Eons before the advent of scent-control activated charcoal hunting suits, a woman working in a Port Perry convenience store taught me how to capture offensive odours. My children suffered from motion sickness, so when I asked her for a scented air spray to mask the sour smell in the car, she suggested filling a perforated coffee can with charcoal. The results far exceeded all expectations.

Hunting season rolled around and the light bulb went on. I could use the same approach to keep hunting gear scent-free. To this day, all my tote boxes of gear and bags of hunting clothes include a perforated container filled with charcoal. When the charcoal becomes saturated and unable to absorb any more odors, I simply refill the container with new charcoal.