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Hey everyone.. got a question for ya... I recently bought the scent lok base slayers and was wondering if you guys thought that those would be enough scent protection?? I am debating on whether or not to buy a full body scent lok suit or just a regular one with no activated carbon.. This year I am goin to take my scent elimination a little more serious so any help would be appreciated... I am new to using the activated carbon clothing and was also wondering that for those of you who have scent lok or scent blocker.. do you think that it performs as best as it is said to do... thanks everyone for your help..
Doesn't hurt to use it, but you must determine the level of scent free you wish to be.
Do you wear the base layer, and still keep your camo outer cloths outside, or in a bag protected from all scents? If not it's a waste of time. I think base layers are unnecessary if you have scent lok outer garmets. Also, I'd be putting on those scent lok undergarments inside the cabin, and won't they soak up all the camp smells ?? Also, sometimes I have a tough time not just climbing into the truck with my SL pants on and driving back to camp. (which there is no electric - and no dryer - so then I just air them out on the wood pile overnight...) Ahh the dilema's the Scent Loc has brought to our lives...
Doesn't hurt to use it, but you must determine the level of scent free you wish to be.
Do you wear the base layer, and still keep your camo outer cloths outside, or in a bag protected from all scents? If not it's a waste of time. I think base layers are unnecessary if you have scent lok outer garmets. Also, I'd be putting on those scent lok undergarments inside the cabin, and won't they soak up all the camp smells ?? Also, sometimes I have a tough time not just climbing into the truck with my SL pants on and driving back to camp. (which there is no electric - and no dryer - so then I just air them out on the wood pile overnight...) Ahh the dilema's the Scent Loc has brought to our lives...
save your money.how many time ya watch videos or tv and if the deer gets down wind them boys allways get busted. I got 2 a couple yrs back and out of season I tested them. from my door to a field 5 min. shower clean sent loc I no where the deer come out and I set up hidden and the deer got me every time.
They are just one piece to a puzzle. Even if they work as advertised, nothing will eliminate your odor completely. But, to be honest, I think you should give it a try for yourself and not pay attention to anyone that hasn't tried it.
Phil
I think they are a complete waste of perfectly useful money. But it's YOUR money. You do what you want.
Click on the link I attached for a couple articles you should want to read before you lay down the cash.
By the way, I've never wore an activated carbon suit, and I still kill deer.
...not pay attention to anyone that hasn't tried them, Phil? Hmmmm, how.... quaint.
I would rather learn to hunt better than to try shortcuts that might let me get away with mistakes. It builds bad habits. Hunt the wind, it's part of the game.
Scent Loc is more fashion than function!
Well, I certainly don't wear Scent Loc to be fashionable. If you think about it Scent Loc has made some hunters, better hunters. People that never paid any attention to how their scent is distributed over the hunting environment, are now being made aware/educated by a clothing mfgr. You may say this is"guided information", however it has people thinking, and we have better hunters for it.
"however it has people thinking, and we have better hunters for it."
I couldn't disagree more!
It has had the exact opposite effect IMO. Now folks "think" because they have a 300 dollar scent loc suit on they are invisible and scent free. It has made hunters Lackadaisical.
"Heaven forbid we hunt harder or smarter, let's just buy the next worthless product to make us feel more secure that we are doing everything properly while in the woods"
Personnaly I don't care what you do with your money. But show me one shred of evidence provided by an outside source, not the suit manufactures that show these things actually work, and I may buy one. I spent a small fortune last fall testing all the sprays, soaps and detergents. I hunted with and without them. My sightings were the same on both occassions. Every deer I killed was while not using these products.
I'll stick with clean clothes, clean body, stand placement, and play the wind. Seems to be just as effective and less expensive.
I will add, If a carbon suit makes you feel more confident while hunting, by all means wear one.
BTW Huntingal did you ever meet the hunter that has to have every piece of new gear out yearly. That is who I was refering to when I said "fashion"
For some it's important to be the shiek hunter in the field.
"I may not kill anything in the woods, but damn I look good trying"
I have to agree it is just another money making gimmic. Although, not for it's scent elimating properties, but for it's moisture wicking ability, I do like the base layers. But for less money, you can get off brand under armor that will do the same thing. I have found that the under armor style garments help keep me cooler in the hot weather and warmer setting on stand on the real cold days after a long walk to my stand locations.
While were on the subject, save yourself a few bucks and stay away from the scent free detergents and buy a yourself a economy size box of baking soda, wash by hand and dry outside when possible. Good luck
Very well put, Flatlander. I could not agree with you more Scent Loc is a scam.
Playing the wind,especially on the entry to your stand is still one of the most important aspects of bow hunting.Scent lock has some drawbacks and it's not foolproof but it's not a scam either.I have a friend that worked on developing scentlock and he's even on a few of their patents.I started using it in 1996 when all they had was the baselayers.To this day,that's all I ever use.The camo outerwear is somewhat of a scam in my opinion and it's not nearly as effective.First of all,they generally sit on a rack adsorbing scent for up to a year.Next,to be effective,the scent has to be forced through the charcoal.With a jacket or coat,air circulates out the neck and sleaves.Third,washing scentlock,smooth's out the poors,reducing their ability to trap scent and all outerwear has to be washed fairly frequently to keep them scent free.In my opinion and my friend who has done extensive testing with his own deer herd,the liner is far more effective and practicle.It's also important to use a headcover,as that's where most of your scent comes from.I actually use two layers on my head.Scentlock's life span is also limited.I'm lucky to get two seasons of heavy use out of one liner.That's another reason I use the liners instead of spending a bunch of money on an expensive coat and pants.
I take every scent precaution possible and I still play the wind.Scentlock isn't a reason to get sloppy but it has made the difference for me many times in getting a shot off on a deer that was in close and not quite sure what was up.I don't think anything can completely eliminate hunman odor but it does minimize the amount the deer can detect.Deer are used to smelling human scent and they only become alarmed if they think it's strong enough to be an iminent threat.I won't sit here and say that deer never smell me.However,there is a noticeable difference on how edgy the beer become when I'm wearing scentlock and when I'm not.I can also tell by the deer's reaction when it's time to get a new liner.
Is it a nessecity?No way.I've killed a bunch of deer without it.However,if used properly,it does make a difference until it's time to be replaced.The liners aren't expensive either.You can find alot of deals over the ineternet where the liners cost as little as $39 for a top and the same for a bottom.
It's made me a better hunter. I would say that before Scent Loc, I was not a lazy hunter, just not as good as I am now. I am certainly more aware of my environment. Not to say that influence of another sort would have not had the same effect...
I've worn Scent-Loc for about 5 seasons now, and have done some pretty intensive testing with them. The most convincing result of the tests prove that if you're trying to save money, then invest in the bottoms, rather than the tops.
Its more effective to wear the bottoms, plus, its quieter. Quieter??? You betcha.
Try sitting down on a frosting metal treestand seat in the early morning. The scream tends to spook deer for hundreds of yards. :^)
Maybe Ron will weigh in, he knows all about carbon..... Couldn't help myself :)
Never wore scent lok so not sure how effective it is. I wash and store my cloths in bags and hunt the wind as much as possible. It's funny, there are days I am been soaking with sweat and a deer comes downwind and could care less. Other days I am clean, washed cloths, cow manure cover scent, and get winded like nothing. Who knows.
Jeff, It is interesting and frustrating how the internet lets almost all of us become experts on a variety of subjects. On this topic, there are folks with steadfast opinions on scent lok (which is fine by me) yet they have never personally tried it. What credibility do they bring to the table? Because they have a friend who....or they read in a magazine.... just doesn't make them credible in my eyes. They're entitled to their opinion, but are nowhere near a credible source of information.
That's why I suggested that he talk with folks that have real, personal experience. :)
So basically what your saying Phil is that Consumer reports are over rated! I'll keep that in mind next time I'm making a big purchase:)
There's been a alot of fancy marketing and tall tales about the effectiveness of scent lock.This leads to skepticism but the fact remains,if used properly,scent lock will stack the odds in your favor.It's not foolproof but it will take deer off the edge enough for them to think you aren't an immediate threat.
Flatlander, I'm saying to take what they say with a grain of salt. Years ago I needed some suits for business. Consumer Reports said DAK suits were the best buy and held up well. I found a store that sold that brand and bought three suits. One year later they were all shot. I have had some other differences of opinions with CR as well. I put a lot more faith in talking with some folks with real, practical experience.
Phil,I bought a suit in 1987. Still have it. :)
I'm not an expert. I am a jack of all trades but one though. I guess that means I'm just one jack off.
:^)
I work hard to stay as scent free as possible and allow wind direction to make a lot of decisions for me. It pays off. No suit, no expert, just tirelessly scent/wind conscious. That's bowhuting. I'm simply a bowhunter who doesn't wish to try to purchase his way around it.
I don't care if every single bowhunter besides myself wore carbon suits, I wouldn't. In fact, if they DID indeed work as advertised, that'd be all the more reason for me to NOT have one. I prefer to succeed, or not, on my own. But alas, I don't believe they work anywhere near as good as folks claim, and most folks seem to be trying to justify their purchase/stand in their own minds with how they praise them. I haven't seen any experiences offered by folks wearing them, that I haven't experienced time and again without wearing them. I'm not easily 'sold', but I'm a very good listener.....
I have the savannah suit with no head cover but a scent lok ball cap. I have had deer bed down wind of me 20 yards away and never know I was their. This is the best invention ever and has revalutionized the hunting industry. They dont even know you exist. Just remember take your shower it dont work miricles...
Josh
Hey, we have some new Bowyer's Journal hats that will make you invisible to deer when you put them on. Click the link to get yours now!
-Brian
The military uses carbon suits to beat dogs noses. The stuff works if used properly. It just seems too much like cheating to me.
Spider thought the military used carbon suits to combat Chemical warfare?
Phil if you would stop wearing them suits to hunt in maybe you would have gotten some better wear out of them.
I've tried several different brands and garments through the years and have come to my own conclusion; (that being) there is absolutely no advantage to using this type of product.
Having said that;I do prefer the carbon lined face mask.They are warmer than the standard type face mask and much larger.
My experience and opinion-
I got scent lock pants, jacket, gloves, and headnet, and wear them over my "warmth" layers, but under my camo. I keep all my clothes in seperate plastic bags inside tupperware containers, and put an open box of baking soda in for good measure.
Everything gets washed in scent-free soap, including my body. Stuff against my skin gets washed continuously, the outer layers every 4-5 uses. I only put on my scent lock and outer layers when I get to where I am hunting.
After all that, I hunt with the wind in my favor. The scent lock helps out on occations when either the wind switches, or a deer comes from a direction I did not expect. I have had several deer downwind. I have not had any blow out. Most raise their nose and sniff the air, so I am sure they smell a little bit of me- I will always have breath smell and some exposed skin. But it definitely seems to reduce my scent concentration enough that they must figure I am a long way off.
That's my $0.02. Dave
Dave, "I will always have breath smell and some exposed skin". Exactly right. There is always some odor that will not be eliminated.
I've heard guys talk about waxing their bows (traditional) before hunting season to dull the finish. Or put oil on rusty treestand bolts. Or put scotchguard on their feathers. Or put bugspray on ther skin in the early season. Or put some other foreign substance on their clotehs, equipment, or, possibly worst of all, eat onions, garlic or some other strong food...... All of these introduce lots of foreign odors that are easily smelled by deer and scentlok won't touch.
Phil
Flatlander, you're right. I stand corrected. I was told by a vet they were used by snipers to mask odor against search and guard dogs. I should have double checked my info but I trusted the source. I just did a search and found that carbon suits were used for bio and chemical weapons protection.
Scent lok stuff is just another gimmic to get your money. Hunt the wind and you won't go wrong. You could buy a lot of arrows for the price of a scent lok suit..
How many carbom arrows for a scentlok suit?
I don't know where you guys hunt but the wind never blows in a constant direction in the areas where I hunt.Scent lock works but it doesn't last forever.The outer wear is not as effective as the liners because in most cases,they're already saturated with scent before you use them.Also,unless you constantly wash them,which recuces the effectiovess of scent lock,they won't stay scent free for very long.I wash my pants,hat and coat almost everytime I hunt to keep them as scent free as possible.
Doug,
That's the part I don't understand - the life of the carbon suit.
From Scentlok's site:
" The lifespan of the product really depends on how you use it. We roughly say that it should last you 3-5 years; about what you would expect from other hunting camo. If you are a knee walking, belly crawling extreme hunter out there 5 months a year, the life span may be shorter. If you are in the field for 20-30 days a year and follow our instructions, 3-5 years can be expected. Some hunters are still wearing our original suit."
If you can keep reactivating the carbon with a dryer, why wouldn't it last forever, especially a liner? Why, if you are in the field 20-30 days a year AND follow their instructions (see above), will only 3 to 5 years be expected? Doesn't this fly in the face of the reactivation capability?
Well how do you guys put this scent lok suit on? You put it on at home/camp, then drive/walk to your Hunting Site? Wouldn't the scents in your vehicle/camp be applied to your outer garments?
Does this stuff come with draw laces to pull tight around your neck? What about your face and breath? Your hands? What if ya Poof in yer $185.99 suit, doesn't it leak out up around yer neck area?
I just can not see the high dollars they require for a carbon suit that is supposed to make your scent never reach a deers nose.
But then again, I can't see the need for Mechanical Broadheads either..
If you really want the suit, then buy it.....
pa_bowhunter.........
Hope we helped you out..
Termin8r,I'm not a scientist but I just know it doesn't work forever.I have a buddy that was one of their original reps and he helped in developing it.He said a hot cloths dryer(commercial)will restore it to a certain degree because the proteins in human scent are different than other types of scent.However,the carbon gets "smoothed" out over time by repeated washing and wearing.Once the rough nature of the carbon gets worn down,it's effectiveness diminishes.
RC,I store mine in an airtight plastic bag and I don't put it on until I hit the woods.The liner snaps tight around your wrist and neck.I also tuck the bottom of the liner into the liner.You are correct.Air has to be forced through the carbon for it to work and not out the sleeves and neck.You can pick up a liner set for around 70 bucks if you shop around.
If you buy a scentlock coat and pants that have been on the rack for a year and then wear them all over,they're useless.The liner and clean outerwear is the way to go.
RC,I don't see the need for mechanicals either
NO SCENT-LOC CLOTHES WERE USED IN THE TAKING OF ANY OF THIS GAME DURING ARCHERY SEASON IN PA.
Bushy-girl........
I am amazed you have any stars left:)
From: doug ell........ ....... Date: 09-Jun-06 Private Reply
RC,I don't see the need for mechanicals either
Doug, you are 100% correct there. I can not see a need for mechanicals myself. However some guys do. And I am fine with that. Maybe someday in here, we could have a serious chat about the mental approach of Bow Hunters decisions on the type of Broadhead they choose and why..
I went from 125 grain Snuffer & 2315's (Hoyt Super Slam)on the biggest buck on your right, to 75 grain Rocky Mtn. Premier on the second. All the rest were 75 grain Rocket MiniBlasters out of a Hoyt Alpha Tech with 2213's. Since that first one in '93, I probably get 2 deer a year and see most of 'em hit the ground. I did change back to the fixed blade Rocky Mtns. to kill my bear last year in Canada and my buck here last year, but only because my bow was working so well, I didn't want to mess with it. I'll be going back to the Rockets if I still shoot the Hoyt this year. I practice a lot with my Browndog longbow and use Wensel Woodsmans on wooden shafts.
Its all in where you put the arrow, not what's on the pointy end of it.
POOF!?!?
What the heck is a POOF??
MAN YER KILLIN ME!!!!
NO POOF!!!!!
ROFLMGDAO
I did a lot of missing completely back in the 70's and 80's. Luckily I never wounded one I didn't get. I learned how to shoot a bow by going to field archery events almost every weekend in the late 80's. I learned how to judge distance and kill deer by shooting 3-D and getting up into a tree stand.
Now all I do is practice with the stickbows a few minutes everyday under 20 yards. If I do shoot my compound its at 40 yards, just to make sure I'm concentrating and holding a group.
When I lived out east the woodlots were small and we didn't have to scout much, just move the stands to where the deer were walking. Now that I live back on the farm where I hunt it helps just being here everyday and getting out into the woods all times of the year.
