Question for the Sitka Gear Experts Steve O, others. I'm looking for something that wil be light weIght and non bulky for the condition I hunt in here in the deep south. Average temperture in October through most of November is from 80's to mid 30's and will vary from day to day 35 in morning and as high as 70's by evening. What would be the best set up for the Sitka Gear? I want something that will be good for the variations and last more than a year. Would the Sitka Gear do that? Looking for the pro and con. My Daughter looking for something to buy me for Christmas :goldtooth:
i'm no expert, but i do live in the south and use sitka gear for most of my hunting. Early season (hot) i use the core top and ascent pants and my thermacell. As it starts to cool down, i add a base layer bottom to the ascent pants and a traverse top over the core top. When it gets down to the 30's i add a heavier bottom base layer over the lighter base layer and replace the ascent pants with the celsius bibs. i will add another traverse top over a traverse top and pack in a celsius vest or jacket to put on after i get to my stand. i tend to be more cold natured than most, but this works for ME along with hand warmers in my pockets. Hope this helps. :)
Randy,
How is it for long periods when your still on a stand? Do you get cold?
Core/Traverse/Kelvin/Celsius bibs and jacket if you are lean and mean like me. I get cold no matter what. I'm actually thinking of adding Stratus bibs and jacket too in Forest pattern.
I was in the stand 8 hours today. Peeled down to Traverse top and bottom under Celsius bibs. 70f when I got down from the stand. Buddy had to go home so I couldnt make afternoon 3-7 hunt. Damn.
i did before i figured out the layering system. i will pack in a vest and jacket when it dips down to the hight 20's. When it is cold (to me) i have other base layers that i sometimes use, mostly smart wool. i usually go overboard layering up on the cold mornings and gradually unlayer if i am doing an all day sit. Then i layer back up as the day gets colder. i love the stuff!
Randy has it pretty much figured out. When it gets cold, put the Traverse on FIRST then the core, I think you will be more comfortable. What I would add is the Kelvin vest or jacket under a 90% or Stratus jacket will keep you WARM! The Kelvin is not made to be an outer layer, it is made to slide silently UNDER an outer layer. When it gets warm, it rolls up into the size of a water bottle, just put it in your pack, take it out likewise when it gets cold.
Thanks Steve! i added the Kelvin jacket at the end of last year, but it hasn't been cold enough yet to try it out!
I'll write more after Church thanks guys.
I have been learning a lot the last few weeks on this stuff. A kelvin vest is my next purchase.
Randy I have loved the stuff I got from you.
Steve O thanks for the tips.
My MED Kelvin is new with tags and is for sale. Just bought The Kelvin jacket.
Why would you wear Core over Traverse?
Great advice from both Randy and Steve :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
I have the Core underwear; the Traverse underwear; the Ascent pants; the 90% pants and jacket; the Celcius bibs, vest and jacket; the Kelvin vest and jacket; the Traverse beanie; the Sitka cap; the Jetstream hat; the Ascent 14, Flash 32 and Bivy 45 packs; and some duplicates (and triplicates) in the underwear, bibs, pants and jackets. I have no idea how much money I have spent on Sitka Gear, but it is a lot, and I have no regrets. I also have a lot of Cabela's hunting clothing, Smart Wool, ASAT clothing, Predator clothing, etc., that are all nice; however, the Sitka Gear is the best all around hunting clothing I have found.
I did continue to get cold on stand, even with the Celcius bibs, vest and jacket over all the underwear layers, until I got the Kelvin vest and jacket! The vest adds enough insulation to keep me comfortable in many situations, but the jacket is more versatile in my experience and adds about 10 degrees more than the vest to the bottom of my comfort range. I also like to use well insulated boots, additional head and neck insulation, and a handwarmer muff with chemical heat packs when the temperatures dip low and the winds blow hard. Sitka Gear is very versatile and is light and compact compared to other clothing I have. It stretches and is slim fitting, which is nice for climbing in and out of trees and shooting my bow. The real secret to making Sitka Gear work in the widest variety of conditions is to add the Kelvin vest and/or jacket to complete the set.
I have worn my Sitka Gear from south Texas to the northern Yukon Territory and have stayed comfortable in every climate and temperature range. If I were hunting polar bear or muskox on the frozen ice fields of the north during winter, I would wear very specialized cold weather clothing, because the Sitka Gear would not be warm enough. And if I were in the steaming jungles of Africa or South America, I would wear lighter clothing adapted specifically to that climate. For just about everything else, the Sitka Gear I have works extremely well. The Core top and Ascent pants breath very well in hotter weather. Changing over to the 90% clothing works well as the temperatures cool. Adding the Traverse underwear and then switching to the Celcius outerwear lets me stay comfortable until the weather gets really cold and I have to put on my Kelvin vest or jacket. When I want to have the least amount of clothing for the widest range of temperatures, like when I am in the Yukon, I take my Core and Traverse underwear, 90% pants and jacket, and Kelvin jacket, along with other accessories like a beanie, hat, gloves, etc. A light set of rain gear is also advisable, but buy something less expensive than the Sitka Gear rain suit, because it is outrageously expensive for what you are getting. I choose Cabela's rain gear. With the more limited set of Sitka Gear I just described, I sometimes am a little hot and other times can be a little cold, but it works well unless I am inactive, like sitting in a stand on a cold day.
No, I am not sponsored by Sitka Gear, but I wish I were for what everything has ended up costing me! I went hunting in New Mexico recently and every client in camp was outfitted in Sitka Gear. All of them (including me) loved their clothing and were glad they had bought it despite its high cost.
Allan
Allan,
That is quite the testimony. If you look in the B&C, P&Y, Grand Slam, Wild Sheep, Eastmans, ect, the top end hunting mags, you will see the vast majority of the trophy photos have hunters wearing Sitka Gear. That is because if you use it as intended as a layering SYSTEM, there is nothing better. Those folks can wear anything they want and believe it or not, there are more expensive options than Sitka Gear. Guys wear it because it works.
As far as wearing the traverse as the first layer vs. The base layer, I believe it works the same as silk and wool. Your silk base layers will keep you warmer if you wear them over your wool base layer and cooler under. I don't know for sure but am guessing it is partly due to thickness and partly due to wicking speed.
As I am cold a lot, and we've discussed it here, I am leaning also towards the Incinerator system. I treestand hunt or ground hunt in brush blinds exclusively here in TX. I get cold. I'd like some of the Forest pattern hence my above interest in a Stratus set, but there you gain just windproofness, and I have a windproof Sitka jacket already. Maybe Kelvin pants would be a simpler solution than the Incinerator?
I am ditching the Under Armor next to skin per Curt and Steve's recommendation. I tried it again as an experiment in 33F yesterday and was warmer in Traverse by itself with a Kelvin vest.
i am very glad to see this thread, as i've been curious about Sitka gear as well. i am thinking about getting the Kelvin vest, as i like to keep my arms mostly free of heavy coats. is it pretty warm on its own, with good layering underneath? i live in the same climate as South MS bowhunter.
The Kelvin vest or jacket are the warmest pieces of clothing I own. That something so light can be so warm is amazing to me. The Celsius and Jetstream vest do not compare warmth wise, but they can be worn as an outer layer.
Until I save up for the Incinerator, which is a whole 'nother level of warmth, I will get the same effect with the Stratus/Kelvin combo.
Is the gear less bulky as a whole when layer up for the extreme cold end say than a regular base layer long johns) shirt and pants with outer thick jacket? Also if one of you guy who is in the know would make it simple for me tell me what you would buy if you were living in my location. Like Base layer+etc....and you were on a budget and couldn't get all you wanted just the bare necessities for now, thanks.
Much less bulky. One of the keys to buying SG is not to buy it baggy like we have been programmed to do over the years. It is supposed to be form fitting and it is made to move with you and stretch.
Best bang for your buck to cover a wide temp range in the south:
Core top and bottom
Traverse top and bottom
90% Jacket & Pant
Kelvin vest
Stratus Hat
Thanks Steve So if I understand you right if I wear large I would buy large in everything? What if i'm layering say with the Traverse as my base and then the base goes on next and then the jacket do I need to compensate for this in size? Any sales going on? Close outs?
That is about right. You might upsize the jacket if you plan to layer up a lot, but may not have to. I am xl in everything and have no issues.
I know Mountain Archery has some older stuff on sale and Camofire.com is always putting some Sitka up for their deal of the day thing.
Are the sizes pretty standard in other words is a large a large some clothing is off when it come to that. If i wear a large will it be to tight with additional layers? I know you said you wear an XL in everything is there some room in your size to accommodate it all? Sorry for the questions but maybe others have the same thing on their minds also.
I also wear size large and have all my Sitka Gear clothing in that size, except for one of three Celcius vests that is an XL (the other two are large) for times I am somewhat bulked up and want another outside layer on my body. I don't use the XL much, but got it for that rare occasion.
I agree with Steve's suggested minimal outfit, except I would add a Celcius vest and would substitute the Kelvin jacket for the Kelvin vest because of the extra warmth and versatility of the jacket. I also like the zip tops for the Core and Traverse underwear better than the crew tops because of the extra neck protection when needed. In addition, I prefer the Jetstream hat because in has a short bill which helps keep the sun, rain and snow off my face. I don't have the Kelvin pants, but if you want to be able to assure warmth in cold weather while sitting on a stand, they would certainly be a welcome addition and would pack down to nearly nothing. I will probably end up getting a pair for myself.
My suggestions are not better than Steve's, and may not be as good for most people, but they are what seems to work best for me. The main thing Steve's suggested outfit gives up is a little extra warmth if someone tends to get colder when hunting. I like the additional comfort zone and don't feel like the insulated sleeves really interfere much with my movement. I do have the Kelvin vest, and it is better than the jacket for some conditions; however, if I could only have one or the other rather than being able to have both like I do, I would pick the jacket. I also use the jacket as filling for the pillow pouch in my sleeping bag when sleeping out, and it is very comfortable under my head. The Kelvin clothing pieces are some of the least expensive in the Sitka Gear line and provide much greater warmth than most of the other pieces are designed to give. There are other PrimaLoft insulated alternatives, such as the North Face Redpoint jacket (which I use as an excellent cold weather daily wear and travel jacket), but the Redpoint is not as fitted or as light as the Sitka Gear Kelvin jacket and costs about the same. If you already have a PrimaLoft jacket like the Redpoint, you might want to try it with the other Sitka Gear before laying out the money for the Kelvin jacket or vest. My Redpoint actually works pretty well under my 90% and Celcius jackets, but it does not have the micro-fleece lining around the inside of the neck for comfort and noise reduction. If you use the zip-T neck Core and Traverse tops, they will do a good job of adding most of the advantages of the micro-fleece neck lining that is missing in the Redpoint. All that said, if you can afford the Kelvin jacket or vest, they will work better for bow hunting.
The one major complaint that I have heard about Sitka Gear from guides and hunters is that it is not as quiet as fleece and wool in close quarters bow hunting. I have to agree with that complaint, but even a little wind or background noise will hide the small amount of fabric noise made by the soft shell outer layers of the Sitka Gear. When the wind is absolutely still and the woods are dead quiet, I have found that deer can hear me as I move (like drawing my bow) in my Sitka gear. I think it is about the same level of noise that is made by Windblocker fleece, which isn't much but can be noticeable under the right conditions.
Allan
As far as sizing goes, I believe the first year or two it ran small, but for the past few years, other than an oddball piece or two everything runs just like my jeans for the pants and true to size for all the other pieces.
I wear lg. in most things I wear including Sitka.
But all my Sitka outerwear(Celsius, Stratus, 90%) are XL. That will give you plenty of room to layer underneath. Even with some extra room, it's not at all "sloppy", They fit great!
The new Stratus jacket is cut smaller than my Celsius and 90% XL's...Definitaly XL if you're thinking Stratus.
I wear a medium and order all mediums, and everything layers fine with the Celsius outer layer.
Hey Curt is the Stratus bibs and jacket worth upgrading to or should I do Kelvin pants under my Open Country Celsius to go with the Kelvin jacket?
How do ya'll feel about the Russell APXG2 clothing compared to the Sitka Gear? It looks pretty similar, but the prices are substantially more affordable.
No comparison at all as far as the material goes. i used some of the midlayer stuff on a trip to Missouri last month. The material was warm enough but picked up a lot of trash walking thru the brush.
The Stratus is great at what it's designed for, to cut cold wind! The fact that it keeps the wind out, helps keep all your warmth in.It makes a difference!
But with the addtion of the windstopper to cut the wind, you'll have to deal with a little more noise. Not really bad when drawing, but it's noticalble when rubbing up against the bark of a tree.
I find I have to a little extra carefull when moving around in my stand when deer are close. So far, so good.
To gain something, you give up a little something.
Overall it's a warm jacket, that is very good at what it was developed for.
Kelvin is without a doubt the warmest layer I've ever worn. But I haven't tried the Incinerator jacket yet....yet! :pray:
One more question on my mind if for the time being I ordered the core base or traverse base and mixed that with my wool pants and Asbell wool pullover would that provide much warmth and still not be too bulky? I can see where buying the necessary items will take a little while to acquire, just looking for a good combo in the meantime.
Glad I found this thread as I too am looking at buying some Sitka. I have a full set of GWW wool for when the temps really dip, so I'm covered there. I'm looking for a system that will serve me well in Sept spot/stalking mulies in SE Wyoming and will get me through mid Nov sitting in a tree stand in S.ILL. I'm thinking that in addition to the bottom two layers, the Jetstream Jacket & vest with the Mountain Pant (like the kneepad idea) or 90% might work for me. Our temps don't get real cold by mid Nov, but sometimes the wind will chill me so I need to be able to block it when necessary. What system/combo do you all recommend?