Spencer the short answer is the verdict is split. Many love it many argue the claims. My experience is it helps but will not take the place of proper scent control and hunting the wind. So it's not a cure-all for bad scent practices, but I believe it helps and wear scent-lok base layers.
I wear the Base-Slayers and that's it. I believe in it's effectiveness and trust it, but I like for the majority of my undergarments, as well as my outermost garment to be sprayed down. I have two pairs of Base-Slayers, one for early season and one for late. When it gets really cold, I double up with them. Like I said I trust them, but I also spray down like it's my job. I spray down each layer (except the Scent-Lok) before and after each hunt. It just makes me feel more confident.
Nothing is the be all end all of being "scent free". The best we can hope for is scent control and I personally believe it helps. I wear it (carbon clothes) along with using scent control sprays, shampoos, etc etc. The verdict is very split on this topic though.
I use it all, base layers, hood, face mask, jacket, pants, gloves. I am always doing everything I can to be "scent free". I know its not 100% but its close, and I have had many deer downwind of me and have no clue I was there. I also use the scent free soaps, and I spray down many times throughout the day. IMO this is one factor in bowhunting that we can control and take advantage of...there are so many factors we cannot. Use it to your advantage. With that being said, I am very aware of the wind and never hunt a stand with the wrong wind direction.
I own and have used scentlok. I have not used it the last couple of years and have equally good results by just using scent-elimination products and spraying down. As always, use the wind.
If you want to use it and feel it works then I am happy for you that is all that counts. But no one to this day has convinced me even a little that this stuff works. I see the pros on tv get winded with it and they are using clothes, sprays and wafers on the hats. lol You have to play the wind with whitetails. There are those times that they never had a clue even downwind but those are few and far between with or without the carbon clothing. I choose to beleive it makes no difference what so ever what clothing you have on. I have had a several and I mean several deer downwind of me and never suspected anything over the years. I have never used a single piece of that type of garment.
GMMAT just touched on what many dont think about. Thermals and the lay of the land have everything to do with wind direction. It may feel like the wind is blowing directly to the deer when in fact there is an updraft due to trees or contour. Also, the thermals can drag your scent up or down. Any elk hunter worth his salt knows and hunts by the thermals. I have a couple of stands that hunted in the right conditions are pure magic. I dont care what direction the deer come from, you will not be winded. These locations are usually on a high spot and hunted with a wind and/or thermals coming up the slope and carry scent up and away. No different than playing with dandelions as a child and watching the seeds float UP and away. In these instances, I firmly believe I could have been wearing my favorite aftershave and still taken deer. That is also why I go years at a time without hunting in a creek-bottom. The wind just swirls too much in the bottoms. My best stands are on the tips of dropper ridges overlooking the bottoms and then grunt or rattle to the deer cruising the creeks. Scentlok is definitely not a replacement for playing the wind.
I predator hunt in the off-season and sometimes try different sprays and clothing types then. If it works with coyotes it'll probably work on deer.
I'm going to say the same.... I have worn it for 5 seasons now. My verdict is that it works. Not 100%, but I think that it does help me.
