Scent lok and scent blocker products

[treedweller]

I would like to get everyones opinion on Scent lok and scent blocker type clothing. List your pro's and con's, weather resistance( wind and rain), Don't believe it works, or just play the wind.

[Chefscott]

First to pack/ last to forget period

[DEERMD]

ive always wanted to know if people thought this product worked. ive tried the "supposedly scent lok'd" products that places like wal-mart have, and i can tell no difference in that or wearing street clothes as far as the reaction or number of occurances rather that a deer smells me. the scent lok products that bass pro shop offers are soooo expensive, im not spending that much money when it doesnt work. way i figure it, my great grandpa didnt need this stuff so why should i? my dad still hunts in his redwings, green cover alls with holes in em, and a jefferies feed and seed cap. he just simply rubs himself down with cedar or pine limbs/brush, and walks in a cow pattie. no lie! :)

[WhiteRubi]

I believe it helps, but it's not a cure all. Practice good scent control, watch the wind and use a carbon suit of some type, if you can. I've had deer and coyotes at 5 yards without the suits and the never knew I was there. I've wore the suits deer have winded me at 75 yards.

[BadDuck]

First to pack/ last to forget period

Exactly what he said!

[150PandY]

If you dont plan on taking ALL the scent eliminating steps then dont buy one. There is more to it than just going to walmart or bass pro, buying the suit and going hunting. You have to wash it and all your other clothes in sent free detergent, wash your body in sent free soap, use sent free deodorant. the suits have to be placed in a dryer for 45 minutes to activate the carbon. I wash all my clothes, my towel that I use to dry off with my underwear socks hat gloves fannypack...... everything in sent free detergent. then dry them with out a dryer sheet sometimes I use a dirt scented one for my clothes but not my Scentblocker suit ( I dont want to fill it up with dirt smell.) I carry my scent blocker suit in a sent free bad to the base of the tree or a few yards shy and put it on there. If you follow all the steps and be extra careful they will work perfectly. I use mine every time while bowhunting. I have found that mine is pretty resistant to water also. I got mine on sale at walmart a couple of years ago and would buy another one if I could afford it.

[fusion308]

Heres my advice,if you can, get in a cedar tree.If there is a cedar close to your hunting area,it is a natural scent blocker,the aroma this tree produces is a natural year round smell to deer. It is also green year round ,so wear lightweight green camo and the deer will not see or smell you.I have done this for years and had deer under me eating the cedar berries right off the tree, I was in..........try it

[mapman]

Have a read, and then decide. I have several Scent-Lok, Scent-Blocker items, so I'm not anti carbon technology...I think they initially work to some extent, but I believe these reports as well. I have decided to try the No Trace clothing and use more of the antimicrobial clothing on the market.

Some info about Activated Carbon suits

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_suits_deuce.htm

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_suits.htm

Also check out this link on sprays:

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_elimination_sprays.html

[Shelbyhunter]

If you practice scent control 100%, then using Scent Lok or Scent Blocker suits must be a part of that regimen. I wear Scent Lok, take showers with deodorizing soap, store all my clothes, backpacks in a plastic bag and then in a scent tight tub.

I get dressed in the field and then spray down with Carbon Blast or White Lightening.

I then try and hunt the wind by approaching down wind and then hunt stands when the wind is right.

When the wind switches or swirls, that is when all this crap comes in handy.


I have had does/bucks come from the down wind side and they may know something is not right but can't figure out what it is.

Give yourself every chance you can, especially bowhunting.

I am going to Ontario in 2 weeks for black bear. You think I am going without all my scent control products???

[DEERMD]

If you dont plan on taking ALL the scent eliminating steps then dont buy one. There is more to it than just going to walmart or bass pro, buying the suit and going hunting. You have to wash it and all your other clothes in sent free detergent, wash your body in sent free soap, use sent free deodorant. the suits have to be placed in a dryer for 45 minutes to activate the carbon. I wash all my clothes, my towel that I use to dry off with my underwear socks hat gloves fannypack...... everything in sent free detergent. then dry them with out a dryer sheet sometimes I use a dirt scented one for my clothes but not my Scentblocker suit ( I dont want to fill it up with dirt smell.) I carry my scent blocker suit in a sent free bad to the base of the tree or a few yards shy and put it on there. If you follow all the steps and be extra careful they will work perfectly. I use mine every time while bowhunting. I have found that mine is pretty resistant to water also. I got mine on sale at walmart a couple of years ago and would buy another one if I could afford it.

ive read somewhere, either on here or a hunting magazine. that for the most part the deer carea bout three scents. 1) meat eaters 2) food 3) non-meat eaters. and that most of the scent a meat eating animal puts off is from their mouths. SO, if you go through all of the trouble of making yourself scent free or at least at a level lower to that prior to using those products (i dont think we can EVER be scent free) ... DONT open your mouth any when you hunt! ha

[AteUp]

Hunt the wind and forget the gimmicks.

[kycamtrakker]

i have owned scentlok since it was brought out and i believe in it, i've had many 4yr old bucks down wind and never had a deer wind me! but like everyone said you have to do it all if you want it to work!

[nwest]

didn't Deer get damn near eradicated before scent lock? Wonder how those stinky indians killed all those deer?

[kycamtrakker]

i guess people who dont use it ALWAYS has the perfect wind and always kill big huge bucks, the wind changes sometimes where i hunt and thats why i think its worth while

[nwest]

i guess people who dont use it ALWAYS has the perfect wind and always kill big huge bucks, the wind changes sometimes where i hunt and thats why i think its worth while


I manage my scent too, I don't have a suit but use other methiods to control scent. Scent control is important but it is not the cure all some think it is;)

[etownhunter]

I wear scent lok savanna pants, scentblocker shirt in the hot weather, when it cools i wear the scent blocker dream season suit. I will never hunt again without it on! Bottom line!It does make a difference.

[ecmbowhunter]

Hunt the wind and forget the gimmicks.Can I get an AMEN???

Washing your butt from time to time helps also.

[buckfever]

Have a read, and then decide. I have several Scent-Lok, Scent-Blocker items, so I'm not anti carbon technology...I think they initially work to some extent, but I believe these reports as well. I have decided to try the No Trace clothing and use more of the antimicrobial clothing on the market.

Some info about Activated Carbon suits

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_suits_deuce.htm

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_suits.htm

Also check out this link on sprays:

http://www.fastestbows.com/articles/corrigan/scent_elimination_sprays.html


I own several scentlok suits as well and practice considerable scent elimination. Over the years though, my experiences with them caused me to question whether they actually worked.

Personally, I think they are much more gimmick than substance. I've had deer downwind of me with them and without them.Sometimes the deer smelled me, sometimes they didn't. When the deer did not smell me, it was b/c of the high pressure or thermals.

I still hunt with them from time to time, but don't put any stock in them.

[Double D Farms]

ive read somewhere, either on here or a hunting magazine. that for the most part the deer carea bout three scents. 1) meat eaters 2) food 3) non-meat eaters. and that most of the scent a meat eating animal puts off is from their mouths. SO, if you go through all of the trouble of making yourself scent free or at least at a level lower to that prior to using those products (i dont think we can EVER be scent free) ... DONT open your mouth any when you hunt! ha

Keeping my mouth closed makes kinda hard for me to snore when I'm on stand.:rolleyes:

[yote hunter]

Can I get an AMEN???

Washing your butt from time to time helps also.
AMEN brother

[SmokeyBear]

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l53/SmokeyBear96/beatdeadhorse.gif


Sorry you all, I couldn't resist!!! lol

[notimlmit]

Never owned one, I usally take a scent bath with the liquid green soap all over before I leave and clean my clothes with baking soda or a scent eliminator of some type. I usally don't have that problem unless I start sweatting before I get to my stand. That's also the reason I don't start hunting till Oct.

[DEERMD]

Keeping my mouth closed makes kinda hard for me to snore when I'm on stand.:rolleyes:

snorings good... sounds just like a buck grunt call if you do it just right! :)

[str8 shot]

I havent really got the chnce to text my xlt and dream season suit out yet but going to try this weekend

[scott1]

Like with anything else you have to use them properly. Take the necessary steps and even with them you still must pay attention to the wind. I believe they help and I will take any advantage I can get. Storage is important as is total body scent control.

[mapman]

Since we're all on this forum to communicate and learn, I figure I'd share this info with you all. (I know some think it's beating a dead horse...I hope it will be helpful to others.)

This is from someone I know who is a certified professional engineering (environmental): (In regards to the anti carbon technology articles posted earlier)

"I read these over the weekend. He makes some interesting points, and he mimicks some information that you can also find on T.R. Michels website (a biologist who has threatened a class action lawsuit against Scent Lok). I could sit here and pick apart his technical points, but that would take too long to write. He is making an argument here, but I don't believe that he is giving all of the facts: just the ones that support his case. More like a legal argument than a scientific one. For example, he has taken some points out of references, such as the Corps of Engineers document, that support his case, while ignoring other points in the same document that would hurt his case (I know because I looked up his reference). Not exactly good science.

OK, I can't resist. Here's a couple of his points that really irk me. One, regarding the gases escaping, I tuck my pants into my boots and wear a belt. I tuck my shirt into my pants and use the velcro fasteners on the collar and cuffs. Airtight? No, but you just need the vapor to come into contact with the carbon. Some is going to escape, but how many people really believe that clothing is 100% effective. Regarding the sweat reducing the effectiveness, perhaps, but activated carbon is used for water treatment too. It may limit its usefulness for vapor, but I try to wear a T-shirt or other clothes between my Scent Lok and my skin to avoid getting it wet. And one that really gets me: he talks about "breakthrough" where the carbon can no longer capture 100% of the contaminants (in this case odor molecules). However, in the environmental field, breakthrough is usually measured in parts per billion (yes, billion), so if you have a very high concentration of organic compounds, say 100,000 parts per billion being treated by carbon filtration, eventually some will breakthrough. But in environmental terms, unacceptable breakthrough occurs around 5 parts per billion for many contaminants, which means that the carbon is still 99.995% effective at this "breakthrough". Admittedly if the carbon is not replaced, reactivated or regenerated (and note that there is a tremendous difference in the meanings of these terms), increasingly higher concentrations will continue to breakthrough the carbon and the percent effectiveness will continue to decline. Hence the need to heat the carbon to drive off the volatile contaminants adsorbed to it. However, hunters don't need the effectiveness percentages of carbon that environmental professionals do (How many hunters would be happy with 99.995% effectiveness? - most I would bet, even if some tiny percentage of odor was escaping), so you don't need to use the industrial process of reactivation at several hundred degrees C referenced in the article to do this. You just need to reach a temperature that approximates or exceeds the boiling point of the contaminants (see the Corps of Engineers document that he references, although I didn't notice him mentioning this point). I don't know what these are for the human-related odors, although I've seen references that some start around 125 F, while others approach 200 F (I've also seen it reported that a household dryer will do about 160-180 F). In theory, it should be possible to drive off (regenerate) many of the odor molecules.

OK, enough of the scientific details.Well, almost. One thing that I've discovered here is that if a dryer won't drive off the odor molecules, as many of the Scent Lok critics seem to say, why not use steam from your household iron? Steam is at least 212 F by definition, which should be greater than the boiling point of the human odor molecules. I'm going to email Scent Lok and ask them.

In general, I believe that activated carbon works reasonably well at reducing human odor provided that there is enough in a suit to do so, and provided that the gaseous odor does not escape the clothing prior to coming into contact with the carbon. It would take scientific tests to determine how thick a layer of carbon is needed to adsorb a given amount of human odor and just how much odor is generated by a human. >From the Scent Lok ads, especially the graph, you would believe that they have done one, but I have never seen it published. I don't know how much carbon is used or odor generated, but based on personal experience with it, I would say that there must be enough to at least reduce the amount of odor that a deer can smell.

That reminds me. The first time that I saw Scent Lok in 1994 at a hunting trade show, the factory rep had a sample of a really smelly piece of fish in a tupperware container. He opened it up, laid a single layer of Scent Lok over it, and let me hold it up to my nose. The result: I couldn't smell it. When he took the Scent Lok away, I could smell it from several feet away. I bought the suit right then. Good salemanship: absolutely, but it makes a point. I can't tell you what percentage of the fish odor molecules made it through that piece of Scent Lok, but few enough that I couldn't smell it. I expect that it's the same for deer. Some percentage of human odor is going to get out, either by breakthrough or gaps in clothing, not to mention breath, hair, boots, etc., but to me, any significant reduction in odor helps. I think that carbon clothing provides some fairly significant reduction. I also think that the older a buck, the less tolerance that he has for any human odor where it is not expected or readily encountered. That's why I use everything, especially odor destroying sprays (another product courtesy of the environmental profession and another one that I didn't think of!), carbon clothes, carbon lined boots (rubber will develop cracks and hold odors too - I've watched a 2.5 year old buck trail my footsteps in old rubber boots down a power line), etc.

By the way, my qualifications to write this are more than 19 years of environmental experience using granular activated carbon (GAC), or about double the authors experience, and I've used Scent Lok suits since 1994 when I bought my first one. (Hard to believe, but that's 13 years). I believe that the inventor of Scent Lok has an environmental background, too.

One last thing, if you don't think that Scent Lok works, pull on a pair of their pants, tuck them into rubber boots, and fart into them. Bet you can't smell it :)

[mapman]

He also went as far as to contact Scent-Lok directly, here are his questions and also Scent-Lok's response:

His questions:

Dear Sirs,

I've been using Scent Lok products since 1994 with good success, and I've always thought that the science behind your products was reasonably sound. However, a number of articles and websites have recently been brought to my attention that, among other items, question the ability of a household dryer to desorb scent molecules of human odor from your product because the heat of the dryer (reported to be 160-180 degress F) does not reach the boiling point of the molecules (reported to approach 200 degrees F). In looking into several articles and technical references on carbon reactivation and regeneration not associated with the hunting industry, I noticed that the use of steam to desorb volatile compounds was mentioned for granular carbon used for other purposes, which has lead me to several questions:

1) If this assertion that a dryer does not reach a high enough temperature is correct or even partially correct, could steam from a household clothes iron, which should be at least 212 degrees F by definition, be used to desorb the compounds and reactivate the carbon?

2) Would it hurt the Scent Lok clothing or carbon to use steam?

3) Would the steam be effective than a dryer in desorbing the odor molecules from an older Scent Lok suit that has been through the dryer many times? (In addition to several more recent ClimaFlex garments, I have my original Scent Lok suit from 1994 that I still use, but I wonder how long it will be effective. I hunt in close cover and I don't always have a chance to observe deer downwind. If they come downwind in close cover and smell me, I may never see them.)

4) If an older garment loses effectiveness, is there anything that can be done to increase its effectiveness?

SCENT-LOK's Response:

Thank you for your questions. We appreciate the support over the years. Iʼve attached a link for an article that we published in response to the skeptics articles.

http://www.scentlok.com/articles/articles_detail.aspx?n=16

Here is also a website that shows the science behind our technology as tested by independent world-renowned scientists. You do need a high-speed internet connection to watch this on line; otherwise I would be happy to mail you a DVD copy. This should answer all of the technical questions.

http://www.scentlokscience.com/

Higher temperatures wonʼt hurt the carbon, but could damage the other fabrics and trims on the garments. If an older garment loses its effectiveness there is not a way to increase that.

On average we estimate a suit will last you 3-5 years. Hunters who are out in the field 300 days a year will wear out faster than someone who hunts fourteen days a year. Iʼve talked to many people that are still successfully using suits over seven years later.

We also stand behind our products by offering a three-year field effective guarantee. You also mention in your email that youʼve had good success. I hope this information will answer all of your questions. If you have any further questions please feel free to call our office at 1-800-315-5799.

Thank you,

Amy Derby
Marketing Communications Assistant
Scent-Lok Technologies
1731 Wierengo Drive
Muskegon, MI 49442

[shaman]

I don't use scent blocking clothing and I probably will not in the future.

All the scent remediation I seem to need is available through my use of sodium bicarbonate in place of a detergent. Here's my regimen:

http://blackholecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2004/09/scent-reduction.html


Sodium bicarb may not kill 100% of the stink, but it seems to reduce it to the point that you can get a full day of hunting in without getting winded. That's enough for me.

[ScentFree]

They work. I have had one for 3 years and have never been busted by any deer. Even when large groups of deer are down wind for long periods of time feeding. I will always have one.

[kycamtrakker]

look at all the big bucks killed most of the guys that killed big deer wear it, i did and i killed a 150" deer!

[mathewslxinky]

like said before it is not a cure all you have to be willing to go through the whole process. I have had deer walk down wind of me on the ground and not smell me in the suit only to have them walk down a little farther and blow out of the place do to my buddy that will not buy one. and he said when they blew out he was sitting still watching them. it is not a cure all but if it gives me that little extra second to come to full draw i want it. it also gives me that little extra bost of confidence to stay still and wait for the shoot to be there. I do have a question about them. how long do they last. my suit is in the dryer now getting ready for the morning. thanks guys

[AteUp]

look at all the big bucks killed most of the guys that killed big deer wear it, i did and i killed a 150" deer!

Most of the guys on TV anyway. I bet less than 10% of all deer hunters wear scent lock suits.

[kycamtrakker]

go through the 2007 harvest and look there!! its there you just have to pay attention

[slickhead slayer]

go through the 2007 harvest and look there!! its there you just have to pay attention

:rolleyes: I am not saying it does or doesn't work, but like ate-up said, I bet 10% of deer hunters at most wear it. And lots of people kill big deer, not just those who wear scent-loc clothing.

[mapman]

I do have a question about them. how long do they last. my suit is in the dryer now getting ready for the morning. thanks guys

The response Scent-Lok gave was an average of 3-5 years depending on amount of use.

[BowHuntinJunkie]

The high dollar gear is just a gimmick. There is not a home clothes dryer made that will decontaminate the carbon. I do believe in all the wash products and scent free soaps but the carbon is saturated in the suites you buy before they leave the store. Heat is the only thing that can unsaturate carbon.

[ScentFree]

I don't use scent blocking clothing and I probably will not in the future.

All the scent remediation I seem to need is available through my use of sodium bicarbonate in place of a detergent. Here's my regimen:

http://blackholecoffeehouse.blogspot.com/2004/09/scent-reduction.html


Sodium bicarb may not kill 100% of the stink, but it seems to reduce it to the point that you can get a full day of hunting in without getting winded. That's enough for me.

I do all that as well as a scent lock suit. It can only help.

[AteUp]

I do all that as well as a scent lock suit. It can only help.

Are you kidding me?? You use a scent lock suit and still do the following???

Scent Reduction
The first batch of clothes is out of the washer and out on the line. The timing was a bit off-- it's supposed to rain tonight and there's rain in the forecast until Thursday. However, I don't think I'll have too much of a problem.

Although I agree with those who say hunt the wind, and you won't need anything else, here's what I do additionally to cheat:

1) I wash all my clothes in nothing but baking soda. Nothing. Ever. When I'm washing, I run the washer once with nothing but baking soda to clean out whatever stink has accumulated in teh machine.
2) I wash the outer camo layer separate from the inner layers (underwear, etc.)
3) I air dry all my stuff-- almost always on a clothesline outside. Nothing ever sees the inside of a dryer.
4) I pack it all in a trash bag or plastic bin with a handful of baking soda thrown in. I do this sparingly, so there's not all that much to shake out. Inner and outer layers get packed seperately.
5) When I'm hunting, I shower before going out with baking soda. I also use an unscented deoderant.
6) I hunt with an outer layer of camo that never sees the inside of the house.
7) When I'm done hunting, my clothes go back in a separate bag for dirty clothes.
8) I never hunt in the same clothes two days in a row.
9) In warm weather I change the outer layer between the morning and afternoon hunts.

When I'm meticulous in this method, I can be within 20 yards upwind of a whitetail deer, and they won't bust me. If I screw up and wear the same shirt two days in a row, I can be busted from 70 yards down wind or 20 yards upwind of my stand. The deer always let me know when I've screwed up.

It is my belief that UV is a non-issue. A mammalian eyeball built to use the UV spectrum effectively would be useless at visible wavelengths. The UV hype of a few years ago was pure bunk.

[ScentFree]

like said before it is not a cure all you have to be willing to go through the whole process. I have had deer walk down wind of me on the ground and not smell me in the suit only to have them walk down a little farther and blow out of the place do to my buddy that will not buy one. and he said when they blew out he was sitting still watching them. it is not a cure all but if it gives me that little extra second to come to full draw i want it. it also gives me that little extra bost of confidence to stay still and wait for the shoot to be there. I do have a question about them. how long do they last. my suit is in the dryer now getting ready for the morning. thanks guys

They last 3- 5 years depending on use
I would be careful how often you put it in the dryer. You can use it for 60 to 80 hrs of hunting before you need to put it in the dryer again.

[treedweller]

I went hunting for the first time this year wearing my new scent lok suit. I took all of the scent eliminating steps...shower, washing clothing is scent free and UV detergent, spraying everything down with scent away. At 7am I had a doe and a fawn come under my stand dead downwind and came down the trail I went down this morning...no detection. They hung out for about an hour and then went down wind of me again...no detection. The downwind side was slightly uphill so my scent was not blowing above them, but in there faces. I was very impressed. Just goes to show you how important scent control is. It may of not had anything to do with the suit but I'm sure it didn't hurt.:D

[ScentFree]

Are you kidding me?? You use a scent lock suit and still do the following???

Scent Reduction
The first batch of clothes is out of the washer and out on the line. The timing was a bit off-- it's supposed to rain tonight and there's rain in the forecast until Thursday. However, I don't think I'll have too much of a problem.

Although I agree with those who say hunt the wind, and you won't need anything else, here's what I do additionally to cheat:

1) I wash all my clothes in nothing but baking soda. Nothing. Ever. When I'm washing, I run the washer once with nothing but baking soda to clean out whatever stink has accumulated in teh machine.
2) I wash the outer camo layer separate from the inner layers (underwear, etc.)
3) I air dry all my stuff-- almost always on a clothesline outside. Nothing ever sees the inside of a dryer.
4) I pack it all in a trash bag or plastic bin with a handful of baking soda thrown in. I do this sparingly, so there's not all that much to shake out. Inner and outer layers get packed seperately.
5) When I'm hunting, I shower before going out with baking soda. I also use an unscented deoderant.
6) I hunt with an outer layer of camo that never sees the inside of the house.
7) When I'm done hunting, my clothes go back in a separate bag for dirty clothes.
8) I never hunt in the same clothes two days in a row.
9) In warm weather I change the outer layer between the morning and afternoon hunts.

When I'm meticulous in this method, I can be within 20 yards upwind of a whitetail deer, and they won't bust me. If I screw up and wear the same shirt two days in a row, I can be busted from 70 yards down wind or 20 yards upwind of my stand. The deer always let me know when I've screwed up.

It is my belief that UV is a non-issue. A mammalian eyeball built to use the UV spectrum effectively would be useless at visible wavelengths. The UV hype of a few years ago was pure bunk.

Yea,

Why not? I have always done that, long before scent lock suits came out. I don't use the scent lock as a "cure all" I use it more as insurance and it gives me more confidence while hunting.