SITKA Mountain EVO jacket, Review **Updated 9/20/23**

I had mine this last weekend elk hunting. Day one it spit moisture (light rain) on/off almost all day. In the evening heading off the mountain it started in pretty steady. I was going to swap it out for my rain jacket, but figured it's only an hour and I'm heading for my truck. It kept my base/midlyer dry. The Evo fabric was wet, I hung on a hanger in the house and it was bone dry in the morning.

Day two it was raining pretty heavy and I donned my rain jacket I'm pretty sure it would have overwhelmed the Evo). It rained (and spit wet snow) steady for a couple of hours and eventually started clearing off. I swapped the rain jacket for the Evo. The wind was strong the entire day- steady 15-20 mph, gusts to 35 mph. I had the Evo on the rest of the day and it did a good job of cutting that cold wind.
 
Tony Trietch said:
Glad you got the right size!
I have longer arms than most humans my height and the large regular length fits me like it was custom made for me. I'm 5'11" 185lb with a 6'2" wingspan
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6’2” wing span! 😂 I’m 6’3” tall and have a 6’10” wingspan. O how I wish I had your wings. Just ordered a Large tall. Hope it fits me.
 
Two Questions:

#1) @mtwarden What makes this better than something like the Patagonia Houdini? I'm assuming it breathes better and handles precip better?

#2) Good inputs on sizing from everyone so far, but it seems like some differences. I wear almost everything in Sitka as a large. Would you guys recommend LT or XL for this? I do have two LT pieces, and the longer sleeve length was why, but it sounds like the upsizing recommendations are more about layering ability?

The black one on sale for what it's at seems like a steal. Not sure about black for hunting, but I guess if I'm mainly hiking in it then it likely wouldn't matter too much.
 
BoilerBowHunter said:
Two Questions:

#1) @mtwarden What makes this better than something like the Patagonia Houdini? I'm assuming it breathes better and handles precip better?

#2) Good inputs on sizing from everyone so far, but it seems like some differences. I wear almost everything in Sitka as a large. Would you guys recommend LT or XL for this? I do have two LT pieces, and the longer sleeve length was why, but it sounds like the upsizing recommendations are more about layering ability?

The black one on sale for what it's at seems like a steal. Not sure about black for hunting, but I guess if I'm mainly hiking in it then it likely wouldn't matter too much.
Click to expand...

Actually the Houdini probably breathes better overall, BUT the Evo is much more durable, blocks the wind better and offers more water resistance. I think the Houdini is a great choice for backpacking on trails, but it's really light/fragile for hunting imho.
 
mtwarden said:
Actually the Houdini probably breathes better overall, BUT the Evo is much more durable, blocks the wind better and offers more water resistance. I think the Houdini is a great choice for backpacking on trails, but it's really light/fragile for hunting imho.
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Thanks for the reply. I took the Houdini on a hiking trip in the 40s, and I couldn’t stop sweating in it. I’ve also tried to run in it before in low temps and felt like I was wearing a trash bag. I was hoping this may breathe better due to the fleece panels. Maybe I’m just not using some of these in the right applications or temperatures. Hah. I pulled the trigger on one to try either way and will be keeping one but likely not both!
 
Supposedly the new Houdini's don't breathe as well as the older ones, but offer more wind/precip resistance

They now have a Houdini Air that is very breathable; you mention running- if running is in the lineup, then the Air is the one you want
 
I got an evo and took it on a late season hunt paired with an ambient. It did its job on the wind just fine. I was able to ride a wheeler no issues in the 20s and 30s with the two combined. I hiked in it solo and with the ambient and was pleased. I also tried my rain jack (early 2010s sitka stormfront) a couple days for comparison and saw similar wind performance with slightly more noise. I struggle to see when Id use the evo instead of my rain shell on a backpacking trip for the weight and price penalty. Especially considering my rain jacket has pit zips. I personally think pit zips matter more for temp regulation than a back panel covered by a pack.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
If you're really paring things down, might make sense to ditch the soft-shell for the rain shell that is going regardless.

The Evo also has the breathable panels under the arms and while the remaining fabric (Gore Infinium) of the jacket isn't overly breathable, it is more breathable than three layer Gore used in rain gear. Even with pit zips, a rain jacket won't match the breathability of the Evo, but it might do an adequate enough job to consider ditching it.

Every hunting trip is different, but I wore mine (Evo) everyday on my 12 day sheep trip and it definitely earned it's keep :)
 
I feel like Sitka marketed the Ambient as the layer “you never have to take off”. What’s the difference in these? Evo is for more wet and more windy and the Ambient is more dry and modest wind?
 
The Ambient I’d call active insulation, some warmth on the move with the ability to move moisture efficiently.

Evo I’d call a softshell, something to block wind and lighter precipitation.

So yes, you’re pretty close in your assessment.
 
mtwarden said:
The Ambient I’d call active insulation, some warmth on the move with the ability to move moisture efficiently.

Evo I’d call a softshell, something to block wind and lighter precipitation.

So yes, you’re pretty close in your assessment.
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i feel like the core lightweight, ambient and evo would be a good system. Maybe they designed it like that but i dont recall.
 
sr80 said:
i feel like the core lightweight, ambient and evo would be a good system. Maybe they designed it like that but i dont recall.
Click to expand...

I’m thinking they may have been. I used those three pieces extensively this fall and am pretty impressed.

We had some cold weather the last couple of weeks of our season and there were several days where I was wearing all three at the same time.
 
Finally gave my mountain jacket EVO a proper test.

25 day Hike. Medium light load in the pack. Temps 35-45. No precip and mild wind. Wore the EVO over a synthetic tee shirt.

stayed dry the whole time. Very impressed with breathability and moisture transfer. I unzipped the front on some uphill. Never felt swampy like some other soft shells. No dripping sweat.

fit and stretch are great. I can definitely see adding this to the line up next year. I can also see using it as a shell for high out put outdoor activities too.
 
^ Good deal!

Honestly I was pretty "no soft-shell for me", especially for backpack hunts. My 10 day hunt in AK changed my mind on that. Mostly just over a base layer on that hunt; but this fall when the temps started to drop--mostly over a base layer and a mid-layer.

Pretty versatile piece and as far as soft-shells go, decently light.
 
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