Never before have I heard so much about a product before I even received it for testing. A product that can take any of your non-carbon clothing and essentially "carbonize" it. From many directions the word has come again and again - this is awesome stuff! Needless to say I was anxious to put the new Carbon Blast through the paces to see how it held up to all the accolades. 

First I would like to cover the basics of this new human scent elimination spray and how it works. Carbon Blast is an advanced liquid suspension that combines an intensified Scent Shield scent elimination formula with Activated Carbon. The intricate structure of Activated Carbon gives it its incredible surface area through thousands of tiny cracks, crevices and voids. This microstructure literally draws in and holds scent molecules. It is possible to have a surface area the size of a football field in 5g of Activated Carbon! It has the highest adsorption capabilities of any material known to man. Activated Carbon is the same substance that is now being used in camouflage clothing from companies like ScentLok and Robinson's own ScentBlocker Plus. We all know how successful that single invention has been to scent control. Combine this with the bacteria killing original formula and it is a scent destroying force to be reckoned with. 

Now on to the actual testing: My first concern was the dark color of the liquid suspension itself and the effect it would have on my camo. My camo, like most, has areas that are considerably light in color. I tested several different camo patterns on as many materials to see if discoloration was going to occur. The results were all the same. The bottom line is that some discoloration will be experienced - is it a showstopper? I don't think so but then again I'm not too picky about looking like a model in a new camo catalog while I'm hunting! The degree of discoloration depends on the technique used to apply the spray. Proper application techniques result in minimal discoloration and Robinson is getting the word out on just how this should be done. Detailed instructions are included with each purchase of Carbon Blast. I've listed them below. I washed the garments after spraying and letting them dry, with Robinson's Carbon Clothes Wash several times. While this washing greatly reduced the discoloration, it did not remove it completely. However, if a little bit of discoloration bothers you simply turn your garment inside out and go to town! Now you can be sure you are as scent free as possible and look good too! 

Carbon Blast actually penetrates your clothing and bonds to the fabric. I did not find any indication of the carbon rubbing or flaking off after my camo dried. Also noted was that the "feel" and quietness of my clothing did not change after the Carbon Blast had dried.

Have you ever wondered if after taking all the precautions possible to get your clothing and body scent free if your equipment is "giving you away"? I have and even went as far as to come up with my own method of equipment scent elimination. Now I don't have to worry about that either because Carbon Blast will adhere to non-porous materials like wood, plastic, rubber and metal. I misted my bow, release, treestand, arrows and other items with Carbon Blast to assure myself that doing so would not cause any of my equipment to not work or squeak. I applied it about two weeks ago and have not noticed any problems at all with my equipment. Now we are getting dangerously close to total scent elimination!

The real test of this or any other hunting product involves the game animal you intend to pursue. I found a group of doe and young bucks less than a mile from my home with a pattern that could be predicted almost down to the minute. My first set up on this group was situated 60 yards upwind of their trail. A slight breeze was blowing that day and when the deer arrived they showed no signs of detecting me. The next day was a bit more risky at 30 yards however the results were the same - no detection. Now things were going to get tricky - 10 yards, on the ground, steady breeze blowing straight from me to them! I situated myself in a thick blowdown and waited. At first everything went well as three doe and a spike buck passed by unalarmed. Then a sneaky little button buck messed everything up when he decided to check out the blowdown I was in and got a big surprise. I can't be sure what exactly spooked the buck - my scent, outline or the fact that my eyes were the size of basketballs! One thing is for sure, when

 he got within five feet of my nose he went absolutely ballistic! His head and tail switched positions in the blink of and eye and he ran 200 yards before he ever actually moved an inch - it was hilarious! The test on these deer, although limited, was impressive even for relaxed summertime whitetails.

When all is considered Scent Blocker's new Carbon Blast is a product that serious scent conscious hunters should look into. If you are super sensitive about the "look" of your camo simply turn it inside out, apply according to the directions, let dry and away you go!

Effectiveness: 4.5 of 5
The single purpose of this product is to eliminate your human scent. Without a doubt Carbon Blast goes a long way in achieving that goal. Will you be 100% scent free - who knows but one thing is for sure - it's seriously close!

Value: 4 of 5
At around $9.00 for 16oz and $15.00 for 32oz you can't go wrong. It is definitely worth a try for the relatively low cost.

For more information contact Robinson Laboratories on the web at bowhunting.net or www.scentshield.com. 

Robinson Labs, Inc.
110 N. Park Drive
PO Box 18
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
Telephone # (507)263-2885