ScentLok’s Solution for Scent Control: The OZ Series
Deer season starts in just a few weeks for those of us in the northern hemisphere, so hunters are knee-deep in prep work, including deciding what will give them the best scent-control in the field.
We’ve done deep-dives into three scent-control products — ScentLok’s OZ series which include the OZ NFuse, the OZ Rolling Chamber, and the OZ Radial units. Ozone technology is something that interested us and honestly, I was skeptical at how it might work. Since I’ve used each of these products over the course of about two months, I’m now a believer.
Any single one of these products would be great to have in your scent-killing arsenal. They are pricey – each one hits between $130 – $250. They replace chemical products, including the entire collection of scent-masking aerosols and deodorants designed for hunters, and even your common household cleaning and sanitizing products. That is what really surprised me and something I didn’t expect. I had no clue that ozone infused water would be such a good cleaning agent. I know it seems odd to be excited about a spray bottle, for example, but it works so well I’m not giving it up.
Having said that, I have not had a chance to use them in the field during a hunting situation, but this is how I envision the OZ products working together.
Working in Tandam
It’s 9 p.m. the night before deer season opens, and Joe is packing his bag for a much-anticipated opening weekend at the deer lease. He’s pulled out the OZ Rolling Chamber, an 8,190-cubic-inch duffel bag that doubles as a scent-elimination chamber. He’s able to fit several days’ worth of camo, socks, and his boots, plus his sleeping bag, pillow, jacket, and several hats. His plan is to get to the cabin early and run the OZ500 unit inside the bag, pumping concentrated ozone over the entire contents of the duffel, neutralizing all scents, before he changes into his camo and heads out into the field.
The deer stand is a mile from the cabin, and Joe doesn’t want to walk. He drives his truck to the stand, but before he even sets foot into the vehicle, he puts the OZ Radial Nano into the center cup holder and turns it on. It takes care of all the fast-food and musty truck-smells that have accumulated over the offseason. He knows that he’s not going to enter the deer stand with any unwanted french-fry odors lingering on his freshly-neutralized camo.
Joe carries his OZ NFuse spray bottle and OZ Radial EZ in his field bag. Before he left the cabin, he filled the NFuse bottle with tap water. Now, in the stand, he pushes the button that begins the process of saturating the water with ozone, transforming it into a scent-neutralizing spray. He sprays down his hat, his boots, and his gear — anything that may have picked up some trace odors on the way to the stand. He gets settled in, ready for the long wait for the deer to make their appearance.
A couple of hours pass and the deer still have not emerged from their bedding locations. Joe forgot to charge his cell phone, but he isn’t worried about running out of juice in the field. The battery pack for his OZ Radial EZ has a charging port for his phone, so he plugs it in.
Fifteen minutes before sunset, Joe sees the buck — it’s the 10 pointer he saw on the game camera a few days ago. Joe is downwind, but the breeze shifts and it’s not in his favor. Thankfully, he’s already prepared. The buck is completely unaware that this mouthful of alfalfa is his last. Joe drops him where he stands.
Joe field-dresses the buck and packs him into the back of his truck to deliver to the processor. It’s a messy business, and he inevitably tracks muck into the cab of his truck. When it’s time to head home the next morning, there’s a strong smell to contend with. No problem — Joe turns on the OZ Radial Nano one more time and closes the door of his cab until the unit has run its course.
At home, Joe has to contend with a weekend’s worth of deer-stand-scented laundry. There’s no reason to open the OZ Rolling Scent Chamber to the stench of sweaty clothes. He simply turns on the OZ500 unit and lets it run through the duffel. This makes it more palatable for Joe to transfer the clothes to his washing machine.
His boots are another story altogether. They’re stored in the mudroom, and Joe is hesitant to even crack the door open. But needs must, so he takes the OZ Radial EZ and slides a lanyard through the bottom of the unit. He cracks open the mudroom door and hangs the lanyard onto a hook on the wall. He presses the front button of the unit and it activates. In 20 minutes, his mudroom and his boots smell brand new. You would never know Joe suffered from a bad case of swamp foot on his last day at the lease.
Conclusion
The above scenario is what any deer hunter could expect to encounter on a typical weekend. The difference is our friend Joe needed only three products to neutralize, clean, and deodorize his gear, versus half-a-dozen of your standard chemical-based products.
We’ve tested all three of ScentLok’s OZ products, and we encourage you to read the detailed reviews linked above. I was surprised at the effectiveness of the products and I think you will be also.
Jeremy Mallette is co-founder of International Sportsman. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he has spent more than a decade in the outdoor industry, from hiking and camping to silencers and hunting. His father taught him to shoot at age six, and he received his first firearm at age eight — a 1942 Colt Commando .38 special revolver. He enjoys yearly trips to Kansas for pheasant hunting, spending time with his children at the deer lease, and collecting unique firearms.
Holsters
