Scent elimination has been a concern of hunters forever. As a result, a lot of products have come to the market and we’ve scarfed them up eagerly. Believe me I’m one of those guys who tries anything to stay as scent free as I can. Clothes wash, body soap and shampoo wash, carbon filled clothes, etc., you name it, and odds are I’ve tried it.
Several years ago, someone came up with the idea of using ozone to minimize body odor. An interesting idea, but I’d never found a convenient way to use it on my clothes until recently. In the past, to descent your stuff, ozone generators were run in a closed room with your clothes and equipment. Afterwards you had to open the room let it air out (I’ll address this shortly) and then it was safe to use the gear. While this method works, I found it to be more of a bother than it was worth and didn’t do it.
What’s so magical about ozone? Ozone, or O3, is a tri-atomic form of oxygen. That is, it’s a molecule comprised of three oxygen atoms. The third oxygen atom in ozone can easily detach from the ozone molecule and reattach to other substances, altering their chemistry. Ozone can attach to bacteria, virus and contaminants that cause odors. The ozone attacks and kills all odors and bacteria through oxidation, and then converts safely back into standard oxygen, leaving your gear scent-free.
So here’s the key to using ozone generators, don’t use them in confined spaces or breathe the ozone for long periods of time. Some studies have shown that breathing ozone can cause respiratory problems.
A few years ago, the Scent Crusher, an ozone generating bag, came to the market. It was marketed as a convenient ozone producing device that would appeal to the hunter and anyone else concerned with scent elimination.
It’s easy to use. You simply put your stuff in the gear bag, which has the generator attached to it, zip it shut, set the timer for how long the generator will run, and let it work. Using this process, the ozone is confined to the bag and the clothes are treated safely.
I put mine in a spare bedroom, put the clothes in the bag, set the timer and leave it. Later I open the bag, leave the room for a few minutes to let the ozone dissipate and I’m ready to go. I’m probably being overly cautious, but that’s just me.
I used the bag this past hunting season and was pleased with the results. It allowed me to get several days of wear out of my clothes before I washed them again. When the clothes are removed you will notice the faint smell of ozone, which gives you assurance the process worked.
A word of caution – ozone can be harmful to elastic/rubber in clothing. It’s probably best to use the generator in short periods of time to minimize this problem. I usually ran mine for 15 minutes and didn’t notice any problems, but just be aware of this potential headache.
Overall I really liked the product and will continue to use it this year.
Scent Crusher has lots of products for scent control of your clothes or vehicle. MSRP on the bag $200.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
- Gear Bag: 33.5” L x 15.7” W x 13.3”H
- Maintenance Free Digital Ozone Generator Included
- 12V Adapter and 110V Charger Included
- Heavy Duty Liner, Zippers and Adjustable Shoulder Strap
- Airport/TSA compliant
For more please go to: Scent Crusher Bag
