Carbon Clothes. Yes or No? Not yet or Never?

[SwampLife]

I know we have a thread about scent control in General but I didn't notice one talking specifically about carbon activated clothing.

I am thinking of taking the plunge into carbon clothes this year. It's a pricey decision so I was looking for some feedback. I tried researching the science behind activated carbon but couldn't quite find a good answer.

So here is the question:

Do you use Carbon clothing?

If you do, have you noticed a difference?

If you don't, why not?

To answer my own question, I have not used them yet simply because of the expense.


Discuss.

[pickleguy]

I have used them for 7 - 8 years & I won't swear by them. I still play the wind. I don't believe that any clothes can make up for smart woodsmanship. I have had a number of does & fawns downwind & they haven't blown at me, but the only true wall hanger that came in downwind busted me big time. Even though he made it to about 3 steps from dying, he still busted me. If you have the money it can't hurt to invest but if money is tight you will do just fine without it. I killed many deer before I started wearing it. 

[paulie]

To be completely honest, I think I had just as much success (luck) with "camouflaging" my scent with natural foilage and "cover scents" (fox, coon, or doe urine) ! I would store my clothes with leaves and debris from my hunting area and, use dirt and debis as a masking agent (rub it all over my clothes and boots) (of course, you do this well away from the stand). I bought all my scentlok on clearance (I didnt pay full price for any of it) but, I dont think I would buy it again! Like I said, I really havent noticed a difference! Just my 2 cents!

[fasteddie]

I use the carbon activated Scent-Loc and havn't seen any noticable difference . I think it's more hype than anything and just expensive camo . My wife didn't know what to get me for Christmas one year and one of my sons suggested the Scent-Loc . I wear it because I have it ..........

[gunther89]

I don't use them.  I just spray down before I enter the woods and so far I have only had 1 deer blow at me and that was a mature 4.5 year old buck.  I did however shoot a 3.5 year old buck that walked downwind of me and then walked in where I did and he didn't blow or smell anything.  

[brentru]

IMHO, these products are a ripoff.  They are made to sell to a hunting public that is willing to shell out significant cash for what they perceive to be even a slight advantage in the field.  The military pays significantly more for their activated carbon chemical protective suits called the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST for short).  Compared to the hunting apparel, it contains significantly more carbon.  Despite this, read the excerpt below on how long the suit is good for. 

"The JSLIST can be worn in a contaminated environment for 24 hours. In addition, JSLIST users must keep track of how long the JSLIST suit has been out of its original packaging bag, and how many times it has been washed. The limit for wearing the suit is 45 days total and the limit for washing it is six times. Once the suit is taken out of its bag, it's good for a maximum of 120 days.  After any of these limits have been reached, the JSLIST suit is good only for training."

Granted, we are talking about a difference in keeping you alive in a chemical contaminated environment and trying to outwit an animal's nose, so feel free to extend the numbers by some percentage for hunting purposes.  That being said, how long did it take your clothes to get from the manufacturing line to the retailer and for you to then buy it?  How long did you buy it before the hunting season?  How many seasons have you had it?  How many times have you washed it?  I suspect that by the time you first wore the clothing, it had already surpassed the military standards for exposure and before the first season was up, it had already surpassed your arbitrary extended effectiveness life expectancy.

Wear the suit or not, if the wind is not right, you're going to get busted.

[badtoys]

go with silvermax never needs activating never wears out it's the best and newest i'm not in to pricey clothes but these work!!!!!!!! made with real silver not a big hit yet but will be soon when people find out they don't wear out

[Woods Walker]

Advertising hype. The entire carbon for hunting clothing deal was started on an outright LIE....."FORGET THE WIND,AND JUST HUNT!"......and the SCIENCE of carbon technology suggests otherwise (are you also going to buy a dryer that can get to 1500 degrees to "reactivate" it without incinerating the clothing?)

Now I know that the carbon clothing makers state otherwise, but they are also the ones who said "forget the wind and just hunt" also.

See this past debate we had on this........http://forum.deeranddeerhunting.com/tm. ... 50&mpage=1

[fatbob240]

Yes, I use it. I actually have two complete suits and I can honestly say that I've had just as much success with my old hunting clothes by keeping them separated and using earth cover scent. As far as I'm concerned it's a total waste of money and it's something I wish I'd never spent the money on. This past season I had used a silver based under layer and camo stored with earth scent waffers and leaves....did not get busted unless I was wearing my stinky rubber boots (another story altogether). Save the money and invest it in a better safety harness or warmer boots...Something to make you safer or more comfortable. Just my opinion.

[metrx]

I took your poll and answered "Yes, I use carbon clothing and notice a difference".  I know this is a controvercial topic and some would disagree, but... 
 
I am one of those guys who, after some research, tries many hunting gadgets (within reason) if I think it will help me.  Many have worked and Ive stuck with them and many havent...they've been eliminated.  Scentlok clothes was one of those things that I was toying with trying for years.  I finally bought some "base layers" and a hat about 3-4 years ago.  I always played the wind, sprayed down and was scent concious prior to my purchase.  However, I do honestly feel it helps.  My personal observations and experience tell me that a once (prior to scentlok) downwind encounter with a deer that resulted in a tail in the air and them running for cover, is now, maybe, a deer on alert that "caught my wind" but maybe not a whiff big enough to spook them totally.  I have also had my share of deer downwind that I thought would catch my scent and there was no reaction from them. 
My best recollection of this was 3 years ago.  Wind direction changed and a mature doe walked about 60 yards from my stand and I know the wind was blowing in her direction.  She kept walking, calmly, never scent checked the air and never caught my wind.  About 20 minutes later, a coyote was hot on her trail...he picked me up, without a doubt, bee-lined it back the way he came without missing a beat.  Is a coyote's nose better than a deer's...I dont know.  I wasnt hunting coyotes that day, but I was convinced it passed the deer's nose test.  
I know you cant "forget the wind and just hunt" alltogether...and that it doesnt eliminate scent entirely, but I feel it does diminish scent, more often enough to a degree not to spook deer, as opposed to not wearing it and having them be totally spooked.