Bird,

Scent lok, can work if used properly. But if left out and not taken care of properly will soon run out of absorbtive capability like any carbon fabric that is left out in the elements and not stored properly. Below explains the how and why re-activation of scent lok works after your suit has been used while hunting.

Why carbon?
Activated carbon is the most effective odor-eliminating substance known to man. The American College Dictionary uses charcoal in their definition of the word adsorb: “to gather on a surface in a condensed layer, as when charcoal adsorbs gases (suck in)”. Militaries around the world use carbon in chemical warfare suits to protect soldiers. While these military suits are designed very different from a Scent-Lok hunting suit, their basic applications are the same. Carbon is also used in multitudes of filtration systems for filtering not only air but liquids as well. It should also be noted that Scent-Lok branded clothing use 100% coconut carbon, which is more porous and therefore more adsorbtive than charcoal.

The bonding process
In the Scent-Lok products the odor adsorbing linings are designed so that the human odors, gases, and moisture pass through the fabrics, make contact with the activated carbon, and are then expelled as “filtered” air. Once through the suit the air no longer contains human odor. The scientific name for this molecular attraction to carbon is called the VanDeraal’s bond.

How much carbon is enough?
A very thin layer of activated carbon is all that is needed to adsorb the odors released on several hunts. Too much carbon is overkill and cuts down on the permeability and overall comfort of the garment. The ideal scenario is to have enough carbon for the suit to function as designed, but not so much that the suit is uncomfortable to wear during warm weather due to lack of airflow through the suit.


How are odors released?
Temperature factor: It is common knowledge that heat makes molecules move more rapidly. Reactivation is only obtained by using a clothes dryer. Reactivation is achieved by placing the suit in a dryer for twenty to thirty minutes on a medium to high heat setting or according to the label instructions. The heat from the clothes dryer creates what is scientifically known as Brownian molecular motion, which causes the scent molecules to move rapidly. This movement breaks the molecules free from the surfaces of the activated carbon particles and interior pores of the carbon, and allow them to eventually exit out of the dryer vent.