Early season sweat

[DaNewb]

Man, I sweat...and everywhere I'm going to is uphill, both ways...

I went out at 5am...30+ minute hike to my blind. It was 60* already and I had to stop twice and cool down before I got there. Like strip shirt and wipe down sweat.

So, it seems all the unscented soap and scent masking sprays are pointless if I'm saturated with sweat by the time I reach the field.

Hunting later in the season when it's cooler?

Changing clothes at the blind?

Install a shower?

What do you guys do when sweating seems inevitable?

Does it all come back to simply hunting the wind at all times?

BTW...my first day of hunting season ever, was a lot of fun!

[Jpmiller]

I sweat a ton. I sit in a tree stand and sweat. I’m not even a big fat guy.

I switched to all wool. Lightweight wool shirt, britches, socks, pants, hat, everything. Wool stinks so much less. Huge difference.

I also take my boots off every time I stop and let my feet air out. Makes a big difference there too

[Jpmiller]

I also hunt with the understanding I’m going to be leaving scent so wind is important.

[LDennis24]

The short answer is that your just gonna sweat and have to accommodate that. Wear layers and when your going up only have on the thinnest layer, like an Under Armour shirt. Then once you sit down and start cooling off put on a warm layer. When you get up to start moving again, strip down to the thin layer again. Even if your cold at first, as soon as you start moving you will warm up and be glad your wearing something thin. I'm a big guy too and layering is the most important part of sweating and being hot and cold while in the woods or on a mountain. Good luck!

[LDennis24]

As for the scent issue, you can find odorless deodorant by Hunters specialties and other brands. I'm not a scent guy so I don't bother with that stuff. People have been killing animals for food for thousands of years and scent eliminators have been around for maybe 30 of them.  Smoke is a good cover scent so when you are around d the fire just stand right in the smoke. Lift your shirt and let it into your clothing. It works. Ani.als smell smoke all day long g in the mountains so they don't even equate it to danger sometimes.

[DaNewb]

People have been killing animals for food for thousands of years and scent eliminators have been around for maybe 30 of them.

This is what I keep coming back to for the answer...hunt the wind, like our ancestors did.

[treeclimber2852]

The reality is, deer and elk have incredible noses....like hundreds of times better than our sense of smell.  The scent killers, ozone bags, cover scents, etc. are all gimmicks.  Playing the wind is the ONLY way you're going to beat that nose of theirs and get close enough to stick an arrow in an animal.  This comes from a guy with several bottles of scent killer and soap and deodorant on my shelf.  It finally dawned on me though a few years ago when I had a cow elk catch my scent at 50 yards when I had got in my blind with minimal sweat and had washed clothes, showered, deodorant, extra spray when I got in the blind.  They are going to smell you if the wind is blowing their way.  Just don't let that happen.   

[jrebel]

Not sure how close you are to your hunting grounds from your everyday stomping grounds (home)....but I have found that you can condition animals (to an extent) with your sent.  We hike in and out of our stands yearly and it appears the animals are not threatened by our sent as much now as they were 8-10 years ago.   I'm not saying to go and piss all over your stand....   Just use the same trail in the off season as often as you can.  You will notice at first, the animals will avoid that trail....after a few times of doing this, they will continue to use it regardless. 

That being said....playing the wind is always the best practice.   

[ducks4days]

People have been killing animals for food for thousands of years and scent eliminators have been around for maybe 30 of them.

This is what I keep coming back to for the answer...hunt the wind, like our ancestors did.

Or do the hike in wearing your birthday suit, it has the added bonus of possibly scaring off anybody you run into on the way up. Third bonus that you may end up starring in the "people on trail cameras" thread.