This fall my wife and I were fortunate to draw mule deer tags in a great unit in Nevada. Although we were excited about the opportunity to hunt this unit, there was one drawback. It was going to be in August and that meant hot weather. I’m talking 90 degrees in the middle of the day. The saving grace was that we got to field test some of the new Sitka gear that’s designed for such conditions.
ASCENT SHIRT AND PANT
The Ascent product is the perfect outer wear for warm to hot conditions and is now available in a women’s line. The Ascent shirt is lightweight, you won’t notice you are wearing it. Plus, it’s breathable and quick drying. I especially liked this feature since long uphill stalks tend to leave me wet with perspiration. The sleeves are form fitting so you don’t have to bother with an arm guard. Two mesh backed, zippered chest pockets proved to be ideal for carrying my range finder and keeping it out of the way.
The Ascent pant is similarly constructed – lightweight and durable. The pant has mesh backed pockets which allow for ventilation and storage of all of the things you carry with you. The pant has lots of pockets and most of them are zippered to keep things safe. Two large front pockets have snaps which close without any noise. I really liked this feature – snap to close, no noise. Also, the pant has an internal mesh knee pad pocket with rubber inserts for crawling on rocky terrain.
Both of these products contain Sitka’s polygiene odor control technology to keep your body scent to a minimum. Again, something that is needed on hot days when you’re perspiring a lot.
I chose to wear the Mountain pant, which is light and tough. The pant has removable, soft knee pads which I made use of more than once. The pads sure saved my knees on a couple of crawling stalks. The pant fabric is durable and withstood my unintended attempts to tear it on desert brush.
JACKETS
I chose the Jetstream Jacket. It is water resistant for hours and the seams are designed to aid in shedding water. WINDSTOPPER laminate keeps the wind from chilling your upper body. The jacket has two zippered hand pockets and two zippered chest pockets for storing goodies.
The inner lining consists of a micro-grid fleece to knock the edge off the early morning and late evening chill. I found the jacket to be comfortable and did not impend my shooting.
My wife, Shelby, chose to wear the Kelvin Active Jacket. It contains Polartec © Alpha insulation and was ideal for the cool mornings and evenings. The fabric is breathable and dries quickly. The jacket has zippered hand pockets and an interior zip chest pocket. Although it’s designed to be worn under other garments in colder weather, it works fine in milder conditions. The material is ripstop nylon.
SUMMARY
This was the first time I’ve used Sitka’s products and I was very impressed. At first glance they may appear to be expensive, but when you consider the comfort, the durability and the number of seasons they will last, the cost is more palatable. Sitka has built a line of clothing based on functionality and quality and that hasn’t diminished with its current products. From my perspective, it gets two big thumbs up.
For more please go to: Sitka Gear
For more please go to: Roy K. Keefer
