Robinson Outdoor Products has traveled a huge distance since the days when founder Bill Robinson took his shoes off for customers. Twenty-five years ago, Bill would spray the interior of one shoe with original Scent Shield and then invite customers to smell the difference. Not a magic trick perhaps, but highly effective!
Today Robinson Outdoor Products has diversified and is known as an innovator in scent control technology, hunting apparel, scent-eliminating liquids, and—one of its latest ventures—Tree Spider tree climbing safety equipment.
Building on years of experience with activated chemical sprays, carbon adsorption techniques, silver linings, titanium dioxide, and even zeolite research, Robinson’s newest effort to help hunters maximize time out-of-doors is the development of Trinity Scent Control Technology now incorporated into its ScentBlocker garments.
The exciting new technology is reportedly so effective that Robinson Outdoor Products is now out of the charcoal business.
In the place of activated carbon, Robinson is enthusiastic about new Trinity Technology: “It’s a true milestone in human scent control that goes where no hunting apparel has gone before,” stated a January 2013 press release. The unique “game-changing properties” inherent in Trinity are powerful, yet can be incorporated into very thin, lightweight garments, taking comfort and performance to a “whole new level.”
“Altogether, Trinity Technology has been more than 10 years in development,” says Mike Swan, director of marketing. “We recently had the technology tested by an independent laboratory. Results show that our Trinity scent control system absorbs up to 40 percent more odor than activated carbon, including our own ScentBlocker Cold Fusion—the process that blasted a fine carbon powder into the fabric of Robinson hunting garments as it was being manufactured—and 200 percent more odor than Zeolite.”
So what is Trinity Technology, exactly?
Trinity uses an engineered, man-made polymeric resin (a type of polystyrene) that has a complex surface area and “fantastic adsorption kinetics.” The resin is lighter by volume, exhibits stronger attraction for human and organic odors, and lasts longer between regeneration than other forms of odor adsorption.
Application of the polymeric resin to garments requires a high tech “glue” matrix that is—in a sense—printed on or pressed into fabric in much the same way that a printing press lays color onto paper. Unlike activated carbon, Trinity elements are not applied in a black sheet. Trinity does not require a liner and does not rub off or wash out. The resins become integral with the fabric, and this enables garments to retain their breathability and flexibility.
For Robinson Outdoors, the business question eventually became, “Why remain with activated carbon when something better is available?”
Swan says, “Trinity has replaced activated carbon in all of our scent control apparel. We no longer use activated carbon in anything ScentBlocker is doing. The timing was right this past year, so we worked very hard to make the change-over with an introduction at the January ATA Show in Louisville.”
When the men from Minnesota finally move, they move quickly.
ScentBlocker’s 1.5 High Performance Shirt is a good example of a new Robinson garment using Trinity Technology, with its stronger attraction for human/organic odors and longer life. The 1.5 is made from ultra-lightweight, breathable, technical fabric with 4 Direction Stretch, and Microwick to keep the wearer cool and dry. It also incorporates an advanced S3 antimicrobial treatment to reduce odor-causing bacteria and keep garments smelling fresher, longer.
Robinson will also sell a laundry detergent that is optimized—not unlike its Carbon Laundry Detergent for older carbon technology —to clean the pores of the resin. Swan says they expect this detergent will operate at lower temperatures than carbon.
One of the beautiful features of introducing this valuable new technology, says Swan, is that Robinson has been able to hold pricing to the same levels. Except for completely new designs or styles, nothing in the line will increase in price.
For more information call (800) 397-1927 or (507) 263-2885, or visit www.robinsonoutdoors.com or www.scentshield.com.
