Proper care for activated carbon suits

[DeanoZ]

Got this from John Eberhart and received his permission to post it here.  Some great points, some are fairly obvious, or already known...others I had not considered.
 
 
[font="times new roman"]10 points on proper care for activated carbon suits and other accessories used in conjunction with it:[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]

[font="times new roman"]All Scent Lok branded garments use carbon derived from charred coconut shells. Coconut carbon has smaller pores than most other carbons making it the best available carbon for adsorbing small molecules associated with human odors.[/font]
[font="times new roman"]To reactivate carbon garments, put them in a household or commercial dryer for 30 to 40 minutes on a high heat setting. The heat creates what is scientifically known as "Brownian molecular motion". This motion breaks a percentage of the molecules free from the carbon (carbon is not affected by the heat) and allows them to escape out the dryer vent. Brownian molecular motion is why there are expansion joints in highways and bridges. Without expansion joints our highways and bridges would buckle from expansion when temperatures exceed 90 degrees. The reactivation process should be repeated every 4 to 6 hunts. Due to the extreme amount of odor coming out of your hair follicles, mouth, nose, and hands, head covers and gloves should be reactivated more frequently than the jacket and pants. New carbon garments should also be activated prior to use in the field. [/font]
[font="times new roman"]All garments should go directly from the dryer into an air-tight storage container (garbage bag, carbon bag, or a Scent Tote) that allows no outside odors (air) inside. Never put scent wafers, pine boughs, dirt, or any foreign items in the container with your suit. Their odor molecules will load up the carbon, requiring more frequent reactivations, and shortening the life expectancy of the suit. [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Carbon lined garments must be kept in their container until used in the field. When finished hunting the suit goes back into the storage container prior to getting back into the vehicle or walking into the house. Do not wear carbon garments in the house, car, getting gas, in restaurants, etc., just hunting. [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Any non-carbon exterior layers must be washed in a non-scent detergent and taken care of (storage unit) in the same manner as the carbon clothing.[/font]
[font="times new roman"]Scent-Lok branded garments can be washed periodically (once or twice per season). This can be done in a washing machine using a small amount of scent free detergent for carbon clothing (Scent Lok's or Scent Blocker's). Suits should be air-dried in the dryer first to assure there is no shrinkage. Once air-dried reactivate them as described in section 2.  [/font]
[font="times new roman"]There is no need to spray scent inhibitors over your suit. [/font]
[font="times new roman"]It is advised to shower and shampoo with non-scent soap, and use a non-scent [/font][font="times new roman"]deodorant prior to going hunting.[/font]
[font="times new roman"]Always wear clean rubber boots in conjunction with your suit, and wear your pants outside of the boots instead of tucking them in. Every time you take a step a puff of air comes out of your boots and the carbon in the pant legs will adsorb it.[/font]
[font="times new roman"]Keep your fanny pack or backpack scent free just as you would your clothing by frequently washing it, and keep it in a separate air-tight container as well. [/font][/ol]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]An activated carbon suit is only as good as the care you give it, and a properly cared for suit will make a huge difference in the amount of deer you get close to. GOOD HUNTING –  by: John Eberhart[/font]
 

[MHHC S. IL]

So if all of your outer layer is Scent Lok, you shouldn't use field spray?

[DeanoZ]

That is correct...the one exception being perhaps your rubber boots or any boots that are not scentlock

[Goose]

Thanks for the post!

[Woods Walker]

To reactivate carbon garments, put them in a household or commercial dryer for 30 to 40 minutes on a high heat setting. The heat creates what is scientifically known as "Brownian molecular motion". This motion breaks a percentage of the molecules free from the carbon......

 
Can you get a definition of what "...a percentage..." is? 2? 10? 20?
 
If by his own admission the suits wear out after a while,
 
"...[font="times new roman"]odor molecules will load up the carbon, requiring more frequent reactivations, and shortening the life expectancy of the suit. "[/font]
[font="times new roman"][/font] 
[font="times new roman"], [/font][font=verdana]then obviously it's NOT 100%, and the household dryer process does not remove all the absorbed odors.

[/font]

[Goose]

Not to argue with you on this again but I would assume he's referring to the wear and tear of the dryer on the fabric.

[Woods Walker]

ORIGINAL: Goose

Not to argue with you on this again but I would assume he's referring to the wear and tear of the dryer on the fabric.
[/quote]
 
Nooo......that's NOT what he's refering to. Read what he says again. He's saying that the Brownie factor, (or whatever it is), caused by the dryer heat, knocks a CERTAIN PERCENTAGE of the molecules free from the carbon. The molecules he's refering to are the ones from the foreign odors that the carbon has absorbed, and that the dryer is supposed to get rid of via the dryer vent (again, his own words).
 
He then states later in the article:
 

Never put scent wafers, pine boughs, dirt, or any foreign items in the container with your suit. Their odor molecules will load up the carbon, requiring more frequent reactivations, and shortening the life expectancy of the suit.

[quote]
 
So obviously this "certain percentage" is NOT 100%, because the suit has a life expectancy that is determined by how many times it's "reactivated".
 
So my question is just WHAT percentage is it? Even if it's 95%, that means after 20 reactivations that the suit no longer can absorb anything.
 
This isn't an argument, just a question for clarification.
 
What I do argue is that a regular dryer isn't capable of getting rid of the absorbed scent in carbon, and he's even admitting that. I just want to know what his percentage is that HE mentioned, not me. So in effect, it's not even an argument anymore, but simply a matter of degree.
 
See my point?

[JPH]

WW, why do you care? Are you thinking about buying a carbon suit?

[Woods Walker]

What difference does that make? And why would you care what I do or don't buy?
 
A representative of a scent-loc company made a statement about how his product works, it was posted on a discussion forum, and I just have a question for him. Or is this forum for people who only use scent-loc products? I must have missed that disclaimer.
 
And what is wrong with that question I asked? Unless you don't WANT to know the answer........[;)]

[JPH]

No, no it's a good question. I actually want to know as well. I just get a kick out of your anti-carbon clothing crusade. I assume that once you get an answer (if there is one) that you will use it as an argument against the use of Scent-Lok. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong.

For what it is worth, I would guess that the amount of "regeneration" that takes place is dependent upon the amount of odor molecules the clothing absorbs. This appears to be why the author advises against scent wafers, etc. So my GUESS is that a suit might "regenerate" to a high degree of effectiveness, say high 90's% if properly cared for and last the user for 2-5 seasons. I think this is supported by most of the stuff put out by the industry. Trust them at your own risk.