fl sanctuary or Sitka fanatic

[TreyPound]

First lite has been absolutely top notch for me. I got rid of all my Sitka gear and went fill first lite.

The quality and craftsmanship of the first lite stuff was well above sitka, and anytime I’ve had to deal with customer service for first lite, I’ve been blown away. They’re always fantastic and go well above and beyond. You won’t be disappointed in the first lite gear at all.

 

[m2md6]

Sanctuary

 

[magstar67]

I have Sitka Fanatic and best money I’ve spent on hunting gear but don’t think you can go wrong with either. I have some warm weather FL stuff and it’s top notch too

 

[magstar67]

My biggest problem being in Missouri was no one sells FL here. With Sitka I was able to put my hands on it at least at Cabelas before hand.

I think Cabelas having Sitka for years now they were a little ahead of FL going after the whitetail hunter so more people are familiar with it, the average whitetail hunter is vaguely familiar with Sitka but has never heard of FL

 

[Chowell]

Sanctuary, but be prepared to pack them used them last year and wasn’t cold once. Crazy how warm they are

 

[Headhunter]

I love Sitka clothing, but if you’re looking for Merino wool clothing go FL, otherwise you can’t go wrong with Sitka

 

[Dualsight]

I get cold easily, but Sitka keeps me warm. I've had deer stare me down, not spoke, and eventually just walk away.

 

[bigbuckdj]

I’ve never used the Sitka fanatic stuff but I have the sanctuary bibs and jacket . It’s really great but I bowhunt out of a climber most of the time and I have to pack it in because I’ll sweat through my clothes if I get too active while wearing it. It’s the only stuff I’ve used that keeps me cozy in single degree temps while I’m perfectly still and exposed 25 ft up a tree.


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[*zap*]

Have sanctuary bibs and just got fanatic bibs, the pocket layout is much better on fanatic and so is the fit. Bring on the cold!

 

[Jimss]

I have a Fanatic vest and really like it for layering. As an outer it's super quiet when hiking through brush. In fact, I had trouble finding a vest with quiet cloth materials. The big pouch in front is nice for quick access to gear. Also like the hand warmer pockets. I usually spend quite a bit of time hiking between sitting/glassing locations. In those instances when I'm spotting and stalking it's nice having the flexibility of layering rather than being stuck with coveralls. The Fanatic vest has a little more insulation than many of the other vests....which is another plus. I can see where coveralls are just the ticket for tree or ground stands where you are sitting for hours in super cold conditions.

 

[KChunter71]

Sanctuary set work for bow hunting too? I need outer layer for hunts below freezing. Hit 29 during my muzzy hunt with wind and I got a little cold. Had a BP jacket and bibs but they are well used, bulky, and lost the bibs on a snow goose hunt last winter

 

[Ace12]

Sanctuary set work for bow hunting too? I need outer layer for hunts below freezing. Hit 29 during my muzzy hunt with wind and I got a little cold. Had a BP jacket and bibs but they are well used, bulky, and lost the bibs on a snow goose hunt last winter

The sanctuary is legit. With one base layer I was good for 5 hours in the 20’s. No fear of single digits with a couple quality bases on underneath. I didn’t think my bow arm would be restricted either

 

[KChunter71]

The sanctuary is legit. With one base layer I was good for 5 hours in the 20’s. No fear of single digits with a couple quality bases on underneath. I didn’t think my bow arm would be restricted either

Just placed my order! I bet you have to pack them in on a long walk!

 

[Lake L]

I have the sanctuary system and love it. No experience with Sitka stuff.

 

[Thess87]

Have sanctuary bibs and just got fanatic bibs, the pocket layout is much better on fanatic and so is the fit. Bring on the cold!

This is exactly one of the reasons I switched from FL to the sitka fanatic. Pocket layout is way better. And I had trouble with the zippers in the sanctuary bibs being smooth.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Pulled the trigger on a set of Fanatics, now just waiting on cold weather to try it out. Does that make me crazy, hoping for 0 weather or less?

 

[Jacob Chapman]

I haven't tried the Sanctuary or Woodbury systems from FL- I have the Fanatic bibs and jacket so I don't need to.

The pocket design (jacket and bibs) suits me perfectly, it's plenty quiet, warm as all get out and windproof.

No, I don't walk in it (to avoid burrs, as well as to avoid sweating), but that isn't what I bought it for.

I purchased to keep me on stand during the cold Iowa winters- and it does just that. Even on grandpas farm, the distance I have to walk I am usually only walking in my base layers and maybe a softshell pant and jacket anyway to avoid getting too hot.

I do have some pieces from FL (rain gear, puffy, tech fleece and some merino) and do like that as well. The original Kanabs I had finally bit the bullet, really liked them just didn't last long enough for my use to justify another purchase.

Celcius Midi jacket will be my next purchase from Sitka

 

[BustaRibs]

Sitka totally redesigned the Fanatic line for the 2019 season. So any reviews based on Fanatic gear released prior to this season (with a few exceptions) would be based on the older version(s) of the line, which is inferior. The current Fanatic line is quieter, less bulky, more feature-rich and most importantly - warmer. I had the very good fortune to field test a full set of prototype Fanatic gear last November ('18) in the Edmonton Alberta Bow Zone, during a treestand rut hunt for trophy Whitetails. I spent 6 days hunting in temps as low as minus 15-20 f. Without the need for excessive layering, I was comfortable doing 4-5 hour am/pm sits each day. I've hunted the Bow Zone since the early 90's, and I have frozen my sack off up there over the years, but I can honestly say that I was as comfortable in the new Fanatic gear in my tree as I was in my sleeping bag in bed back in camp. Don't want to sound like a shill, but the stuff is amazing. Wish I had it 25 years ago.

 

[ClintIsKING]

I was looking for a post like this since I tried on the Fanatic other day and boy does it feel nice. Sucks First Lite isn't sold in stores to be able to try on.

 

[tmidthun]

I switched from the Sanctuary set to the Solitude set from FL this year and haven't regretted it. With the lighter jacket and bibs I'm able to wear the set in a wide range of temps with the correct layering. I usually pack in the jacket and bibs, so having a little less bulk has helped. The Solitude has handled everything the ND has thrown at it this year, so far no complaints.