Sitka gear vs. Gray wolf wolfskin

[highpoint forge]

I was in my Traverse and Celsius all week chasing whitetails and hogs from 34F to 80F, never even got hot, even with traverse and Celsius bibs under a full Rancho Safari ghille longcoat, gaiter and hat in on an afternoon hog sit. IMHO skip the Day One, it's not well made.

Now if I could make a dead running shot on a hog from a knee, I would have been more pleased.

Great week.

[Hess]

I'm a Sitka fan and I've got KOM, Sleeping Indian, Hidden Wolf etc.  It is definitly designed for active hunting and I think that's why I like it.  Not too baggy and easy to move in and it comes in plain colors....

[Follower]

I bought the Celcius bibs last year and love them as a cold weather outer layer but I am curious of one thing with Sitka gear - does it all have the "sheen" to the material as the Celcius does and does the material shine in sunlight?  It does not seem to be light absorbing like wool and fleece is - opinions or thoughts?

[highpoint forge]

Well, yesterday we had a doe in the wide open, then stopped the truck got out, grabbed our bows, and slowly advanced to within 30-40yds or less from the doe. She actually started walking towards us while looking right at us! Sun was behind us. My buddy missed a dead on broadside shot. I couldn't believe it. We had on full Celsius outfits.

He blamed the miss on his "sights".

[J-KID]

I've had a half dozen deer check me out in my stand for a while this year but none spooked.  The sheen actually makes the light and shadows more contrasty when your in the woods.

[Bill Kissner]

I just returned from a Newfoundland moose hunt and the whole hunt was conducted in my Sitka Gear. I loosened the purse strings and bought the core, Traverse insulating layer, and Stratus outer layer last spring anticipating this hunt. When it arrived, I thought there was no way it would fit as it looked too small. I was amazed at how well it did fit and how little bulk there was. Temps in NFLD were from low thirties to around fifty and with 20 to 50 mile an hour winds every day. The first day I wore the core and outer layer. I stayed cool and dry when walking but was almost cold when sitting. The next day and the rest of the hunt was conducted with the Traverse next to my skin and the Stratus on the outside. I cannot say enough about how comfortable I was. I never got hot at all when walking and never got cold when sitting. This stuff is pretty amazing in my book as it is not bulky and stretches with your every movement. It is sewn to match your body. An example is, the sleeves on the Stratus are not straight but sewn in a slight curve to match the arc of your arms. To say it is comfortable is an understatement. I am very happy with it and so far like it much better than my wool but I have no Wolfskin therefore I have no comparison.

One other thing, I wore it all week without washing it and there was never any hint of odor at all.

[artelkhunter]

sitka gear is good stuff, it is little pricey although is you buy good camo it can last for years.  I just got back from NM in a semi- wilderness area. Wearing there product seemed to make a big differance in my endurance. Walking climbing and horse back riding was just easier.

Vote Nov 2- real change!!!

[screamin]

I've owned various sitka pieces and still own some. I got rid of the traverse under layers because of fit and went with merino wool if needed. I also got rid of the celsius stuff and went with the Kelvin jacket. What a difference and I absolutely love the kelvin jacket! Its fits like a glove, its light and compresses well when going into the pack. It breaths so well that if I leave it on to long as the day warms up I don't get wet underneath. Its pretty wind proof too. This yr I field tested it against my browning mid-layer down jacket while elk hunting and there is no comparison, the Kelvin wins. I think the kelvin is one of the most versatile and under rated pieces of gear sitka sells. Love the Ascent pants too and have 2 pair. I've worn these babies from 40 to 90 degrees and they worked great. The zip core shirt is great in the heat too, the breezes just blow right through it cooling you down in a flash and if your humping it up a hill you can let down the zipper. If it gets under 40 or super windy around that temp so you have some serious wind chill happening, I throw the rain gear over everything and am as snug as a bug in a rug.

The only bummer is I really like the Mountain Mimicry camo and you can't get it anymore.

[Hooked]

I loved the Sitka gear for Elk hunting...especially the pants that come with the attacked suspenders.  I also have a pair of sitka overalls.  They are comfortable, but the one time I wore them on stand I froze and it wasn't that cold.  I

My two cents, for what it is worth.  Go with Sitka gear for active hunting or real mild weather in a stand.  Go with the wool for sitting a tree stand in cold weather.  

Either way, when it is real cold layer up.  You can always take it off, but you cant always put it on!

Oh! and I wont mention the site name because I am not sure rules here would allow it, but I have bought all my Sitka gear for atleast half price through a site that always has special deals on hunting equipment.

[highpoint forge]

I just bought a Kelvin jacket tonight, selling my new Celsius and Kelvin vests, new with tags. Kelvin vest worn once.

[Lechwe]

I'm the one Steve O loaned his Sitka gear to. I went to Colorado with dad on an Elk hunt with it. Unfortunately for Steve it got lost somehow    

Seriously though. I have a full outfit of Sleeping Indian and love my wool. I was very sceptically of the Sitka but after using it in Colorado I will be getting a set for sure. To be honest if you are just going to be staying home and climbing into a whitetail stand then you probably don't need Sitka if you don't want to spend the money. However, if you plan on any type of active hunt this stuff is great. What I liked best was how lightweight it is. It weighs just a fraction of what my wool does and is way more comfortable when on the move. I wore the traverse layer, a mountain shirt and the 90% jacket along with either the mountain pants or ascent pants. If it got really cold I put on a Kelvin Jacket. We had temps from 13 to 74 and I was able to stay comfortable with what I listed. If I had worn my wool that would have been much more difficult.

Good luck with your choice.

[Mark Zagrzebski]

I have got some of both, and really like them both.  I would say the Sitka is made more for more active hunting.  Would like to also recommend a third alternative which I have recently bought.  Russell Outdoors APXG2 which seems to be a Sitka copycat but is similar quality at about half the price, Sitka does have better quality zippers.  Also, I just picked up some of the APXG2 at Gander Mountain where they had it on sale, buy one item get the second of equal or less value free.  Good luck with whatever you choose, all are quality products.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Made in The USA always makes my mind up.

[BTW]

I do not own any SG, but it sounds like a excellent hunting garment "system" that works for a lot of people on here.
I do own a lot of GW wolfskin garments in various patterns. I love that I can custom order exactly what I want from GW. That I can talk personally to Jeff about what I want. That I can buy different camo patterns for different seasons or to mix them together.  That it never fades.  That I can put a grunt tube and small binocular pouch on my chest to the exact size and location that I want them. Or, add side openings to my bibs so I can keep my hands together for warmth during those real cold days on stand. Maybe I want a hood on my jacket, maybe not.  Etc., etc., etc....  Basically that Jeff will make you exactly what you want in the U.S.A.!!!
 GW wolfskin  will get wet with prolonged exposure to moisture. That's what rain jackets/pants are for.  But I still seem to sweat like crazy and feel damp in the different products I have bought over the years.
You can get your wolfskin with winds barrier, insulation, and scentlok add on layers as well. I have all mine unlayered, and do all my extra layering myself.  I love Patagonia capiline and R1 undergarments for warmth and their excellent breathabilty to shed moisture. A windproof vest or top will keep you extra warm on those windy days. Go Graywolf!!!!

[MAT]

I have GWW wolfskin and my buddy has Sita.  I like the Sita stuff, but my biggest complaint is it's SHINY.  It made more like mountaineering gear for comfort and fit, not hiding from game.  I think one reason why some camo is better than others isn't the pattern, it's the texture.  The wolfskin is a low nap, very dull looking fabric, just like a deer (which is basically one color, yet hard to see).  This is also why wool is an excellent fabric (even in plaid!)

Wolfskin in predator brown has worked for me so many times, in tree stands and on the ground for whitetail and mule deer.  I just had a 150" WT buck look right at me from 25 yards away and he looked right through me, if you know what I mean.  He saw something in the tree, but didn't recognize a pattern and never gave me another look.  I don't think that would have happened with Sita gear, even in the new digital camo.   It has a shiny texture unlike anything in the woods.  I can’t believe they don’t do anything about it.

Wolfskin with DWR is great for light rain and mist, and it can be regenerated.  About the only complaint is it can be hot on early elk hunts as it has some wind resistance, so if it's hot out you will be too.  But any other time it’s perfect outwear.  You can always layer underneath with mountaineering underwear, even Sita stuff but I never understood why anyone needed camo underwear.

Jeff was great to work with too on customizing to my size and options.  You won't go wrong with GWW stuff.