I wash them in nothing but cold water and baking soda. I also keep them in trash bags tied together until about a week before hunting. I then hang them outside for the whole week. Boots, socks, everything.
I know guys that have killed mature deer and never touch the scent control products ever. I also know guys that have killed mature deer that would have never come in range without the scent control products. Personally, I go to great lenghts to control my scent before and during a hunt while always, always, always use the wind to my advantge. (if big boy knows your hunting him, YOUR DONE)
I keep ALL my hunting clothes in a rubber maid container in 3 separate bags. Base layer-Mid layer-Outer wear. In each bag is a new scent waffer. I like fresh earth. I wash my base layer (anything that touches my skin) often in scent away laundry detergent. Mid and Outer wear gets washed as needed. All garmets are scent control clothing like scent-lok. Before a hunt, I shower in scent control soap. I then wear clean street clothes to hunt that have been washed in the same scent free detergent as my hunting clothes. I also keep a scent waffer hanging on the mirror of my truck. My truck has vinyl seats and no carpet and that gets a sprayed down before I roll. Once at my hunting local, I will suit up. I then spray down everything im takin in the woods with me. (me, pack, gun, climber and so on with alot of attention to my boots.) I try not touch anything in the woods with bare skin and ALWAYS walk in using wind check powder. Once i get to my tree, I lock on and spray my climber down again before going up the tree. If its warm, I'll spray down alot and less in cold weather. Most important of all....I USE THE WIND AS IF I DID'T DO ANY OF THE ABOVE.
__________________
Sherrill
Last edited by msherrilljr; 04-28-2012 at 09:57 AM.
I wash in baking soda. I also store everything I take in the woods in a rubbermaid container with cuttings from a cedar (Christmas) tree inside the container. You'll be amazed on how strong the cedar smell absorbs into the fabric (even overnight). After all there is no scent like the real thing. Of course this isn't a marketing money maker and relatively cheap, so it probably won't work.
__________________ take a kid hunting and teach them right.
Storage
I wash all my clothes & gear in baking soda & cold water.(hot water shrinks stuff)
I wash all my clothes after every hunt. Upon returning home I strip down & put everything directly into the wash. Except my field jacket or my parka, I wash them as needed. I never let clothes lay in the floor for days because it encourages bacteria growth in the fabrics. After washing I let it dry on the line in the laundry room or outside (weather permitting) & right back into the totes with the charcoal. Also, I always turn all my clothes inside out to prevent pattern fading, though I'm not sure if it actually works, its just something I've picked up over the years.
I have two totes for storage & I put several briquettes of charcoal in a clean new sock & toss it in with my clothes & gear to absorb odor. (don't use charcoals with additives, such as lighter fluid, etc.)
I wear insulated rubber hunting boots & early in the season they're pretty hot so I always drop some charcoal in them, when I'm not wearing them of course.
Afield
Like many others, I make my own odor eliminating spray out of baking soda, peroxide & unscented shampoo. I use it on my gear, clothes & on my truck interior generously.
For cover scent, I use Evercalm Deer Herd in a Stick. I put it on my boots & then add it to foliage around my set. I also hunt in an oak grove so I crush acorns to disperse more scent in the area.
Other than that, I just hunt with the wind in my face.
__________________ I am a Big, Hairy, American Winning Machine
I live in the woods, my gear stays there. My clothes get washed and line dried or hung in the building with the wood heat and smoked from hanging there, even the towel I dry off with after showering with scentless soap or dried in the dryer and then put into their own zip bag. I never touch them without washed and sprayed hands and never have to once there put in the bags till I put them on. They all stay in a sealed room built for hunting gear in the same building with the wood heater.
I swear by hogs vanishing hunter and it's even safe as a mouth wash which really does kill my breath.
I wear scentlok often in layers and never put it on till I enter the woods and take it off when I'm done hunting even before field dressing. I remove it from the dryer when it's still on the hottest cycle and put it directly into their own storage bag to prevent any absorption from starting as it cools.
