Is "Sitka Gear" really worth the money?

[noharleyyet]

I wouldn't purchase either at full retail.

 

[mtmiller]

IThe only issue I have with Sitka is the dang pants don't fit very well.

Similar problem. I received the Jetstream jacket yesterday and not very happy with the fit. I am hoping I can ship it back or exchange for an XL. If not, might have a deal for someone if they are interested in a Sitka Jetstream jacket Optifade OC.

 

[wyomuledeer]

Had the same problem. I normally wear a large but the 90% jacket I had to exchange for a XL cause it was way to tight. Haven't tried any of the jackets yet hunting, but the 90% pants and acsent pants I both really liked.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I wear a XL jacket in everything. I felt like a figure skater in a Sitka 90% XL. Gave it to my brother and bought a bubba sized XXL. Fit fine.

 

[Western-Huntr]

I haven't used the Russel gear, but I doubt if it is any better than the Sitka stuff, if that is what you are asking.

Na, wasn't asking if one was better than the other. From what I have seen they are very similar, but if I had to give the edge to one in terms of quality and function, it would be Sitka. Just wondering what the best bang for the buck would be. Sitka at cost or APXg2 at retail.

 

[elk_hunter]

Thanks BD. I think I took their last large at the sale price.

Uhh, yep! Thanks, ya dirty bastard!

 

[npaden]

Right now the APXg2 stuff is on sale several places at 50%+ off retail for the old mossy oak treestand pattern that they are discontinuing.

www.camofire.com just sold some and it sounds like they will be selling more soon. www.gandermountain.com has some for 50% off, but their selection is getting a little sparse.

The retail on the APXg2 seems to run about 2/3rds of the retail on the Sitka so when you take another 50% off that you are running about 1/3rd the price of retail on the Sitka gear. I think several folks are saying that the APXg2 is probably worth it at that price point. If your wholesale pricepoint is 50% off of the Sitka it would be a lot harder to make the decision on which brand to buy.

 

[WapitiBob]

I found the sizing to be perfect.
XXL tops (core, traverse, and 90%) and Large pants (ascent).
I have bird legs though.

I had the stitching come loose on my Traverse top, sent it back and received the repaired shirt today. Looks like brand new.

 

[AZ402]

I felt like a figure skater

That is not shocking....

 

[noharleyyet]

I have the 90% Jacket in XL...fits like a wetsuit....never been cold enough to use so far. Have hunted elk in too warm weather in the celcius bibs and traverse top only...a little scree sliding and brush busting will lather ya up quick but does a good job of wicking & drying with no tears or fraying. Finally found some 90% pants in large this year that I hope to wear out this season.

 

['Ike']

I hate it!

 

[texrope]

Good price on Sitka for a short time!

https://www.camofire.com/index.php

 

[npaden]

Okay, after this post was started, I've ended up on a buying binge!

I have everything in the Russell APXg2 gear in my grubby little hands except a Zephyr L3 Jacket that I just ordered. Initial thoughts are that I'm very impressed with the Cyclone L5 rain gear. The L1 lightweight base layers are really nice too, very smooth and not super tight like the underarmour stuff. The L2 stuff is only going to work for me if it is below freezing and I need to sit for a long time. I about broke a sweat just trying it on at the house. The Gale L4 jacket should work very well in the cold, but I'm afraid I won't use it very often. It will still be nice to have though. The Zephyr line is what I'm planning on using pretty exclusively with the lightweight L1 base top. I haven't decided, but I'm debating picking up an extra pair of Zephyr L3 pants and a couple extra L1 base layer tops if they go back on sale again.

Here's my total cost in the Russell gear that I've picked up. This doesn't include shipping on the camofire items, but I used the add on shipping option and they were all sent in 2 shipments. The stuff from Linton Outdoors shipped free with orders over $100.

L1 Alpine Base Pants $20 - Camofire
L1 Alpine Base Top - $25 - Linton Outdoors
L2 Tundra Pullover - $42 - Camofire
L2 Tundra Pants - $40 - Camofire
L3 Zephyr Jacket - $60 - Linton Outdoors
L3 Zephyr Pants - $55 - Camofire
L4 Gale Jacket - $80 - Linton Outdoors
L5 Cyclone Rain Jacket - $75 - Camofire
L5 Cyclone Rain Pants - $68 - Camofire

That totals up to $465, throw in the shipping on the camofire stuff and it gets up around $480 total.

I also found a 2009 close out pair of Ascent pants at footwear outfitters in Idaho. They ended up run $92 including shipping so a pretty good deal on them.

On inital reaction, I like the Sitka Ascent pants better than the Russell L3 Zephyr pants, but I think the Russell pants are supposed to be a little better at shedding water. I like the optifade camo better than the Mossy Oak Treestand, but I am one of those guys who really doesn't feel like the deer care one way or the other on the color of the camo though.

I'm going from twill pants and cotton T-shirts with some cheap mad dog rain gear to this setup, so hopefully it will work out for me. I wasn't really ever super uncomfortable in the old stuff, but hopefully this will have me set for many years to come.

Thanks to the original poster and for everyone that replied on this thread. Nathan

 

[zfountaine55]

I second what npaden said, there are some great deals out there on the the russell stuff right now. I only own one piece of sitka gear (nimbus rain jacket) and i do have pretty much the whole line of the russell apxg2 stuff. In my opinion the quality of the sitka geat is supperior, but thats not to say that the russell gear isn't great stuff. I would say that sitka is the best of the best and the russell is really good, but for the price of a top of the line rain jactet from sitka you can have a whole layering system in the apxg2 that will perform almost good and you will save some green to put elsewhere. This is my just my opionion with the experiece i have. also comming out this month is the new line of gear from kryptek, really simmilar looking stuff at very fair prices (only at Cabela's for now) i am interested to see how it compares as it looks like it should fit in the gap between sitka and russell.

 

[lilbiggun]

I was always interested in the stuff until a couple of years ago. I had some friends up from MI that was going to go black bear hunting in PWS. They had sitka gear, I offered one guy my helly hansons. he declined. 8 days later they came back into so dang miserable it wasnt funny. they were soaked on day 2. I also offered my northface tent to bring along and they also passed. I guess they had a new salmon stream running through there tent.

Hearing there review of the sitka gear, I wasnt to impressed. it was new for this trip.

 

[Craig S.]

I don't own any Sitka Gear, KUIU, APX, but I do have some UA heat gear. I think it all comes back to something BigFinner typed:

To your first question, "Is Sitka Gear worth the money?" That will depend on where each person's value equation rests. Rather subjective.


Personally I don't hold much value in CAMO PATTERNS period. If it is functional for the type of hunting you do, then buy it & wear it. If you fork out the cash & buy the stuff, then you obviously felt the need to do so... At that point you are a customer & your opinion or review holds real value.

Here I am testing out a NEW camo pattern & it is the BEST:

NEW pattern goes up against EYES of Pronghorn

I do like that companies are trying to make more athletic & functional gear for hunters. I also like how they are using all types of unique patterns that they don't have to pay a licensing fee to produce; it keeps the cost down a little.

 

[CabinFever]

I really like the Russel APXG2 gear as well. For the money, I don't think there's much better. I'm sure Sitka gear is great, but the performance of the Russel layering system has been awesome for me, and the quality is supreme. I have nearly every piece as well, and I don't see myself ever buying any other brand.

 

[Big Fin]

I was always interested in the stuff until a couple of years ago. I had some friends up from MI that was going to go black bear hunting in PWS. They had sitka gear, I offered one guy my helly hansons. he declined. 8 days later they came back into so dang miserable it wasnt funny. they were soaked on day 2.

That does not surprise me. Here is what often happens. You get a sales clerk who says, "This 90% jacket will work 90% of the time."

Yup, it will. But it won't work for the application needed in the torrential rains of PWS or POW. It has a DWR repellant, but does not have a GORE-TEX liner. It is water resistant, not water proof.

Had the hunter did a little more investigation of the product and how it applied to his intended application, he would have bought a different product for the rain of PWS. He would have brought the GORE-TEX lined Sitka product, such as the Stormfront Jacket, rather than the 90% Jacket.

For someone to buy a non-waterproof garment and use it in a rain-soaking application, is not the wisest thing to do. The outcome you mention is not surprising.

I used the Sitka GORE-TEX lined jackets in Kuiu this spring. It was torrential rain and 30-40mph winds. Worked great. None of us got wet. Very breathable and extremely durable in that brush and jungle.

Had I been wearing a jacket intended for most of the other hunting applications, I would have had the same result as the guys mentioned above. In fact, if I had used any brand of softshell with only a DWR coating and not GORE-TEX, I would have been very wet.

Would be kind of like using Helly Hansen raingear for an active mountain hunt. Guess what, you might be dry, but you will sweat like hell, then freeze your butt off. Helly Hansen is not built for mountain applications. Wrong clothing for the wrong application, and you have a problem.

With any clothing, the first part is to match your hunting situation with the needs it will place on the clothing. Then buy clothing that has the features that will meet your demands.

I love soft shell clothing. But, softshells are not always the best for wind/waterproof. So, I look for the softshells that have a WINDSTOPPER or GORE-TEX liner, AND have the insulation characteristics for my active spot and stalk hunting.

If I buy a softshell without WINDSTOPPER or GORE-TEX, I am going to regret it, the first time it gets wet. And, since I want a lighter jacket, I better have some layering that will provide insulation once I get to that windy rock and plant my butt for a long glassing session. Thus the layering system we have been told about since our parents sent us out in old wool pants.

Reality is, you will not find any garment, anywhere, that is going to meet all the possible demands that hunting can place on your clothing.

Having used Sitka since 2007, having bought it with my own money for me and my guest hunters. My use of it for the hunting we do is not the result of a paid advertisement.

I can say that it is the most versatile and durable hunting clothing I have found. I have tried most all the competition, again with my own money. None of it worked very well for very long. There was a reason that I did not buy more of these products, even though some would cost less. It didn't work for the type of hunting I do and the demands we put on it.

I have looked at many clothing options and researched why there were price differences. As expected, the price was different for a reason.

Look and see the abrasion, breathability, water/wind proof tests, and other testing that is done on these fabrics and liners, and the differences quickly become apparent. Most use some lower cost alternative for these liners and fabrics. Yeah, the fabric itself might last as fabric for a while, but the stated performance of that fabric will disappear quickly in these lower cost alternatives.

I looked at the fabrics and linings used by the lower priced companies. I researched the durability of each. Are these lower-priced fabrics/liners chemically inert, such that washing detergents, bug dope, human oils, scent control sprays, and many other common components will not affect them? No. Most are not chemically inert and if you look at the things they say not to expose them to, things not to do with them, or the ways to care for them, the durability issue quickly surfaces.

I looked at their care instructions and see which, if any can be washed and dried. Even to the point where washing and drying improve the performance. Most cannot, unless they are the non-breathable/waterproof fabrics, which have poor water/wind proof performance. Most the tests of competing liners have problems with garment care, or the ability to withstand multiple washing and drying.

Many other tests and research led me to which clothes I was going to use. After all, I was spending a hell of a lot of money, and I wanted it to perform and to last a long time. I made some mistakes in that process.

Whether you buy Sitka, or any other brand, make sure you match the clothing with your hunting demands. Buying bombproof raingear for mountain hunting is a recipe for disaster, the same as buying lightweight softshells for hunting the rainforests.

If you expect any manufacturer's clothing to work for an application that it is not intended, you will be disappointed. For most of us, we find the clothing that works for the majority of our hunting and then build a system of layering and insulation around that. Without a system of clothing, you are going to have times of discomfornt. Simple fact of physics and human physiology.

Whatever you buy, research the fabrics and the liners used. Those higher priced items are going to use much higher quality fabrics, with greater combinations of breathability and wind/water proofness. And, the higher priced garments will have much longer durability and performance of the liners within the fabrics.

Do your own research. There are a lot of claims out there that would fall into the "BS" category.

 

[Craig S.]

A question for everyone...

If you had the ability to get 1 FULL set of Sitka, KUIU, APX or UA for FREE, what would you get?

I would go with Sitka or KUIU, but thats just me. Why? Because I would want the best if they were laying out on a table for the pickens.

I am looking at buying some of the uppers in both brands, but I don't believe the bottoms will last long enough for the price. Again, it goes back to how much value you personally place on functional clothing & nothing more.

 

[SDBugler]

OK - question for Big Fin and you other guys that have used sitka for a while. I have about $900 woth of Cabelas points built up. I have been saving them with the intention of getting some good Sitka, Kuiu, Russell, First Lite, etc gear. I do a lot of elk and mule deer hunting both early archery and late rifle. I will also be going on a mountain goat hunt in early October. Here is what I have been thinking:

First Lite merino wool base layers (both light and medium weight tops and medium weight bottoms). I have heard that the sitka base layers can get a little funky after a couple days and that the merino wool breathes just as good if not better and wont stink.

Sitka mountain pants and Sitka Jetstream Jeacket.

I am undecided on raingear. I have been debating between Sitka Stormfront and Stormfront Lite. I know the Stormfront is lighter and more packable, but is the regular Stormfront any quieter? I do have some old MTO50 raingear in the whitetail series but it has begun to lose its waterproof qualities. I also don't like the the fact that the pants are so baggy down toward the cuffs.

I would appreciate any input and suggestions.