Scent puffer bottle?
Contributors to this thread:Equipment
From: wisconsinteacher
16-Oct-17
My scent puffer bottle ran out of the white powder the other day. What do you use to refill?
From: DarrylDunsloppy
16-Oct-17
Just bought some Microballoons. Works great and is super cheap.
https://www.amazon.com/Top-Flite-Microballoons-Filler-8-Ounce/dp/B0015H1FDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508191554&sr=8-1&keywords=microballons
From: LKH
16-Oct-17
fire extinguisher powder. very cheap and a pound will last a dozen guys most of their lives. I put it in small elmer's school glue bottles.
From: boothill
16-Oct-17
When the wife changes the baking soda box in the freezer I save it and refill with it.
From: sitO
16-Oct-17
Line chalk(carpenters)...all the colors of the rainbow
From: smarba
16-Oct-17
Microballoons. No comparison to baking soda, chalk, or any other similar thing. Way, way, way better. Have never heard of fire extinguisher powder or even know where to get it, so perhaps that's a good option too.
But Microballoons blows away anything else.
From: Scotty
16-Oct-17
Another vote for Micro Balloons.
From: PTArcher1
16-Oct-17
x3 microballons
From: Scrappy
16-Oct-17
Thanks for the microballons I forgot what it was called.
From: Kevin @ Wisconsin
16-Oct-17
Tried to use different stuff over the years, but nothing compares to smoke in a bottle. Spend the money and buy a couple of bottles.
Fire extinguisher powder sounds like a horrible idea. I can't stand the sulfur smell from responding to fire calls. It's the worst. Can't imagine spreading that smell around the woods.
From: walks with a gimp
16-Oct-17
JTV is right, milkweed seeds are free and easier to see farther away. All the local butterflies will thank you next year!
From: joehunter
16-Oct-17
corn starch
From: Scrappy
16-Oct-17
Kevin, I maybe mistaken but I believe I read that smoke in a bottle is microballoons.
From: W8N4RUT
16-Oct-17
x2 corn starch
From: Ucsdryder
16-Oct-17
There are some cheap bastards on here...
I like it!!!
From: drycreek
16-Oct-17
Never heard of microballoons, but I'll be finding out.
From: OkieJ
16-Oct-17
X3 Corn Starch.
From: Swampbuck
16-Oct-17
Microballons are microscopic pieces of glass and I wouldn't want to breath that crap in. Ask anyone in the boating industry. Really bad stuff. I'll stick with baking soda. Although I do like the corn starch idea, I'll think I'll try that
From: t-roy
16-Oct-17
Wind floaters for me. You will get a WAY more accurate feel for what the wind is actually doing vs the puff bottle powders. Floaters stay airborne for a long time. The powder dissipates way too quickly for me.
From: Tilzbow
16-Oct-17
I've used micro-balloons and found it'll plug up the bottle nozzle when it gets damp so I went back to smoke in the bottle.
From: SANDMAN
17-Oct-17
SANDMAN's Link
I use Talc.
Corn starch and baking soda dont catch enough air for me...they just fall to the earth. Microballons sound like a good idea other than breathing it in.
From: Tonybear61
17-Oct-17
Milk Weed fluffies .... or cattail fluff. Both are free and stay in the air along time.
Fun to see when one comes back to you after making a circle around your stand... Uh Oh.
Also tie a few threads to your bow limb. Can wacth wind direction while you are holding it. Gives immediate results even in mild wind. About a 3 -4 inch section should be enough.
From: oldgoat
17-Oct-17
I use the micro balloons too! I could see where the milkweed seed fluff would be good but I like the convenience of a puff bottle!
From: t-roy
17-Oct-17
oldgoat......my wind floater tube hangs off of my bino harness and it’s easy to pull out some fibers and let them go. The only downside is that you can’t do it with gloves on. The fibers want to cling to them.
From: Lark Bunting
17-Oct-17
Ambush Smoke in a bottle is THE BEST at detecting currents within 15' - 20' of you on the ground (or so).
From: LKH
17-Oct-17
Got a laugh about the Sulphur smell with fire ext powder. It's completely odorless.
From: LINK
17-Oct-17
"Microballons are microscopic pieces of glass and I wouldn't want to breath that crap in".
When in the mountains my balloons usually float down then behind me, then up and straight away towards the elk. ;) The elk don't like breathing them though.
From: Razorsharp123
17-Oct-17
+1 T-roy, I love my windfloaters and they can sure show you the wind action at quite a distance. Its pretty cool to see how many different directions the wind can go in rough terrain and these let you see those different currents.
From: wooddamon1
17-Oct-17
Tried it all over the years, milkweed fluff with the seeds pulled off. Just stuff an old film or pill bottle full. Like the stuff t-roy has, though, you have to remove a glove or they like to cling like an old chubby girlfriend.
From: Ermine
17-Oct-17
Mircoballoons. That's what the "smoke in bottle" is. I buy a big bottle and refill off of it
From: longspeak74
17-Oct-17
Baking soda for me.
From: Lark Bunting
17-Oct-17
Ermine, do you know that for certain? I'm not questioning I just thought it would be a little more proprietary than some commercial stuff off Amazon.
From: Kevin @ Wisconsin
17-Oct-17
Lkh- ABC dry chemical is usually a mix of monoammonium phosphate and ammonium sulfate. Yes, sulphur.
Good luck,
Kevin
From: LKH
17-Oct-17
I don't know the chemical composition of the fire extinguisher powder I have, but it is odorless. Very light weight and you can shake a container of it, hold the container upright and squeeze gently. It drifts out and is so sensitive it will show the air flow even in my house.
What it won't do is be visible for long distances and I think the other products mentioned probably have the advantage in that respect.
From: Hoythunter
17-Oct-17
Smoke in a bottle. Best I've ever used. Haven't tried the Microballoons.
From: Ermine
17-Oct-17
Lark bunting- I'm not positive. I've heard it is. And testing it side by side it sure looks the same. But I'm not forsure
From: smarba
17-Oct-17
Ermine & Lark I also heard the same thing years ago and my comparison matches that of Ermine. My friend who uses SIAB insists it's better than my batch of Microballoons, but I methinks he just wants to justify spending $6.99/bottle versus my $12.00 for dozens of bottles LOL.
From: DarrylDunsloppy
18-Oct-17
Smoke in a Bottle = Micro Balloons, guaranteed. And I have had zero issues with the Micro Balloons gumming up in wet nasty weather or clogging the hole.
From: PECO
18-Oct-17
I have used fine ash from the wood stove, works great. I have use the baby power, not as well. The smoke in a bottle is the best I have tried.
From: Lark Bunting
18-Oct-17
I'll order some microballoons to test out. One thing I found out by accident, the SIAB is sour...yes, sour. I had a bottle spill in my pocket where I had an external reed cow call. I stuck that sucker in my mouth to blow and puckered like I'd eaten lemon. I didn't want to disassemble it in the field to rinse so I just kept using it...blech! Now, knowing it was micro glass bubbles I am regretting that decision.
From: Russell
18-Oct-17
Cornstarch. Serves a dual purpose....treats heat rash, chaffed skin in the folds, especially the behind one.
From: Ermine
18-Oct-17
Constarch and baby powder and chalk etc. are too heavy in my opinion. If that makes sense. A lot pours out and falls on the ground
The Micro balloons work awesome and it's light and Carrys better in the air
From: APauls
18-Oct-17
I use a combo of some kind of smoke stuff not sure if it is SIAB and milkweed. If I need a quick puff it's on one side of my bino harness if I have time to release the hounds they are in a film canister on the other side of my bino harness.
From: Cheesehead Mike
18-Oct-17
Micro balloons hands down! I bought the quart tub off of Amazon this year for less than $10 and it goes a looooong ways.
I did pick some milkweed pods the other day though and I'm going to try them and see if they're worth the hassle.
From: Cheesehead Mike
18-Oct-17
From: Eagle_eye_Andy
18-Oct-17
Cattails work awsome too just toss in a small ziplock. But be careful if you decide to break one in half to split up!!!
From: HDBOW
21-Oct-17
I use egg yarn, that you would use to tie salmon egg flies. Cheap, floats nice, easy to see, Lasts a long time.
From: Coyote 65
21-Oct-17
My favorite is down out of an old down jacket. Floats forever.
Terry
From: WV Mountaineer
21-Oct-17
I use the old, "Its hitting me on the right side of the face" so, I'm going to hunt that direction technique. Been working for over 40 years and costs nothing. :^)
From: midwest
22-Oct-17
"But Microballoons blows away anything else."
Pun intended? lol Microballoons here, too. I don't snort lines of it so not too worried about the health risks. ;-)
From: walks with a gimp
22-Oct-17
You can use chalkline chalk also and works great for blood trailing in blue for me.
From: benzy
23-Oct-17
"You can use chalkline chalk also and works great for blood trailing in blue for me. "
Great idea! Thank you...
