Sitka Gear 2008

[peter c iacavazzi]

Bjorn,

The 90% gear is highly water resistant...but not water proof. If you're looking to stay completely dry in heavy rain and extremely wet conditions than the "Sitka Nimbus" is what you'll need/want.

Your Gore tex gear should have kept you dry on the outside, but a combination of sweat and condensation may have cause your internal wetness. (I could be wrong).

The 90% gear is great for misty rain, walking in wet timber, morning dew and rubbing against or leaning against wet tress, shrubs and/or ground. I have found my 90% gear almost all I need in wet conditions. But again if its "absolute" water proof you're seeking than you will need "Rain gear". The Sitka Nimbus is amazing. I find (for myself) if its raining hard enough that I need to wear my Nimbus...than its raining too hard to be hunting. By then I'm usually under a tree waiting out the storm.

It sounds to me that if your'e an active hunter (as it appears) than the 90% with its highly "water resistant" properties is for you.

I agree with you that putting ($500) down is alot to many of us. But, speaking only from personal experience. I can assure you...it is not money down the toilet. Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected]

I hoped this helped and best of luck in your upcoming season(s)

Peter Iacavazzi

[Larry Yien]

My take in regards to raingear and active gear: my rain gear is stowed neatly and compactly in my pack.  It comes out if the rain gets nasty wet, or if the wind gets piercing cold, or if I need to layer up to get warmer.

90% jacket and pants are the answer to active wear in cold wet conditions.  It's warm, it's quiet, it stretches and moves and allows you to move.  It breathes well and it gets you through most wet conditions.  

If it's raining hard I am most likely under some cover like Peter said.  But if I need to move and it is coming down hard I'll have my Down Pour gear on, yep it's noisy but so is the rain.

It is true though, if you are actively moving through the woods with rain gear on you will more than likely get wet from your perspiration and the breathable membrane not being able to keep up, the sweat builds up and you get wet.

The 90%  jacket is "softshell" technology, it's polarfleece with a coating.  Gore-tex and its kin is a breathable membrane laminated to fabric.  Softshell breathes much better than Gore-tex while still retaining high water and wind resistance.

Bottomline, buy the 90% jacket for all your active hunting needs it'll do you for just about everything.  You'll need raingear for the nasty's though.  

Of course there is the celsius gear for more insulation and cooler climates.

[Guru]

Well there's really nothing I can add to what has been said already. Well said fellas!    

[Larry Yien]

I did want to add that my usual active gear is mountain/ascent pants with  core bottoms/long johns, top gear: core zip t, mt shirt/traverse shirt, when it is cold I pull out the vest, and or 90% jacket.

I sprung for some 90% pants this year and will use them in cold weather.  But I run pretty hot and typically walk a bunch during a hunt and the mountain/ascent pant does it for me.  If I get cold I just pull on the core bottoms.  Nice thing about that is the core bottoms don't take up much room in my pack.

I try to keep my pack as light as possible unless I am packing liver and heart!

[Bjorn]

Thank you for the clarification; I am looking forward to using your products this fall and winter.
Nothing feels as good as being cozy when the weather turns crappy!

[Avalanche123]

Impressive website and graphics. I love the way the clothing is cut and designed. I just ordered a complete line of wool camo however I think I will look into the Sitka product a little closer.
Great stuff guys!

[DEAN]

WHERE IS THIS STUFF MADE?

[Alex.B]

Dean,
It's made in China, like most hunting clothing. Just old technology with a new twist, camo, to target hunters who don't know that moisture wicking garment has been around for 20 years. Under armor has now joined the band wagon. I just wear my Mountain Hardwear and Patagonia rock climbing clothing, some of it 15 years old, and all made in USA, and if hunting, top it with wool or cotton from the Army/Navy store, which will absorb light much better than synthetic fiber anyway    

[Biggie Hoffman]

Patagonia comes nowhere close to this stuff....plus, it's flammable.
Old technology?? I suggest you read the website.

[Alex.B]

Originally posted by Biggie Hoffman:
Patagonia comes nowhere close to this stuff....plus, it's flammable.
Old technology?? I suggest you read the website.

read it, owned all brands, climbed 12000 footers in the Swiss Winter, and would you believe it?...never caught on fire and here to talk about it    

[Larry Yien]

Originally posted by Alex.B:
Just old technology with a new twist, camo, to target hunters who don't know that moisture wicking garment has been around for 20 years.

Hey Alex, I like your post but I see some leaps you are making that I wouldn't necessarily make.  You make the comment on "old technology with a new twist,camo."  But are you implying that past and present gear isn't that different, would you take either one indiscriminately?

Would you take a 20 year old polargaurd sleeping bag over a new HOT synthetic bag?  Would you take 20 year polypropylene underwear over polarfleece silver ion thread core layers.  Would you take coated nylon tarp over a silnylon tarp.  Would you take a pile jacket over a softshell jacket.  If you would, I've got some old gear I'll swap out with you.

New advancements have made mountaineering gear superior over the stuff we were using 20 years ago.  Better loft, no stink, lighter weight, windproof and very water resistant are only a few points.

But let's embrace our similarities, since I too have taken mountaineering gear on hunting trips, pulling over camo or plaid wool to cover the red blues and yellows of my patagonia or sierra designs stuff.  When I heard about Sitka Gear and saw that they were using mountaineering gear designs and technology to create hunting gear I felt like my prayers had been answered.  I could get top notch gear in camo patterns to hunt in the variety of hunting situations.

Sitka Gear has an appeal to many hunters and I would have thought it would certainly appeal to folks like yourself.  Obviously I am wrong there, but perhaps others might think otherwise.

Just for the record what is a target hunter?

[rock climber]

Alex,I also agree with you about wearing my climbing clothes with camo over them,but I did purchase the Sitka gear 90% jacket and it is every bit as nice as my Mountain Hardwear gear.And not to ruin your day,but check the tags on your M.H. and patagonia stuff and you'll find most of it is now made over seas.

[Alex.B]

Rock, nobody can really avoid buying stuff made overseas anymore.  I've been buying stuff from all over always.  
funny you said that, because I did look at my MH tags                      and found a mixed bag made in China, Vietnam, and USA
and I do have a pair of 90%  loden pants. They're cool, but certainly not the holy grail they are made out to be in their constant ad blitz.
Larry, I also have new, top of the line gear for every mountain sport imaginable,  along with my "old stuff" that I keep religiously for hunting,( "space age technology, stone age pursuit", by Dave Stalling in Hunter's Heart, by David Petersen, Owl books) , and,... that you can't swap             ,
PS: "to target" as a verb, to target/  marketed for

[Guru]

"Holy Grail", I've never heard that said except by you Alex. None of us that use it has ever said that bud.

Sitka gear is everything it's advertised as. If someone chooses to not spend the money for good quality hunting clothing, that's their choice. But they'd be missing out......

[Lewis Brookshire III]

Everyone likes to bash so I am going to join in...

There needs to be a Trad bow attached to that guys pack.    

The camo looks great so thats all I can come up with!    

[jeanpaul3006]

has anyone had the chance to try the celsius line of clothing. i would like some clothing for treestand hunting that isn't to bulky. something to withstand manitoba weather.

[Guru]

Jeanpaul, I haven't actually had my hands on any yet. But maybe one of the guys that has will chime in here.  One thing I can tell you is that you'll have a hard time finding clothing with a better warmth-to-weight ratio.

Manitoba weather is a tall order for any clothing line!!

As a system it's hard to beat......

[peter c iacavazzi]

Wow Alex. Sorry to hear you feel that way about Sitka. But to each an opinion. For the record:

Sitka Gear has been designed by former design members of Arctryx (sp?). I'm sure you'll know that name. The owners of Sitka Gear went directly to the mountaineering community in an effort to produce functional, dependable, highly efficient hunting clothing that more closely resembled "mountaineering gear".

Presently, Sitka is the leader in this crossover transition. However, we are now seeing other outdoor clothing companies duplicating or at least attempting to do what Sitka Gear has done.

Regarding the Celsius line? I have seen and worn it. It is Sitka's answer to sedentary, cold weather hunting. I found the Celsius to be comfortable, warm, water resistant, and highly functional. Is it as warm as heavy wool? In my opinion...its very close. Where the Celsius line excels, is in its ability to keep you warm, while not impairing movement due to bulk and weight. For a treestand hunter, the Celsius also improves safety, due to its ability to keep you warm while still allowing movement. I will not bash heavy wool (because I have worn it and until Sitka came along I was an avid user of it). I will however say that the Celsius line now gives us all another option regarding "warmth to weight ratio"

For the record: I am the pro Staff Director for Sitka. But, I would wear Sitka even if I did not have a relationship to the company. Before I was the Pro Staff Director, I was a friend of Jason Hairston and Jon hart (The company owners). They are first class "Traditional" bowhunters. They asked me to wear the Sitka and to put it to the test. Believe me after 4 months in Montana (Sept-Dec)I put my Sitka thru the ringer. It did very well. So you know...I'm extremely hard on my gear.

After the 06', season I told Jon and Jason what I thought about the Sitka and where I thought it could be improved. Please know they did in fact make those improvements and they continue to look for ways to improve upon an already outstanding product.

What everyone should know is this: The owners of Sitka are good men who not only particpate in, but also support the traditional bowhunting community. They have gone to great lengths to design and market a highly functional, and effecient hunting garment. The products are superior. Yes, they are more expensive than many of the other hunting/outdoor garments on the market. But, to risk a 'cliche'...Regarding Sitka Gear, "You get what you pay for".

All Sitka products come with a guarentee and a promise that we at Sitka stand behind. I think as time passes we will continue to see advances in the Sitka products and we will continue to see Sitka's committment and support, to not only the hunting community but more selfishly the "traditional bowhunting faction".

I hope this will clarify some concerns. Alex, we at Sitka respect and appreciate your opinion. Should you decide to try some Sitka gear we look forward to your feedback.

Happy hunting!

Peter Iacavazzi
Pro Staff Director Sitka Gear
[email protected]

[JC]

Peter, you're a class act, sir.

[Steve H.]

"The 90% gear is great for misty rain"

No way.  Please, don't get this stuff confused with rain gear, it is not rain gear.  I had a 90% jacket and pants from the first batch and yes it dries well but it is defnitely not rain gear. Maybe it is in MT where it has a chance to dry after one of those 15 minute western showers but not in Alaska!  

I gave the stuff a serious workout on a SE AK goat hunt that first year.