November 14, 2013
By Jason Herbert
Human scent control may well be the hardcore deer hunter's ace in the hole. Some hunters remain skeptical, most try as hard as they can to manage their scent in the field, and a few obsess about coming as close to perfection as possible. But no matter how dedicated you are to controlling your scent, one thing is for certain: scent control technology has changed the way we think about deer hunting.
Ultimately, there are two main ways to control human scent: eliminate or contain. When sweat, oils, and other organic secretions leave the human body, they carry a distinct odor with them. Many of these odors are indistinguishable to us, but throw up red flags of human stink to deer.
One way to prevent these odors is by eliminating them before they start. Some garment companies are using metal-infused, anti-microbial treatments in their baselayer clothing to kill odor-causing bacteria on the skin where it starts. Most clothing companies use activated materials such as carbon, Zeolite, or synthetic Trinity to adsorb renegade scent molecules.
Several manufacturers are producing scent-eliminating sprays that will prevent odors from forming, adsorb any rogue odors, or perform a combination of both. Even after all that, there are still more ways to deal with human odor in the deer woods. For a look at the best scent control technology on the market today, check out these 10 best scent control products right now.
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Code Blue Eliminix with SilverZyme Just because you're human, that doesn't mean you have to smell like one.
Code Blue's Silverzyme technology combines two odor fighters into one spray. It uses antibacterial silver to kill mold, bacteria and viruses, while quickly recharging itself for more action. At the same time, the enzymes eliminate any foreign odors the hunter or gear has collected.
Code Blue offers many choices in its line, such as a laundry ball, field wipes, scent eliminating sprays, laundry detergent, hair/body wash and dryer sheets. No matter the reason or need, Code Blue Eliminix with Silverzyme technology has the hunter covered.
Price: $ 10
Tink's B-Tech Surprising to many,
Tink's deer lure company, home of the fabled #69 Doe in Rut lure, also makes human scent elimination products. Based on European technology which was harnessed to battle odor causing compounds in the food service and medical industries, Tink's B-Tech (byotrol technology) scent elimination products were born.
Using no metals, bleaches or salts, Tink's B-Tech eliminates over 300 different odorous compounds from the body and hunting environment. The Tink's B-Tech line includes scent eliminating spray, hair/body soap, and laundry detergent. Tink's is confident that not only will its B-Tech products destroy odors, they will give deer hunter's a certain edge in the field.
Price: $ 7
Scent Killer Gold Some things simply do not change. And although
Wildlife Research Center has tweaked their Scent Killer formula a bit over time, this spray has been a standard in deer camps across the continent for years. While they do offer cover/eliminating sprays such as their Autumn Formula earthen blend, the real bread and butter for Wildlife Research Center is its Scent Killer Gold.
Adapted from the original formula, Scent Killer Gold dries quicker and is more concentrated, which makes it better in a real-world environment. Working similar to other sprays, Scent Killer Gold eliminates and prevents odors. Traditional Scent Killer is still available in a wide array of products, while the Gold comes in a odorless spray, autumn formula spray, clothing wash, body wash/shampoo and bar soap.
Price: $ 15
Hunter's Specialties Scent-A-Way Another veteran in the human scent control market,
Hunter's Specialties offers all sorts of options with its Scent-A-Way products. Scent-A-Way eliminates and prevents odors. Hunters Specialties offers just about everything a smelly hunter could want.
With unique offerings such as lip balm, powder and a shower kit, Scent-A-Way also comes with the traditional sprays, liquids, wipes and deodorant. It also produces a carbon clean laundry detergent specifically designed to clean activated carbon hunting gear without ruining the integrity of the material's adsorbtive powers. Hunter's Specialties offers so many scent control products there are simply too many to list. One thing is for certain: if it stinks, they have a way to fix it.
Price: $ 15
Ozonics HR-200 Ozonics is truly a one of a kind scent-eliminating product. Mounting to a tree or blind, the Ozonics HR-200 is an ozone-generating machine. Traditional oxygen (O2) is different at the molecular level than ozone (O3). By converting oxygen into ozone, the Ozonics machine uses a silent fan to blow the ozone down, blanketing hunters with the unstable molecules.
The highly active ozone molecules bond with human odor molecules, rendering them useless and scent free. The nearby game animals will be in the 'scent zone, ' while the odorless ozone/human odor molecules will harmlessly float away.
Price: $ 400
Nose Jammer Nose Jammer takes a completely original approach to human scent control€¦or should we say, 'deer nose confusion '? Their slogan, 'Wrong wind? Jam 'Em ' says it all. Nose Jammer takes naturally occurring organic chemical compounds and delivers them in a concentrated form to overwhelm or 'jam ' the deer's sense of smell. Because the compounds are natural, the company is confident the deer will not be alarmed.
Nose Jammer recommends using their field spray for 10 seconds at a time to make sure the animal's nose is confused. Nose Jammer also has a line of human scent elimination products like its deodorant, hair/body wash and laundry detergent. All of these additional scent elimination products contain the same organic compounds found in their field spray.
Price: $ 16
Primos Control Freak Known for its big game calls other cool gear,
Primos also has a solid line of scent eliminating products in its Control Freak line. Working immediately upon contact, Control Freak eliminates odors and prevents their growth for 24 hours following application.
Creating almost everything a scent free hunter could need, Control freak offers personal hygiene products like deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, liquid body soap and bar soap. Primos also has Control Freak aerosol spray, pump spray, laundry detergent, and dryer sheets for clothing, gear, boots and everything else you could imagine.
Price: $ 13
Scent-Lok Commando with Carbon Alloy Scent-Lok has a unique approach to human scent control. Their Carbon Alloy technology is a three headed beast designed to filter out any stink a hunter could produce. They first start with activated carbon to adsorb odors. Scent-Lok then combines Zeolite, a porous material capable of grabbing materials activated carbon can't. To finish off the attack, they add in treated carbon to capture more hydrogen sulfides, which are present in human breath.
Powered by their Carbon Alloy technology, the Scent-Lok Commando line of pants, jacket, and gloves use a multi-layer approach. They start with a quiet, textured fleece placed in certain areas for warmth without bulk. The inner portion has a medium weight micro fleece for quiet comfort. Soft, warm, quiet, and scent elimination all wrapped in one — perfect for any deer-hunting commando.
Price: $ 280 (jacket), 270 (pant)
ScentBlocker Alpha with Trinity Over 9 years in the making,
Robinson Outdoor Products is confident it has just redefined human scent control with its new synthetic ScentBlocker Trinity Technology. Designed specifically to adsorb human odors in both liquids, scent control products and apparel, Trinity particles are more porous than any organic substance known to man. According to ScentBlocker president Scott Shultz, the amount of Trinity molecules in one garment has roughly the surface area to cover 16 football fields. The company believes with more surface area to grab odor molecules, synthetic Trinity is more powerful than anything it has ever used.
With Trinity evenly applied in a full coverage pattern throughout the garment, the Alpha jacket and pant set a new benchmark in scent control technology. The Alpha features insulated Silent Pro fleece for lightweight comfort and warmth, a water repellant treatment and a body lock feature to force odors through the garment.
Price: $ 195 (jacket), 172 (pant)
Under Armour Infrared Ridge Reaper Sports apparel giant
Under Armour is no longer a stranger to the outdoor industry. Also using a combination of scent control materials, UA's technology is quite specialized. UA combines the anti-microbial capabilities of silver with the odor adsorbing properties of Zeolite to either eliminate or adsorb any odors.
UA's Infrared Ridge Reaper jacket and pant are designed for an active hunting style. They are lightweight, soft, and quiet. Build for warmth and comfort, the infrared technology is designed to keep body heat in, and cold weather out. With moisture wicking capabilities and wind blocking technology, the Ridge Reaper gear is ready for anything.
Price: $ 199 (jacket), 179 (pants)
