I have just gotten one of these and tried a trial run. It was not a smooth as I would have wanted so......
How do you guys light yours?
How long do you let it burn before you start smoking your clothes?
Do you want a really heavy amount of smoke or just a small amount?
Do you smoke your clothes before you go into the woods each time?
How do you extinguish the flames if you use it before going to the woods and there is still burning fuel?
Cheers,
James
I heard of native indians smoking there clothes and themselves. Then again bathing was probably not done too much and anything was a help.
I don't smoke cloths but I do smoke bees.
Pine cones and needles work well to get it going. Along with some dry grass. I've had good luck burning pine cones as a main fuel.
If its burning out on you, open the lid a little to get more air.
I've never used one to smoke clothes but I have a small amount of bee keeping experience.
What are you using for fuel? I've used burlap but I'd imagine some wood chips would give you more of the smell you're looking for.
I just ignite the burlap with lighter. To get it to smoke well you need the fuel to smolder, not support flame.
A combination of burlap and wood chips may work best for your intended application. You might try using damp wood chips to see if they may produce more smoke.
I would think that the heavier the smoke the more scent you would transfer to your clothes.
If your fuel is smoldering you should be able smother it easily enough by dumping it out and stomping it into the ground. Burlap and wood chips are cheap and easily replaceable.
Just some ideas. I hope this helps.
Jon
We always used it packed full of pine straw. Makes a thick smoke that kept the bees rather placid. I'm betting it'll be great on clothes. I'm smoking mine over a fire outside, as I don't have a smoker any more.
Once u start burning. Give it a few shots of air and you'll get smoke. Depending on what u use. I also use burlap but don't know if I'd use it in cloths. It stinks lol!
To extinguish. Take some tall green grass. Fold it and screw it in the opening. It chokes the air off. I leave mine sit outside, the can is quite hot.
I've used leaves as well. They burn fast. Blow them out or you'll push flames not smoke lol. If they're flaming like a torch you can add more, just don't pack it too tight or you'll put it out . Or as Jon said something wet (green).
You got to put the burner on its side to light.
How do you guys light yours? Newspaper to start and then a few twigs. Use the bellows to get it going really well. Stuff in a bunch of pine needles or dried grass, close it up, and you will get lots of smoke. Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzVsES2H2Zs
You won't need that much fuel for just a little session though.
How long do you let it burn before you start smoking your clothes? For your purposes, just long enough to get some smoke going.
How do you extinguish the flames if you use it before going to the woods and there is still burning fuel? Stuff a rag into the top and it'll go out.
I only use oak chips and a few leaves in mine because that's what we have around here. I smoke all of my gear by hanging it in a small cellar and running the smoker in there for a few hours until the whole room is filled with heavy smoke. Then I put everything in sealed containers or plastic bags and repeat the process periodically.
This process eliminates a few of the issues that you mentioned in terms of lighting, and extinguishing especially in the field. It works for me this way and it is simple.
good post John!
holy moly all day LOL! that's nuts.
I've tried packing and every time I've done it I put the blasted thing out. Than you really have a mess to screw with. Thankfully I don't have to play with that many bees to keep one fired for a hole day though. As much as I enjoy the gals, there's just too many other things going on as well lol.
I know with leaves they go up fast...until you stuff a wad of wet ones in, than they go out haha....frustrating as heck!
Burlap is just stinky imho. I use it for bees, I wouldn't use it for cloths though it does burn well. I've had issues with some kind of synthetic burlap. I get the bundles from work that our rags are bailed in. Every now and than I get one that melts. Talk about a mess.
lightings really not an issue. If you use grass to put the smoker out (not that rags wont work, this just serves double duty), it's nice and dry and ready for tinder for your next go on the smoker. Burns well!
For the bees, I use cotton cloth, either old towels or bluejeans. I only have 4 hives so I don't need mine to go for more than and hour or two tops.
For smoking clothes, I'd use leaves.
For starting my smoker to smoke my clothes I just use a propane torch. Put few hardwood chips in the smoker lay it on it's side and light it with a torch. Stand it upright and add a few more chips and pump the smoker to get it going good so you have some coals, then place some more chips on top and smoke your clothes.
You should get a pretty heavy stream of smoke coming with just giving it a few pumps every little bit. I smoke everything clothes, bow, pack, boots and me! Even my hair. I smoke up most everytime I go out. I just let the smoker burn out and cool down when I am done smoking up. It doesn't that many wood chips each time, I use mostly oak and hickory.
tips;
fill you smoker about half way with HARDWOOD chips( oak, hickory)
lay on its side and put torch on it and let it get going
after a good flame develops set the smoker upright with the lid open
allow it to get going good and then close the lid.
give your smoker a good shake to exstinguish the flame and bellow a few puffs.
Repeat the bellowing and shaking to keep it from flaming up and blowing fire. it can reignite if you bellow too much.
when i'm done i open the top, set in in a safe place or on a ceramic tile and let it burn out.
Is there some evidence that smelling like a forest fire calms game? Why not just wash your clothes and play the wind?
Since whitetail can detect and separate odors down to a few parts per million, I'm wondering what human smell mixed with a lot of wood smoke does to fool a deer's nose?
Not being funny or cynical...do you guys that practice this kill game regularly?
There is some science to support that hardwood smoke work to kill bacteria that cause odors. There is no science to support that you can cover/hide one scent with another from deer or most of the mammals we hunt.
I don't know what research has been done on it, all I know is that it works.
I'm with Kevin on this. I can't explain the technical side of it but I don't need to because I did my own testing and it works for me. I hunt pressured public land at times and it gives me an edge. I still play the wind but rarely get busted if the wind changes or a deer comes in downwind anymore....unless I get caught moving.
I was skeptical at first but I haven't spent a dime on useless scent control products since I started smoking my gear and I've killed more critters than I ever did before. You cannot completely hide your human scent with any product but hardwood smoke seems to be the best at masking it around here.....by far.
Wow...lots of memories here. My dad used to have about 500 hives and worked for a guy that had 3500. We always used pine straw. Make a loose ball of pine straw and light it before putting it in the smoker. Let it get going good and then put it in the smoker. Use more pine straw to push it down into the smoker. Add more pine straw, but don't over pack it.
Kevin and Jasper make the point that I am most aligned to. I know that I have gotten away with some ridiculous stuff while wearing smoky campfire clothing. The Native Americans believed in it as a technique. I'm all for science, but I'm also for common sense and practical experience. Sometimes we attribute supernatural abilities to our prey. It makes it easier to take failure! :D
Wow finally something that has my name written all over it and you guys beat me to it. I will add what we do and it makes it a lot easier to relight. We use untreated burlap. The first time you light it is the hardest you can use starter fluid to get it going. You want to get it burning hard for awhile then pack it down a little and close the lid. Now do your smoking when you are done pack it down tightly and plug your smoker with grass. You want to snuff the fire and save the contents what you are doing is creating char cloth similar to what the mountain men carried. The next time you light the smoker use the black char cloth and it will fire right up . In the beeyard we can light the smoker if we forget a lighter by arcing a hive tool on the truck battery. All you need is a spark and you can get it going again. Im done bryan
Make it easy. Use grass string and some toilet paper. A few puffs to get it going good and you're there. Just robbed beehives today.
YOU must use hardwood chips if you want the microbacterial effects of wood smoke. Pine needles and conifers do not have the chemical (forgot what it is called) in it to kill bacteria.
The smoker works but not because it hides human odor with a smoke smell but because hardwood smoke actually kills bacteria that causes human odor. The smoke cover scent is an added bonus.
I want to try this. Can you use one of those charcoal grill lighters?
How about this? Any of you guys use this?http://scentsmoker.com/
QuoteOriginally posted by Matt Fowler:
How about this? Any of you guys use this?http://scentsmoker.com/
yes! like has been mentioned before you must use hardwood smoke to get the benefits.