Sitka gear?

[GregD]

I was in the Hamburg Cabelas store yesterday  and they had a lot of it 50% off. If you're close by and considering it, could be worth a drive.

[Builder]

Has anyone tried the heated vest?
Late season Minnesota can be downright brutal, it is hard to get enough layers on to stay warm and not inhibit drawing the bow.
I have owned KOM and SI along with windstop sweaters for years which are great, however the windchills get way below zero come December.

[Bill Carlsen]

It is on sale on the Cabela's website, as well.

[killinstuff]

I was just at Cabelas and tried on the Celcius jacket. If I was wearing that this morning (28 degrees out) I would have froze I'd bet. It was also very tight in the armpit area. If you're a little bit bubba sized, you might feel like a 5 pound sausage in a 3 pound bag wearing this jacket and if you have short arms, the sleeves will be long on you by a good amount. I did like the vest and pants though.

[Bowmania]

I have the Celcius bibs.  Not for cold weather.  I also have a light jacket maybe the 90%.  Maybe it's just me, but they put these damned underarm zippers on it.  They make noise when drawing.  I have a light pair of pants.  Incredable durability.  A while ago I almost bought the whole package.  Sure glad I didn't.  I'd go with wool for cold weather.

Bowmania

[Steel]

I have several Sitka items both 90% Jacket and Pants, T-zip and core shirts, Celcius Vest,pull over hat,full face mask, and Ascent pants. To be honest I love the stuff as I have always perfered to layer clothing and avoid huge bulky clothing or stiff unflexiable clothing while bow hunting. Temps here average about 20 to 60 degrees all winter so by laying with one or two pairs of thermal underware such as polar fleece cabelas or rocky brands I stay very warm even down to the  20's on stand for a few hours and when moving around I can remove the vest open the zippers some so I don't get to hot and start sweating. The best features to me are the nice tight fit to the body,abilty to layer so I can use it on warmer and colder days Vs a huge heavy outfit I can only use a few times a year, and the stuff last really well mine has not faded nor shows any wear after alot of trips to the woods. If I was looking for a outfit for a minus 0 snow hunt I would look for something else as stated the 90% is for use 90% of the time if its really bad and crazy cold its time to get something else out. And yes the real heavy Stika gear is crazy high I don't own any of it just can't swing $400 for a single piece of clothing and I think they have discontinued the Mothwing camo that does not make my happy I am not a big fan of the Optifade myself but love the mothwing it blends inin a tree,on the ground,brush, open country just about everywhere I have wore it.

[joevan125]

Guys i bought the heavy weight jacket and pants that the Drury brothers have out and wore it in canada in sub zero weather and its the best i have found for cold weather bow hunting. The jacket has a thick wool liner and tons of pockets and draw straps on the side to tighten up all the loose spots.  

[Onions]

I have tried most of the Sitka stuff. Base layer shirts, Traverse shirt, Ascent pants, Celcius hat, Traverse hat, Celcius vest, 90% jkt. and 90% pants.
I have sold everything except the vest, two hats, and the Traverse shirt (however, I am thinking of selling that also).
Sitka is the most comfortable hunting clothing I have ever worn, and if I was going to run the mountians chasing elk, antelope in the western plains or deer in Aug/Sept, I would be buying more.
However, I spend most of my time in treestands here in Mi, and with the Sitka gear I FROZE! Even in the early Oct. season I was constantly cold-cool.
A few pieces I do love are the Celcius hat and Travesrse hat combo. The Traverse hat alone is great. The Celcius hat alone is too big for my head, but with the T-hat underneath it is warm and very comfortable. In colder temps (below 30) I replace the T-hat for a Outdoor Research fleece skull cap under the Celcius. GREAT COMBO!
I also like the Celcius vest, the Celcius line seems to be the warmest (at least for me)and most windproof. Wish they made Celcius pants.
As for the anti-stink properties, I would say Sitka is good,but my merino wool (Woolpower, and First Lite) is much better in controlling odor. I just came back from a 10 day deer hunt in Colorado, I wore my First Lite Chamo everyday next to my skin. At the end of 10 days, yes it had some odor, but not too bad. I actually smelled worse then the shirt I was wearing!
I am real impressed with the First Lite clothing. Its comfort isn't equal to Sitka, however its close. I feel the FL clothing wicks moisture as good as Sitka, and there base layers are much warmer.  
If you scour the web you can find some great deals on Sitka clothing (that is how I bought most of mine). Sometimes, finding stuff more then half-off. I bought my Ascent pants off **** for $25!
If you are a warm blooded person or don't hunt in real cold weather, one should try some of the Sitka clothing. If you need something with more warmth take a close look at the First Lite line.
Just my 2 cents

chris <><

[Covey]

I'm going with Graywolf woolens!! Jason

[Onions]

Covey,
I am doing the same! Going completly to wool clothing.

chris <><

[Guru]

I don't know fellas, I've been using Sitka Gear exclusively for the last three seasons...I mean I have not worn another companies garment at all!

Yes some of you may know that I'm a part(as well as few other TGer's) of "Team Sitka", the "pro staff", whatever you want to call it.
So yes I get some gear from them, and I can get gear at a discount...bla, bla, bla....

But I've always been 100% honest with my assessments of the gear. That's what they want from us, no sugar coating, no hyping for the sake of sales, none of that non-sense. Just the truth.
If I didn't believe 100% in the stuff, I would no longer be affiliated with them.

I have found that the "core layers" are extremely well suited for early season active hunts, summer hunts when sweat needs to be quickly wicked away...I mean the best stuff I've ever worn!
 

But.... here's where some of you may be making a mistake and getting cold in Sitka Gear......

I find it to be very cold against my skin in cool/cold weather! I'm talking even at 35 degrees. I'm not the only one who's also found this to be the case.
But that said, others have found it to be just fine against their skin. Everyone's different.

But for me,no way, I can't last an hour in cold weather with it against my skin!

Now....switch that layer against your skin to the "Traverse" top and bottom, and it'll make all the difference in the world!

I've dealt with single digits with no problem! The Traverse layer has the best warm to weight ratio that I've used in a base layer. It's extremely "cozy" against the skin.

A "cold" base layer against your skin will take you out of the game no matter what's over the top of it!

Last year in about 8-9 degree weather I wore....

 2 Traverse bottoms and 3 tops, my Celsius vest, Celsius bibs,Celsius jacket and stayed in my tree in about a 20mph biting,east wind coming off the Hudson River for about 4 hrs without a problem.....

That may sound like a lot of clothing, but the great thing about Sitka is it's so light and fits so well that it doesn't "wear you out" just wearing it.

I've worn a lot of different stuff over the years, and it gets very heavy on your body as you have to wear more as the mercury dips.

I know that the clothing I used to wear in the the weather I described above would have weighed nearly twice as much as my Sitka Gear. You really notice it not only wearing it, but when packing cloths in on a long walk so as not to sweat. We're talking pounds of difference....

Anyway, just my take on why some of you might be finding Sitka Gear to be not very well suited for cold weather.....

[Onions]

Guru,
I think you are right. For me the baselayers were so cold next to my skin it did not matter what I put over it.
I will try my Traverse shirt as my baselayer tomorrow.
I will report back my results.
Tomorrow's temps here in Michigan should be around the mid 20's so it will be a good test.

chris <><

[screamin]

Ive owned the mountain shirt and pants, the base layers, ascent pants the old celsius vest and the newest version. The older stuff was heavier than the new stuff and of course warmer because of it. I ended up selling most of the old stuff to try some new and that was a big mistake. The new stuff is not warm at all.

The ascent pants are awesome in the heat but I had a pair come apart in the seat and developed a hole after 30 days. Sitka fixed it on warranty but they charged me for the hole repair and patched it with different colored camo. Someone was color blind I guess.

I've switched over to Russell Outdoors apxg2. Its half the price, double and tripled stitched verses single, it stretches and fits snug too.  When layered right using the tundra layer over basspro's base layer, then one of the pant jacket sets and sometimes a light vest its real warm imo.

[JDinPA]

Originally posted by Herdbull:
If you are in a treestand and don't move, I think anything should work; however, I like to film when I hunt so I don't want to be detected as much by birds either. I've gotten very close to hawks and eagles as well have had great close experience with many song birds and woodpeckers. I have been wearing the Optifade all season. I took a bear wearing it in Sept and this buck in October. Is it Optifade or did I just get lucky? Ha! Mike
   

I don't think the Sitka gear got you a chance at those bucks, as opposed to the property you hunt.

Nice deer.

[Steel]

I don't know if Sitka really designed the Ascent or 90% to even be considered extreme cold weather gear as people are trying to use it. From my use and understanding I belive the Ascent is warm to mild weather style. The 90% seems more like a early fall style which you can use high tech heavy base layer(polartec mid to extreme weight underware)to get you into alittle colder weather for limted amount of time say a few hrs of stand hunting or a day of active/stalking style hunting in colder weather. The Celsius is just a step up from the 90% for those 20+ degrees days can be use for stand hunting a few hrs or active/stalking style hunting but a good under layer is still a must for really cold mornings.The Jet Stream has the  Wind stopper lining for alittle more protection in the wind and the Kelvin would be the best choice if you were looking for serious Cold Weather Gear but even it is considered a mid layer. I perfer the 90% and Celsius/Celsius vest because I can layer or not and wear it in temps from around 25 to 70 degrees which is about the temp range most of winter stays around here. Personally I have heavy wool/fleece wind stopper lined jacket/pants for those mega cold days but you will sweat moving around much in anything but exteme cold so I only get to wear it a few days a year which sometimes makes me wonder if its worth the price for such limted use.

[Herdbull]

JD, You are absolutely right, it all starts with the land. Knowing that a big guy is out there and I may have a chance encounter with him has kept me in so many all-day tree stands. I can’t tell you how many hunts I’ve sat all day in sub zero weather; but it’s the land that keeps calling me back. I just have to do it.

No matter what cloths I wear, I still can’t make a deer come by unless it wants too. As long as I am comfortable enough and confident enough to take an animal when my time comes, it’s all that matters to me. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have fun hunting. Ha! I’m sure you are the same way. Mike

[Zbearclaw]

GURU I agree.

I don't have the Sitka warm weather wicking stuff, have the traverse though.  

My UA Heat Gear makes me very cold when the temps drop.  But on hot days it is great!

This year in late-season Georgia I will be wearing the UA cold gear 2.0, Traverse top and Ascent pants, Celcius vest and jacket.  I think that will be plenty for single digits, but if not I will put on my windshear shirt from Cabelas.

ALso for backpack hunts I use my packable rainwear as an extra layer in the wind or when getting cold.  Hard to beat a rain set for holding in body heat, though any exertion will make it into a sauna.

[Jack Denbow]

Curt when you wore those 3 tops were they all the same size or did you have to have different sizes?
Jack

[FrozenFew]

In december weather I wear traverse underneath and celcius on top.. if its windy and cold I put a cheap fleece vest on between and some wool socks(the key component) good boots.  If you can't stand hunt in decembr n that maybe knitting would be a better hobby! Keeping your feet and your head and hands warm is 3/4 of the battle folks.  That traverse mask they sell is worth its weight in gold!

[kadbow]

I have the 90% jacket and the fit is great but the performance is nothing special, nothing you can't get in cheaper gear.  I recently picked up a pair of celcius bibs and they sure don't look like cold weather gear.  Again, they are well constructed.  I am concerned about the shell on the bibs, it looks like it would get easily shredded.  Anybody with experience on this?  IMO the Sitka is decent gear for some situations if you can get it at a substantial discount (ie 50%).  When its cold I'll wear my wool.