Topic

Is there no Odor Barrier/Containment Standard?

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
Matthew S BPL Member
PostedNov 15, 2019 at 6:29 am

I’ve looked up EN, ISO, and ASTM standards and there are plenty of standardization’s on how to measure scent etc, but I can find no standard on what a barrier (think OpSak) must show before it is called “odor-proof.” OpSak, SmellySack, and the entire marijuana dispensary industry says they have “odor proof” bags, but they offer no professional rating to back it up.

It’s often surprising that scent molecules can actually work their way through a bag material, but they do. Plastic is merely a bunch of carbons squiggled together, and scent molecules do get through.

Can anyone help me on this?

PostedNov 16, 2019 at 5:18 am

I strongly suspect there is absolutely no standard whatsoever, and it is all unproven claims. Odor proof for who and/or what? Can you or I smell anything through it? Can an average dog? A bloodhound? A bear?

More than that, I fail to see the point from a backpacking perspective. Anything you have with you smells like human. Any animal that has associated humans with food sources does not need to smell what is in the bag, and any animal that has not is giving you a wide berth anyway ,having smelled you coming a mile off.

Mark Verber BPL Member
PostedNov 16, 2019 at 5:54 am

I doubt that a good standard will be developed anytime soon.  “Smell” detectors are being developed by startup like http://www.aromyx.com but they are still early stage and expensive so only being used for things that have high returns like in the manufacturing of pharma.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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