About to order Sitka. Help me out.

corylee4870

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I don’t have anywhere local to try it on and they’ve got a ton of stuff. I’ll be Bivy hunting elk in Colorado 8/24 - 9/1 and possibly again 9/12 -9/20.

I am planning on ordering -
- Core Light Weight half zip or hoody
- Traverse Zip T
- Cloudburst jacket

I also have UA base layers if I need them.

Will the Core half zip & traverse be enough most of the time?
Would the Traverse hoody or Kelvin active jacket be better than the Traverse zip t?
Is the Traverse zip T pretty durable? Is it quiet enough to bow hunt in?
Also, is the cloudburst more durable, warmer, &/or quieter than the Dewpoint? The cloudburst is spandex. The Dewpoint is nylon.


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Jordan Budd

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Can’t really comment on the Cloudburst. Instead of the core piece as a base I would go for the merino instead. Better qualities with merino than only the core IMO. The traverse zip t is one of my favorite pieces, definitely quiet enough and super comfortable. I’m in that or the heavyweight core hoody most of the time. The kelvin active is a good piece but I’d prefer the traverse over it. A good puffy jacket over that and your rain jacket and you should be good to go for that season.


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corylee4870

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Thanks Jordan.

I’ve been going back and forth on the Merino. I’ll probably go Merino.

Has anyone used the Apex hoody? Could I use it as a base layer? How would it compare the light weight merino on hot days and cool mornings?




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marktole

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I haven't used the apex hoodie, only looked at it at a Scheel's. I don't know if you've ever used the First Lite Chama hoodies, but it was really similar to that, I've used the First Lite Chama before. I think the Apex would be a great next to skin or base layer for Colorado where it might be 30 degrees or colder in the morning, and in the 70's by afternoon.

As for the other pieces you mentioned, the traverse zip-t is a good piece, has a tougher outer layer than the core midweight zip-t, which is a comparable piece Sitka makes. Like Jordan said, its quiet enough to bow hunt in. I've never used a Cloudburst jacket, but it should be more than enough to suffice. Most of the rain in Colorado during elk season is quick afternoon thunderstorms, sometimes it will set in and rain for a few days. But the point is, its not the Pacific Northwest and you're not going to be having precipitation and busting soaking wet brush all day, so the Cloudburst, or even the Dewpoint, would be fine. (The reviews on Sitka.com probably answer your question that the Cloudburst is a little more durable than the Dewpoint.)

As far as asking about the traverse vs the kelvin active....I'll just say that some people can stay warm better than me...but if it were me..I wouldn't be going to the mountains without some kind of puffy insulation as part of my layering system.

For the dates you mentioned in Colorado I'd probably take....

1. Base layer that you hike/hunt in, merino or core series. I personally like the core series better, because I sweat like crazy and the synthetic material dries better than wool.

2. Mid/Outer layer of some sorts. Traverse zip-t, maybe a Jetstream or Timberline jacket, a lot of personal preference goes into this choice. I like carrying the Jetstream because it blocks wind so well and it has a little insulation to it, but some people might say its too much for earlier season or too heavy and bulky.

3. Kelvin lite or Kelvin active. I like to stay warm when I'm sitting up somewhere glassing or when I get up in the morning before I start hiking.

4. Rain gear of some kind. Have a Stormfront suit that makes the cut sometimes, otherwise I bring a $70 Marmot Precip jacket that works good.

To make my long, rambling post short, I would order the three things you already have your eye set on AND get some kind of puffy insulation, Sitka or not.
 
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corylee4870

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Thanks for the info. Helps me out a lot.


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corylee4870

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FYI - Sitka replied to my email.

To Sitka - I see that the Dewpoint is 20D Nylon and the Cloudburst is polyester. The
cloudburst has more pockets and weighs more. What else is different? Which
one would be more durable?

From Sitka - Both jackets have the same Gortex membrane and besides the features you
pointed out and the Dewpoint weighing nearly half of the weight of the
Cloudburst those are the only differences. The Cloudburst is more durable.
If you have any questions, please let us know!




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1shotgear

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I don’t have anywhere local to try it on and they’ve got a ton of stuff. I’ll be Bivy hunting elk in Colorado 8/24 - 9/1 and possibly again 9/12 -9/20.

I am planning on ordering -
- Core Light Weight half zip or hoody
- Traverse Zip T
- Cloudburst jacket

I also have UA base layers if I need them.

Will the Core half zip & traverse be enough most of the time?
Would the Traverse hoody or Kelvin active jacket be better than the Traverse zip t?
Is the Traverse zip T pretty durable? Is it quiet enough to bow hunt in?
Also, is the cloudburst more durable, warmer, &/or quieter than the Dewpoint? The cloudburst is spandex. The Dewpoint is nylon.


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I think that is a good setup. The cloudburst is a great gore-tex jacket. I also do really like the traverse zip-t because it is a lot tougher material than the core's. The traverse hoody is a very warm jacket. Probably a little too warm for Colorado. It can be upper 80's in October and November. For a packable gore-tex jacket the best one you can buy is the dewpoint series. The dewpoint series only come in Open Country. I archery hunt in either a core light weight or the traverse depending on the weather of course with a Jetstream, because the wind can be brutal sometimes.
 
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K_pem

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I think that setup would be okay but i definitely would say it can be optimized.

Personally i think the benefits of merino wool as a next to skin layer cant be beat. The thermo-regulation and ability to keep you warm even when saturated is unparalleled in my opinion. If you wanted to add a hoody i think either of the cores would be okay but not necessary.

Past that i would definitely say either the kelvin active or the kelvin light jacket over the traverse. I have the traverse zip t and i find it hard to fit into any layering situation unless its very cold. Otherwise i overheat and it gets saturated easily. Personally i use a sawtooth as a mid layer but im assuming were staying with Sitka. Plus the puffy will do a much better job of keeping you warm when you need it. The warmth to weight ratio is a lot better, so for me that would be my insulation layer of choice.

As mentioned the Jetstream series is amazing. I personally would go with a vest to avoid carrying two shells however. I used a jetstream all year last year up until November probably. This year I will be giving the mountain vest a try for early season instead since it is much thinner but will still cut wind well.

From there i think the cloudburst is spot on for what your looking for. If you were gonna be in AK or W WA, then i would say the stormfront probably suits you better.

That being said, I think i would layer something like this:
Merino zip t
Core LW or HW hoody (if you need a hoody, based on how hot or cold you run)
Kelvin active or Kelvin light (depending on hoody choice)
Mountain or jetstream vest (again depending on how hot/cold you run)
Cloudburst

My system for this year will be:
FL aerowool t or wilkins half zip (depending on temps ill add a sitka zip merino over the aerowool if needed)
FL Sawtooth jacket
Uncompagre jacket in pack (In my pack)
Sitka MT vest
Cabelas space rain gear

Maybe a little more then necessary but i like having the puffy with me at all times just incase, and the base layers allow me to shed or add based on what i might need. I wont ever be caught in the woods without a jetsteam or mountain vest, its just so versatile for keeping your core heat in. Up here in N idaho the temp swings can be intense, this of course is just my 2cents.
 
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corylee4870

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Thanks guys. I appreciate all the input.

Sitka makes it pretty hard to decide what you need. They’ve got a lot of choices and a lot of it is very similar.

I’m going to go with the merino long sleeve, Kelvin lite hoody, and the cloudburst jacket. I’ll take my UA base layer with me just in case. Maybe next year I’ll get some more pieces


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K_pem

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I think thats a good choice! You can always watch camofire and pick up another light midlayer. Ive seen the black ovis 230g merino hoodie (chama knock off) for like 50-60 bucks recently
 
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