Scent clothing

[Todd R]

Guys, I know this is a fishing chat-site. But I also know that a lot of you fishermen are also whitetail deer hunters as well.

I'm considering buying some scentlok or scentblocker clothing for the fall hunting season.

Thus far, I've come across three manufacturers: Scentlok, Scentsorb (used by Browning in some of their clothes) and ScentBlocker (made by Robinson Laboratories). Instead of looking at them in the catalog, or touching them in a store, I'd really like some opinions on products you've field-tested.

Performance is obviously a key for me, but durability being a close second. Because of their cost, I don't want to have to buy another of these suits anytime in the near future.

If you have any advice, I'd sure like to hear from you.

Thanks!

[Skeeter Boy]

Todd; I've been using scent-lok clothing for a number of years. I started out with the under garment suit, Have used it since the first year I saw them at the Deer Classic. Last year my wife and I used the money the Governor gave us and each bought a set of camo allweather rain gear with Scent-Lok. I've had deer including some nice bucks so close you couldn't move or they'd hear you and have yet to have one indicate they have winded me. My opinion.... Don't go another season without it!! Don't know for sure, but the other brands will probably work as well. Good luck... Skeeter Boy

[captjack]

I bought a set of Scentlok last fall. I got the under suit and I really like it. It allows you to wear different patterns of camo as the season progresses. You have to store the outer clothes in an airtight container with the scentlok stuff. I always take this with me and get dressed after I drive to where I am going to hunt. The one morning I didn't do this and cheated by wearing my camo pants in the truck I had a 140 class 10 pt wind me and blow out. I good but painful lesson. I plan on buying a set of camo scentlok as soon as I can scape together enough cash. Right now it is a low priority with all the walleye gear I just "have" to get.
Good luck
Jack

[jaquomo]

I've used a set of undergarments - tops, bottoms, and hood- for two years. The usual precautions along with them, like storing clothes in scent-free bags, showering daily with non-scent soap, breath control, etc.., which are necessary anyway. Have taken a 7x7 and 6x6 bull elk and three great P&Y class whitetails with a longbow, one 140+, during this time. Other critters, too. Bottom line, no matter what, if they get a direct shot at your wind within bow range, you're screwed. If you have a wavering wind, it will help. I think it helps, after hundreds of encounters with animals at all ranges and wind conditions, as long as other precautions are followed. Still, one morning after doing as much as possible without becoming overly obsessive (I don't wear a plastic bag over my head with baking soda ala Miles Keller), a group of mulies sort of scented me and got nervous at 200 yards when they got a direct 30 mph shot of wind and thermal. they didn't run like jackrabbits, but moved to another draw, nevertheless. Won't help cigarette smoke, smelly clothes, armpit smell, or general stupidity, but I believe it helps minimize scent contamination. Haven't tried the outer garments yet, but that is next. .

[Todd R]

Thanks for the reply, Skeeter Boy. Where did you buy your Scentlok rain gear from? How much for the suit?

Todd

[Todd R]

>I bought a set of Scentlok
>last fall. I got
>the under suit and I
>really like it. It
>allows you to wear different
>patterns of camo as the
>season progresses. You have
>to store the outer clothes
>in an airtight container with
>the scentlok stuff. I
>always take this with me
>and get dressed after I
>drive to where I am
>going to hunt. The
>one morning I didn't do
>this and cheated by wearing
>my camo pants in the
>truck I had a 140
>class 10 pt wind me
>and blow out. I
>good but painful lesson.
>I plan on buying a
>set of camo scentlok as
>soon as I can scape
>together enough cash. Right
>now it is a low
>priority with all the walleye
>gear I just "have" to
>get.
>Good luck
>Jack


Sorry about the 140-class blow-out. Unfortunately, or fortunately (to save me the grief), I haven't had the same opportunity with that nice of a buck. But who knows what tomorrow might bring, and I want to be sure I'm not telling stories like that because I waited another year to buy something.

But, therein lies my debate. Do I go with the undersuit, that allows me to wear the different patterns for early and late season, or be content with a MOBU or ???? for all-season long?

Thanks again! Good fishing.

[Todd R]

>I've used a set of undergarments
>- tops, bottoms, and hood-
>for two years. The
>usual precautions along with them,
>like storing clothes in scent-free
>bags, showering daily with non-scent
>soap, breath control, etc.., which
>are necessary anyway. Have
>taken a 7x7 and 6x6
>bull elk and three great
>P&Y class whitetails with a
>longbow, one 140+, during this
>time. Other critters, too.
> Bottom line, no matter
>what, if they get a
>direct shot at your wind
>within bow range, you're screwed.
> If you have a
>wavering wind, it will help.
> I think it helps,
>after hundreds of encounters with
>animals at all ranges and
>wind conditions, as long as
>other precautions are followed.
>Still, one morning after doing
>as much as possible without
>becoming overly obsessive (I don't
>wear a plastic bag over
>my head with baking soda
>ala Miles Keller), a group
>of mulies sort of scented
>me and got nervous
>at 200 yards when they
>got a direct 30 mph
>shot of wind and thermal.
> they didn't run like
>jackrabbits, but moved to another
>draw, nevertheless. Won't help
>cigarette smoke, smelly clothes, armpit
>smell, or general stupidity, but
>I believe it helps minimize
>scent contamination. Haven't tried
>the outer garments yet, but
>that is next. .
>


How much life do you figure you have left in the undergarments?

I guy I was talking to at the WI Deer Classic said that the useful life of these things is anywhere from 3-5 years; depending upon the care taken. What apparently happens is that the molecular structure breaks down because of rain, packing the clothes in a bag to tightly, etc. I guess there's no way to rebuild that structure once it's broken down.

But maybe the only way to know for sure that the stuff's no longer effective is when you start getting winded from a long ways away by these deer.

Do these things breathe pretty well, or does it get pretty hot with them in the early-season?

Thanks again!

Todd