Has anyone ever used it?

I feel like it might be the Yeti of camo ...

I bought some Sitka before I went on a couple of November Wyoming Mulie hunts. That **** is worth every penny. Sitting and laying on the cold ground and snow all day, rolling around in snow, riding horses at 8000'+ in the howling wind. Only part of me that got cold was my face. You know why my face got cold? Because I thought the face mask / scarf I use in Texas would be good enough. That wind proof material they use is worth it's weight in gold

Yes - and that is a good analogy. Similar to Yeti, most hunters don't really need to pay the premium associated with its increase in quality. Specifically, the clothing is fantastic for true mountain hunting where minimal weight, durability, flexibility, etc. are essential during 12-hour climbing in unpredictable weather. So drawing from your Yeti analogy, who really needs something on ice for 5 days or a cooler that is bear proof?

With that being said, if you do a fair amount of rigorous hunts, then it is worth it. I would also encourage you to look at Kuiu, which has become even more popular amongst guides and outfitters as of late. They appear to have slightly lighter material and also aren't as expensive. I've heard good things about Badlands as well.

Which models do you have FS?

I use sitka gear. Its one of the best out there. Hunts in Colorado, New Mexico, and South Texas. I also use my some of my older MCWCS gear. MCWCS stands for Mountain/Cold Weather Clothing System is a Marine Corps specific gear that's issued to us in the Marines.

Look at Kuiu and read about it. The guy that founded Sitka sold out to Gore and now has founded Kuiu. It's only sold over the Internet. I have both and they are very good but the latter is cheaper.....sizing is difficult for both.


http://store.kuiu.com/

AL Gore owns the company?

Yuck!!!!

No thanks...

I'll stick with my Gortex Gen I, II, and III gear. It was "free".

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I'll stick with my Gortex Gen I, II, and III gear. It was "free".

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You should have paid extra and got Gore-Tex...

My take on the expensive hunting clothes:

Even if you have the money to shell out for the entire line, don't.

Each brand has certain pieces that are 'Best of the Best'. Pick up those pieces, and mix in with other gear. Truth is, Sitka and KUIU and the like have taken high quality mountaineering gear and printed on proprietary camouflage patterns. Look to brands like Marmot, Arcteryx, Patagonia, Montbell, etc for similar gear with a smaller price tag - because you aren't paying for the camo pattern.

Example: I use the Marmot Scree as my primary hunting pant. Fantastic pant, competes with the KUIU Attacks, for less dough. They come in gray and khaki. I have both, have worn both from Colorado to Texas.

My favorite piece from the Sitka line is the Traverse Zip-T. Until I find something as soft/quiet, durable, and warm, it stays in front in the gear closet. Goes with me on every hunting trip from October on.

Nothing wrong with mixing gear from various makers to find the combo that works and saves. My layering system for Colorado was a combo of REI, Marmot, Patagonia, Sitka, KUIU, and First Lite. A little here and there from each.

I really need to do an article about this. Hunting clothing makes for good campfire convo.

Look at the Core 4 Element stuff. Exact same stuff as Sitka for 1/2 the cost. I've got a bunch of it and it's great for mountain/spot-and-stalk hunting where you want layers.

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Exact same stuff as Sitka for 1/2 the cost

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About 3 years ago I ordered some Core4 items, found the quality to be lacking. Poor stitching, strange sizing, heavy for the soft-shell items. Maybe things have changed since then? I felt like it was classic 'get what you pay for' and I returned them. Def priced better, but what seemed to be at a cost of quality at the time.

I too bought some Core4 some 3 years ago for a Colorado elk hunt based off reviews from this site. I figured it was time to get some new gear and I went with C4E. I was very happy with the quality and durability. I've done better at layering my gear with merino wool C4E base layers and not wearing bigger bulk gear. Camofire.com is the best way to buy C4E

I would also agree with the "yeti" stereotype when it comes to some higher end camo gear. Yeah, I bet Sitka and Kuiu has their place, but if you wanted better quality gear for less $ you could get Marmot. I know guys that have great hiking gear like Marmont or NorthFace and when they go hunting, they just throw a $10 camo long sleeve shirt of their nice warm shell.

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About 3 years ago I ordered some Core4 items, found the quality to be lacking. Poor stitching, strange sizing, heavy for the soft-shell items. Maybe things have changed since then? I felt like it was classic 'get what you pay for' and I returned them. Def priced better, but what seemed to be at a cost of quality at the time.

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That's sad to hear. I've worn mine on multiple hunting trips and never had any issues. Been very satisfied with the quality. I know that there has been several other people on here that have bought C4E stuff and been happy with it as well. Ive never seen negative feedback on other hunting forums either, so that's why I bought it.

I've got some core4, Sitka and KUIU gear and I don't think I'd put the core4 in the same class as the other. My KUIU guide jacket and vest are probably my 2 favorite pieces but the Sitka stuff is really high quality as well.

I use Arctic shield for my hunting cold weather gear, and it is great, but it is not Sitka. If I could afford it, I would love to have a full set.

My company provided a Sitka light jacket as a promotional item for one of our events, and it is my favorite jacket, but the pricing is just a little overkill for my recreational hunting. I'll definitley look at Kuiu next time I need new threads.

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Which models do you have FS?

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I have a hodgepodge of different stuff and almost none of the patterns match. Bibs, couple shirts, heavy jacket, vest, couple pants. I think my jacket is the Ascent model but the other stuff I have no idea. I knew for a couple of years that I would be going to Wyoming so I watched different websites like camofire and mountain hardware(?) and bought stuff in my size when it became available.

I've been wearing Russell Outdoors APXG2 stuff for the last 3-4 years and have been very satisfied, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to Sitka or the others mentioned. But it was also less expensive.

If you want a jacket from Sitka, I can recommend the 90%. Aptly named. They just upgraded the model, so look on some outdoor forums for people selling the previous style. Great jacket with a zippered chest pocket, pit zips, DWR coating. Stout.

I'm with PFG on this. I collected a bunch of hiking, skiing, and mountaineering gear while I lived in Colorado so my hunting gear is a hodgepodge mix of Patagonia, Columbia, Marmot, Smart Wool, Kuiu, First Lite, Cabelas, Russell, etc. I could write an article with my two cents on hunting clothes as well. If the Marmot Scree pants are comparable to the Kuiu Attack pants I'm interested.

IMO, Sitka can't beat a Kuiu and First Lite combo. Kuiu is a little less expensive and is fantastic. First Lite is priced with Sitka but carries a proprietary blend of Merino that is superb to Kuiu's Ultra and Smart Wool's blend. I like it so much it will be difficult to buy any other merino.

My recs for my new mountain hunting partners this year was Kuiu for pants, First Lite for merino, and mountaineering companies for outerwear if they didn't care about camo. One guy went all in with Kuiu and was very happy.

Wait until 2015 catalog comes out for Sitka. They'll have a new berber fleece line. Super light, completely silent, and very warm. Patience.

I own Kuiu wool base layer, Attack pant, Guide jacket/vest, merino gloves/beanie, and the Guide gloves/beanie and they are much better than I anticipated. The Vias pattern works well in western OK.

I will be buying Firstlite wool soon.

Thanks for all the responses guys.

In celebration for our pathetic bowl win, I bought myself three pieces from the Kuiu line.

Nice

I bought a complete set of Sitka gear and absolutely love it. I slid on my rear downhill for 300 yards stalking a Mulie in WY this fall and the pants still look brand new.

Everything fits very tight, but it's great if you're a bowhunter.

I think you will be very happy with the Kuiu purchase.

I was reflecting on PFG's post about using a variety of different products...I do that. I have a lot of products that I have bought over the years that I still like that have gone by the wayside.

I really like good products made from bush poplin....safari type stuff. The first really nice hunting shirt I ever bought was from Abercrombie & Finch. Once upon a time they were a great hunting store just north of North Park. I went to a Peter Hathaway Capstick book signing there shortly after they opened. The store closed in a couple of years and the clothing line disappeared.

Several years later I stumbled onto Willis & Geiger. They had a lot of fantastic products. I have never handled wool very well but I bought a sweater from them that is woven with cotton on the inside and wool on the outside.....I still wear it today. They also produced the most comfortable shirts I have. They called them "Bearer" shirts.....there is no seam between the shoulder and the arm. Sadly they closed.

Induna was another clothing line that had good products that came and went.

Tarpon Wear was great for several years. For a while they were the only company in the fishing line and their products were about $100 a piece. When Columbia came on the scene at $40 Tarpon Wear increased their prices.......great strategy. They soon disappeared. I feel that their original design is still the best for wade fishing.

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Example: I use the Marmot Scree as my primary hunting pant. Fantastic pant, competes with the KUIU Attacks, for less dough. They come in gray and khaki. I have both, have worn both from Colorado to Texas.

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PFG, can you tell me more about the Marmot Scree? It looks in the web photos to be a made out of similar material as the marmot soft shell jacket that I have.... and that stuff is a little loud. Not when you're just walking around, but if you're pushing through brush it isn't soft & quiet. Branches make a scratchy noise on it.

My mountain hunting is with a bow in hand, so I'm often trying to slip through willow thickets, etc. without making any 'unnatural' noises. Is it quiet, or no?

Any help you can offer would be great.

Once I get home from the deer ranch, I'll grab em and pay closer attention to the noise. From memory of wearing them in CO, they were quiet to me. But I was rifle hunting. I'll put them back on when I'm home and see if they are 'archery quiet'.

I'll tell you they are much quieter than my Kennetrek gaiters.

Ill compare them to my Sitka 90%

Gracias.

A couple of things about me ...

1. I'm impatient
2. I love to hunt

I've been thinking about the KUIU jacket, gloves, and beenie since I purchased them on Monday. All this thinking reminded me that I forgot to purchase the hat to go along with the ensemble. 5 minutes later, I took care of that problem.

I've not only jumped off the deep-end with this camo, I'm going in head first!

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A couple of things about me ...

1. I'm impatient
2. I love to hunt

I've been thinking about the KUIU jacket, gloves, and beenie since I purchased them on Monday. All this thinking reminded me that I forgot to purchase the hat to go along with the ensemble. 5 minutes later, I took care of that problem.

I've not only jumped off the deep-end with this camo, I'm going in head first!

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You're going to look like a dork in all matching camo.

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A couple of things about me ...

1. I'm impatient
2. I love to hunt

I've been thinking about the KUIU jacket, gloves, and beenie since I purchased them on Monday. All this thinking reminded me that I forgot to purchase the hat to go along with the ensemble. 5 minutes later, I took care of that problem.

I've not only jumped off the deep-end with this camo, I'm going in head first!

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Be sure and post your impressions when they get there

Bump to see if PFG ever had a chance to play with his scree pants and see how "loud" they are.

Also, based on what I'm finding on the internets it looks like they are all a standard length of pant (32.5" for the 34" waist I wear), so if that is true they won't work for me anyway since I need a "Tall" length (37" inseam). Even if I wear gaiters, 4.5" is too much to overcome.

Oops. This slipped by me.

I did test the pants for noise. They are on par with other soft shell fabric I own. I have some Sitka 90% stuff that I compared them too. Not any louder.

I have zero complaints about the pants. Thin enough to wear solo on warm or strenuous hunts, but plenty when paired with a base layer.

Durable. 2 years of crawling over blow downs and no rips or tears. There were a few times I caught them on a sharp limb and thought- there's a hole. Nope. Not yet.

Love the stretch of the fabric. And the zip pockets. And zip bottom cuffs. Can fit over boots or be zipped up to go under gaiters.

As for size, they do make a Tall version:

http://m.rei.com/product/845430/marmot-scree-pants-mens-long

I wore that grey color in CO this year. Not as dark as the picture looks.