Scent control regiment and FACTS about activated carbon

[redsquirrel]

Just my face mask gets a noticeable odor to my nose but a wash and recharge makes it subside.


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Exactly the same. I have a few that I rotate through.

 

[Cladavidson]

I think John E. addressed this in the second podcast that just came out n


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What podcast are you referring too?


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[bigjoe]

What a great read.

Personally I believe that you can never over prepare to help reduce your scent.

Back in the ‘80’s & 90’s before I got my first scent lok suit I would drive my mom, then my wife nuts by washing the washing machine with baking soda and wiping out the dryer with a solution of baking soda. I still drive my wife nuts in other ways. She just accepts my bow hunting as my quirk. LOL.

I only use ivory bar soap for my body and hair.

I change outside the car or truck into my clothing. (Never had a mini-van).

I would see deer all the time compared to other hunters ie my brothers.

I would and still do use cover scents on my boots to help fool a deers nose.
Never a great scent to be sitting in a tree on a hot day smelling urine but I believe it helps.

My Dad (God Bless him) never hunted from a tree. His approach was simple. Play the winds and lay on the ground. Waiting in ambush along several well used deer trails. He always shot deer like this. He was not a horn hunter but a meat hunter. Having grown up during the depression Food was a valued commodity.

I still prepare for bow hunting the same way I have done for 35 + years. I get slack with scent control during gun season especially if I am hunting with the club as they run deer dogs.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

What a great read.

Personally I believe that you can never over prepare to help reduce your scent.

Back in the ‘80’s & 90’s before I got my first scent lok suit I would drive my mom, then my wife nuts by washing the washing machine with baking soda and wiping out the dryer with a solution of baking soda. I still drive my wife nuts in other ways. She just accepts my bow hunting as my quirk. LOL.

I only use ivory bar soap for my body and hair.

I change outside the car or truck into my clothing. (Never had a mini-van).

I would see deer all the time compared to other hunters ie my brothers.

I would and still do use cover scents on my boots to help fool a deers nose.
Never a great scent to be sitting in a tree on a hot day smelling urine but I believe it helps.

My Dad (God Bless him) never hunted from a tree. His approach was simple. Play the winds and lay on the ground. Waiting in ambush along several well used deer trails. He always shot deer like this. He was not a horn hunter but a meat hunter. Having grown up during the depression Food was a valued commodity.

I still prepare for bow hunting the same way I have done for 35 + years. I get slack with scent control during gun season especially if I am hunting with the club as they run deer dogs.

I think scent control works by preventing your scent from leaving you. or by preventing where it goes but it takes a meticulous person to do scent control right or a experienced person to control where it goes.
I also think controlling scent movement works if you work to understand wind movement, thermals and stand placement. But it will never work perfectly.
Guys do both or just one or the other of these. It seems like it can be a contentious issue.
I try to do both at the present. I find it hard to be perfect in scent control as I add clothes and layers in -10 degree weather. I hate stripping down to change at the truck when it is frigid. I even use ozone carefully at home where my clothes are stored. I even use Scent lok... blame John E not G2.
I spray none scent lok outer layers with activated carbon and water.
I do not have a perfect understanding of wind movement and I am sure it will not always cooperate perfectly.
I am trying to learn about the details of wind movement. Blame the hunting beast.
I think when executed perfectly both methods work. But the perfectly part is the problem.
I expect John E. is a perfectionist or at least meticulous. Scent control works for him I expect almost all the time.
Flinginairos works the wind. He is obviously successful. I expect he controls the movement of his scent most of the time.
I do both and I am having less success than John E or Flinginairos but I am having some success.
At present I will do both. Some will do only one or the other.

One thing we all agree is that a deer's number one defense is it's nose. The nose must be defeated to beat a deer, especially a mature deer.
If you want to be successful and get that big buck, details are critical and you should commit to one or both methods of scent control and commit to doing them as close to perfect as you can.
Or just hunt the dumb, young or unpressured deer for food. And that is alright by me. Maybe you don't have the time to spend on the small details. Fill your freezer and enjoy.

Big Joe if it works for you go for it. There are many ways to hunt. I am still trying to figure out what is the best way for me after only 4 years of hunting.

 

[bigjoe]

I do, have done a lot of what John E suggests. Nothing like getting really awake at 5-6 am with the cold air hitting you. Much warmer than where you are. LOL

I incorporated the cover scent(s) and found they do help.

Nothing is going to get rid the human scent 100% of the time, but if I can control my stench to get a deer just that extra 10-20 yds without getting busted I look it as a win.

Rifle hunting I may be shooting 50-100 yds., so a little less care.

With the Club running dogs deer are less apt to be concerned with human scent than evading the dogs.

 

[bigjoe]

I have never used ozone to treat clothes. I believe it does work from what I have read.

Man I started with buying a harness. Now I am retrofitting my gear. LOL.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

I have never used ozone to treat clothes. I believe it does work from what I have read.

Man I started with buying a harness. Now I am retrofitting my gear. LOL.

Ozone can damage your lungs and any rubber hunting equipment. I use it in a small hunting room after most hunts. I bought a $100 machine off amazon. I am sure it helps.
I air out the room after I use it and before I re enter.

 

[bigjoe]

Thank About about the safety factor.

 

[PJC]

Thermal de-adsorption, care and storage of Carbon Alloy lined garments

The bond of human emitted molecules to activated coconut carbon, treated carbon and zeolites (3 substances making up Scent Lokâ€s Carbon Alloy liner) is a weak bond that permits thermal de-adsorption using low temperatures. A clean household or commercial dryer is recommended for the thermal de-adsorption of Carbon Alloy lined garments to free-up pore and exterior surface space for further adsorption and use.

General Electric and most other brand name manufacturers of household dryers use these standardized dryer cycle temperatures:

Low Heat setting (delicate/gentle) – 125 degrees Fahrenheit

Medium Heat setting (permanent press) – 135 degrees Fahrenheit

High Heat setting (normal/cottons) – 140 degrees Fahrenheit

Commercial and professional grade dryers that are used in large households, uniform cleaning services, and laundromats reach temperatures as high as 175 degrees Fahrenheit on the high heat setting.

The amount of time a Carbon Alloy lined garment is in a dryer along with the temperature of the cycle directly influence to what extent the garment is de-adsorbed.

The higher the dryer temperature the more energetic the carbon and adsorbed molecules become and the faster the molecules come off and the carbon is de-adsorbed. The lower the dryer temperature the less energetic, resulting in requiring additional dryer time for a similar de-adsorption result.

Example: Suppose you have a pan of water and it takes 2 hours of boiling to completely evaporate it. If you took that same pan of water and left it at room temperature, it would still evaporate, but would take much longer. If the pan of water were put on simmer, it would take less time to evaporate than at room temperature, but longer than if boiling. The exact same temperature and time effects that drive the evaporation rate of the water also drive the release of molecules, or de-adsorption rate from the carbon.

Simply put, the higher the dryer temperature, the faster and more efficient the release of molecules from the Carbon Alloy liner. And keep in mind that activated coconut carbon, treated carbon, and zeolites (Carbon AlloyÂ) canâ€t differentiate whether youâ€re hunting or not and when exposed in the environment they are always adsorbing molecules of whatever is in the immediate area.

De-adsorption process, care instructions, and what to use in conjunction with your Carbon Alloy suit to maximize your scent free regiment.
1. Because Scent Lok Carbon Alloy lined garments are exposed in store environments prior to being sold, they have adsorbed molecules from the store environment and require thermal de-adsorption and proper storage prior to being used in the field.

2. Thermal de-adsorption is achieved by placing garments in a clean household or commercial dryer for 30 to 40 minutes on the highest heat setting available. Heat causes the carbon and weakly bonded molecules to energize and expand, resulting in a portion of the molecules to break free causing de-adsorption.

3. Once the dryer cycle stops remove the garments and put them in an air-tight storage container such as a tied off clean garbage bag, air-tight carbon lined bag, commercial air-tight bag, or my preference, a Scent Tote. Those $5 to $10 Rubbermaid and Sterlite tubs found at mass merchant stores are not air-tight. Never put scent wafers, pine boughs, scents of any kind, other garments, or anything other than Carbon Alloy garments in the container as doing so will prematurely load the carbon with odor molecules from whatever you placed in the container requiring more frequent de-adsorption cycles as well as shortening the garments saturation life expectancy.

4. The thermal de-adsorption process (step 2) of a Carbon Alloy suit should be repeated every 4 to 6 hunts. The term “Carbon Alloy suit” refers to an exterior jacket, pants, head cover with drop down facemask (covering your mouth, face, beard, neck, and all your hair), and gloves. Any missing part of the suit will compromise your scent control regiment.

5. Unless in the field pre-or in-season scouting or hunting all Carbon Alloy garments should always be stored in an air-tight container so as not to contaminate them. Do not wear Carbon Alloy garments in the house, vehicle, getting gas, around the campfire, in restaurants, etc., just during pre-and in-season scouting and when hunting. When finished scouting or hunting all Carbon Alloy garments immediately go back into their air-tight container prior to getting back into vehicle or entering the house.

6. Washing Carbon Alloy garments is not done for thermal de-adsorption and is not recommended as a standard practice. Carbon Alloy garments can be washed periodically if they have physical dirt or blood on them (once or twice per season). Wash on gentle cycle using a small amount of Scent Lokâ€s carbon detergent, put garments in dryer on air-only cycle and once dry, refer to step 2 for thermal de-adsorption.

7. Itâ€s advised to wash all non-Carbon Alloy undergarments and layering garments in a scent-free detergent and store them in a similar air-tight manner as your Carbon Alloy garments, but is separate air-tight containers. This is only a preventative recommendation that adds longevity to your exterior Carbon Alloy garments.

8. If you use a pack frequently wash it in scent-free detergent, reload it and keep your loaded pack in its own air-tight container when not in use. Hunters typically reload or reorganize their packs using bare hands before and or after each hunt, yet never wash their packs. Having a contaminated pack is like having a large human scent wick with you at all times and will compromise a scent-free regiment. My preference is a Carbon Alloy lined backpack that can be de-adsorbed like the garments.

9. It is imperative to wear clean knee high rubber or neoprene boots and drape your pant legs outside them instead of tucking them in. Every time you take a step air is displaced out the throat of your boot and the carbon in the pant legs will adsorb the odor.

10. It is advised, but not mandatory, to shower and shampoo with scent-free soap and apply scent free anti-perspirant prior to hunting. If you get off work, stink and donâ€t have time to shower, the Carbon Alloy suit will do its job and adsorb your odors. Showering simply decreases the amount of strong odor molecules the Carbon Alloy has to adsorb, lessening the length between de-adsorptions.

*Important: If you wear face paint to look cool like many of the TV and video personalities do, wear a non- Carbon Alloy lined logo cap to promote a sponsor like many of the TV and video personalities do, donâ€t keep your pack scent-free, donâ€t wear clean rubber or neoprene boots, donâ€t use carbon lined gloves when ascending trees, and you get winded, blame it on yourself, not the Carbon Alloy lined suit.

I canâ€t quite grasp why so many TV, video, and hunting media personalities endorse, preach, and advertise “scent control”, yet when filming hunts, they hunt the wind. The definition for scent is “odor” and for control is “to have power over”, so if they have power over their odor, why play the wind?

Some common TV and video visuals are; wearing logo ball caps with exposed hair hanging out the back, having exposed beards and neck, having exposed faces covered in face paint, spritzing with sprays as a total scent control regiment, and wearing breathable Cordura or leather boots both of which allow foot odor to pass through due to their permeability. Any one of these lapses throws a serious scent control regiment totally
out the window.

TV and video hunters can get away with these lapses because most of them hunt in managed areas where bucks are allowed to pass by hunters without consequence until they reach a specific antler or age kill criteria. In areas where bucks encounter hunters while growing up yet donâ€t get targeted until maturity they naturally have a higher tolerance of human odor before being alarmed and spooking. Their vulnerable daytime movement habits while growing to maturity also remain somewhat intact, making them very vulnerable and relatively easy to kill.

More than likely most hunters reading this post are somewhat on the same page as me and donâ€t have the luxury of hunting such pristine areas. You have to pay attention to detail and work hard for what you kill and I guarantee that if you follow a serious scent control regiment that your odds of seeing more mature deer and taking them will go up tremendously.

As per step #8, what's a Carbon Alloy A lined backpack? Does Scent Loc make Backpacks?


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[c h r i s]

As per step #8, what's a Carbon Alloy A lined backpack? Does Scent Loc make Backpacks?


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Yep, they’ve got 1 or 2 backpacks. Keep an eye on their clearance/close out page and you may be able to pick one up for $40. Mines served me well for the past 2-3 years. Carries sticks pretty well with a few mods.

 

[PJC]

Wash and dry a large load of towels in scent-free detergent.

I hate having to do a load of laundry before I do my hunting clothes. Especially when I need to get to bed for an early next morning hunt.


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[PJC]

Well I almost had my wife convinced I needed my own washer and dryer, but couldn't figure out where to put it.....

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Put them where her washer and dryer are and put hers in the garage.
Nice knowing ya. Lol


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[PJC]

I thought these may be good to throw in my gear box. But I left them in there for a few days and the stuff in the box still had the same smells like the new smell of the kestrel. So I don't think it did much.


Premium Activated Carbon Air Purifying Bag Pack By Freegrace - 4 Pack Coconut Shell Charcoal Odor Absorbent Boxes - 3 Times More Effective Than Bamboo https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DPPBETC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_GYO9igX2gNtRZ



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Did you activate it prior to using it for the first time?


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[PJC]

My guess is that the smell is coming from the plastic and it's "deep down". It will probably just dissipate with time. The same thing happens with most of the rubber boots I have bought.

They off gas for a long time.


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[PJC]

Looks like ill be using those large 3 gallon ziplocs int he mean time. haha. Now to see if my backpack will fit in in one.....

Zip lock bags let odor through. I kept dryer sheets in a gallon ziplock bag in my truck so I could use them for a misquote repellent when shooting arrows in the evenings. When I jump in my truck, it smells like bounce dryer sheets even though the bag is sealed.


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[diff74]

Did you activate it prior to using it for the first time?


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They came individually wrapped and sealed thought they would be ready to use. The instructions mentioned reactivating but nothing about prior to use. And the activation instructions said 3 hours in the sun. That doesn't seem like enough when scent Lok requires 30 min in the dryer at high heat.

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[diff74]

Did you activate it prior to using it for the first time?


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See pic of instructions

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[NWSADDLEHNTR]

Does anyone have a regiment they use for extended hike in hunts? most of what I am reading is great if you walk in a mile or so far a day or part of a day. but what about hiking in with a tent and gear then hunting?

 

[BTaylor]

Does anyone have a regiment they use for extended hike in hunts? most of what I am reading is great if you walk in a mile or so far a day or part of a day. but what about hiking in with a tent and gear then hunting?

For backpack elk hunts I use unscented baby wipes and bottle of wind checker. Early season deer hunting here it is almost a waste of time to bother with worrying about staying scent free. No way to do that hiking in on public in 75-90 degree temps and even if you could figure out a way to stay relatively scent free, you aint hunting these river bottoms early in the year without skeeter spray or a thermacell. I have acutally had better luck with the skeeters and being winded using the thermacell than any sort of skeeter spray. I spray my clothes with Sawyers and carry the thermacell and that combo works here when you can keep the wind in your favor.

 

[NWSADDLEHNTR]

For backpack elk hunts I use unscented baby wipes and bottle of wind checker. Early season deer hunting here it is almost a waste of time to bother with worrying about staying scent free. No way to do that hiking in on public in 75-90 degree temps and even if you could figure out a way to stay relatively scent free, you aint hunting these river bottoms early in the year without skeeter spray or a thermacell. I have acutally had better luck with the skeeters and being winded using the thermacell than any sort of skeeter spray. I spray my clothes with Sawyers and carry the thermacell and that combo works here when you can keep the wind in your favor.

I've used the unscented wipes too and they help, I've ALWAYS played the wind and it works but I have one location where I want to hike in with a saddle and sit for the day elk hunting and the wind is almost never right in the morning there and was hoping that in the saddle and perhaps better scent control I could get away with hunting it, maybe i'll try it on the first two days of my hunt this year before I get too smelly. 5-9 days up in the mountains camping in a small trailer tends to make one smelly even with wipes. I may try and come up with a way to shower outside but the water would likely be cold. I don't really want to spend the money on scent lock clothing but I may end up doing that depending on how this year works out without it.