining.

I just don’t trust any tent enough to not put a tarp over top. More on setting up tarps later in the post.

Offgassing Tents

Sometimes the rainfly smells stronger than the tent and sometimes it smells less. Sometimes a super beefy tent bottom is the hardest part to offgas. It depends on the brand.

Some who are trying to reduce exposure to chemical offgassing and flame retardants wash the tents to remove some of the treatments, but this also removes some of the waterproof coating. That can work if you have a good tarp over.

I have not found any evidence that many flame retardants can be adequately washed out, but it can’t hurt to try.

I like putting tents in the sun to offgas them. Smell them to test, and also touch them to make sure they don’t cause skin irritation.

The more mesh you have the more airflow and the less exposure to offgassing.

Stealth Camping – How to Camp on Balconies

For stealth camping on patios and balconies of hotels or Airbnbs I have used a one-person tent like this, I also like this Tenton brand (I like that it comes with straps to strap it to a camping cot below to raise it up).

You can also look for tents called bevy tents.

I have tried just a mat with a mosquito net over it, and I have also just strung up the just the rain fly (with no tent) over a camping cot and Thermarest if there are no bugs.

Otherwise, you can cut out the bottom. Never put a tent with a bottom right over outdoor tiles, bricks or concrete for long, you will have a recipe for mold fast.

You can put up a tent on top of a camping cot like in the pictures of the Tenton one person tent linked to above. But to keep a low profile I prefer to use a camping cot and then string up the rainfly or mosquito net so it does not go higher than the balcony rails.

Putting up a Tent when Disabled 

Make sure you know how (and that you can) put up your tent alone (as well as set up other supplies like a stove) before you get to the campsite. I have shown up to campsites with tents that are defective or missing parts more than once, so I would do a trial run for that reason as well.

For those who are disabled and limited, I made this video on Camping for Those Who Can’t Camp, to try and give some examples of how camping might still be possible for you.

Brands of Tents that are Low in Offgassing

Moonlight thetentlab.com

Brands that seem to be the lowest in offgassing are:

  • Lightspeed (polyesters with PU coating) REI (polyester, rainfly, and floor coated with PU)
  • LL Bean (polyester with PU from what I have seen)
  • Big Agnes (nylon, polyester with PU and some silicone).
  • The jury is out on Coleman, some people tolerate it and others don’t.
  • Some people find cheap Walmart tents especially Ozark brand is more tolerable than ones for hundreds of dollars. I have found Ozark tents to be very tolerable myself.
  • Cuben fiber tents – Cuben Fibre is PET – polyethylene plastic, this can be more tolerable. Many have said these don’t contain FR, but Zpacks failed to get back to me on that.

There is no consensus on which brand is the best for those with chemical sensitivities. Everyone is so different, no tent is perfect, and for some less sensitive there might not even be a big difference between the brands. You have to test them out for yourself if extremely sensitive.

Silicone treated tents might be more tolerable for some, others may prioritize avoiding flame retardants.

10 Tent Brands without Flame Retardants 2019 

  1. Sierra Tensegrity Elite tents (Amazon).
  2. Mountain Hard Ware tents made after 2019 are FR-free (Amazon).
  3. TarpTents
  4. Fjällräven tents (Amazon).
  5. Diamond Brand tents (Amazon).
  6. Nemo Some tents do not have FR. (Currently, Apollo and Chogori, says the company).
  7. Moonlight All FR-free and coated with silicone on the outside and polyurethane (PU) on the inside.
  8. Winterial does claim no flame retardants in discussions although the brand is not one that publicizes this
  9. NatureHike has claimed no flame retardants, but it’s not written anywhere other than private emails (Amazon)
  10. Six Moon Designs SilNylon, Silpoly and Dyneema Tents and Tarps are not treated with any fire retardant materials

Some canvas tents do not have flame retardants.

Cuben fibre from what I have seen is FR-free

Camping Gear without Flame Retardants 2019

  • None of the Thermarest Camping pads contain FR. Some have the Prop 65 warning (but for chromium)
  • The Exped mats are FR free since 2015 the lot.
  • REI brand sleeping mats are not treated with FR.
  • Wildkin sleeping mats and sleeping bags are also FR free.
  • Two other sleeping bags that are FR free are Holy Lamb Organics (but they use cotton), Kelty, Wiggy’s, and the down quilts by Jacks ‘R’ Better.

Should you go with an Unconventional Tent?

Aluminum Insulated Tents

These Billion Brick tents are insulated and the foil on the inside will also block most of the VOCs from the fabric on the outside. They say you can sleep in them down to 0 degrees Celsius. They are 269 USD. They do not have any mesh for ventilation which I imagine would be quite the problem for condensation and I do not know how you would get fresh air. This doesn’t seem realistic for me.

The Shift Pod is another version of an insulated aluminum tent made for Burning Man. The benefit to the aluminum on the outside is it’s reflective of sun and heat. I would think it would have similar problems with condensation in most situations. It’s pricey at 1300 USD.

For 18 USD you can get this aluminum lined small sleeping tent (that might work for balcony sleeping or in an emergency, otherwise it’s difficult with a lack of ventilation). The aluminum on the inside is more tolerable than the usual plastic.

Make Your Own Tent

Others have made homemade tents with materials they can tolerate like Tyvek, Reflectix or XPS sheets. You can also make a more typical tent from untreated nylon.

More info on that in this post here.

Canvas Tents, are they Mold-Prone?

Some folks who cannot handle the chemicals in the synthetic tents have tried canvas tents. These do not hold up well to rain and high humidity and I would not use them in rainy or humid conditions nor expect them to last very long at all.

Some companies people like are Reliable Tent,  Kodiak Tents, Davis Tents.

I have seen canvas tents, specifically, Davis tents hold up for quite a long time in a dry climate and with a woodstove inside. It can take rain and even snow, as long as it can dry out. For long term living a gravel floor or a raised up wooden platform is best.

For those who don’t tolerate cotton or who want the tent to hold up a little longer than cotton canvas, you can make one out of hemp fabric, like this one. You can expect cotton and hemp to last a short while in dry non-humid climates where you are expecting very little or no rain for a while.

If you are making your own tent out of canvas or nylon you can use the tube structure of a conventional tent and build it around that.

Large Wall Tents

Wall tents can be canvas or conventional nylon/polyester. They have straight walls and are generally larger. Barebones makes a nylon polyester wall tent. Often this type has more weather poofing and will have flame retardants because they are set up for wood burning stores.

This can be a good solution for a longer-term camping tent. Though you should take care to keep the base dry (cut out or raised up) if you want it to last.

How to Stay Dry and Prevent Mold when Camping

How to Set up Tarps Underneath and Over Tents

I bought a tarp for underneath to keep dew from getting the tent wet from below (also called a footprint), and later I added a tarp for over the tent to stay dry. The bottom of my tent stayed nice and dry at first with the tarp underneath. I would take out and turn over the sleeping mat every day.

If the bottom of the tent gets wet you will want to dry it in the sun within 24 hours (flip it and then put it back and maybe move spots). You can use the footprints made for underneath tents but tarps are generally cheaper (your tent may come with a footprint).

You want the tarp underneath to be a little smaller and tucked in so that is is under the tent. No water should get between the two. Some people tuck it and then raise it a little with sticks or rocks so that no water gets in between. I tried that but in the end tent bottoms still went moldy on me if I had damp soil.

Putting a tarp overtop helped a lot. I found regular tarps from the hardware store has a strong smell but offgassed within a few days. I use a silnylon tarp which has a less offensive odor but is more expensive. Over most tents, you need 12 x 10 or 12 x 12.

Some people find they still do have to move the tent every couple of days due to condensation or the earth going funky underneath.

Keep a backup tent that is offgassed in case of mold or damage to your primary tent. Keep backup gear especially if you are out in the wilderness, if you need geat to offgas before using, or you cannot easily drive somewhere and buy new gear within one day.

Generally, you string up the tarp up in an “A shape” so that it’s touching neither the tent nor the ground, you can also string it up with a shed slant like the photo above. Some people dig a small trench around so that the water that drips off does not go towards the tent. Without a tarp, I had a lot of problems including saturation of the tent and water coming through especially where anything was touching the tent.

In a major storm, a larger tarp overhead helps, as well as a deep trench, and if things are going swampy you need to raise it up. I have used XPS sheets to raise up a tent in a storm before I found the Cot Tents.

The Solution to Tent Bottoms Going Moldy – The Best Tents For Avoiding Mold

After throwing out many tents and then moving on to cutting out the bottoms, I have finally found what seems like the perfect tent: the Ozark Trail Two-Person Cot Tent (easier to find at Walmart Canada than in the US right now).

This is an integrated camping cot tent (pictured left). This is off the ground so the bottom will not mold. They do have the one-person version available in the US.

This had a very low odor rainfly and a brilliant design with the rainfly coming down way past the cot to protect water from getting in between.

This is the best design of a tent I have ever used, though it’s flimsy and broke on me when I took it down. It is assumed here that the Prop 65 warning here indicates the flame retardant “Tris”.

Although I didn’t like the more common style of tent cot (I had trouble with ventilation and even dangerously spiked my C02 levels one night), if the Ozark Tent is not available I would use this style again, but with caution with ventilation.

The Winterial brand is a brand I have done well with, though it was the Camp Rite brand that I tried in this style. The Camp Rite brand does have a two-person version.

I quite like the Tenton tent that is made to strap on to their XXL camping cots. You will, as always, want a tarp over this whole set up since this rainfly does not come past the cot (though on their website they sell a larger rainfly which would).

The tree tents look interesting, as they are raised off the ground, but you have to keep in mind these are really just for sleeping as they don’t look very conducive to hanging out all day. I wonder how much they sag in the middle, and they are not as easy to put up. For those who are less picky about their sleeping environment resembling a regular bed, the hammocks with nets are interesting options that are affordable and easy to travel with.

Downsides of Cot Tents

Cot Tents are Bulky

While I would never want to go with anything other than the raised off the ground tent again, this won’t work when I travel. When I travel I need to fit a tent, sleeping mat, and sleeping bag into a duffel bag.

The sleeping mats I use are huge and unless I can send a tent ahead I would have to go back to cutting out the bottom. I would use plastic bags to encase things instead of the thick tarps I mention.

Cot Tents are Colder

It is cooler when you are raised off the ground. But I don’t find it any worse than cutting out a bottom and using a camping cot (in fact I find it warmer than tents with the bottom cut out).

Flame Retardants

Ozark is a very tolerable brand for MCS. I don’t like the flame retardants they use. I have not seen a flame retardant free brand in this style.

Should you Buy a Cheap Tent or Tent that Lasts?

For those doing mold avoidance or living somewhere very damp, you might want to go with the more disposable option.

Expensive tents from REI and MEC tend to pack smaller and lighter and should be higher quality, however, if they do go moldy it is a bigger loss.

On the other hand, if I am traveling with a tent I want one that’s not going to break unexpectedly as many places around the world do not have stores that sell tents. Check also how much wind and rain they say they can withstand. You pay more for quality and wind and rain protection.

But all of that said, I would never spend more than 150 on a tent unless I’m sure it’s going to last me a long time (like the ones raised off the ground).

Camping Mats – Low Offgassing 

Air Mattress

I started with the Lightspeed air mattress which is the one the most sensitive to chemicals use. It offgassed quickly (2 days in the sun) and felt comfortable. It’s good quality but I had back problems with it. Many with chemical sensitivities prefer the Intex polyester air mattresses.

Other very sensitive folks have tolerated the small air mats. I was very impressed with how little this one smelled (less than the air mattress), and it’s a WAY better option to travel with, but I did not find it comfortable enough.

Go with the simplest, most compact option that is still comfortable for you.

Open Cell Foam Self Inflating

The Mondo King

I ended up buying the thickest Thermarest instead and LOVING it. This is as comfortable as a bed to me, though many people put Thermarests over a camping cot, that seemed excessive with the MondoKing (though cots can also help you get off the ground which is a benefit when you have cut out the bottom or are preventing mold under the bed).

I’m not that picky about beds so I was surprised that the airbed hurt. The Thermarest has a decent R-value to keep you warm, the more insulation you have under you in the cold the better.

The MondoKing is very comfortable and I usually wake up forgetting I’m in a tent. It has polyurethane in it but it offgassed quickly in my experience. I used it after 2 days of airing out (not ideal), in one week I found it to be really good, and one month to be near odorless to me.

This is a super good mat for a trailer or other tiny home as well. It does not contain flame retardants.

I bought the repair kit for the Thermarest as well because this is going to be my main bed in the trailer, I also carry the repair kit when traveling.

I still prefer the MondoKing, but another good and more affordable (but thinner option) I use is the Lightspeed version.

Camping Beds and Moisture

When it was hot and sunny (and I was not self-contaminating) I had no problems with condensation if I turned it every couple days and some days left it standing up to air out.

You will want to flip or air out your sleeping bag as well in the day to prevent mold.

As it got cold and I moved it into a trailer it became very challenging to keep a sleeping pad dry and mold-free. It needs to have slats underneath and a waterproof cover without a doubt in a cold or damp environment.

I wouldn’t recommend leaving this on any flat surface without a waterproof cover anymore. As I got more sensitive I was not able to keep this clean without an encasement.

If you are very sensitive to mold, very unmasked, or detoxing through your sweat, encase the sleeping mat right away. You can use plastic but I prefer these thick aluminized tarps as they also block the smell.

I used those tarps if I needed to block the smell but if I just needed to encase it I used contractor bags that are thicker than the usual garbage bags. I taped it airtight.

Closed Cell Foam Pads

For the ultra-sensitive to chemicals, an aluminized Thermarest is the safest camping mat.

People usually go with the solid foam or the small inflatable ones as they pack much smaller than the deluxe one I bought (and these are more affordable). They offgas less as well.

Here is a good overview of the closed-cell foam pads.

You can wash these unlike many of the other options. Some even pour boiling water on them to clean them and kill bacteria. You can’t do that with all camping mats.

Camping Cots

I like this style of camping cot the best because it packs really small, it is relatively flat, works well with a Thermarest over it, and it’s low to the ground but high enough to have airflow.

I never put a camping mat straight on the ground anymore. I always want that airflow under the sleeping mat (if you are not using an integrated cot tent).

I would not say this style of camping cot is easy to take apart and put back if you are physically disabled.

Bedding – Low Offgassing

Sleeping Bags

I’m extremely pleased with this Teton sleeping bag which is warm and offgassed after sitting in the sun for a week or so. I never even washed it.

I used this in the summer and some days it was too warm.

I am currently using this Abco bag, as when it’s on sale it’s a better price.

Others like a silk sleeping bag liner which keeps you warm and keeps your sleeping bag cleaner. It is much easier to wash a liner than the sleeping bag. I’m using this silk one and it’s quick to dry (surprised by how chemically it smelled, needed more washes than most fabrics).

You can also make a liner by sewing a queen flat sheet in half. You can either use a liner to get inside of first or to encase a blanket. This will keep the sleeping bag good for longer. The polyester liners can work too.

In warmer weather, I skipped sleeping bags and used heated blankets as my only blanket. As I started to detox through my sweat things got trickier.

Now I like a warm but washable option like these Pendleton Blankets. But, when it is very cold, a sleeping bag is really the warmest option.

Sheets

I use these AmazonBasics polyester sheets. But there are specific sheets for Thermarests and other brands of sleeping mats. They are also polyester, the only difference is they are fitted exactly for the Thermarest.

You don’t want any cotton in your tent – it doesn’t do well outside for long if it’s humid, and it’s terrible when wet.

Pillows

I bought a polyester camping pillow which is small (and it has cotton on the outside!)

I use waterproof pillowcases to prevent mold which I aired out and washed before using. They do smell at first, but polyurethane coating does offgas (to most people’s standards).

I have tried lots of camping pillows from the air and foam ones to the polyester ones, to just using a towel. You have to figure out which is the most comfortable for you. Some are very small. The air ones can be easy to roll off of. A towel is easy to wash if you need to wash gear often.

I keep backups of everything.

Staying Warm and Cool

Heated Blankets

I use a heating blanket in almost every climate. I thought the biggest problem for me would be stabilizing my temperature, but that ended up not being that difficult at all.

This is the Sunbeam heating blanket I use. After going through a lot of these, the trick is I want one big enough to cover me and I want the 10 hour shut off not the 3 hour shut off, to keep me warm all night.

They are challenging in how strong they smell when new and since they can’t go in a dryer they can be difficult to clean in cold weather camping.

I encase my current one in these liners and wash the liner every 3 days.

For those concerned about EMFs you can use this to heat the tent without putting in on your body. It won’t be as warm, but it is likely safer than a stand-alone heater in a tent. Or, the fancier and supposedly healthier option is an infrared mat.

This 60-watt heated blanket (the smaller throw size) will run for most of the night off this solar kit. I always have an extension cord running to my tent. A small heated blanket tucked into a sleeping bag provides a lot of warmth.

Using a Heater in a Tent

I have set up many a small heater in a tent. I check the wattage and if it has temperature control (I make sure my tent is big enough, note: read the tent dimensions carefully, they run small).

It’s safer to place the heater up on a small table or round of wood to keep it from knocking over or blowing directly onto something that could melt or burn. I make sure my tent is big enough to accommodate a heater with lots of space around it and it has an auto shut off when it falls over.

I use this little Honeywell heater because it’s super low wattage (250 watts).

I find it easy to accidentally shove this when sleeping and it can turn towards the tent fabric easily. That is just one reason why this is not technically recommended. It is a fire risk. This is what I have done, but I cannot officially recommend it.

If my tent is on the ground and I have a thick Thermarest, I can be warm enough with a heated blanket and that little heater down to 5 degrees C. I don’t sleep well when I’m cold, but everyone is different, so you will have to work out those details.

Other Heating Options

  1. Hot water bottles can be put inside the sleeping bag at night. This thermoplastic one has been reported to be very tolerable by many.
  2. Hand warmers work well when you don’t have electricity. Hand warmers in your sleeping bag can be a big help. The same company also makes sock liners. I have used these in power outages, they seem totally non-toxic.
  3. Heated clothes like battery-powered heated jackets, socks, and gloves can be a huge help as well.
  4. Wood stoves are used by some. I’m getting the Cubic Mini for the cargo trailer but I do not have experience setting up a wood stove in a tent.

Cooling a Tent: AC in a tent 

For the AC you will need to cut a hole for the exhaust and seal with tape around it.

If I put anything electrical in a tent I make sure I have multiples layers of protection from getting wet from above or flooding from below.

Use heaters, heating blankets AC or woodstoves at your own risk of fire or electrocution. They are not recommended for tents.

Here is the longer version of my Amazon visual list of my Favorite & my Unusual Camping supplies I bring with me on a Sabbatical.

(See the comment box on each image to see my notes on each one).

A few examples here:

  • I cooked everything in an Instant Pot when camping which I could do on my one extension cord.
  • Travel Berkey is still on my wish list, this ceramic filter is ideal for well water or any other water where filtering for biological pathogens is the priority (otherwise I buy water)
  • Non-cotton fast drying travel towel, I use this one.
  • Earplugs, and for really loud situations the “triple down” method of foam + silicone + ear protectors (or noise-canceling headphones). The construction ear protectors do smell quite strong. One benefit of noise-canceling headphones is some noises cannot be blocked without adding white noise.
  • The foam contoured eye masks smell a little and need some time to offgas (I put them in the sun). It is still my favorite mask many years later. The fabric ones can be washed to remove chemical treatments. I always keep a backup mask.
  • I still love this portable dryer, I got a tonne of use out of that. I used it outside with an extension cord, undercover.
  • Washable wool or silk long underwear, wool socks, and wool hat, gloves to stay warm in cold weather
  • Hand sanitizer (that’s my favorite non-toxic brand) and baby wipes are essential in a tent (unscented of course, for yourself and also if there are bears around).

More Resources:

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.

I spent 2 years living outside in tents in order to bring down my chemical and mold sensitivities and get back into regular housing.

healthy home build consult

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A Mold Avoidance Sabbatical

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How to Conduct a Mold Avoidance Sabbatical: Using the Locations Effect to Heal 

This article will provide guiding principles to choosing a location and type of lodging for a Mould Avoidance/Locations Effect sabbatical. I will also share some of the tips and tricks I have found over the years.

Those two sabbaticals are not always the same thing, but here I am talking about them as if you are doing both at the same time. This article will still be helpful if you’re looking to do a locations effect sabbatical with only moderate mold avoidance.

Over the past 10 years, I have watched people with CFS, Fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and MCS conduct mold avoidance experiments. It seems to be very rare for people affected by these diseases to not be affected by mold and other environmental factors, like off-gassing and the quality of the outdoor air.

Clean, clear, calm turquoise waters are usually healing
“Isla Espiritu Santo, Baja California Sur, Mexico” by Tim Buss is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

This post contains affiliate links to relevant books and products that I use and recommend. Upon purchase, I earn a small commission through affiliate links at no extra cost to you.

To conduct this sabbatical will need to find temporary safe accommodation in the cleanest environment you can access. Erik Johnson, who discovered the connection between mold, the locations effect and CFS, talks about a “Mobile Environmental Control Unit” which is a “safe house” trailer or RV to use as a baseline.

I have written a post on mobile safe home and safe trailers, a customized trailer, cargo trailers and vans. A tent is a good baseline for many. It is not easy to find a trailer that meets the needs of those very sensitive to mold as well as chemicals.

I help clients choose between trailers, tent camping, or more conventional options – anywhere from glamping to rental houses.

A Beginner’s Guide to Mold Avoidance: Techniques Used by Hundreds of Chronic Multisystem Illness Sufferers to Improve Their Health is the book you want to start with when conducting a mold avoidance sabbatical. 

I help people through my Consulting go through the process of preparing and undertaking a sabbatical. I can help you decide what to bring what not to bring, where to go and what types of accommodations to try, depending on the severity of your conditions and what’s feasible for you.

Here is my Visual Packing List of Some of My Favorite & Unusual Supplies I Bring with me on a Sabbatical.

(See the comment box on each image to see my notes on each one).

Avoidance Test Run 

Almost everyone I know with CFS/Fibro or Lyme has felt better in a “good location.” Some people will say they felt 80% better in Cayman Islands or had many symptoms go away while camping in a national park or while vacationing in the Rockies or Aruba.

There are many more stories on the Locations Effect Facebook group from people who have felt much better from CFS and related illnesses using this method. 

From watching this over the years, I can say that pristine outdoor air is where you get the big boost, but you still have to be as particular about the indoor air.

In a good location, sometimes in a fantastic location, you may have a higher tolerance for regular housing. But not everyone is so lucky. 

For those who are already hypersensitive or are coming from a house that is less moldy than most, a lot of caution has to be taken before assuming that.

Something I feel that has been lacking in support groups is experience in how to choose safe housing for this experiment. Buildings the world over are moldy. The majority of trailers are moldy as well. So to step out and try this experiment is not so simple if you are not starting out with a tent. 

If you have MCS and or EMF sensitivity this is even more difficult.

 A Few Common Mistakes are:

  • Going to a good location but choosing a regular hotel or rental online that has not been vetted or even carefully analyzed. It should never be assumed that simply choosing something that looks clean online is not moldy. Most buildings in almost every climate are moldy.
  • Many people who are sick with these types of illnesses have traveled, whether it’s domestically or internationally, and have often felt better in a new location. That is a huge clue. However, it’s also very possible that you have traveled and not felt better anywhere else either because you were going to similar locations, bad locations, bringing your stuff, or you were choosing regular housing that was moldy or toxic. If you don’t think the locations effect applies to you because you have traveled before, that is not enough info to go by if you have chosen regular hotels and rentals in the past.
  • It’s a mistake to think that because a climate is drier or because you’re going to a beach location it will be better. Islands are also assumed to be better but are not always so. Florida has some of the most toxic beaches. Drier climates have moldy buildings just like everywhere else. Of course lower summer humidity and less rainfall may mean there are more buildings that are a better choice. But a drier climate does not guarantee safer housing or better outdoor air. 
  • The Canary Islands are an example of a place I’ve been to that are drier than many places, but the buildings are moldier than usual because of the lack of heating and cooling. There are many great locations where people have healed that are certainly not dry. The Canary Islands are also an example of islands that are not as great as you would expect. Hawaii is another example of islands that are not spectacular. Also note, poorer countries often have poorer building practices.

Find a Good Location

Using the Locations Effect, Mold Avoiders, and Mold Avoiders on the Road groups on Facebook, and suggestions from others who have recovered, find a good area. The key aspect here is the outdoor air quality.

People have felt remarkably better in places that are exceptionally pristine – these might be in the mountains, tropical coastal areas, or the desert. Those are the most popular choices, though forests and grasslands and all types of ecological areas can be good. 

Mercey Hot Springs is one of the original location effects hotspots Still reported good for camping. Those severely ill can fly in. 
“California Sunset 1 – Fresno County” by naotakem is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

None of these locations can be expected to stay good if they have been recommended years ago. Housing recommendations are even trickier. For my updated list of housing in good locations, see my list here, I keep track every time somebody shares a specific place where they recovered.

Check with people in the Facebook group Mold Avoiders or the Locations Effect to see if the area is still good. 

I often do consultations on this topic because locations and especially buildings change over time. I am able to vet places near me and I can use my network to vet housing in other locations. Otherwise, I can analyze them through photos to some degree. 

There are factors here that are individual, not everybody does well with altitude, not everybody does well in a tropical setting if it’s hot. I would definitely take into consideration your individual factors, but I would not assume that you are looking for just a drier climate or just a beach location. 

However, there is still enough of a consensus on locations where people have healed as long as you take into consideration those personal aspects such as altitude and heat, etc.

Ricky’s Caribbean Effect

Many are able to do a lot of healing in clean, clear turquoise waters. When looking for healing water, look for clean water and clean sand meaning not a lot of seaweed or debris.

Look for bright turquoise and calm waters where you will be able to sit and float in the water. You can look through Google photos (not promotional shots) and satellite images to find these waters.

Typically each island has good sides and not so good sides.

The “Ricky Islands” are Aruba, Cayman, Turks and Caicos, St Maarten and Anguilla. Others have done well on Aruba (most reports on Aruba from avoiders), Cayman and Turks.

There are areas on other islands or the Caribbean coasts that can be really great, for example the best beaches in Cuba are both on the north coast resort area and playa Ancon south. A number of people have made big gains on the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica.

The eastern Caribbean Islands have not been as good. The Bahamas have mixed reports and may be too far north, though Exuma fits Ricky’s Criteria.

Avoid areas with sargassum, too much seaweed, red tide and cyano (like Florida). There can be other toxins in the water if sewage or other toxic runoffs are dumped there.

Avoid human-made bays which are not as good. You may want to look at trade winds as well to make sure you have water coming off the ocean.

Spending time in and on this type of water has been really helpful for many people. Staying somewhere with a direct line of sight to the ocean breeze has been helpful for many. 

Ricky, who has made a 100% recovery on various islands, has developed this method of analyzing water, the location of housing on the island and which islands are best. You can read his advice in the Locations Effect Facebook page or follow his journey to relocate to the Caribbean permanently here.

The Canadian Rockies (pictured), Lake Alpine, Sonora CA, and Tibet have been reported as good mountainous locations
“Peyto Lake, Banff NP” by wildvoid is licensed under CC BY 2.0 

When I’m looking at locations I’m looking for three things:

1. Places where people have totally or almost totally recovered just from the locations effect.

2. Places where the most extremely sensitive people have made great improvements.

3. Enough consensus on the location. A lot of mixed reports indicate that the location might not be the best for those super sensitive or to make the best chance at recovery.  

One additional strategy you can use is to look at the progress of people who have similar illnesses to you, similar sensitivities, and a similar level of unmasking. This last piece can be really important especially if you have really specific sensitivities, for example, you need to avoid pesticides or high EMF areas that other mold avoiders may not be avoiding as scrupulously. 

Generally, though, it’s the mold avoiders who are healing who have the highest level of sensitivity to the environment, not just to mold, but to many different types of outdoor toxins.

I look at the reports over the last 10 years and I look at who is reporting – have they made a significant recovery, and are they unmasked already. For those just starting out and who are not unmasked and are coming from a really moldy place, they may see a quick improvement by changing locations with only decent enough housing.

This does not mean the location is excellent, and they often cannot hold on to these gains if the location and housing are not great.

Aruba (pictured), Cayman, Turks and Caicos and Anguilla are reported good locations.
Not all of the Carribean is good and not every part of a good island is equal.
Look for good water, trade winds, good proximity to the beach.
“Hotel Tamarijn Strand tussen Tamarijn en Divi Aruba” by Roel van Deursen  licensed under CC BY 2.0 

Choosing Lodging for the Sabbatical

A tent is less risky as you have way more control over the environment you are sleeping in (but it could be difficult to offgas). A tent can be hard for someone who is extremely sensitive to temperature. But there are lots of tips and tricks in my post on camping.

I have made progress in a tent even when 90% bedbound. Other options include glamping, RVs, and hotels/rentals.

Finding lodging that is chemical/scent and mold-free is trickier, and everyone is different in their sensitivities, so even a good recommendation is tricky. Places also may have been contaminated or become moldy since the recommendation was made.

Tenting on Sabbatical

Here is my post on camping.  I go through options for tents for people with chemical sensitivities as well as how to keep your tent and gear as mold-free as possible.

I also share some of my tips for people with challenges around comfort.

When looking at glamping setups I’m looking at them just as closely to inspect the age and condition of the materials.

Canvas is a no-no unless it’s brand new in a dry climate. I want to see raised off the ground. No used tents on flat surfaces.

Yurts and domes need to be looked at carefully for offgassing and mold.

When glamping, look for well built simple structures, raised off the ground. These otentiks can be found across Canada.
Ask about the age and materials.
“Riding Mountain National Park oTENTik” by Travel Manitoba is licensed under CC BY 2.0

When glamping, look for well built simple structures, raised off the ground. These otentiks can be found across Canada. Ask about the age and materials.

Trailers for a Sabbatical

Airstreams can be rented from many different places but you want to go as new as possible there.

Having a cargo trailer with no wood, offgassed Camplite or offgassed fiberglass trailer could provide a good baseline home.

Here is my post on trailer options. And here is my post on converting a cargo trailer. I have a separate post on cargo vans.

There are sites that rent converted vans like Outdoorsy. If you have never lived in a metal trailer before you have to take some caution here, as not everybody can tolerate metal.

A metal trailer with interior metal walls and low offgassing is one of the best bets for trailers
Photo credit livingvehicle.com

Indoor Lodging for a Sabbatical

There are a few ways to go about finding good rentals or hotels. One way, if you’re totally masked and this is all new to you, is you could just look for somewhere someone has recovered recently.

If you do not have MCS you may be able to bank on something new if it is carefully chosen – analyze the likelihood of this type of building being moldy in that country and climate.

If you are already very sensitive to chemicals and or mold, you have to be a lot more cautious with the recommendations. Usually as new as you can go is the best bet, but not always.

Depending on where you are in the world it is possible for older buildings to be better built. There are many building types that are moldy from the get-go. In some countries building practices are so poor that the building will be moldy within a year.

I look at the type of construction and the quality that could be expected based on where it is and who it was built by. But not everybody is the same in what is best for them. A wooden simple hut or log cabin may be great for some, but some can’t tolerate wood. For me personally, a very new concrete high-rise with climate control is usually the best option, but they’re not perfect.

Concrete is often wet for great lengths of time during the building process and does not dry properly. Concrete buildings are an even bigger problem in tropical countries where there is no climate control (no indoor humidity control) or if building standards are poor (example: slabs built wrong).

The HVAC type has to be analyzed for its propensity to go moldy as well.

A concrete high rise that fits my requirements

The type of building you choose will depend on where it is located. There is no one fits all recommendation here. There are places where I would prefer a little wooden hut or cabin.

Sometimes glamping setups can work, but there’s no guarantee that those are going to be made with materials that were not water damaged or have not gone moldy with time.

I have at times done well with an Airbnb that has an outside sleeping space, but even then there was a learning curve because a moldy building can be felt and even smelled from 100 feet away or more.

And, outdoor concrete, tiles, and balconies are very prone to mold in tropical countries. So this is not always as easy as it seems.

I would go brand-new and I would make sure you have a large enough space outside to backyard camp. Because of these requirements, this option can be expensive.

There are certain areas of the world where I would not go with anything that has a slab or a basement due to poor construction practices or waterlogged soil. In fact, I very rarely choose ground level accommodation. Even for small huts or cabins, I want to see them raised off the ground.

Simple wooden cabins, made from climate-appropriate, non-water damaged wood, with no insulation and raised off the ground have a good chance of being good.
Ask about the age and wood sealers.
“Log Cabin” by Thelma Smart is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 

This is where I bring in my experience of traveling throughout different parts of the world in different climates and trying out hundreds of buildings while mostly sleeping outside and staying unmasked.

I use the knowledge acquired from Building Biology and building science experts to analyze what’s not working.

Some things you can ask about are cleaning products, air fresheners, last year of renovations, any water damage especially hurricane damage or leaks, pesticides, and anything else that you’re specifically sensitive to.

My Tips and Tricks for Packing for a Sabbatical

You can see a visual packing list here on Amazon with notes on each one, of all the items I bring on a trip that will involve travel and bnbs or hotels.

This includes being prepared for a balcony or patio sleeping and items needed for travel.

Many of these need to be offgassed if you have MCS.

These are some of the key items:

  • Caution with cotton in high humidity environments, like camping in a tropical setting, especially if hand washing clothing. This compact microfiber towel dries quickly.
  • I have these cute plastic shoes which I love. If you are camping you’re going to want rubber or plastic shoes. They are good for beaches too. Easy to wash and decontaminate and they look decent. You can leave them outside without them going moldy.
  • Although it’s not necessary, I do like charcoal soap and gloves to decontaminate the skin. You may end up showering more than usual, in which case you’re going to need non-irritating soap and a better moisturizer than usual. I have found probiotics to be very useful on the skin when showering a lot to protect my microbiome.
  • This dish soap works well as an all in one soap – dish, laundry soap, body soap and shampoo in a pinch. But when travelling light I bring this laundry soap in bar form. If you require scent-free soaps you will want to check that the country you’re going to has that option. Another item you’re unlikely to find in store in many parts of the world is a scent free and natural sunscreen. I like badger.
  • I use mylar bags to sequester items. Careful, if the aluminum starts to flake off or become dust form, discard these immediately.
  • I use these aluminum tarps to sequester a bed. I may be sequestering off-gassing, mold or bacteria. I also use them if my sweat is contaminating the bed. Throw out often. If the aluminum flakes off or becomes dust form discard immediately.
  • I use little glass jars with glass lids to isolate and store items like medication because it is very easy to decontaminate them.
  • I bought this affordable tablet for my last trip on a Black Friday sale. For a shorter trip, this can replace both your laptop and your phone. Use Skype to make phone calls and if you need to do a lot of work buy a portable keyboard as well. You will need one that comes with a SIM card slot if you are out of Wi-Fi and can’t tether a phone.
  • I used to bring a heating blanket everywhere I go so I can sleep with the window open, on a balcony or in a tent. You will almost certainly have to wash or air those out before using it. If you can tolerate a heating blanket, you’re going to be able to have access to way more fresh air and colder temperatures.

My Tips for Decon During a Sabbatical 

  • I find that it’s much easier, in the beginning, to have separate clothes for indoors and outdoors until you are able to really assess when something is contaminated, if it can be washed, or if it needs to be thrown away.
  • If you can, wash the bedding when you arrive or bring your own and request no bedding. Examine the washing machine in the building that you are staying in to see how moldy it is. (They are usually moldy, but Airbnb’s run by professional management companies often ship out their laundry, if you find a new building like this you may find a washer and dryer that have barely or never been used).
  • Wash clothes by hand with non-toxic, scent-free soap. Note, Borax is no longer considered safe to use in the laundry for decon but many people do still use this and I think the risk is low. For those who are not very chemically sensitive, quaternary ammonia, like Unscented Downy, can be very useful for removing mycotoxins from clothes. Some people start to detox a lot through their sweat and that may be cleaned by boiling or other methods. Some use ozone on their clothes or EM1 to soak them.

A Few Final Notes:

  • I see improvement in symptoms after one day of being in a good location. Certainly one week is minimum for your test run,  but I would aim for 3 weeks.
  • After a few weeks, you will have a heightened sense of smell and will be able to detect contaminated objects much more easily. Note that some molds do not have a scent,  judge places and items more on your symptoms then how they smell.
  • EMFs in a location are an important factor as well as pollution, chemicals and mold. Factors that seem to be very important are mystery toxin, cyanobacteria, toxins around military bases, sewer related toxins, flame retardant associated toxins, some brand new buildings that have high offgassing, and regular air pollution. In some locations that are particularly bad, we don’t always know what the toxin in the air or water is.
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Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. I have been doing extreme mold avoidance since 2013.

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What is Hell Toxin (HT) and How to Break, Decon and Clean It

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What is Hell Toxin (HT) sometimes referred to as HCCT? Hell Toxin is a group of unidentified environmental toxins experienced by hundreds or perhaps thousands of people.

The toxins all known as HT have similar properties to each other (sometimes they are differentiated into different strains), and are experienced in similar ways to folks who are reactive.

Many who have gone through mold avoidance or been exposed to toxic molds experience this toxin and react to it.

“6 of 365: Light Painting 2” by Rina Pitucci (Tilling 67) licensed CC BY-ND 2.0

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The Typical Reaction

The typical reactions to this toxin are burning and other skin irritations, sometimes even resulting in what looks like burn marks. However, not everyone who is reactive to HT gets a burning feeling or tingling sensation on the skin.

Keep in mind that burning alone, does not define an HT reaction or presence of the toxin. I have seen many people over the last year panic over skin burning, itching or other irritations, who found out it was to a myriad of toxins or allergens that were not HT. Those who “simply have burning” can usually easily, or much more easily, find the cause and avoid it.

I have also seen folks mistake EMF sensitivity for HT reactivity as well. EMF sensitivity abates with the absence of the trigger and there is no physical toxin that is present that can spread. It can be confusing to figure out the difference in some cases.

The typical experience includes a high ability to cross-contaminate. At the mildest stage, this could simply be spreading by water, instead of it washing out or improving with washing like most toxins, and having to throw out items instead of cleaning them.

But in the more typical advanced reactivity stage, it is highly cross-contaminating and it cannot be mistaken for something else.

Will I Unmask to HT with Mold Avoidance

Keep in mind that unlike cyano, or mystery toxin or stachy, not everyone who embarks on mold avoidance will become sensitized/reactive to HT, most don’t. This is a misconception that everyone will “unmask”, and this came from MT (Mystery Toxin) and HT being discussed together and discussed more widely in the forums now.

I also don’t consider HT to be an outdoor toxin the way MT is, though it certainly can contaminate outdoor environments.

“ODC it Flies 68” by FolsomNatural is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Do I have HT?

If you are unsure whether you have HT, check in with a few folks who have a lot of experience to run them by your reactions, symptoms, and experience.

Dr Daniel Cagua-Koo helps patients through physical treatments and cleaning protocols. I help folks in the beginning stages on how to manage this toxin which can become quite costly and devastating. Please get more than one opinion if you are unsure. There are a number of ways that experienced folks will look at how the toxin acts to identify it.

Signs you have HT (you might not have them all): 

  1. Burning, tingling, itching of the skin or feeling of something tingling in the air or something that feels like radiation
  2. Cleaning things with water and regular soap does not get rid of it and at the very least worsens the toxin (for example, in the least reactive stage you wash a piece of clothing and it spread to everything thing else in the wash).
  3. A more advanced version worsens drastically with water
  4. It is not possible to wash it out of clothes (other than a few successes with very special protocols)
  5. The toxin can worsen dramatically with some efforts used to kill or compete with it. Almost all the products used to kill or clean can also “blow up”
  6. If you are successful with cleaning it, it is only from specialized methods.
  7. Electronics, paper, plastic are the quickest to get contaminated and the hardest to remediate
  8. It worsens around electronics (or EMFs in general)
  9. It contaminates things in ways that mold or bacteria cannot contaminate things, for example being unable to be cleaned off metal or ceramic with soap and water
  10. The toxin can feel like it has a charge in advanced reactivity. Because it acts like a charged particle, it can jump, and cling
  11. In advanced stages, it can spread quickly. Unless you physically improve with treatments or detox the toxin usually spreads if it’s not cleaned with special products
  12. You will likely feel this on specific items like from certain warehouses and certain new products. Many new electronics do have this (I speculate it is the aluminum-based Flame Retardants in part), certain clothing brands, phone brands, and warehouses should be bad to you otherwise it’s not likely you are reacting to the same thing

How do we know we are all Reacting to the Same Toxin?

One other way to tell is that those who have this reaction react to the same items, there are brands of electronics, clothes, entire warehouses in Kentucky, and other common stores and places where we find the same toxin – and while we are all a bit different – our experiences with the toxin are similar enough to have been able to define this as a toxin in the environment and not just an internal reaction. 

We have also sent items to each other and to Dr Dan and visited each other or visited buildings or homes of another reactor to see if we are talking about the same toxin and we have found we do react to the same places or items and therefore have identified it through these ways.

“ghosting.” by kathryn in stereo is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 

Why do we not get it Tested?

Many discussions have taken place on how to get this toxin properly tested and identified, however, a large amount of funding is needed to undertake this testing.

Mold testing experts and industrial hygienists have given their thoughts on this and after taking in the information, have agreed that the amount of funding needed is very high, and is not available at this time.

Keep in mind we do not know what this toxin is. Dr Daniel Cagua-Koo hypothesizes that it has a biological component to it as well as another non-biological component (likely a metal).

Most people who react to it seem to agree with this assessment and theory.

Where to send it for testing and how to collect it are other challenging areas. The substance acts in similar ways to candida auris but has not been identified as the same thing.

While prominent doctors have not spoken publicly about it, many doctors who treat mold illness, CIRS, and related illnesses do acknowledge this toxin. I do not want to mention their names here. Wilson practitioners also seem to be aware of this toxin/reaction.

“Mother Nature” by iProzac is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

What informs our Hypotheses on what this Toxin is

While we can hypothesize based on our symptoms and how the toxin acts, we start to confirm a theory based on what kills or cleans it up, as well as places it is likely to be found.

What are the Main Cleaning Protocols

Kill methods (do not usually resolve the problem on their own, they are one step of the cleaning protocol).

They include: Silver Hydrogen Peroxide, Hydrogen Peroxide (without silver, up to 30%), Ozone (though extreme caution here, I don’t recommend ozone on or near HT, but some have used this), boiling, flamethrower torch, antimicrobial essential oils, tinctures or teas: black pepper, tea tree oil, cedarwood oil (those are Canada and here are the US links: pepper, tea tree, cedar). Sage, juniper (wood), turpentine, and citronella can also be used.

Other methods that may work in this stage are high temps over 40C for prolonged periods and enzyme cleaners.

Break down or compete with the toxin – enzyme cleaners break down a number of toxins from biological to chemical.

Enzymes used on HT include MoldToxin Klear (US), Enzyme Komplete (Canada) and Liquid Ate (Canada and US).

Probiotics help to compete with the toxin, the main one used in EM1. Teraganix is the brand used throughout the US and Europe.

I have also used probiotics soaps (I really like the soapnut probiotic soap, although it’s not essential), and made a lotion using oral probiotics mixed with body lotion, any oral probiotic will do – this part is essential for me.

“Cedar Tree” by veggiefrog is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Binders. Binders that work to help clean up the toxin include Bar Keepers Friend, Zeolite (Odourout), Pectin, quaternary ammonia (Steramine, Shockwave, Unscented Downy).

Repopulate the biome with EM1 after killing and binding.

I have found enzymes and cedar tea (soak cedar branches, the green part, in water, boil it at least twice and then soak overnight) to both be good cleaning products that work for kill and clean up.

Cleaning Protocols

Silver Peroxide protocol (most are not using silver anymore, because the benefits are not worth the risks, it’s not really needed).

Dr Dan’s Protocols – now simplified to HP, quats and Barkeepers in one bottle, followed by enzymes or EM1.

Mix to 3%-30% HP, plus Steramine or other similar quats, with Barkeepers either mixed in the bottle or sprinkled on separately. Generally, you might start with 6-10% HP depending on your strain with about 1/3 of each product.

Follow with balancing the biome more with Enzyme Komplete or EM1.

High concentrations of HP burn the skin and are dangerous to work with. They are dangerous to breathe in too if you spray of fog.

Sara Tamames Protocol with boiling and EM1 (includes soap nuts and swiffer). I would say only works on mild strains and/or mild reactivity.

In this protocol, you pour boiling water over clothes in a bucket. Then when that cools you pour it off. Then you soak in EM1 overnight.

Vulpex protocol (soaking item in vulpex overnight, followed by a soack in quats and then oxyclean). This seems to work only for those partially masked or less sensitive.

Plants, teas, extracts and essential oils in the above list. I use cedar tea.

Protocols for Personal Care of the Body

I have found probiotics mixed into unscented body lotion to be a big help.

I also find that spraying Liquid-Ate to be a lifesaver. It neutralizes the toxin that is on the skin, helping me to get into a clean area like the bed, uncontaminated. It has a very light citrus scent may not be noticeable to those with a normal sense of smell.

I follow that with the Yes to Tomatoes Charcoal Wipes (warning they are scented), to wipe the remaining small amount off of the skin (I have also used to them to protect items like cards).

I have also used EM1 and cedar tea to wipe down the skin.

Swimming in a chlorine pool has been a good way to decon, I have found, and many others have too. I have not found it hard to decon from my skin and hair, personally. Though some have a lot of struggles with their hair.

“Broome 2008 (103)” by George VII is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Hair Washing 

I haven’t had my hair be prone to contamination but others have. They have used baking soda, essential oil shampoo, anti-dandruff shampoo, and other strategies.

The consensus on ordering supplements and personal care products is that Vitacost is usually good.

Helping prevent the spread in the environment

I use 6 mil poly on beds and change it out when necessary. It’s a better idea to use sleeping mats and discard them when necessary unless you have this more under control since it’s not possible to remediate a bed.

It is better to be off the ground though, a camping cot can help.

At times I have put foil over floors and sometimes on the face of cabinets to help prevent the spread. Just regular heavy-duty foil. It’s by no means a perfect block, but it has helped me. Cardboard is also a decent block.

The main prevention is to prevent contaminated objects and people from coming into the environment.

Airtight metal and glass containers can be of some help, but it’s not the same strategy as sequestering other toxins like mold.

Breaking from HT 

If you have a certain case of HT that you need to “break” from it I recommend joining the Facebook group and reading through other folks’ accounts of breaking from HT.

There are various experiences breaking from HT

1) those who did a successful clean break – some people had to do it many times to get clear

2) those who broke but it didn’t work they ran into it again or found that maybe the source was colonization and very quickly were back in the same situation

3) those who are fine with living with some of it around so are not trying to break from it 100%. They might just break from stronger strains/the worst item or end up bringing down their internal reactivity.

Breaking 100% is a difficult task and takes a lot of planning.

Healing 

“Nature.” by Vivian Farinazzo is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Many folks have healed from a variety of methods.

Interim management is possible.

If you need support with managing emerging contamination or planning a clean break please get in touch by email.

Trailers and Tiny Homes on Wheels for the Chemically Sensitive

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Updated Winter 2020

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Tiny Homes on Wheels

If you fancy a tiny home that is semi-mobile (can be moved around, but ideally not too much), I would go for a small wood or metal structure.

I no longer recommend Tiny Green Cabins, Swanson or Tiny Healthy Homes because of the issues I have seen with their production and construction.

My tiny house on wheels

There are no specific tiny home companies I can recommend at this time. However, if you would like to set up a consultation we can go over finding a good builder and how to supervise them.

I don’t know of one for less than 60K. Budget at least 65K. Look into the experience of the builder, talk to past clients and look at what kind of warranty they offer.

See my post on the top 10 causes of mold in tiny homes and example of a well-built house mold preventative house here and here before proceeding.

Trailers for Chemical and Mold Sensitive Folks

Cargo Trailers

Joey, from HealClick, breaks it down to the essentials and delivers a safer trailer for $7000. Here is my post all about cargo trailers.

There is a lot more that has to offgas in these simple trailers than you might think. They take about a year to off-gas.

They are way trickier to insulate than you think. Common brands have leak problems. More robust brands should be used.

My cargo trailer, converted into a camper

Metal Travel Trailers

ATC is a mix between a cargo trailer and a high-end trailer. They look industrial compared to the Living Vehicle below (made by the same company).

http://aluminumtoyhauler.com

They claim to have no wood whatsoever and similar construction to the old Camplite design.

24″ units had bath, kitchen, eating area, couch that made a queen bed, and extra cabinets. About $55,000 USD

My Camplite

I had a Camplite by LivinLite travel trailer made to my specifications and you can find all the details about that here.

Though the key thing I look for in a trailer is moisture-proof walls and the laminated sandwich insulation.

This laminated metal foam metal was the key to moisture-proof walls.

You may still find a used one with sandwich laminated walls before they changed the wall system. The company is now out of business.

https://safaricondo.com/en/

The Safari Condo is another option to consider. “Roof and walls are made of a sandwich-type material with a plastic honeycomb core laminated with Alufiber on one side and aluminum on the other.”

This sounds like a very moisture-proof design to me.

The only materials used in the Alto are such as aluminum, alufiber, plastic, Formica, and glass. The furniture is mostly made of aluminum and composite materials.

Rigid and light sandwich panels are integrated into the bed cushions, while the entire bed structure is made of aluminum extrusions.

They need a fair amount of time to offgas for most sensitive people, though some less sensitive have used them brand new.

Custom Metal Trailers

www.weeroll.com

You could have a small metal trailer custom made in the style of the Camplite or like a tiny home.

I have also seen cargo trailer custom made with metal SIPS though that is rare to find. 

The Weroll is similar to a cargo trailer but is more customized and you may be able to reduce the off-gassing with this option as well as streamline the process of converting it. Those who bought the weroll seemed to tolerate them right away. Probably due to high level of customization.

But insulating a cargo trailer is no simple project. My post on vans describes the process.

Another type of non-toxic trailer is porcelain enamel on steel. This is an extremely tolerable material but it is not cheap. It’s very rare to see a porcelain trailer for sale, many of them were made on poor quality RV shells which is a shame.

But the interior, which was porcelain enameled steel, of these trailers are very tolerable. You can make one yourself with that interior.

High-End Metal Trailers

Airstreams with metal walls can become tolerable fairly fast (for a trailer).

The metal airstreams (as they do have fiberglass ones now too) are metal walls and metal ceiling with, obviously, metal exterior skin. The flooring is vinyl.

The offgassing is not too bad, the resale value is good for a trailer/RV.

I like the metal interior walls, they cut down on offgassing and they are way better made than your typical wood-framed crappy RV.

Some showrooms are inside warehouses which may help preserve them.

However this needs to be 100% airtight on the inside walls, and the exterior walls to not have vapor get between those skins where it will be mostly doomed to not come back out. (Some caveats would be that if you never heat or cool this then it’s not really a worry, unless it actually leaks).

If you are looking at this for an option for you, you need to perform a blower door test on this. I would love to see the blower door test results (which will show how airtight it is).

If it’s not 100% airtight, then you need to seal up every seam, every opening, install airtight sockets etc, then test again, making sure it’s totally airtight.

You also want to keep equal pressure so you are not pushing or pulling air into the walls.

You can prolong the life of any trailer by keeping a roof on it when stationary, not driving it in the rain, moving to climates that don’t require heating or cooling (heating is usually the cause of most of the problems in RVs), and showering and cooking outside.

Always keep up with your sealing on the exterior and the interior.

Look for a state where you don’t pay sales tax and look at the resale and trade-in values.

They do retain their value well like fiberglass trailers. And I do find that they are still a really good option. With a high resale, low initial offgassing, and an expected few years for extreme mold reactors it can still work really well.

www.livingvehicle.com

A newer company making very tolerable trailers is Living Vehicle. They use polyiso foam insulation sealed with tape in the walls. The interior is almost entirely aluminum including the cabinets.

The countertops are Corian Quartz. The flooring is roll down vinyl by Armstrong (may not work for many but they could customize this). The cushions are polyurethane which may or may not need to be removed.

The price is 150K, in 2020 they are going up to 200k.

This is a rare find because of the almost fully aluminum interior, no structural wood (no hidden wood in the new models for 2020, and no wood in cabinets, only in the table), 0 VOC countertops and flooring that should be tolerable to many people.

The walls are made of metal framing, metal exterior and interior walls with polyiso foam on the interior side of the metal framing (with the air gap left behind, between the framing members.

The trailer also has a crawl space where the plumbing is very accessible. Even if there was a leak in the all-aluminum “basement”, it would be easy to clean up and easy to fix because of the access.

The company is open to some customization. I have spoken to them about this, if you would like help customizing the insulation, or interior materials like the flooring please get in contact.

The 2019 had wood in the floors.

Fiberglass Travel Trailers

Oliver Fiberglass Trailer – One of the popular brands for mold avoidance

Egg-shaped campers are made of solid fiberglass shells (either single or double hull) that are very mold-resistant and durable.

Many sensitive people say that fiberglass takes a year (or years) to offgas the VOC styrene but some find it offgasses to a satisfactory level in a few days.

Casitas use a carpet that is glued on to the walls and floor. At the time of writing, they would not customize one without that element. Many have well with Casita, due to the simple design, single hull and mostly visible components. The floor is wood underneath.

I like fiberglass campers with molded fiberglass furniture like Oliver trailers. Oliver uses vinyl flooring but they can make you one without the vinyl or cushions which makes it one the best fiberglass option I have found.

They are double hull so they have a good R-value and can be winterized.

This is the only fiberglass trailer I know of that does not have wood products in the floor, making it my top choice.

Happier Camper is another company to check out as they don’t use carpet or padding on the walls and the floors are fiberglass.

It’s double hull with Thinsulate in between the hulls.

The floors are composed of plastic honeycomb integrated with corrugated cardboard and resin.

I’ve seen some problems with the first model (HC1). With all trailers, I would wait until the kinks in the first model is worked out. This trailer is up there as my first or second choice.

In 2020 they have a new model that is larger, that is the Traveller.

Trillium is willing to build without plywood in floors but it was difficult to convince them to leave the padding off the wall.

Ideally, your fiberglass trailer has no padding or carpet on the walls, has fiberglass molded furniture, no plywood in the subfloors and no vinyl or carpet flooring.

I’ve looked at all the brands of fiberglass trailers currently in production in North America. Contact me if you would like to go into further detail in a consultation.

In Europe the Wigmann is a good fiberglass caravan (as they call trailers there) with the solid fiberglass shell with no seams on the outside, it has polyurethane insulation and a 10-year warranty on water ingress.

Sealander is another European fiberglass caravan that is all fiberglass on the inside, exactly what I’d be looking for.

UK company Freedom Caravans has a fiberglass exterior but is not the same as the molded fiberglass. However, they have a 25-year warranty on water ingress which is very impressive.

In terms of used trailers, molded fiberglass trailers are the best bets since the walls are less likely to become moldy with time.

Though fiberglass trailers can have problems with the wood subfloor, and if they have carpet on the walls that can go musty or get cross-contaminated.

Custom Wooden Teardrop Trailers

Pat’s trailer from my post on wooden teardrops

A small teardrop can be made of all wood like this trailer (pictured) that I showcased in this post.

The trailer came to 10K in materials, the labor would be about an extra 10K. It has basic wiring, no plumbing, and a basic outdoor kitchen.

The main challenges here are you are building with a metal base (build up over top it to solve that). Then the roof will inevitably have an exterior vapor barrier (which won’t work in heating climates), or a double vapor barrier. Take care to build your ceiling/roof airtight with rigid foam or keep it to climates where you don’t heat it.

Vans and Truck Campers 

The company Innovative Spaces can build out a cargo van. I don’t have direct experience with them.

It is possible to buy a van of this type, strip it out and custom build the interior in the same fashion. Here is my post on converting vans into campers in a mold-safe way.

Anything with an exterior metal wall is inherently tricky to insulate for weather where you heat the camper.

Conventional RVs

Some mold avoiders have been using conventional RVs and trading them in if (when) they go moldy.

Two companies that some people like are:

Bigfoot – Made of fiberglass, EPS and luan, with vinyl flooring. This does have wood in the walls.

Forest River RV Sunseeker Class C. A “Greener” RV company. Sunseeker has 1 piece fiberglass roof, aluminum frame, block foam insulation, no fabric except valances and bedspread, “low VOCs”. I really like the roof on this model.

Other Forest River brands are low VOC and slightly better construction than usual.

Coachman is also low VOC, mold avoiders have liked the Freedom Express and Apex Ultra Lite. Bryan Rosner outlined the strategy of going with Coachman and trading them in as needed. Here is his blog post and youtube video.

Don’t expect a traditional RV to last very long in terms of mold. Be prepared to trade that in, in one or two years.

Many people cannot tolerate the offgassing though this has been improving in the last few years as more models try and go greener.

Also, keep in mind the depreciation.

It’s a good idea to see it in person before purchasing, unlike some of the custom trailers.

Corinne Segura is a Building Biologist with 6 years of experience helping others create healthy homes, including alternative homes, trailers, and shelters.

I have owned and lived in three trailers: my tiny house on wheels, a custom Camplite and a converted cargo trailer.

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