I am in the market for new camo this year. I am mostly a tree stand hunter in the northeast, looking for the best jacket and pants/bibs for late October into November/December, temps from 40F to 15F. Interest is peaked by Sitka and if it is up to all the hype. Unsure though if the stratus pants and jacket would hold up with layering for my time frame above in terms of warmth for all day sits or if the stratus pants with fanatic jacket would be better. Open to other clothing as well, looking for warm, athletic cut, durable camo.
I use Sitka, and I highly believe it is worth the hype. It keeps me comfortable, which allows me to hunt longer during adverse conditions. The stratus setup is the perfect all around gear, where you can wear it mid-season all the way into late season. Fanatic setup, for me, is limited to late season when it is 20's or colder with wind. I can stay warm in my stratus down into the 20's with good layering, but I like the looseness of just my fanatic so my draw cycle is not interfered with.
Stratus for me this year till mid December then Ill go with heavy MT50 from cabelas but the Sitka should do the trick till then. Got mine from Dunns, Cledus here can help ya out with sizing he did with me. Very happy now have to wait for the season to begin..
I can not attest for Sitka gear. I currently have the Under Armour bibs and Jacket and can say that I will not buy anymore hunting clothing from them. They are sufficient for early season with layering, however they are not water resistant whatsoever. I was completely soaked from walking through dewy CRP.
You should def look at Kuiu and first lite. They are legit. I have been using both and they are super functional.
Sitka fanatic or incinerator, may seem overkill but the incinerator packs into a little roll and cinches tight with a strap, so it's easy to pack in, that means ya just wear a base in on those 30degree days and slip it on once in stand. Fanatic though if 600$ for a jkt is too out there Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
I like the midlayering system of Kuiu, but their super down jacket and cold gear for late season Temps is too noisy for my liking. I would recommend Sitka if you have the finances. Although I dislike the way the new material picks up burs. Near impossible to get it out. The celcius jacket is a must have in my collection. If you are looking for a cheaper option with great reviews, I recommend looking into the first lite sanctuary jacket!
I started buying Sitka last year to replace all the Under Armour camo I have used the last 4-5 years. The price of Sitka is hard to swallow but I have been very pleased. I was torn between First Lite and Sitka but when I tried stuff on I liked the the Sitka better, lots of guys prefer First Lite though. I only have some Stratus pieces now but plan to add Fanatic this year (I get cold easily and froze in my Stratus in the low 30's last year in October even with good layers). And maybe some early season stuff for when it is 60 degrees.
As most guys have said, you get what you pay for. The guy I hunt with (who I consider a very good hunter) gave me this advice. He said you can have the best bow, arrows, etc. But that does you no good unless you're in the tree. He told me that he believes that some of the most important things you should get is functional camo and boots. You need warm, quiet, not bulky gear that fits your needs. Whether that is Sitka, Asat, Kuiu, First Lite, they are all great. I choose Sitka because it best suits my needs and keeps me in the tree.
Sitka outerwear with First Lite base layers would get my vote right now and I have yet to try FL outerwear. The older UA stuff was junk in my opinion, but they've been making some big changes. When it comes to Kuiu, I honestly don't know how anyone can use that for stand hunting. Having said that, it's all in personal preference and how much cold you can handle. If you do go with Sitka, I'd say the value is in the heavier layers. Fanatic hoody, Fanatic Jacket, Fanatic Bib, and Shacked are all great pieces. I have yet to try the Stratus set, that will be my purchase for this year. Early season - Fanatic Hoody, pants of your choice, and Shacket for insulation layer. Mid Oct- Late Oct - Fanatic Hoody, Stratus Jacket and pants, layering of your choice. Rut-Late season - Fanatic Hoody, Fanatic Jacket, Fanatic bib, any layering of your choice. This system has worked for me and I'm assuming the stratus will fill that mid season gap for me. Of course the temps will vary, but on average this will be what you use the most.
In warmer weather, I stick with ASAT. As soon as it turns cold, I'm in King of the Mountain Wool, blowdown color is my treestand pattern of choice. I'm just a big fan of wool, it even insulates when wet. Wool is expensive, but it is durable and warm.
I'm a big fan of the Cabelas MTO50 jacket and bibs. The only negative about them is the zipper on the jacket sucks. Thankfully my grandma has a small sewing business. I ended up buying a heavy duty metal zipper and having her cut out the old one and sewing in the new zipper.
I bought all KUIU gear for Elk hunting this September, and for Deer hunting I am switching to Scentlok I do like the camo pattern of the new UA Forrest Reaper clothing, but I think Scentlok has better scent containing quality.
The best places that I have found to get good, quality clothing is from, Bass Pro/Red Head Brand and Rivers West...
