Dakota hoody is the best option in TX, the wind stopper is perfect for running the coast or river beds of Texas. Does an exceptional job at cutting wind

"Worth it" is a relative term. It may be all that and a bag of chips, but where I hunt I have no need. My moderately priced gear suits me fine... dry and warm all season, does not interfere with killing ducks at all. Same reason I drive a half ton truck. I don't need anything larger to pull a boat or my camper.

If I hunted in much colder environments my opinion would most likely be different, just like if I bought a 5th wheel.

I see Sitka as a tool when I see their clothing. I see it as a fad and some strange [censored] movement with the whole diverge deal. I’m a Simms, waxed canvas, old school Columbia, woolrich kind of guy. Those type of hunting clothes are what I consider tools that has yet to fail me. I’ve been to Alaska and in between and have never been cold once. The best gear period is Simms.

In your opinion, bc you can't say something is the best without trying them all.
It's definitely not a fad, Sitka is the industry leader and standard for a reason.
You don't have to like it, but it does work.
And Simms doesn't even make hunting gear, you're trying to compare apples and oranges.
Also, Simms waders are made with goretex, as are Sitka's waders, and Gore, the company that makes goretex, owns Sitka.... Mic drop lol

One think I've noticed from this thread is the sitka fans are very passionate about "their" brand. I guess it's either bc the stuff is that good or they have to talk it up to compensate for the money they shelled out for it. Either way I dont care. I'm not really a sitka fan, mainly bc my gear does just fine for what I need it to do. First lite and cabelas base layers, a light natural gear camo jacket, an old cabelas wading jacket for cold days, cabelas neoprene waders or Simms g3 waders. They've been getting the job done for years with no complaints from me

It gotten ridiculous like a cheby vs. ford thingy

A lot of sitka owners say if you have the first lite or other mountain company base layers that it's just as good.

All I'm saying is that it's good stuff, and people just love to hate on it without ever owning any of it.

Its like guys who own Yeti's and other rotomolded coolers vs. the guys who say its a waste of money and their 20 year old igloos do just fine.....


I'm about to buy my first, First Lite jacket, pants, etc. for use on my western hunts. Get the weight down while still getting great performance. I'll never gear up in Firstlite or Sitka to go sit in a deer blind. But on a western hunt or on more physical trips, its gonna come in a lot of handy.

I've never heard one serious western hunter bag on any of the premium hunting brands. Guys I know who have hunted all over the world, have told me that KUIU has made their entire trip when conditions got rough.


The types of guys who bag on that stuff are guys who do 99% of their hunting in a blind over a feeder. They don't understand its importance because they have no need to understand.


I've suffered thru hunts where my clothing was just fine, and on hunts where it left a lot to be desired. Its time to upgrade

FYI don’t buy the yukon roto cooler from Bucees, it’s suxs compared to RTIC, Yeti, and grizzly

As in save your money, pretty sure igloo has more insulation

There is no denying that technical fabrics, advanced DWR’s, technical Insulation and membranes have a higher rating system then cotton or cheap synthetics, question is if it’s really needed for your hunt.

Technical textiles IMO make hunts more comfortable, the more comfortable you are longer you hunt.

The Mountain is where it’s more applicable for technical fabrics, duck hunting well in Texas not so much, but on the Chesapeake in Jan, better bring your A game.

I just find it funny when the die hard brand dudes get so triggered when someone doesn't want to dress like them. No matter how much you spend on gear it's not going to make you a better hunter. If your gear works for your situation then that's all that matters.

I have the soft side cooler, I haven't had any issues with it in regards to it having the longevity of holding ice.

Good to know. The roto is terrible at ice retention, as in I want my money back

Explaining where the value isn’t really triggered.

This.

I rarely see anyone "triggered" who is a Sitka fan.

However, I see a ton of people on FB and even in this thread who do get triggered and like to talk crap about the gear and those who wear it.

I think it says something when 99% of hunters who have used the gear have nothing but positive reviews about the gear and the costumer service.

Not exactly true. I’ve had to tap out on a hunt where I was cold, wet and miserable for several days. Better gear would have enabled me to hunt longer and may have made the hunt a success rather than a miserable camping trip.

This November I went on a duck hunt with a few guys. Terrible weather, cold and raining. They showed up in regular deer hunting gear( plus waders ) and were wet and frozen in the first hour. I was dry and warm in my under armor storm and gore Tex gear and was happily smashing ducks while they were hating life

So In certain aspects higher performance gear certainly can make you a better hunter.

You can’t explain technical clothing to some one that may break ice twice a year duck hunting, or hasn’t had to pack a heavy wool coat 9 miles in day.

It doesn’t compute, nor should it if you think about it from their prospective, regardless the textiles have really improved a ton last 15 years has have price points and competition

I just want to know who truly is walking in 9 miles. A lot of people say they have, but you never see it on public water.

He's talking about mountain hunting more than likely on that comment.
And mountain hunting is Sitka's forte, but they have expanded to all pursuits and their duck hunting gear is superior to anyone else's. And TT85 made a great comment about warmth and comfort. That is what their mission is to keep you comfortabe, and the more comfortable you are, the longer you'll hunt, and more time in the field equates to better success.

Talking about mountains as a reference to weight. Last year I did it daily for little over 20 days, per my GPS/inreach

Sitka started as a mountain brand and technical fabrics carried over into water fowl. Kuiu doesn’t have waterfowl line but there are few carry over pieces.

There is a difference in textiles when you hit the extreme weathers. Jan on and In the Chesapeake, pouring raining all day, spending all day in waders, etc. this is when your cheaper gear fails. It wets outs and leaks, or insulation goes flat, or you sweat out your wades, then get a massive chill etc.

If you look at my original post I already clarified my thoughts on Texas, but rest of the country not so much.

You are basically making and agruement saying the cheap frogtoggs and hogmens breathable wader are comparable to upper end Simms. From fly fishing CO, teal season and wade fishing the coast all my life, that’s a statement lacking knowledge coming from actual use of the compared products. Yes frogtoggs and hodgemens work, but comfort and longevity aren’t comparable.

If you want to assume i am talking about grabbing the cheapest pair of waders or anything off the academy rack i would not disagree with you about comfort and/or longevity. You do need to spend money on gear where it matters. You just don't have to spend at the high end of spectrum when you are comparing higher end companies

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-H1rJiAFtw/?igshid=exppytsyq169

Here's a video kind of reiterating what Bobo is talking about.

Big Part of it, I have no need for sitka waders but I damn sure see the allure of the rebuildable ability after living by Cabelas lifetime warranty “every other” year.

My simms out breath and out live my cabelas breathables 6-1. Neo’s I’m using Mack’s and havent had any issues but I image the boots will fail just like Cabelas neo’s here shortly.

Little things like that.

I’m no way advocating anyone spend money on gear over hunting opportunities but the higher end gear has a place especially in places where elements are not near as forgiving.

Seeing as this is posted in the "Migratory bird" page, I'll start with my response specifically about the WF line. "Worth it" is a subjective standard, meaning it cannot be definitively answered. I own a LOT of Sitka gear (35ish pieces
across their lines) because I think it is the best stuff on the market in the waterfowl category. The waders are technically very similar to Simms, just with slight adjustments to make them more hunting friendly. I grew up hunting out of neoprene waders, and the last 3 seasons before buying Sitka waders, I used the Banded Red Zone waders. Due to my employment, I can get just about any neoprene wader or the red zones for a SUBSTANTIAL discount, but I still chose to pay retail for the Sitka ones. I usually get 2-3 seasons out of a pair of neoprene waders or Banded's before they break down.

Why?
The Sitka waders (and this applies to the whole WF line) won't directly help you kill more ducks. People who act like that's reasonable, or like that is the metric that matters are dumbasses. You can see it in this thread already. "oh my cheapo waders don't flare ducks, so they are fine." If that is your standard, good for you. That isn't my standard. What I want is a product that helps me kill ducks more COMFORTABLY. The Sitka WF line does that a number of ways.

Specifically on why I got their waders
-lightweight waders that don't feel like I'm fighting a bunch of rubber bands every time I lift my leg. I am REGULARLY less tired than the people I hunt with because of this, and it makes the walk in a hell of a lot more comfortable when we do it
-breathability, so that when I set decoys or walk, It doesn't feel like I'm wrapped in a trash bag and soaked in sweat when Im ready to take a seat and get to the fun part
-repairable which means I can send my waders in during the offseason and have them checked for leaks and patched on the off chance there is a leak I don't know about. This also means less downtime in season
-Durability that allows me to walk through flooded corn and be confident I'm not going to poke or tear a hole and end up wet after laying in a blind that might be super wet or muddy on soft ground.

Most of Sitka's WF line is incredibly well thought out and well constructed. I don't love Banded or Drake, because almost every piece I see from them has a pretty major flaw, whether it be fit, taped seams, pocket placement or anything else. Sitka just seems to get it "right" more often. Their baselayers are fine, but their insulation pieces and shells are spot on in my opinion. If you have any specific questions on specific products, let me know, I'm happy to help!