How do you keep your backpack scent free?

I, like most of you guys, hunt with a pack. I usually wash my clothes weekly in scent killing detergent and dry with a pine scented sheet and store in a bag of leaves,

But the one item i cant wash and keep scent free is my pack, how does everyone else do it?

 

I tried to stop carrying a pack mid season last season. I found I carried a LOT of crap that I simply didn't need. I now always wear a handwarmer around my waist as I hate wearing gloves, and the handwarmer can double as a fanny pack to store your smaller essential items like a windpuffer, lens pen, etc. I also utilize my HSS vest for its pockets to organize gear like pull up ropes.

Why can't your pack be washed with clothes?

 

It probably can be, but it has plastic buckles and stuff that i wonder about hoe well it would hold up

 

Yea I never thought about buckles. My old pack only had zippers so I never gave it a second thought. For the buckles on my waist strap for the handwarmer, I run them through the handwarmer and buckle it inside, padding it from clanking on the dryer and such, might not be possible for a pack.

You could always handwash it like you have to with a HSS vest...but who wants to do that atleast once a week?:D

 

I try to let it hang outside and transport in an XXL ziploc. Other than that i cross my fingers

 

I just wash mine... store it in the same scent "proof" bag as my clothes and I spray it down. There ain't no way I'm going into the woods without some sort of pack.

 

One of my goals for this year is to get away from that :D

 

For all you die hard scent eliminator clothing hunters, what you doing about everything that's In your pack? Putting clothing on that stuff too?? The more stuff you bring In the woods, the more scent your bringing also regardless of what your using/doing.

 

I wash mine with my other junk. You could let it sit out in the rain and air dry or hand wash it. I'm also cutting down on "stuff" I'm bringing in the woods this year.

 

I wash mine with my other stuff. I don't wash it every time I wear it though like I do my camo. Usually 2-3 times a year, which for a weekends only hunter (for the most part) is pretty frequently I feel. If I'm not hunting, it has it's own rubbermaid container it stays in at all times, or is hung outside in a tree.

 

Just make a point to wash it. I will wash my pack at least every 2 weeks. If I even think I got something smelly on it, I wash it immediately. If you do not want to put it through the wash cycle, just get a container, fill it with hot water and baking soda. Take your pack and hand wash it for several minutes then let it hang dry outside.

 

Either wash it or hang the pack outside for a week or so.

After that keep it in a container with your clothing and it should be fine for the rest of the season.

 

I wash and dry mine, buckles and all. Makes a great "CLUNK, CLUNK..." noise in the dryer, which doubles as a great way to drown out the noise of bats fluttering in our walls...

 

Don't worry about it, if a whitetail smells the contents of your pack, he's also smelling you!

 

Same here. I've never had a problem with one coming apart from washing.

 

I hose my pack down with silver XP and toss some leaves, pine twigs, etc. No matter how much effort we put into keeping our scent down, there will always be some lingering scent. Use the wind and we will be fine.

 

By keeping it upwind of the deer's noses, if I carry one at all.

 

Ding....ding...ding...my thoughts exactly. Use the wind and pray it doesn't shift on you.

I f you are real worried about it on the way to your hunt snap off a fresh young pine branch, break it up good where the needles and smaller branches come off and rub it all over your pack or just hang it with it. One of my all time favorite natural cover scents, very strong scent. Assuming you have pines of course.

 

I think if you can beat a whitetail's nose, you are a magician of sorts. It has been proven over and over that you can not beat an animal's nose. Cutting down on your scent is one thing, but you will never totally eliminate it. Spending more time downwind of deer will save us all lots of money and heartache. jmho (Of course you don't want to totally stink, but if your scent control regimen turns into a major expense and work, it kinda ruins the fun of the hunt.

 

I don't worry about it. Hang it in a pine tree now and then, or lay it in some oak leaves if it makes you feel good. I honestly don't use scents or worry about scent. I wash my clothes in baking soda, so as to get them clean, and to add no UV brighteners or fragrance. I air dry them. Simply make sure that you are set up in your stand with the wind in your favor and this is all you need. Scent killers, lures, and urines are a waste of $$. Believe me, I have spent hundreds of $$ on that stuff over 30 some years of bow hunting, and I would buy it if it worked.