Sitka Kelvin Aerolite Jacket Review, By Tony Trietch

[TheBootBowhunting]

how's the length on the jacket, the photos on the site make it look pretty short?

Im short and its farily short on me. Id say if you are above 5'10 you probably would want to go tall.

 

[mtwarden]

^ thanks!

 

[slowelk]

What's a usable temperature range as an active layer? What about as a static layer? @Tony Trietch

 

[Tony Trietch]

Active layer, I would say well below freezing for me. It is thinner than the average puffy but is still warm. I didn't hike much in mine until December.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

@Tony Trietch I guess my biggest question is what to chose between aerolite and kelvin lite down jackets. The lite down is advertised as working in damp conditions so I’m struggling to find huge differences between the 2. Seems these jackets overlap.

 

[Dkuczek]

@Tony Trietch I guess my biggest question is what to chose between aerolite and kelvin lite down jackets. The lite down is advertised as working in damp conditions so I’m struggling to find huge differences between the 2. Seems these jackets overlap.

I emailed Sitka about this and was their reply.

Between the Kelvin Lite Down and the Kelvin Aerolite, I would choose based on whether you like down or synthetic insulation. The Kelvin Lite Down is a down blend while the Aerolite is our new synthetic insulation. I believe the Kelvin Lite Down will provide more warmth in general, but the Kelvin Aerolite will perform much better than the down when it is wet. If the environment is extremely wet, I would recommend the Aerolite

From this I'm understanding the temperature difference may not be alot. So I'm going to sell my KLD once the Aerolite gets here and go with another brand for a 5oz down option.

 

[Etexag]

Looks a lot like my Arteryx Atom jacket. Pretty much identical. They tend to share a lot of tech.

 

[Tmayhaus98]

Awesome with have to check it out.

 

[LRJammer]

Really excited about the future use if Aerogel in technical clothing. Hope more manufacturers start usung it. The amount of insulative capacity for such a small volume is amazing! It ahould also start coming down in price as the manufacturer has developed a process that doesnt require large expensive to operate autoclaves.

 

[UpTop]

Great review! Was about to pull the trigger on one of these.

 

[linnebur6]

How would this compare to the FL Brooks puffy?

I currently run the Sitka KL Hoody- I run hot, and like to move.
The KL Hoody did great this past rifle season in Colorado.

But, I want to move my outer layers away from camo, and more to a neutral coloring.

So, have been trying to research the best bang for my buck.

Debated between the Unc 2.0, Brooks, and this!

But can't decide...

Any advice would be awesome!

Thank you!

 

[TXPredator]

Sitka Gear just released their new Kelvin Aerolite Jacket and it looks pretty sweet! @Tony Trietch was able to get one to test throughout his season last year. Check his review below to see if the Kelvin Aerolite Jacket should be added to your clothing kit this season.

Sitka Kelvin Aerolite Jacket Review

I was just looking at this jacket. Nice review.

 

[KyleJ-802]

Great write up. Was just looking at purchasing this jacket.

 

[Capizzo]

@Tony Trietch would you recommend this jacket over the ambient?

 

[Tony Trietch]

@Tony Trietch would you recommend this jacket over the ambient?

They are very different jackets but yes for me if I could only have one. The Ambient jacket needs a hood in my opinion. The shell of the Aerolite will block some wind where as the Ambient is more breathable.

The Ambient is designed for active use while the Aerolite is a synthetic puffy. Both can be used for both purposes I suppose but shine when used for their intended purpose. I use the Aerolite and Ambient hoody more than the Ambient jacket

 

[Gregt9146]

this a super nice piece of clothing, i love mine

 

[R_burg]

I like the idea of this jacket, if you want this material its this jacket, the LL Bean, or a RAB - or a few smaller brands I am not familiar with.

That being said, I have a down hoody already, and I don't like layering big hoods under shells. Ex: One use case for me will be layering this under a wind jacket / shell for tree stand hunting.

How is the hood? Is it fairly bulky? Its tough to tell in the photos. Also is the fit of the jacket more "square" fit or more "thin" fit? Sitka is hit or miss for me, some of their stuff fits way too boxy (I am 6'3 / 190).