Sitka downgrades

[Sled]

Anyone else notice that Sitka "upgrades" a product quietly without noting the changes on their website descriptions? People receive the product and those that had the previous version are pissed that the new one doesn't perform or meet the expectation. It's kind of like the family sized chip bag that both shrank in size and internal volume but stayed the same price. Well, at least until they had us fooled and then shot the price up too.

 

[Macintosh]

Not sure I follow. Example?

 

[SloppyJ]

I noticed walking through scheels there were a ton of new sitka items ive never seen before. Didnt know if they replaced what im used to or not but they all felt lightweight to me.

 

[voltage]

Sitka has gone from the leader in clothing to a brand that feels more akin to Temu.

 

[Bump79]

Anyone else notice that Sitka "upgrades" a product quietly without noting the changes on their website descriptions? People receive the product and those that had the previous version are pissed that the new one doesn't perform or meet the expectation. It's kind of like the family sized chip bag that both shrank in size and internal volume but stayed the same price. Well, at least until they had us fooled and then shot the price up too.

I've bever seen Sitka, or other similar company, quietly do anything.. it's usually all over the Instagram, on Facebook ads, YouTube and discussed on podcasts.

Is there something specific you're talking about?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

This thread is very detached from reality.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I like my Sitka gear. Sure it's overpriced, but comfort and being able to endure temp extremes and foul weather allow me to remain on the hunt. Back in "the day" cotton long johns from Sears or K Mart and an old army field jacket were the norm. That was long ago and I find as I get old(er) remaining comfortable is important in order to more enjoy the experience.

Outfitter pricing (LEO and first responder programs) help reduce the price and makes it more affordable. Sitka is always coming out with new items, designs, and color patterns. They discontinue the old ones and I believe the reason is to compete with other hunting Tech Gear companies (KUIU for example) that are doing the same.

My main complaint is their sizing chart is a little off. I normally wear XL in most gear and clothing but find I need 2x in Sitka because everything runs smaller than normal to me.

 

[Sled]

Not sure I follow. Example?

Sitka Downpour is the most current example. They had a good product that worked and was quiet. Without anyone knowing the product changed. It became louder and likely cheaper to manufacture. The price is similar to before.

Frequently when I purchase the same product from Sitka, a few years apart, the product is of a different fabric, louder and has a cheaper feel to it. They don't note the changes or that it's a 2nd edition. Like the rain gear mention above, it should be a different product name since the changes were significant.

Feel free to read the reviews:

Downpour Jacket | Optifade Elevated II | SITKA Gear

The Downpour Jacket is a perfect companion for hunting through showers in the stand.

www.sitkagear.com

 

[Sled]

This thread is very detached from reality.

Sure, they still innovate and try to make things better. There are also times when the lag behind (heat vents) or make mistakes of downgrading a product without a telling the consumer. When you receive the item, it's not the same product you purchased prior and is usually more expensive.

Or did you mean the potato chip bag hasn't become smaller?

 

[Sled]

To clarify, I still buy their products but need to lay hands on it first. Like anything else in this world, if you set the expectation correctly you'll have a better consumer experience. Communication is how you do that. When a product changes, for better or worse, that should be communicated.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

They like everyone else had to make a bunch of fabric changes a couple of years ago because several of their materials or coatings became illegal in various states. Their not changing stuff willy nilly to try and make a buck.

 

[Macintosh]

@Sled i was wondering if you would cite a rain jacket. Most of the consumer markets worldwide have banned PFAS in apparel over the past few years. Pfas was a major component of the DWR’s and waterproofing treatments used in many of Gore’s fabrics—gore owns sitka so it more or less forced them to re-design almost their entire line over the past few years. This has affected every company, as there are only a couple major fabric manufacturers that supply the vast majority of fabric to all the outdoor companies we know, and all have had to adapt very quickly. I cant say how other companies communicated it or when they made various changes. Gore has never had what I would call transparent communication.
For rain jackets in particular, the pfas was what allowed the softer materials to still perform well. In order to try to keep as much of the performance as possible has necessitated using harder face fabrics in a lot of cases.

 

[Bump79]

They like everyone else had to make a bunch of fabric changes a couple of years ago because several of their materials or coatings became illegal in various states. Their not changing stuff willy nilly to try and make a buck.

Yep. PFAS regulations changed the entire waterproof or water resistant garment manufacturering processes.

 

[Sled]

@Sled i was wondering if you would cite a rain jacket. Most of the consumer markets worldwide have banned PFAS in apparel over the past few years. Pfas was a major component of the DWR’s and waterproofing treatments used in many of Gore’s fabrics—gore owns sitka so it more or less forced them to re-design almost their entire line over the past few years. This has affected every company, as there are only a couple major fabric manufacturers that supply the vast majority of fabric to all the outdoor companies we know, and all have had to adapt very quickly. I cant say how other companies communicated it or when they made various changes. Gore has never had what I would call transparent communication.
For rain jackets in particular, the pfas was what allowed the softer materials to still perform well. In order to try to keep as much of the performance as possible has necessitated using harder face fabrics in a lot of cases.

The Sitka downpour is the one I was referring to. I've seen these changes in most of their products over the last decade. Even the Jetstream changed noticably prior to the pfas ban. It's natural to want to improve products or have to react to unavailability of fabrics/components. All I'm asking for is notification as to the changes and hopefully the why behind it, if it's reasonable to do so. There are a lot of places these days that consumers get screwed. All I'm asking for is a little lube.

 

[Stache Attack]

The new coatings are the issues in my opinion aswell. I picked up a lightly used chugach here when the pfas refs were coming on. Glad I did and yes older was softer and lasting longer than newer ones I’ve bought.