Sitka Gear has hit another home run with the Celsius Gear: Geared for Cold Weather.  This last month, I had the opportunity to test out that gear as well as the new Sitka Stormfront GORE-TEX® Jacket and Pants and that week I spent in comfort and warmth all week.  This gear is lightweight, comfortable, easy to move in  and filled with the kind of details that you just would not expect on hunting gear.

Sitka Gear is best in class gear built for hunters who understand that everything from their socks to the gear they wear on their backs, the pack they use all the way to the ammunition they choose for their gun is a part of their gear.  When choosing to hunt trophy class animals this what you should be choosing to wear when you head out into the outdoors.Whether you are headed to the stand in cold windy Manitoba or into the back country on a DIY Elk hunt Sitka Gear now has a system of clothing to cover your every need.

Sitka Celsius Gear

Sitka Gear builds performance-driven clothing and the new Celsius fabric will keep you warm, dry and give you the options you need on a hard hunt.  While in Manitoba the wind, the temperatures and the snow all came together over the 6 days of hunting to give me a pretty wide variety of conditions to test this gear out.  When it was warm, it was easy to open up some of the air zippers on the jacket or bibs and let in the air to cool down.  When it was really cold, I was able to shut down this system and stay warm trapping my body heat inside.  Some of the features of this gear are: 

• The Proprietary soft shell fabric with a high loft soft shell insulation

• Durable Water Repellant (DWR) finish for a high level of water resistance, while maintaining maximum breathability

• Sitka Celsius System maintains a high heat-to-weight ratio, offering maximum heat retention without the usual bulk

• Body mapped to put insulation only where you need it and take it away from where you don’t.

• Fully articulated cut in the bibs and jacket ensure hunter’s ability to accurately draw a bow or shoot.

• Hand-warmer pockets in the jacket open to the inside to access inside pockets or the kangaroo hand-warmer pocket in the bibs

• Secure TPU cuff tabs on the jacket

• Easy access thigh pockets on the bibs

All of that being said, what is my real opinion……

Sitka Gear really did hit it out of the park with this set.  That being said, I was still a bit cold but I think that is just me to be honest.  I spent the month before I jumped on the plane for my trip to Manitoba on a diet and lost 27 lbs and I lost all of my extra insulation.  The week before I left it was like 70 in Virginia and I just had not built up the tolerance for it.  I cheated and supplemented with pocket warmers and on the coldest day my Carol Davis Bodysuit.  The zippers, the stitching, the Camo pattern (Mothwing Mountain Mimicry) and the cloth used is all top of the line.  Every single snap, every zipper pull screams quality.

The bibs were excellent and it seemed to trap the heat in.  When I first got these I was a bit unsure of the strapping for the bibs as it is a rubber material but they really held up well and after a couple of washings seem to really hang in there.  I do however recommend that you wash these inside of an open mesh bag so the water and soap can get in and clean these and the straps do not get hung up while they are being washed.

The jacket is excellent and the vest is first rate and I am ordering a black vest to wear on a regular basis even when not in the field.   I like the pockets, especially the breast pocket as it fit my tags, call and a pocket warmer.   My big suggestion is to either try on the jacket before you buy them or order one size up on the jackets as they run a bit on the small size.   The hat is a must have and covered my ears like a good beanie with a soft inside felt and well worth the extra money.

If your planning on hunting in snow, cold weather, wind or plan on hunting in a stand or sitting on top of the world glassing for that one trophy animal, the Celsius.

Now, where do you get such great gear online... The best bet is Schnees of Bozeman, Montana.  Schnees has been serving the hunter since 1946.  They have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and the company is committed to conservation.  My recommendation is to order the complete Celsius System with the Traverse Bottom and Shirt.

ORDER FROM SCHNEES

Sitka Gear Website

I will review the Sitka Stormfront Jacket and Pants in a future review… It is bomb-proof gear and completes this set up well.