It took quite a bit of time to finally pull the trigger on a piece of Sitka Gear. It wasn’t that I doubted the worth associated with the price tag… it was my reluctance to drop over $250+ on a jacket for a sport that I haven’t determined I even enjoy yet. However, I’m a gear-hound at heart and a sucker for anything shiny, fast, or expensive. So, after spending many weeks searching for the best possible deal and many times filling my cart but closing my browser when it came time to click that Place Order button, I finally did it.
I found a good deal through high-mountain-outfitters on a Jetstream Jacket in Open Country Optifade ($260 marked down from $330). It took me some deciding to go with the Optifade Open Country pattern too. I am in New England and know that the majority of New England hunting is relegated to the tree-stand, so the Optifade Forest pattern was the likely choice. But, seeing the aim of the Forest pattern line – which promotes stationary warmth over heat-generating mobility, I went with the Open Country. It’s still effective in a tree-stand, camouflage-wise, just not optimized as the Forest is. And although the majority of the Open Country series is designed for steep ascents and to shed heat and sweat quickly (not exactly New England deer country) – I can make it pull double-duty as a dependable soft shell for hiking. I may be a bit colder in a tree stand, but that can be remedied with better layering. I’d rather have to the freedom to regulate my body temperature than be stuck in a hot parka that won’t breathe.
Initial impressions of the Jetstream jacket showed me that a lot of thought and function-testing went into the design. It is tailored in such a way that maintains the maximum range of motion while still keeping my ass protected from the elements. Just looking at it, there is stitching and seams running at seemingly odd angles, but when I put it on, I quickly saw that every seam and line are carefully placed. For instance, on the sleeve, you don’t get just the one long seam running the length of the arm, joining the fabric at one point the entire length. Instead, I have a seam that comes to the elbow, then splits into two more along the forearm, which keeps the elbow from bunching up too much. The result is a jacket that doesn’t get in the way when scrambling over rocks, scooting around pines, and most importantly, drawing a bow.
The fabric itself is a softshell Windstopper® GoreTex fabric. It sounds a bit loud, but not abrasive like a rain shell. I’ve seen other jackets that are whisper quiet, but lacked durability and comfort. I believe this fabric is a happy median between durability and quietness. Also, I found that the fabric is loud only if my movements are quick, but when I slow down it becomes very quiet. That’s pretty much the point when hunting, isn’t it?
Other features on this 2010 model are a functional hood, pit zips, two hand pockets, two chest pockets, left hand sleeve pocket, and also left chest secondary pocket. The hood has two draw bungee cords on either cheek, that cinch the down along the crown of the head, and a draw string bungee on the back which pulls it down tight around the back of the head. I would’ve liked the hood to have a bill, similar to my Mountain Hardwear shell, that might ward off a light drizzle. But then again, this isn’t a rain shell, so I’d be soaked anyways. The hood does do an excellent job keeping my head warm, if I opt out of wearing a beanie. With the hood down, there is a traditional flip-up collar that keeps the wind off the neck, which is nice little added feature. All the zippered pockets are sealed, which has now become the norm on most mid to upper grade outerwear shells.
The interior of the jacket and hand pockets are lined with a brushed micro-fleece that feel great on bare skin. Ideal for glove-less hands. However, I found the interior of the jacket very uncomfortable when wearing short sleeves. This is because the inside of the pit zips are not covered or buffered by fabric. That means that you have the interior of these seam taped zips brushing against the underside of your arms. It becomes very irritating after awhile, but that may just be me. Any long-sleeve shirt remedies this.
These are my initial impressions, I will give a further update after I get through my first year wearing this jacket, which will include hiking, whitetail deer and spring/fall turkey. Hell, I may even take it fishing.
See the followup review here.
Sitka Gear allows authorized dealers to have Sitka items on sale – which is 20% sale usually between December and May. They distribute their new staff the first week of June and that’s when sales are over. So if you’re looking for a good deal, try buying your gear during the sale ‘season’. Very detailed description, I like how you went into some depth on providing info on the fabric & interior/exterior of the jacket. Now I have to read part 2 – follow up blog of this one.
Rocky Mountain Girl – thanks for the comment and the info on their sales! I may be in the market for a pair of their pants during the off-season. I try to provide more on the fabric because that’s part of what makes Sitka’s apparel so unique. It was something I was curious about when I look for reviews on their gear too. Plus, they have so many materials they use between their “lines”, ascent, traverse, 90%, etc.