SITKA Ambient Collection

FrankAbagnale

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
180
I had the Kuiu merino 145 baselayer bottoms with Sitka Timberline pants. Worked perfectly. I also used my zip off Montbell puffy pants when I was glassing.
 

CR78

FNG
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
14
This past week in MT the temps were insanely cold (below 20) and eventually got up to 40ish one day. I wore a merino t shirt, long sleeve patagonia cap3 shirt, and an ambient. Wore a Jetstream vest over the ambient on the coldest days. It was perfect. Core was warm the whole time with no issues. When I stopped to glass, I used my Grumman puffy.

I’m sold on the ambient. It was a great piece and I still can’t believe how warm it is. On the warmest day, I started to sweat packing out a deer, but it dried out very quickly.

Jacket or hoodie?
 

sr80

WKR
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
1,325
Location
British Columbia
Anyone else not a fan of the cuffs on the ambient? I really like the pullover but the cuffs are my least favorite part of this jacket. They seem to be too short, even on the large / tall. And they turn inside out. I wish they had some sort of thumbhole / elastic cuff to it.
 

MT_Wyatt

WKR
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
1,920
Location
Montana
Anyone else not a fan of the cuffs on the ambient? I really like the pullover but the cuffs are my least favorite part of this jacket. They seem to be too short, even on the large / tall. And they turn inside out. I wish they had some sort of thumbhole / elastic cuff to it.
I agree they seem a bit short - I like that they stopped the unfaced insulation before the cuff just to make it a bit tougher....and they aren't uncomfortable to me, but given the hoody gets layered a lot, it would be really nice to have a thumb loop or similar like you suggest.

Has anyone compared the heavier 150g jacket to the 100g hoody? I like the hoody as a fleece replacement. The jacket with 1/3 more insulation seems intruiging for later season layering.
 

Pdzoller

WKR
Joined
Feb 27, 2021
Messages
321
Location
Oregon
SITKA has introduced its most advanced line of insulation pieces to date with the new Ambient Collection featuring PrimaLoft Evolve insulation. Each piece is engineered to adapt to changing weather conditions as well as levels of activity. This means when users are static and temperatures are low, the pieces insulate to deliver warmth. When wearers are active or temperatures rise, the pieces breathe well to expel heat.

View attachment 419586

“These active insulation products adapt to changing conditions allowing for more efficient layering,” said John Barlow, SITKA’s Big Game Product Manager. “The Ambient Collection transitions seamlessly from outerwear when active to a mid-layer as activity slows and temperatures drop.”

The Collection features a Men’s Ambient Jacket ($309), a Women’s Ambient Jacket ($309), and a Men’s Ambient Hoody ($279). Each item is constructed with post-consumer recycled PrimaLoft Evolve insulation, 20-denier ripstop nylon fabric for durability, a DWR finish for enhanced weather protection, and mechanical stretch to provide comfort and a full range of motion.

The PrimaLoft Evolve insulation mimics properties found in animal fur with fibers of differing lengths and deniers to create natural highs and lows in the material. This produces highly open structures that maximize airflow when on the move, and air entrapment when at rest, for optimal thermal performance with low bulk. Additionally, SITKA designed the pieces without a traditional liner, making the garments two layers instead of the commonly used three-layer construction. This creates a more efficient transfer of heat and moisture.

View attachment 419595

Each item is available in GORE OPTIFADE Subalpine with other select GORE OPTIFADE Patterns and solid colors available. To learn more about the collection, view a video overview and explore available colorways visit www.sitkagear.com/ambient.

Hey Sitka,
Feel free to send me this lineup for the upcoming year. I’d love to put it through its paces and as a long time fan of your products I wouldn’t mind doing a solid for you guys! 🤣
 

Dkuczek

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
108
I agree they seem a bit short - I like that they stopped the unfaced insulation before the cuff just to make it a bit tougher....and they aren't uncomfortable to me, but given the hoody gets layered a lot, it would be really nice to have a thumb loop or similar like you suggest.

Has anyone compared the heavier 150g jacket to the 100g hoody? I like the hoody as a fleece replacement. The jacket with 1/3 more insulation seems intruiging for later season layering.
I have both and can't really say for sure how much warmer one is than the other. sure 1/3 more of the insulation is there but if there is no CLO given on the insulation its hard to equate. As for the hoody that i've worn extensively, i would say it gives double the warmth of any grid fleece i've had and breathes just as good. It has completely replaced any idea i had for a grid. Yesterday was -10F i was outside for approximately 2hrs on a walk. Wore a 150 Smartwool base, Ambient Hoody, Kenai Vest, Axis Jacket, and was never once cold nor did i sweat enough that any of it got soaked
 
Joined
Feb 15, 2019
Messages
902
I have mentioned this before, maybe in this thread, maybe a different one, but my testing showed wind resistance for the ambient line to he somewhere between 12-13 mph wind. Above that and it will start to bleed wind through it. Below that and it was resistant to wind.

It is a great piece and wears warmer than it should, but in higher winds or in open territory where wind can be expected, i would definitely have an outer layer to cut wind.
 

WoodBow

WKR
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
1,744
I have mentioned this before, maybe in this thread, maybe a different one, but my testing showed wind resistance for the ambient line to he somewhere between 12-13 mph wind. Above that and it will start to bleed wind through it. Below that and it was resistant to wind.

It is a great piece and wears warmer than it should, but in higher winds or in open territory where wind can be expected, i would definitely have an outer layer to cut wind.
I'm shocked it blocks the wind at all just based on how it feels when I have handled it in the store. Can anyone else confirm this?

I'm real interested in the ambient. The pricing just seems super high for what it is. But everyone seems to love it other than it being fairly fragile.
 

MT_Wyatt

WKR
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
1,920
Location
Montana
I'm shocked it blocks the wind at all just based on how it feels when I have handled it in the store. Can anyone else confirm this?

I'm real interested in the ambient. The pricing just seems super high for what it is. But everyone seems to love it other than it being fairly fragile.
Yes I'd about agree with the magnitude of those numbers. It can buck a bit of wind, I'd say 10+ it would just cut right through.
 

mtwarden

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 18, 2016
Messages
9,487
Location
Montana
It does not block wind very well, more so than an open grid fleece fabric, but not a lot more.

But in fairness I don't think that was the intention of this piece; it's a moving insulating piece that has to breathe decently to move moisture. Breathability and wind resistance are pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrums for fabrics.
 
Joined
Feb 15, 2019
Messages
902
I judged those numbers based on driving in a kawasaki mule with the windshield up and varying the speed multiple trials to see when the wind started cutting thru the material while i was wearing it. I found absolute “yes wind is getting thru” to be at 14mph on the speedometer, and between 12-14 i could “start” to feel it. Below 12 and i felt nothing. This was on a cold day when the coolness of the wind was pretty obvious. All i was wearing underneath was a sitka lightweight hoody.

Ymmv
 

Ram94

WKR
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Messages
626
Does anyone know if the torso is shorter on the LT vs the XLT? I’m 6’3” 200lb and normally wear an xl in everything. Hearing that the sleeves are short in the ambient, I ordered an XLT and it fits fine in every aspect except the torso is too long. Feels like I’m wearing a dress. I’m thinking to size down to a LT.
 

Ram94

WKR
Joined
Jul 24, 2019
Messages
626
Does anyone know if the torso is shorter on the LT vs the XLT? I’m 6’3” 200lb and normally wear an xl in everything. Hearing that the sleeves are short in the ambient, I ordered an XLT and it fits fine in every aspect except the torso is too long. Feels like I’m wearing a dress. I’m thinking to size down to a LT.
To answer my own question for anyone interested, the LT is indeed shorter in the torso than the XLT. Happy with the LT fit.
 
Joined
Oct 29, 2021
Messages
97
Really want to try the hoody but man all my favorite pieces already have hoods... Am i the only one that wishes they made a 1/4 zip without the hood for this piece to utilize the hood from the core LW or Fanatic that i am already wearing?
 

Keener22

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
167
Location
New Mexico
Really want to try the hoody but man all my favorite pieces already have hoods... Am i the only one that wishes they made a 1/4 zip without the hood for this piece to utilize the hood from the core LW or Fanatic that i am already wearing?
I wear my ambient over my core LW quite a lot during the winter months down here in the desert. The core LW hoodie is thin enough that it’s not a huge deal. If you’re wearing a heavier base layer it might feel worse. I have a few core LW long sleeves just for that purpose. The biggest pain for my system is wearing the ambient under my Kelvin puffy!

However I agree, a 1/4 zip with no hood would make a lot of sense for the people who want it. The jacket exists but it seems a fair bit heavier in terms of insulation.
 

jd1006

WKR
Joined
Jul 21, 2021
Messages
379
I have the ambient jacket - like the lack of a hood for the midlayer application. I don’t think I’d like a quarter zip version—the full zip allows for more applications and I rarely want a hood on my midlayer—baselayer and outerlayer will have hoods and the ambient pieces aren’t durable enough to be outerlayers.
 

TXCO

WKR
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
854
Agreed about the hood issues. I use a core lt weight hoody base layer and prefer no other hoods until my outer or insulation layer


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