Sitka Rant - disappointed

[Arloboy7]

Purchased my first major piece of Sitka gear earlier this year and I’m super disappointed. Was actually really shocked when I saw the wear on the jacket and the response they gave me. Really want to like this company but this is making it hard to do

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this. I know it’s minor but like I explain in the emails the jacket was hardly worn. It’s a piece of gear that’s meant for hunting so I get that it’ll eventually have wear and I’m fine with that, but for this to happen in the first 2 weeks and haven’t used it for anything other than going for a walk....

Let me know what you think.

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[KurtR]

put some tenacious tape on it.

 

[brsnow]

Been my experience with most “hunting”
Clothing companies. They are not that durable. If you don’t mind solid colors, many better options out there.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Put some tenacious tape on it and figure out what’s causing the wear and make a change. No big deal.

 

[Low_Sky]

The inside fabric on 2.5 and 3 layer waterproof fabrics is typically a fragile mesh. It's there to protect the waterproof membrane from abrasion and contamination without being a barrier to vapor permeability.

The response from Sitka is exactly what I would expect, and adding some Tenacious Tape or similar material in that high-wear area is an appropriate fix. Something rough on your belt or pants is rubbing in a way that Gore-Tex isn't designed to resist.

 

[mfllood3800]

I'd switch to First Lite.

 

[Beckjhong]

Gear tape and move on with my life. Prob something rubbing in that area—wouldn’t expect any company to cover that.


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[excaliber]

That looks like it was rubbing on something for sure. I didn't see you reply as to what it was rubbing on. If it wore through a Sitka jacket it's going to wear through any other brand.

I pretty sure that jacket didn't wear like that just wearing it.

 

[Jauwater]

I feel like their response is ridiculous. I've had a Mammut Chelan 3 layer rain jacket that I've been backpacking, and hunting in now for over two years, and the jacket looks damn near new. I've worn the jacket 50+ times. That's while wearing a knife sheath most of those times. The jacket probably has 100+ miles under a heavy pack. Jacket still looks, and performs great. I paid $150 for the jacket, and I could have returned it for a full refund for up to a year. You pay $500 for a jacket, and they won't replace it after two weeks? IMO, that's terrible customer service. I surely wouldn't ever buy another piece of gear from them. For the kind of money they charge, that customer service is lacking.

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[HuntHarder]

Yup, looks like it was rubbing on something pretty good. I have found that the more expensive a piece is, the less durable it is. It is really hard to make a super technical piece of gear and also have it be very durable.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I'd switch to First Lite.

I’ve tried all the big brands, started out almost exclusively FL, by the end of the first year, I was on first name basis with a guy in a warranty department.... I’m not anti FL, they typically fixed/replaced, but had to send 4-6 pieces back with very little use.
I agree, you will have durability issues with it all. In my experience, FL warranty department was the easiest to deal with, but needed to use it a lot. Most durable for me has been Kuiu.

 

[Mike Islander]

In your screen captures I don't see you answering their question about what it came into contact with. It can't abrade itself.

I'm skeptical, because you didn't answer his question about what it might be contacting. Are you hiding something?

 

[ljalberta]

Unfortunate, but maybe not totally surprising. There are trade-offs with lighter weight gear, and typically one of the tradeoffs is durability, especially if there's an abrasion point. That being said, if you truly are just walking about with it, and there's nothing generating extra friction at those points, then that's pretty disappointing - even for a light-weight piece. I have used lightweight rain jackets from non-hunting companies ranging in the 7-13oz range, with a pack on and have never seen any signs of wear like this from such little use. Not a very confidence-inspiring product here for Sitka...

EDIT: From Sitka's Website,

WHY WE MADE THIS
Rain gear for the big game hunter must be breathable, durable and lightweight. A lack of any of these qualities can compromise a hunt or–worse–lead to an emergency. For 2019, we streamlined the construction to reduce overall garment weight and limit failure points. The superiority of a 3-layer GORE-TEX® construction delivers the durability, breathability and industry-leading waterproofing that makes Cloudburst a go-to for mountain hunters worldwide.

Doesn't sound like they really hit the 'durable' mark.

 

[Arloboy7]

In your screen captures I don't see you answering their question about what it came into contact with. It can't abrade itself.

I'm skeptical, because you didn't answer his question about what it might be contacting. Are you hiding something?

I started the email off by saying it was only used as a rain jacket, never with a pack.
Obviously it did rub on something I’m just honestly not sure what. Scared to see what it’s gonna look like after hunting season with a full pack of gear on though


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[Mike Islander]

I started the email off by saying it was only used as a rain jacket, never with a pack.
Obviously it did rub on something I’m just honestly not sure what. Scared to see what it’s gonna look like after hunting season with a full pack of gear on though


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I saw that, as did the Sitka rep. What you never said was whether you had a pocket knife, flashlight, or some other hard/rough object on you that abrade it. That's what I meant about not answering the question.
In any case, it's true; lightweight = less durable. It is a tradeoff. But maybe they will find a more durable fabric that weighs the same in the next iteration. Are you positive it's not a counterfeit?

 

[Scottyboy]

Holy shit, shitka charges $400 for a jacket??? Damn, Gore sure is proud of them huh?!

 

[Mike Islander]

Holy shit, shitka charges $400 for a jacket??? Damn, Gore sure is proud of them huh?!

Never priced boutique hunting gear? Sticker shock for sure. Used on Rokslide.Com is a great play to buy.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Who pays retail? Tape it.

 

[Crowmangler]

Maybe they should include a roll of Tenacious tape with each jacket

 

[Scottyboy]

Never priced boutique hunting gear? Sticker shock for sure. Used on Rokslide.Com is a great play to buy.

Never bothered to look at Sitka. Have used KUIU for years, moving towards First Lite now.

$400 for “our lightest weight rain jacket”. My search ends there. I can only imagine what something with insulation costs. Sitka jacket and pants or a Montana elk/deer tag...tough choice.

I would agree the classifieds are a great place to shop