Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Just need to know some info from people who have a sent-lok suit. Is there any tips or anything i should know before i buy one ? I see there are two brands , SENT-LOK and SCENT BLOCKER , is one better then the other ? Are they worth the money ?
Thanks for the info !!<font face='Comic Sans MS'></font id='Comic Sans MS'>Merry Christmas !

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Scentlok and Scentblocker are the same product with different names. I do think they may help control human scent, but you still need to take the normal scent control measures that you would take without the suit. I use them, but I still shower before each hunt when possible, use unscented soap and scent neutralizers, and ALWAYS hunt with the wind in your favor.
The stories that I have heard about being upwind of deer without them detecting you on a regular basis is crap. It just hasnt happend with me.
Thats just my opinion, I am sure that there are some that will disagree.

hc4runner
MO. bowhunter

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I'm with HC4runner on this one. Once in a while something will walk through your scent without skipping a beat, half hour later a snort comes through the woods down wind from you. There are liner type underware that do the same thing cheaper. Bowhunting is a money pit so why not spend the bucks on some tech duds?

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

i have yet been winded since i bought mine. but as mentioned above i shower and play the wind the best i can. when i decided to spend the money i decided to hold out for one that was gor-tex also. probably one of the best decisions i have made.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

hc4runner, I arrowed a nice 8pt this season. The bugger snuck right up behind me. The wind was in my face and I was only about 18 feet off the ground. This has happened too many times to call it luck. The suit does work. I do shower with scent neutralizers, and wash all my other hunting clothes in a scent eliminator. Gotta watch the scent on your stand and bow as well. Cant be to carefull. Only drawback I can see is the suit is hot during early bow season here in the south.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I use one, but I also shower with scent free soap and try to keep everything real clean. Can't really tell if it works, but I haven't spooked any deer downwind, so ??? It can be real hot in the early season. Don't know if I'd buy another suit or not. I've had mine for 2 years and it's held up nice.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Capt Ray, I didnt say that the suit does not work, I said that I think it helps to eliminate human odor, but I still think that there in no way you can possibly eliminate 100% of your odor.As I said before, I take all the necessary steps to control my odor and I have fooled lots of young deer. But let a MATURE deer come directly downwind and thats a different ballgame altogether. From my experiences with MATURE deer, they will not tolerate even the slightest trace of human scent.
So even though I do wear Scent Lok suits and use unscented shampoo, scent eliminators, cover scent, etc.. and by the way I do spray down my stand, fanny packs, and bow also I still will not hunt a stand if the wind is wrong for that area, especially if Im after a MATURE buck.
Happy hunting and good luck on your trip to IL.


hc4runner
MO. bowhunter

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I just purchased one of the Scent-Lok Savannah suits..I haven't been able to use it yet, but I believe it will help. Anything that you can use to put odds in your favor will help. There is no way to reduce all human scent, but what you can produce will add up to better success. Deer will tolerate some human odor, just not alot.

Shots that are True....Pass right Through!!!

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

There are 3 kids on the block.....Scent-Lok/Scent Blocker and Goretex Suppressant. I have done a large amount of research on the scent absorbing suits recently. I am going with Suppressant by W.L. Gore(yes by Goretex). It is supposedly washable, and I was told by a Goretex representative that it is guaranteed to last as long as the garment itself. Unlike Scent Lok and Scent Blocker, the charcoal will not wash out. The &quot;others&quot; effectiveness supposedly will last 3-5 yrs. with moderate use! On a Scent-Lok garment it says to wash once or twice a yr.! That in itself tells me something.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Cougar Mag, thanks that sounds like Supprecent would be the way to go. I just never did feel right going hunting in something that could only be washed one or twice a year
Does it say you can wash them regularly just like your other clothes without damaging the charcoal lining?

hc4runner
MO. bowhunter

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I use scentlok exclusively and believe whole heartedly in this product. It is not a cure all, but it does work. There are alot of other factors involved in scent control than just the clothing you wear. Equipment, where you walk with your boots, how often and with what you wash yourself as well as your other clothing. Smoking, a thermos of coffee, or food you bring for a snack all put off scent that may or may not alert the deer to your presance depending upon how nervous the deer are, and how well &quot;educated&quot; they have become.
I have become a scent control freak the last couple years. Even then I always play the wind to my advantage, or at least I try my best to. I have been able to fool the deer alot more now even when they come in from down wind. Yes every now and then I do get busted. Seems like they can still pick up where I've walked but don't seem to pick up my person, or where I am as well as they did before I started using this product. They also don't seem to spook as bad when they do pick up my scent. Now they usaully just walk away. Before they would aften snort the alarm when they smelled me.
These products are relatively new to the market so I would expect to see advancements in the future. Already there have been many improvements made since they were first introduced.
Merry Christmas everyone:)

The spirit of the woods is like an old good friend

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

The jury is still out on in my opinion. I really think its just alot of marketing hocus pocus to be honest with you. Tell us what we want to hear and we will buy it (including myself). I purchased a scent blocker undersuit, scent lock hood and gloves and I was winded more times this year by deer than i have been in the last 5 years of archery hunting!! And yes I take every precaution I possibly can in ordor elimination.

I used to use the earth scent wafers in a tub last year with all my camo and was winded alot less. But I got thinking that I should not use them because really they are a bunch of unnatural chemicals. So in my thought process I thought maybe i should go with no wafers in a clean scent free tub so i would not be putting out any unnatural orders (or at least fewer).

As it turned out I got winded less using them as I kept getting winded with all my scent lok crap on with no scent wafers. Mostly from deer that were some distance down wind. YA YA i hear stories about how the big buck was directly down wind at 15 yards and did not smell me. But think about it. How fast do scent molecules drop down from 18' up when the wind is blowing even ever so slightly. I mean you ever take that wind direction powder stuff(which is alot heavier than a molecule of scent) and spray it. That stuff travels along way from 18' up before reaching a deers nose level!! SO i went back to using the scent wafers later in the season and had better success with not getting winded.

So the jury is still out for me at least......maybe i should have gotten the scent lok outerware instead? But in the back of my mind its still some great marketing HOCUS POCUS on the manufactures part.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

You have to think of this stuff as a sort of scent absorbing &quot;sponge&quot;. It can only absorb so much scent before it becomes saturated. Once it is saturated it actually becomes worse than wearing no type of scent control. The manufacturer recamends recharging the clothing every 30 to 40 hours of use, and twice as often for the head cover. Also the clothing needs to be kept in a sealed container to keep it from absorbing unwanted oders while not in use. Another thing the manufacturer recamends is that you DONT use cover scents. Cover scents will actually saturate the carbon rendering the clothing useless.
As much effort as I put into my scent control I still don't think I can eliminate my oder completely. Theres always something I have done that could possibly be why the deer picked me out. ie...I always kiss my wife before I head out, I like to bring snacks with me to munch on, quite often I walk partway down our road before cutting across the field to get to my stand. Of the times I have been busted while wearing this product I can't say for certain that it wasn't something else I did that caused my scentloks to fail.
Right now we have snow on the ground and the deer that
I have spooked have been spooking on me when they walk across the trail I made on my way out. It could be that scent doesn't even enter into it. Maybe they just see my tracks and can tell the difference between human tracks and animal tracks? I don't know. All I do know is I am spooking less deer now than I was before I used this product, and I hunt alot!

The spirit of the woods is an old good friend

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Hc4runner, actually W. L. Gore's representative didn't literally say the effectiveness would last as long as the garment, he said the Suppressant membrane was guaranteed to last as long as the garment itself. Also, Goretex states that it can can be washed with no scent soaps and that the activated charcoal would not wash out because the charcoal is imbedded into the Windstopper material. I take this to mean it can be washed regularly or at least more often than the others plus keep its human odor holding qualities. You will have mail soon as I will forward the rep's email reply to my questions.

As some above have posted, improvements are being made all the time and all 3 look good to me to try. For me I am going with the Suppressant for now.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

scent lock is like all the camo on the market. It helps but is not the only solution. Common sense has to prevail. I bow hunt hundreds of hours every year killing 2 deer a year and don't have the answer but I have not spent any money on these expensive clothes. It's real simple, keep your odor to a minimum and you will get busted less. The cheapest route is to get 20-25 feet in the air and you won't get busted. Think about your worst discharge: breath and yea I garggles with baking soda. Save your money, shower well and wash your clothes with non-scented detergent and don't drink or have sex the night before.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I agree with many. Its not a cure all but they help & are worth the money in my opinion. I have seen more deer this season at closer ranges than ever before. Just my 2 cents.

HUNT HARD

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Question: is the Gortex Suppressant just as waterproof as the original Gortex? Also, I know some have mentioned that the gortex suppressant will not loose its scent absorbant ability with washing the garment. I do not own the the suppressant by Gortex, however, I have noticed that the original gortex does loose some of its waterproof abilities with washing. For that reason, I limit my use of gortex to only soaking raining days. And only wash it maybe once or twice at the most per season.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I do not own one, but will say this, unless you find a way to totally recycle your breath you will emmit human scent, just less of it, I am sure they help. What part of your body produces the most odor? Your mouth, no matter how well you brush your teeth, you can not stop the scent from your breath from smelling.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Just wanted to bump this to see if anyone might have an answer to my Gortex Supprescent question. - 2 posts up

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Hey Cougar Mag, any feedback on how much noise this stuff makes when cold or wet?

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I will let you know soon Capt. My Suppressant jacket by Whitewater Outdoors should be here Thursday or Friday. Looks as though I will wait to buy the pants, its sold out in my size. I am thinking of trying the liner pants though.

The new Scent-Lok climbaflex is supposed to absorb more scent than the older Scent-Lok and be lighter, but don't know if it lasts longer or not.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Any web sites for the Goretex?
Thanks
Steve

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Bob...the Suppressant liner or membrane is not water proof.

Steve....www.gore-tex.com

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Cougar, thats not how I read it:

&quot;GORE-TEX® SUPPRESCENT® fabric is engineered to meet the needs of the most demanding hunters. It is specifically designed for close-range big game hunting, when scent control is critical but durable waterproofness, breathability and comfort cannot be compromised. This revolutionary fabric combines scent control, breathability, durability and windstopping ability with guaranteed waterproofing to offer the most comprehensive scent control solution on the market today&quot; - from the goxtex website.

Here is a complete link to the goretex suppresent information:

http://www.gore-tex.com/webapp/wcs/s...roductId=10407

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I must have misread that Bob. I know they call it Windstopper Suppressant and I &quot;thought&quot; I understood that the garments manufactured so far were treated with water repellants unless it contained the Gore-tex water proof lining with the Windstopper Suppressant membrane. Thanks for providing the links Bob.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Here is a brief statement that the representative sent me. I didn't post all of his email.........was too long.

Hi Greg:

Thank you for visiting our website and for your interest in our products!

As long as the Garment is in good shape and well cared for, the Gore
SUPPRESCENT(R) Membrane will remain effective for the lifetime of the
Garment.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I'm sure it will. But their &quot;activated carbon&quot; is nothing new. When a scent-lok suit is beyond it's &quot;effectiveness&quot; it becomes a charcoal lined suit just like the goretex suppresent. They will both help eliminate human odor , either a brand new goretex or a five year old scent-lok. Dont get swept away by goretex's advertising. Their trying to capitalize on the fact that scent-lok becomes less effective after years of washing. What you dont know is that their suppresant suit is comparable to a washed up scent-lok suit. Thats the way it was explained to me. Was it a salesman just trying to push his scent-lok? Could be , but it does make sense. I bet if someone contacted scent-lok they could explain why washing &quot;harms one&quot; and not the other. There is also a carbon wash laundry detergent on the market that helps lengthen the life of the activating carbon in a scent-lok suit.

Edited by - bowfanatic on 01/03/2003 01:44:27

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Have some of you considered that you might stink worse than another man? I remember in gym class in high school certain guys were really rank while others weren't. Ask your wives for the answer:)

This is a very interesting thread. I've been thinking of buying a suit also but am waiting until next fall to get the &quot;latest and greatest&quot;. I have one extra observation though about the gortex brand. That windstopper membrane is a great difference maker between choosing from all 3 imho. It would eliminate one extra windproof layer on winter hunts. Also the Savanna series seems like a marketing trick as it's not a full strength thickness of charcoal layers like the other products in their line. In Cabela's the Savanna Series was described as 30% lighter and more flexible by eliminating one layer of protection. Well duhh that convinces me that the scent control aspect is compromised for more comfort. No one buys these suits for comfort in the first place. The Savanna series was designed for early season hunts but what's the purpose if your scent is escaping from less charcoal?

Edited by - soonershooter on 01/03/2003 02:16:20

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Sooner , the scent-lok also has a windstopper membrane in their all season coat. You can also get better prices by ordering directly from scent-lok at www.scentlok.com

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

The scentlok representative I spoke with, I believe her name is Robin, told me the savana series is just as good as the rest of their line for controling scent.
I have noted something though that you all might want to check into when you are purchasing any of these types of products. While at cabelas over the christmas holiday I purchased a cabelas brand scentlok duffle bag. It was made by cabelas, or for cabelas? Dont know for sure how that works, but it used a scentlok liner in it, and it said cabelas on the outside. At any rate it was very poor quality, and I was very disappointed in it! When I opened it up when I got home and looked at it, it was so thin you could see right through it like it was screen. There is no way it was going to do anything to protect my clothing I don't care what anyone says. I even held an onion inside of the bag to see if I could smell it and it was just like I was holding the onion in front of my nose. I took it back to cabelas and the lady at the store said I was one of several people that had returned this product. I plan to contact scentlok about it, because I think someone is trying to pull off a scam. All the products I've purchased directly from scnetlok have been A1 quality so I have trouble believing scentlok is aware of this.
Whatever you do be sure you check out this stuff real good before you buy it, cause it isnt all the same!

The spirit of the woods is an old good friend

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

No problem Cougar,

From what I understand W.L. Gore has two types of fabric with the supprescent.

1. Goretex Supprescent, which is waterproof

http://www.gore-tex.com/webapp/wcs/s...roductId=10407

2. Windstopper Supprescent, which is only windproof
http://www.gore-tex.com/webapp/wcs/s...roductId=10412

A while back I bought some windstopper fabric in a chamois shirt. I ended up sending it back because it seemed too noisy to me. This is when the windstopper first came out. I'm sure they made some improvements by now though. But I always felt that the regular goretex was excellent not only for waterproofness, but also for its windbreaking abilities.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Bowfanatic....just &quot;who&quot; told you a Gore-tex Suppressant or Windstopper Suppressant suit is nothing more but a washed up Scent-Lok suit?

Personnally I don't care what anyone buys, I was just letting people know their are more than 2 alternatives. Actually there are 4 suits. A few people have told me they use the military scent suits and they work great, but that the effectiveness don't last more than one season. But a military suit can be had at a great price and maybe buying one annually is another option.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

<font color=red>&quot;Bowfanatic....just &quot;who&quot; told you a Gore-tex Suppressant or Windstopper Suppressant suit is nothing more but a washed up Scent-Lok suit?&quot;</font id=red>

What you dont know is that their suppresant suit is comparable to a washed up scent-lok suit. Thats the way it was explained to me. Was it a salesman just trying to push his scent-lok? Could be , but it does make sense.

It was explained that way to me by a salesperson from a popular sporting goods chain. The effectiveness of the suppressant suit is equivalant to a washed up scent-lok. I really cant add nothing more or nothing less. Just use caution when using advertising tactics as part of your decision. Your best bet would be to contact scent-lok and ask them why the suppressant suit isn't effected by washing and theirs is <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

Good question Bowfanatic. As with any product the manufacturer will tout theirs as the best. I guess its just which if any suit an individual wants to try.

From Scentlok's website:
With normal use, it is designed to last 3-5 years before the adsorptive power diminishes to the point of not being effective. There are some hunters still using our first suits from six years ago with excellent results. While you will probably only need to activate your Scent-Lok every 2-3 weeks when it is new, you will find that you will need to activate more often as time and use increases. Eventually, you will have to activate the suit every few times you use it. This lifespan is only an indication that the overall capacity of the suit to adsorb odors is diminishing and the charcoal “fills up” more quickly. However, the suit will still work well when it is fully activated.

From Gore-tex's website:
The activated carbon in WINDSTOPPER® SUPPRESCENT® fabric is held securely in place by the WINDSTOPPER® membrane, so your garment will retain its scent suppressing qualities through anything you and the great outdoors can throw at it. Even your washing machine won't change the way WINDSTOPPER® SUPPRESCENT® fabric stops your scent from escaping.

Even with machine washing and drying, the odor-controlling capacity of your GORE-TEX® SUPPRESCENT® outerwear remains effective. Neither laundering nor tough field use will cause the carbon to wash out or fall out.


















Edited by - Cougar Mag on 01/04/2003 00:29:37

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

I'm done paying outrageous prices for suits of such poor quality. While I do agree they are benificial in reduceing human scent, the quality sucks. You might as well buy a small sewing kit to keep in your fanny pack cause I guarantee sooner or later you'll be stitching up the crotch, replaceing buttons, or repairing pockets. Buy tough, and play the wind, it will last longer.

RE: Scent -Lok Suits ?
 

louied?????

&quot;don't have sex the night before.&quot; what does this have to do with controlling scent?

I'd sell my bow before I'd give up sex!

Jack