I'm in the market for a new late-season outer layering system for archery season. The two systems that speak to me are the Sitka and First Lite systems, but I'm open to anything that is warm, quiet, and cut with archery in mind. I hunt in MN until the end of December so it is generally between 10-20 degrees F, but can get lower than that.
Does anyone have any recommendations on what works best for them?
I have no experience with Sitka products, but I can speak to the First Lite Sanctuary bibs and Woodbury Jacket.
I do not recommend hiking in these layers for a couple reasons, but most importantly is that they are too warm and you will sweat. That said, if you’re only walking a hundred yards or so through flat terrain with no briars, etc, you’d be fine opening the jacket and bib leg zippers. The outer material holds up well for daily stationary usage on the ground or in a tree. I would say the garments would get worn out busting brush, however, that’s not their intent. I pack my jacket and bibs on my pack every time I hike in.
The outer material on the Sanctuary and Woodbury garments is the same. It is very quiet, sheds light drizzle/snow well with the DWR, and is very flexible/stretchy. It doesn’t attract burrs/stickers when crossing fences, etc and setting my pack on the ground. I also like that it does not seem to stick to the tree bark when I lean back in my stands.
With bow hunting in mind, the Woodbury jacket is more fitted in the arms than other jackets I’ve tried while still maintaining adequate insulation. I can layer a lightweight merino long sleeve shirt, Klamath hoodie (grid fleece style mid layer), furnace henley/quarter zip (heavyweight merino shirt, think heavy cotton sweatshirt), and my Uncompahgre puffy vest under this jacket to adjust for temp changes, all while being able to keep bulk down and not feel constricted in my movements. There are two hand warmer pockets “stacked” on top of each other on each side. One is zippered, one has a flap. I usually stuff my hands in the flap pocket and they work well to keep my ungloved hands warm. Next is the hood. There is a built in elastic cinch that surrounds your head like a halo. You adjust this to your liking and the hood moves with your head, it’s sweet. I can come to anchor and not worry about my hood interfering. I chose the Woodbury over the Sanctuary jacket since it has less insulation and is more versatile to me. I can’t imagine needing more jacket than the Woodbury.
The Sanctuary bibs are awesome, too. The leg/butt zipper is genius. It is shaped like an upside down “U” that you can open when nature calls without doffing the bibs. This zipper track runs continuously from the ankle, up the leg, arches across lower back, and down the opposite leg. This allows the zipper to function as regular leg zips as well. This is nice for venting when the day warms up and you don’t want to completely remove the bibs. The thigh cargo pockets are of the same stretch material as the bib outer, which is nice for tucking in excess tree rope (for RC style harness that attaches in front), rangefinder, release, etc. They provide quiet access to stored items with a flap closure. The suspender is nice and wide and provides good comfort, I don’t notice them digging in after wearing them all day. I can wear lightweight merino bottoms, furnace merino bottoms, and a hunting pant underneath the bibs comfortably.
As far as temperature ranges, obviously, everyone is different. These garments are definitely designed for very cold weather. I would say a safe stationary temperature range with proper layering for me would be 0°-45°F, possibly colder. I’m from Oklahoma so we don’t get quite as cold as Minnesota, but I’ve sat all day starting at 12° with a high of 30° and 5mph breeze very comfortably. Yesterday was 17° when I hiked in with a high of 45°, very little wind, and I sat all day. It was 31° when I returned to the truck. I’ve sat in 30mph winds at ~30° with the same layers. In each instance I never once got cold or felt like I needed to remove layers at mid day.
I hope this helps on the First Lite side of things, hopefully someone with Sitka experience will chime in.
