Evaluation: Sitka Core and Celsius Gear - Gore Optifade Pattern

[escpen]

I have heard and read a lot about Sitka Performance Gear and have wanted to try some out for quite awhile now. I was able to acquire a Core base layer and Celsius outer wear, all in the GORE Optifade Concealment pattern, and thought I would post some general information and some real-world experiences with the gear. I will try to update this thread after each hunt indicating how the gear performed for me. Your thoughts, feedback, and questions would be appreciated. Please share your experiences.

Anthony

Overview - Performance Gear

Core base layer
Made of silver impregnated polyester, the Core Base Layer is designed to be worn next to the skin to wicks away moisture while also killing odor-causing bacteria. The Core Base Layer material also features 4-way stretch, providing added comfort while keeping you dry.



Core Crew - $79 (MSRP)
Core Bottom - $69 (MSRP)

Celsius Gear
Sitka’s Celsius lineup is designed to provide high insulation values without the bulk that normally comes with it. Each of the products in this line features a high loft insulation inner layer, offering maximum heat to weight ratio, and a whisper quiet polyester outer layer finished with Durable Water Repellant (DWR) finish. Built for the tree stand hunter, the Celsius series places the high loft insulation in strategic areas to help fend off even the coldest of conditions.

Celsius Jacket – 2.0 lbs., $299 (MSRP)
The Celsius jacket incorporates a number of features that allows the user to adapt the gear to their specific needs. Specifically, it incorporates a removable hood that zips on and off quite easily, although there may be a little bit of noise. The hood is form fitting around the head and should protect against all but the worst that Mother Nature can throw at you without restricting your field of view. Velcro is used to secure the hood which could be a bit noisy if you aren’t careful, alerting game that may be close by. If you take your time and remove the hood slowly, this should not be an issue. There are also zippers under the armpits allowing the user added ventilation / breathability when the need arises.
The pockets on this jacket are situated quite well with standard hand-warmer pockets and an interior and exterior chest pocket. The hand-warmer pockets conceal the quick draw cinch cord that allows the user to seal off the bottom of the jacket. Locating this mechanism inside the pocket helps to reduce any unwanted brush snags that could happen if it were located externally. Also inside the hand-warmer pockets is another zipper that allows the user to access interior layers. This could come in handy when adding chemical warmers to warm up or to get to that ball-point pen that you’ve kept close to your body to keep it from freezing up. Although I’m certainly not an expert when it comes to sewing and seams, the construction of this jacket appears to be of the highest quality and what you would expect from an item with an MSRP of almost $300. If there were something that I could change about this piece of equipment at this point without having ever worn it in the field, I would ask that Sitka incorporate a back-tag holder into the middle of the back of the jacket. The law in my state dictates that your back-tag has to be visible in the middle of your back; Sitka provides a tab that is offset to the left of the jacket.

Hood Zipper:


Pit Zipper:



Celsius Vest – 1.1 lbs., $149 (MSRP)
Incorporating many of the same great features as its jacket counterpart, the Celsius Vest is designed as both an insulation layer for those cold mornings on stand as well as a stand-alone outer layer for more temperate weather conditions. Differences from the Celsius Jacket are that there isn’t a detachable hood, access to interior layers is not provided and there isn’t an interior zip pocket. The hand-warmer pockets go all the way up to the chest, as well, offering ample storage. The same construction principles applied to the jacket were maintained for the vest, although one stray thread was found on the left shoulder area. A quick discussion with a Sitka representative made it clear to me that they would take care of this issue, even though the vest is not impacted from a functional perspective. This is a great example of Sitka’s commitment to their product and customer service.

Stray String


Celsius Bibs – 2.0 lbs., $249 (MSRP)
Like the Celsius Jacket, the focus of the Celsius Bibs is to provide warmth and comfort in inclement conditions. The additional coverage afforded by the bib allows for additional heat retention to the core of the body, which is also critical in keeping the extremities from becoming cold. A 1/3 leg zipper aids in getting the bibs on and off and also assists in covering even the tallest of boots. The button on the cuffs also keeps the legs secure. Adjustable suspender straps easily adapt to different torso lengths for a perfect fit. Deep pockets are provided in the standard location near the hips and additional zippered pockets are located near the thighs. Two pockets are located on the chest area, one with zippers on both sides of the body that allows access from one side to the other and the other near the top of the bib. The upper pocket is situated in front of the through pocket, making it an ideal location to place a hand warmer to keep your fingers nice and warm. Again, the construction of the Celsius bibs appears to be impeccable with no noted imperfections.

Bibs:


Celsius Hat – 0.1 lbs., $35 (MSRP)
Realizing that most of your body heat is lost through your head, Sitka offers the Celsius Hat to help fend off the cold. Made of the same material and construction methods as the rest of the Celsius line, this hat is sure to help keep you warm and dry for those longs outings on stand. No imperfections were noted.

Hat:


Pattern:
– Gore OPTIFADE is the first science based concealment technology and is designed based upon the vision characteristics of deer and other ungulates game animals. Specifically, it considers how animals perceive the ratio of negative to positive space, which is unlike any other mimicry pattern on the market. More to come as I see how game animals react to the pattern

Real World Experience:

10/17/09 - For my first hunting experience with this gear, it was 37 degrees with a 7 mph wind. With only the core base layer and the Celsius outer wear, I was able to comfortably sit for 4 hours on stand before getting down. By the time I got back to my vehicle, the thermometer indicated 42 degrees so there was only a slight increase in temperature increase over those four hours.

All in all I was pretty impressed with the Sitka products. The core base layer kept me dry during an exerting up-hill climb to my stand. I credit the moisture wicking abilities of the base layer combined with the insulation in the Celsius layer for keeping me warm on this relatively cool morning.

More to come.

[Crom]

I also have been using the Optifade pattern this year. I have the 90% jacket, Acent pants and the beanie.

My first real "test" of how well the pattern works, came about 2 weeks ago, I was walking to my feeder to fill it up, then I planned on going for some birds, it was 11:30 am or so, as I came around the bend towards my feeder I was about 30 yrds away when I saw a doe and fawn feeding. I stopped, she saw the movement and looked up at me. I froze in place and waited...she kept looking at me, and then actually came closer, trying to figure out what I was! After a min or so, she walked back to the feeder and went back to eating. I really feel that she couldnt make out what I was and possibly lost me due to the pattern, I have had deer spot me before without camo on, and they walk off if they dont feel threatened, and if they do feel threatened I get the tail flag, and a hasty retreat.

I am a believer in the Optifade pattern, and will continue to use it and evaluate its performance.

[ToddM]

The Sitka stuff is good for active hunting, but it's not very durable if you are in the brush etc. I used a set of celsius jacket/bibs elk hunting this year for a couple weeks and by the end the bibs are pretty well trashed. Several tears in the legs, and one leg snap that tore off. The Jacket held up much better but that doesn't surprise me since on long hiking days etc. the legs are going to see the most wear from brush etc.

The gear is warm, well designed, and quiet easy to move in, but the outer fabric is not durable at all if you are in brush/trees etc. I suppose there is a trade off between quiet/flexible and durable but for $250 I can't say I'm too impressed with them being pretty well shot after a couple weeks of hunting. Mine are on the way back to Sitka to fix the leg snap, and inquire about the other wear/damage but my guess is they will just say it's normal wear and tear from hunting.