What is the general consensus on Sitka cold weather gear?  I see some of the hunting youtubers wearing it, but it's hard to know if they like it, or are just getting paid to wear it.  I can tolerate 30 degree weather, but sitting out in anything below that is pretty unappealing. Any experiences with it before I break down and buy the expensive stuff?

My buddies all swear by that stuff.

I don't buy it.
I layer with XGO gear.

There are a dozen others that work as well, and they are all $$$.

This stuff is far better than any Walmart gear.

I have Sitka mountain pants.  I've worn them down to around 10 degrees (with long Jon's on).  No problems with cold. They are comfortable and do a good job cutting down on wind penetration.

I picked up a sitka jet stream jacket last fall, it really cuts down on wind getting through the coat so you can get away with less layering underneath.

I don't have any of the extreme cold gear.  If it's getting below zero it's time to find something else to do!

We hunt on the move, not sitting in stands.  We wear a lot less clothes than folks sitting in a stand somewhere or we'll overheat.

Thanks for the responses so far.  I'm really trying to cut back on the layering.  My stand is a bit of a walk, and it seems like no matter how cold it is, I'm sweating up a storm by the time I get there...especially my feet, which is a real problem.  Just once I'd like to keep hunting after Christmas into February.

You have to dress light getting to the stand.  Then put your top layer on when you get where you are going.

I'd like to see some midlayer products from sitka.  My jet stream jacket is a decent outer layer, but I don't think you'd want to put another layer over it. I wouldn't mind a pullover layer with breathability, insulation, and windcutting fabrics that could be worn as a top layer when it gets warm out or as an underlayer when it cools off. I'd rather add and subtract top layers then take off top layer, take of mid layer, then put top layer back on.

Sitka is like buying a shmidt and bender when a vortex razor will do 99% of what the shmidt can  for a third the price.


Yeah, Sitka gear is damnnnnn nice.   But for the price,… I can’t justify it.

There are some other really good brands for half the price that will do 99% of what Sitka can.

Sitka arrowhead is what arcteryx LEAF used to be

nice stuff

My son-in-law covers himself with Sitka. I, on the other hand, am fine with Cabela's "Redhead" stuff. We trek the same distance, we sit the same amount of time, yet we're both comfortable.

Now, I do have a Sitka 'Cargo Box' backpack. That is the mf'n bomb.

I have a ton of Sitka gear in a full system that I've been wearing for the last 8 years or so. I bought it all back when I was able to get it on their professional discount (my wife qualified, am it extended to immediate family).  It is top-tier gear for its purpose and I've been very pleased with it.  The biggest benefit my buddies and I see in any of the high-end brands is the weight to performance ratio.  Everything just compresses and packs very well.  On an elk hunt, it allows be to bring fewer/smaller bags in the truck, and then also allows me to layer up/down with minimal bulk.  Even the parka crams into my pack just fine.  

That all being said, I would NOT buy Sitka again without  the discount that they've since discontinued. The regular prices are crazy and it doesn't perform any better than my buddy's Kuiu or Firstlight.  If I was starting over, I'd be buying Kuiu.  If you find a good deal or a sale, buy with confidence, but otherwise I'd look elsewhere.

ETA: I'd say it also depends on what type of hunting a person is doing.  It's totally unnecessary for typical WI stand hunting where a guy can wear as bulky of gear as needed to stay warm.

ETA2: I can't seem to stop my hands and feet from getting cold when just sitting (maybe time for some electric socks), but my body has never been cold when layered appropriately down to -15.  A few years ago on a hunt it was -9 when we went in in the morning, and -9 when we finally finished packing at night.  Granted there was hard work going on to stay warm, but the ability to quickly change & stow layers was a lifesaver.

Keep your feet warm with the black bunny boots.
Also a good trick is to move your toes often. Same with your hands.
Mittens with thin gloves a liner.



I hunt in carharts as the fancy hunting gear is way to $$$$ for me.

I always bagged on the waterfowl guys I saw decked out head to toe in sitka.  But then I found out that most of the guys I saw wearing it were getting partner discounts via various pro staffs and guide service affiliations, and that puts the price point at or near higher end gear from cabelas, banded/avery, under armour, etc.

Once i started trying a few pieces bought at 50% off, I liked it enough to keep buying.

It's quality clothing backed up by quality warranty.  No need to pay full price though.
There's a ton of vendors out there that are authorized Sitka retailers that offer significant savings throughout the year.
Currently, there's a 20% off sale going on for many 2022 release items, and 30-50% off many 2021 and older items from dozens of vendors.

I've been putting together both a waterfowl and a big game system for the past year or so.
Waterfowl:
Grinder pants x2
Lightweight hoody
lightweight tee
grinder hoody x2
dakota vest

Big game
lightweight hoody
midweight bottoms
midweight t x2
mountain pants
mountain vest
kelvin lite hoody

I've gotten 30% off or more on all of the above items from these vendors:

Linton Outdoors
Camofire/Black Ovis
Mountain Archery
Macks PW
Rogers Sporting Goods
1 Shot Gear

I'll likely add bibs and the DWJ jacket for waterfowl, and a waterproof layer for my big game set and call it good.

I have spent way too much money on hunting clothes over the course of my life.  Most of it junk.  I found that by the time I could stay warm and comfortable all day, I looked like the kid from the Christmas story....

Sitka makes very nice stuff, but it is expensive.  However, I would rather have spent thousands on Sitka once, than blown thousands on stuff I have given or thrown away.

I am a Kuiu fan.  Have lots of their stuff.  I have found that the extra money spent is worth it.  I can stay warmer, drier, and more comfortable, with far less clothing.

The initial outlay stings, but good clothing, much like good footwear/socks, makes a world of difference.  Plus it will last you forever if you take care of it.

This.

I prefer KUIU but Sitka is nice stuff too. Both are such huge steps forward in comfort and functionality over Walmart/redhead etc. stuff it’s hard to even explain. I still wear the budget friendly items but only until it’s destroyed; I replace it with high quality stuff first chance I get.

I have the Sitka incinerator bibs and jacket it is super nice and warm down to the teens, which is as low as it gets where I hunt. Best I’ve ever used. I did get it with a huge discount though not sure I would have pulled the trigger without. Before that I had first lite. It is also warm but not as nice. I wear a lot of kuiu when it’s 40 and above but you will freeze your ass off in kuiu stand hunting when it’s cold.

I just Googled Sitka Incinerator...yikes. 670 bucks?  Generally speaking, my upper body is ok.  I've got an electric vest I turn on as needed, and it does a great job.  But for whatever reason, my legs and feet are what get the coldest.

I am in the woods a ridiculous amount of time. I fought the Sitka wave for years. I love wool, and have used wool in some pretty extreme temps.

But I now use Sitka almost exclusively. Amazing stuff that has never let me down.

Sitka rain suit is way legit.

I’ve got Pro accounts with Kuiu FirstLite and Sitka, I’ve mainly switched to all Sitka

I hated the layering I had to do with other offerings

Waterfowl wise I have less than I’d like because I can get by with the bit I have
Dakota hoodie
Grinder pants
Gradient pants
Hudson bibs
Delta jacket
Core light weight hoodie
Gets me pretty far

I have a few of the Subalpine items for turkey hunting
Apex hoodie
Mountain pant
Traverse hoodie
Core lightweight hoodie
Traverse gloves

Whitetail I’ve got a few things
Probably enough to get me to early November


But I wear FirstLite merino wool base layers under it all and love it

Sitka has a lifetime warranty.

Thanks for all the feedback.  Ultimately, I went with First Lite.  They have a sale that ends tonight, with up to 40 percent off, and I couldn't say no.  If it keeps me warm in the stand below 30 degrees, I'll be thrilled.   Going to give merino wool socks a try to solve the cold feet problem.

Merino wool socks are awesome.

Good call on ability to stave off wind.  I used to deer hunt on the coast of Lake Ontario where the late season wind was cold and damp despite it being well below freezing.  That wind drove the cold through my Browning camo coat that I used to think was excellent,  It had always been fine in the mountains at the same cold temps.  The winds off the lake were much more chilling.  The property lessor was all in on stand hunting so there was little walking around to warm up.



ETA, Currently I hunt steep hills, I live on one hill, and walk way the hell up on another and It is a sweaty workout so I trend to strapping my coat in my pack straps and don’t don it until I set on a watch.  Hopefully it keeps the sweat and odor down.

This year I've been using my first out of state hunt as an excuse to upgrade my hunting clothes.  This is the second time in the last 5 years as I lost at bunch of weight and thought I'd get better gear that fit better.  Well I got newer gear that fit better but it was still just above walmart in quality and usefulness.  I got this heavy hunter orange redhead coat that was hot as hell trying in on in the store but in actual use it's very heavy, like 5 pounds, bulky, hard to move in and the wind cuts through it.  I still had to wear the merrino wool base layers, a shirt and a sweatshirt to stay warm.  The insulated bibs I got were from midway and they aren't quite as big of a failure but still bulky, hard to move in, and they have a grippy felt lining that grabs onto your pants making putting them on a bitch. Also they lack a two way zipper in the front and the leg zippers only come up to the knee which amplifies the issues with putting them on.

This year so far I've acquired a Kuiu Guide jacket as a windproof shell (I originally looked at the sitka Jetstream jacket), a Grunden packable puffy jacket for an insulation layer, and some Sitka timberline pants.  All of it combined weighs less than that redhead jacket. It's probably over kill for my october hunt but I can't wait to try it out for november deer season.

The best thing I've found for cold feet as mine get sweaty walking in, I wear lightweight socks for the walk in (well before daylight) and when I get to the stand, I change socks letting my feet dry off before putting on thick wool socks. 25 years ago I picked up some booty type boot covers that work really well if you put them on as soon as you get to the stand but are worthless if you wait till your feet are cold.  Sometimes it's best to start an extra pair of handwarmers before you leave the house and dump them into your boots when you need them.

Got the timberline pants and the were too big. Also seemed pretty light weight for what they cost.  

Found the Under armour browtine line at cabelas and am trying a pair of pants.  They are lined and seem warmer.  The jacket looks really nice for the price.

I started wearing gear from Pnuma and really like it.

Bendigo78 nailed it.  Change your socks before you get into your stand.  Most people put their thick socks on, ride in the vehicle with the heater wide open and then walk to the stand.  After all of that of course your feet are sweating.  If you get in the stand without changing your socks, you lost the battle.

Most people spend money on a nice gun, buy a cheap scope and cheap clothes.  If you have cheap clothes you won’t stay out long.

Spend your money on clothes and boots first, second $ on a good scope and last $ on a rifle.  There are a lot of $350 rifles that will shoot minute of deer.

If you're stand hunting get a Heater Bodysuit.  If you can get cold in that I think you need to look for a different hobby.  They have Blems that are usually on sale.

I tried all sorts of different options for staying warm while stand hunting.  Heated socks & heated vests worked pretty good.  The full suits work good too.  Boot covers are a must for me at a minimum.
Now days i just use my ground blind and run a buddy heater.  I don't archery hunt anymore though either.

Merino is awesome and FL is my go to for most merino stuff.

What kind of boots are you wearing in the stand?
Couple things I found hunting MN for most of my life.
1-its very, very easy to restrict circulation in your feet, especially when hunting from a tree.
Don't wear some stupid heavy sock stuffed into an over-insulated boot.

2-battery powered vest and socks. Game changer.
No comparison. Those 2 under your normal gear will keep you warm, keep you from moving and rustling, etc.

For late season, I just wear my arctic mucks and carhartt style (I won’t buy C any more since they’re imported and political enemies, so if it’s going to be made in vietnam or whatever anyway, I’m not paying USA made prices) bibs and jacket.

I layer with Duke warming layers, the thicker Dickies socks, normal work pants, etc. I also have some fleece lined jeans that help when it’s getting close to zero.

Absolutely have to take your outer layer in the pack, and put it on when you get to the stand.

IMO, you want to be a little cold at all times. If you don’t feel cold, you’re sweating. If you’re sweating, you’re going to be really freaking cold soon enough.

I could MAYBE see paying Sitka prices if you're humping 20 miles of mountains and packing out elk/moose for the light weight and packability...

But if you're walking 300 yards to stand hunting whitetail in Illinois....no fucking way am I paying $600+ for a damn jacket....that's insane.

Eh...wait a year or two and buy it for 50% off then.

Even at 50% off, it's more than 3x more expensive than what I paid for my jacket that I have no problem sitting through Wisconsin late season hunting in.

Depending on what brand you buy, the higher-end stuff all has different purposes.  Sitka, in particular, I believe, has a line for stand-hunting whitetails and another line for out west style hunting, although I have not looked at their stuff recently.

I originally bought my Kuiu stuff, and continue to buy their stuff (as recently as 15 minutes ago), for hunting the west, but I have also found it to be life-changing back home in OH and PA.  $600+ for a jacket is kind of insane, but I will continue to spend money on their other stuff.  Until you have tried it, you just can't/won't understand.

I have a lot of Sitka gear. From early season to late season styles. Is it worth the money? For me, Yes. Why? I have been using their camo since shortly after they started making it. My oldest pair of pants, 15+ years, had a pocket blow out. I sent it back and they repaired it and returned it with a new hat.

Another good reason to buy it is how it moves with your body. The early season gear is better than any camo I have ever worn for high output hunts. The materials and cuts move with you and move sweat big time.

Sitka is likely the last camo I will ever use.

Yes, it is

Thanks for the info guys. Just picked up a set of fanatic for travel out of state archery. Sick if having the wind making me miserable. Also bought a hooded jacket mid level as well. That shit base layered with heavy under armor and boot covers I should be able to sit the all day hunts comfortably in windy teens.

I have a bunch of their gear OP. I switched to them last year and have been very happy with everything I have from them. I have worn it in Virginia for deer and Turkey, Argentina on a stag hunt, Idaho elk hunting and now into a second deer season.

It cuts down on bulk.

I get cold easy… always have… 100 degree days I go for a run.

A couple years back I bought a complete Sitka setup.

Wow that stuff is amazing. Never cold again.

One tip for keeping warm, ditch the gloves and mittens.  Get a hand warmer muff and light fingerless gloves.  Toss a few hand warmer punches in it. I’ll never wear heavy gloves again.