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Pre and Post Hunting Prep and “Finished For The Day” Details We Seldom Discuss

Everything I hunt with stays in my truck.
In the bed of my truck: I have a plastic tote that contains my saddle, sticks and backpack, my bow is kept cased there, as is my jet sled, kill kit and boots.
In the cab of my truck: plastic tote containing all my clothing.

When I’m done hunting I put everything away and change clothes in my garage. I wash my stuff with scent free detergent and myself with scent free soap. Other than that I hunt the wind and that’s it.

It’s not as involved as some, but it works for me.
 
Everything I hunt with stays in my truck.
In the bed of my truck: I have a plastic tote that contains my saddle, sticks and backpack, my bow is kept cased there, as is my jet sled, kill kit and boots.
In the cab of my truck: plastic tote containing all my clothing.

When I’m done hunting I put everything away and change clothes in my garage. I wash my stuff with scent free detergent and myself with scent free soap. Other than that I hunt the wind and that’s it.

It’s not as involved as some, but it works for me.
This is basically my exact system as well. Jet Sled and all!LOL!
 
We run a little hot in Texas, so I tend to do a LOT of washing in season. It isn’t uncommon for mid October to have 90° days.

I am working on getting more base layers so that I can have a new set every day for 4 or 5 day hunts. Dang those base layers are expensive, though.

Boots get a healthy dose of dead downwind’s boot powder. Outer garments get a good spray down of whatever scent spray was on sale.
Currently, I spray down my one warm or cold season base layer as well, and hope everything dries in the truck overnight.

My dad uses a bee smoker to smoke his clothes, and I am considering giving that a go.


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Jet sled is a key part of my organization as well in the bed of my truck. I have sticks, platform, a lock on, and a plastic tote with my saddle, ropes, and regular harness. Clothes are all in bags inside a larger duffel organized by base layers, mid/regular outer layers, and then heavy weight stuff. Hats/gloves/masks/etc are in the outside pockets of the duffel and the front pocket has smaller gear like extra headlamps, tow ropes, hand/foot warmers, and gear hangers.

I wear normal clothes out to where I hunt and then change into hunting stuff at the tailgate. My pack has my basic gear always packed (headlamp, tow ropes, kill kit, etc) and then I add additional layers or gear depending on the weather and how long my sit is going to be. Before walking in I spray down my boots and legs of my pants to cut down on ground scent.

When I get back to the truck after the hunt all next-to-skin layers (tshirt, socks, underwear) go in the backseat to get washed. Everything else goes back into the respective bags inside the duffel. Gear goes back either into my pack or into the duffel depending on the item.

It’s kind of tedious but it keeps me organized and from forgetting stuff. Once in a while I will end up having to do it in the garage when I get home because you have to be checked out of the hunting area NLT 1.5 hours after dark, so depending on how far my walk out is it can get tight.
 
My main thing is getting everything back into its proper place in my pack/saddle pouches . I want everything in the same spots as before and in the proper order. First things I need to pull out are the last ones in the slot. Does no good at all to have gear you need at the top of the tree piled on top of what you need at the bottom.
 
I chuckle
Because it is serious stuff but is it, really? I think this is somewhat the point of this thread. I’m trying to figure out if I spend too much time on stupid stuff. I really try to keep things efficient but it still seems to take seconds, which turns to minutes, which turns to hours, etc. I’m always trying to refine things…… happy so many are responding.
My wife jokes that I enjoy playing in my pack and truck, just fiddling w/stuff as I do actually hunting. It's just part of hunting season for me.
 
Picked up a ozone duffle bag here in the classifieds so I have not washed any hunting clothes since season started. Everything goes back in the duffle and gets 15 minutes with the ozone machine. Other than that, scent wise, I have been using the nose jammer stick on the tree I climb. That doe pic in the light thread from this past weekend was straight down wind at 5 yards tops and not once acted like she smelled me. Havent had a deer blow or react badly since using this combo and that includes other does bedded straight down wind at 50 yards.
 
If my bow gets wet, then my first priority is drying it off and putting it and my arrows somewhere to dry.

Then I put my boots on the boot dryer even if it wasn't raining or anything (cuts stink down by at least 10X).

If my pack got wet, then my saddle and everything else and the pack gets laid out or hung to dry.

If everything is dry, then I re-pack my pack. Everything has a spot.

Next, I check if I have to recharge any gear/batteries.

Then my clothes for the next day get put into their own scent free garbage bag for easy access the next day.

Lastly, I take a shower and check to make sure I don't have any ticks.
 
I need to get better at being organized, but I have a big rolling square bag duffle "bag" (don't remember the manufacturer, I got it for free from an old job) and all my hunting gear lives in there and it, my bow case, my game cart and my cheap target live in the bed/locked cap of my truck all season. Pretty much everything gets put on/taken off at the truck and put in that bag, somewhat ready for the next trip out. I don't have a gear shed, and wash my clothes/underlayers with scent free laundry detergent pretty much every use. Outer layers live in a closet in a tote when not needed, in this same duffle when colder. Having the rolling duffle makes it a lot easier to take stuff out of my truck quickly if I need it for truck stuff/hardware store runs.
 
Nobody is really talking about dealing with sweaty clothing.

I start the season with everything washed in non scent detergent. Then as I hunt I rewash things when I feel they need it. Probably I wash 3 times a season. I don't have a process for this. I don't use scentlok that could get refreshed with a dryer cycle - as John E suggests.

How are other people handling this?

(yes @BTaylor did go through his ozone process)
 
Nobody is really talking about dealing with sweaty clothing.

I start the season with everything washed in non scent detergent. Then as I hunt I rewash things when I feel they need it. Probably I wash 3 times a season. I don't have a process for this. I don't use scentlok that could get refreshed with a dryer cycle - as John E suggests.

How are other people handling this?

(yes @BTaylor did go through his ozone process)
Next-to-skin layers get put in a separate bag when I get back to the truck and get washed before getting worn again.

Everything else gets washed as required, normally only if I have a concern with scent or stuff is covered in blood.
 
Nobody is really talking about dealing with sweaty clothing.
Throw it in the wash :D

Seriously though, I live on the Gulf Coast and clothes get soaked especially early season. I pretty much wear the same clothes and wash them every hunt. I work early hours, up at 0300 for work at 0400, so I hunt after work and don't need to pack a lot. As soon as I get home everything goes in the wash, work clothes, hunt clothes, it all gets washed in no scent. Take a shower, make lunch, set the coffee pot, throw clothes in the dryer, head to bed. Pull the clothes out of the dryer in the am on the way to work.
 
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