Is Sitka worth the money?

I spent 2 years gathering my hunting clothes. I was constantly looking for clearances / sales on Sitka's gear. Now, I have the Ascent for lightweight gear, and fanatic jacket and bibs for my heavyweight outer layers. I also have a shacket. I have some other brands merino wool. Over those 2 years, working really hard to find the sales, etc, I spent around $500-600 vs the 12-1500 retail price. That being said, I tell everyone it was worth it. I'm sure those with Kuiu and First Lite will say the same thing. Honestly, there is a difference. The quality of the gear, and the way it performs has been great.

I know of sits where others I was hunting with couldn't last and went back to get warmed up, and the gear I was wearing made the difference. Less layers than them, and was able to bear the cold. I don't consider myself "warm" or "cold" by nature either. The ascent is also great for early season or spring turkey.

I also was hesitant with merino wool before i purchased it as well. Until the first time i wore it and had nearly a mile walk back to the stand (and I'm usually sweating and have that "stuffy" feeling). Well, the merino wicked away moisture 10x better than any of the UA gear i have.

My advise, be on the lookout and you can find some really good deals on some quality gear. Not saying you can't kill 'em wearing jeans and a tshirt either :)
 
Not for me, but sub freezing is not the norm for deer hunting in Texas. Our bow season might have you wearing shorts though !:)

If I were young enough and in good enough shape to elk hunt, I would seriously look into something better than what I have.
 
Well, if you sit 10 hours in a stand in any weather the midwest and north country has to offer, you may change your mind. It's good stuff, but yes, expensive as hell.
 
I did what Ryan did and have a full ensemble of Sitka Gear at a much cheaper basis (not all my under layer camo matches though).

It's my preferred gear and overkill in some instances, but I'm worth it.. Merino wool is definitely worth the $$, especially base layers. Keep checking www.camofire.com for deals.

Like mentioned First Lite and Kuiu are also top notch.
 
Kyle...moved to classifieds...anytime you post links to items for sale or contest links, etc...it needs to go here otherwise it will be treated as spam.
 
“Worth it” or not is definitely a matter of perspective. I think Sitka is worth the money. Comfortable functional hunting clothing makes the experience more enjoyable.

I’ve shot a few deer in my flip flops and shorts recently. Definitely don’t need the expensive stuff to get the job done.
 
I will certainly have to keep my out for some good deals. Thanks info on your experiences. I think it will be worth the extra as well when the temps get low and I am sitting in the stands. Plus they way I figure, I can splurge a little now on the good stuff and hopefully I wont need to buy any more for a long time.
 
Kyle said:
I will certainly have to keep my out for some good deals. Thanks info on your experiences. I think it will be worth the extra as well when the temps get low and I am sitting in the stands. Plus they way I figure, I can splurge a little now on the good stuff and hopefully I wont need to buy any more for a long time.
Click to expand...

They definitely make great cold weather gear but I'm even more impressed with the lightweight warm weather clothing. The ascent shirt and pants is basically all I wear in Hawaii. It's great for early season on the mainland too. The lightest, fastest drying hunting clothing available.
 
Definitely worth every penny IME, especially if your a tree stand whitetail hunter in the colder climates.

If used correctly and layered properly, it is truly a game changer. Last season while hunting in Kansas Sitka allowed me to have all day sits while enduring temps in the 20’s with strong winds 20-30mph. My previous setup would have had me going to the truck after 4 hours to get warm. I’m sold for life now on Sitka Gear.
 
I would like some warm gear for the tree stand here in the northeast as well as some lightweight gear for the early archery season. I like the layering options that Sitka offers.
 
My buddy is has been an Alaska guide for almost 20 years and is on the prostaff of just about every high end brand name you can think of. He has thousands and thousand of dollars of gear, some of it being sitka. I have used much of his gear for many all days hunts in the 20s, and to tell you the truth there is nothing special about sitka.

The best insulation is down. Lots of down when it gets cold. You need to couple that with a wind/water proof shell to keep the breeze out. And that's pretty much it. Some garments use a synthetic insulator like primaloft and that stuff is good too, especially if you get wet. Sitka does not invent materials, all they do is assemble them and then retail them to consumers.

To be honest when it get really cold, I like to use a heat source like the milwaukee heated sweatshirt. I wear this under my down and shell. I then can use my large 4.0 drill batteries.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Clothin...Zcerr?storeSelection=4732,8966,4727,4748,4704

I will say that Sitka does provide a convenience for assembling gear aimed at particular hunting situations, however, if you want to save some dollars you are best to assemble your own gear from lots of different brands.
 
I agree 100%. Companies like Sitka and Kuiu make good products, but they didn’t invent any of this stuff.

I’ve been backpack hunting for almost 15 years with the majority of those hunts taking place in New Zealand. I’ve also spent time in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest in my life. I duck hunt every year in Alberta, Canada.

The key to staying warm is to stay dry. Wear layers of breathable material that wicks moisture away from your body. If your outer, waterproof shell is breathable, the moisture can escape. No synthetic material is going to surpass down for warmth or merino wool for overall comfort and functionality.

Sitka has taken ideas from lightweight backpacking and mountaineering products and made them camo.
 
First Lite guy personally, feel like they have the best merino wool base layers around. Also like their camo patterns better. Like what they did this year also with their new sawbucks and solitudes. That being said the argument is Ford vs Chevy. To each their own.
 
So think I still jst wear my 25 yo merino wool longjohns and gortex jacket and save myself several hundreds of dollars. Lol
Wish my dad years ago knew of some wool clothing that shed wind and water, stayed warm if wet, and you could work in all wk like a mule then wear it hunting that weekend, and lasted for decades.
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To say that Sitka doesn’t invent any materials is incorrect. Sitka is part of Gore associates, and they happened to invent Gore Tex and Gore Windstopper. Two of the most important outerwear fabrics on the market today.

Before I was able to own any Sitka pieces I was one of the guys that said it wasn’t worth it and you should spend your money elsewhere. Now that I know better I can’t say that. IME the ones that say Sitka really isn’t that good are the ones that have never actually owned any of their pieces.
 
Bowhunter said:
To say that Sitka doesn’t invent any materials is incorrect. Sitka is part of Gore associates, and they happened to invent Gore Tex and Gore Windstopper. Two of the most important outerwear fabrics on the market today.

Before I was able to own any Sitka pieces I was one of the guys that said it wasn’t worth it and you should spend your money elsewhere. Now that I know better I can’t say that. IME the ones that say Sitka really isn’t that good are the ones that have never actually owned any of their pieces.
Click to expand...

Gore-tex has been around long before Sitka. Sitka had nothing to do with its inception. I do understand that they may operate under the same roof now, but like I said before the Sitka brand is not in the business of fabric research and development.

Also, no ones says they don't make good products. In fact they make great products. They are just charging a hefty fee for the convenience of their garments. Like I said before there are just better value options out there, but you have to look around and also become familiar with outdoor fabrics which maybe an inconvenience for some.
 
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