As you are planning your hunts for the upcoming seasons, there are several things to think about. What equipment will you bring? What stand will you hunt from? What seasons would you like to hunt? What camo will you wear? Your camo and clothing choice is equally as important as any of the other considerations as you plan for hunting season.
High quality hunting gear is essential for increasing your odds of a successful hunt. The more comfortable you are, the quieter your are, and the more invisible you are, the more opportunities you will get.
SITKA Gear is now one of the most popular camo and hunting gear companies in the game and for good reason. They raised the bar for what the new standard in hunting clothing should be. In this article, we will discuss why SITKA Gear is one of the best choices for your next hunting adventure.
SITKA Gear Camo Technology
Sitka Micro Pattern
When you think about camo, you probably picture jackets and bibs covered with bark, branches, and leaves. SITKA says this type of camo is not effective, because it only visually camouflages us based on our sight not based on the sight of the animals we are hunting. The goal of camo is to make you disappear, not blend into a tree. This is achieved by breaking up your outline, similar to how the stripes on a tiger are so great keeping them hidden from their prey. SITKA built its camo technology around what our prey sees and the best way to break up your outline and make you invisible to your target.
They achieved this through their micropattern and coloring. SITKA says this micro pattern helps break up the outline of a hunter. It breaks down their 3D shape so small movements go undetected, and it matches the colors of your hunting environment, so if hunters are even slightly detected, they’re very hard to make out.
SITKA Gear Camo Designs
There are multiple different camo styles that we think are the best options for a successful hunt- Optifade Subalpine and Optifade Elevated II are some of the most popular choices.
Optifade Subalpine
The Optifade Subalpine is designed for hunters who want to stalk or ambush game from the ground and who are concealed by vegetation on the ground or from the trees above. Designed with Sitka's Optifade technology that is created by renowned team of camouflage and animal vision experts, this specific pattern has be optimized and intentionally designed to help you get close to elk, mule deer, or any other ungulate you are after.
Optifade Elevated II
The Optiface Elevated II is made for hunters chasing white-tailed deer and other game from elevated positions. It has been scientifically designed to confuse the vision of whitetail deer to conceal both position and movement. SITKA mentions that this camo has the contrasting whites and dark browns to adjust for bright skies and dark foliage. Elevated II is designed for hunters who are going after game 80 yards or closer or in an elevated position at around 15 feet.
SITKA also has solid colors options for some of their gear which are Black, Mud (dark brown), Covert (an olive green), Coyote (light brown), Eclipse (a faded navy), Red River, and Blaze Orange. These solid colors can be used for everyday use, as an insulation layer, or as a core part of your outer gear.
SITKA Gear Product Line and Layers
The product line that you choose will be determined by what kind of game you are hunting, where you will be hunting/how you will be hunting, and what type of elements you will expect on your hunt. Sitka Gear is designed to be worn in layers to create the most efficient and comfortable set of concealment possible.
SITKA Gear Fanatic Series
The Fanatic series features clothing designed for colder conditions- especially when hunting white-tailed deer. The outer layers have SITKA’s Berber fleece for silent moving in a tree stand, and include SITKA’s soft Windstopper Technology. They also have SITKA’s insulation system that traps body heat for warmth in cold conditions. The Fanatic series comes in Optifade Elevated II camo and is a fantastic choice for warm and silent concealment. Sitka designs every feature, pockets, and element of their clothing to have a practical purpose. You will not find random pockets for the sake of pockets.
The Fanatic Series has everything you need for a successful hunt. The Fanatic Hoodie is perfect either as an insulating layer or as an outer layer on warmer days. The Fanatic Vest is great to wear over the Hoodie and either as an insulating layer or outer layer. The Fanatic Bib is a good outer layer for colder winter hunts. Finish out your main suit with the extremely warm Fanatic Jacket. The Fanatic Jacket is even offered in right or left handed versions because it was designed specifically with the archery hunter in mind. The Fanatic series also includes a Fanatic Beanie with the soft Windstopper Technology and the Fanatic Glove which has index-finger and thumb cut-outs for use of an index or thumb button release.
SITKA Gear Aerolite Series
Aerolite gear is designed mainly as outer layers for hunters expecting rainy or wet conditions. This gear is waterproof insulated, and lightweight.
The SITKA Incinerator Aerolite Jacket and Incinerator Aerolite Bib are both designed for whitetail hunters expecting to hunt on rainy days. They are offered in one of the most popular and best performing patterns, Elevated II camo. The SITKA Kelvin Aerolite Jacket is featured in Subalpine camo, which is a great pattern for all hunters but is specifically designed for getting close to your prey on the ground. This jacket is also featured in SITKA Black, Coyote, and Deepwater solid colors. The Kelvin Aerolite Vest can also be used as a waterproof inner or outer layer. This vest comes in SITKA Black, River Red, or Shadow.
SITKA Gear Apex Series
The Apex Series is designed for hunters looking to stalk or ground hunt, since it features the Subalpine camo. The Apex Hoody and the Apex Pant are both made to keep hunters warm during cooler conditions, but not necessarily freezing cold conditions. They are also lightweight for easy movement while trekking across the backcountry. The clothing from this line could be used as outer layers or as inner layers to other SITKA clothing for colder days. On slightly colder days, hunters could add a vest to the Hoody for just a little extra warmth.
SITKA Gear Stratus Series
The SITKA Stratus line is perfect for hunting during the mid-season or for use as an under layer for insulation. Stratus clothing has a warm Micro-Fleece that is windproof and quiet. The Stratus series includes the SITKA Gear Stratus Jacket, the Stratus Vest, the Stratus Bib, and the Stratus Beanie. These all come in Elevated II camo, so they are perfect for whitetail hunters in tree stands. The Stratus Jacket and Vest also come in Blaze Orange.
SITKA Gear Jetstream Series
The Jetstream series is made for the backcountry hunter heading to the mountains. The Jetstream Jacket and Jetstream Vest are both windproof and quiet. The seam lines on the Jacket are strategically placed to shed water, keeping you dry on your hunt. The Jetstream Vest can be used as either an outer layer or an inner layer, depending on the weather and the hunter’s preference. The Vest comes in Black, Mud, Covert, and Eclipse solid colors and the Jacket comes in Black, Lead, Tidal, and Dirt solid colors. To have the most successful hunt possible, it’s key to have your equipment working for you, rather than against you. With SITKA Gear, you will be covered, protected, and nearly invisible to the game that you are hunting.