Sitka-what to expect

[throwthemarrows]

I am upgrading my old scentlok coat and pants and decided on sitka. I hunt in southern Michigan, from october until mid January so temps will vary between 75°f+ to single digits (sometimes below zero with wind chill). Here is what I am ordering;

baselayer: merino 330 top and bottom

midlayer: fanatic hoodie

Insulation: ambient 100 hooded jacket and equinox midi pant

Outerwear: fanatic jacket and bibs and the incinerator aerolite jacket and bibs.

For warm weather in early october I am getting the equinox guard hoodie and pants.

I think I can get away with wearing the equinox guard hoodie and pants into about 50-55 degree weather if I wear the merino baselayers, but might switch to the equinox midi pants and fanatic hoodie. However I'm curious how cold I can sit in the tree stand and still be comfortable in the fanatic jacket and bibs with the layers I am getting. I plan to wear the incinerator jacket/bibs when it is snowing, higher winds, or light/end of rain. I wore the incinerators out in the woods when I took my treestands down yesterday, 30° f with 40 mph gusts. I sat in all my stands before I took them down for 20-30 minutes and was pretty warm and comfortable but dont know how warm it will be after hour 3. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I was in the stand last week, highs in the low teens. I had fanatic top and bottom, an apex hoodie, and apex pants. I was plenty warm, only thing I wanted was a muff, with my saddle I really can't get my hands in the pockets to keep them warm.

With the midi and merino you should be good to below zero in the fanatic

 

[throwthemarrows]

Perfect! I got the jetstream insulated muff when my first shipment of sitka came in, it was 17° with 20 mph winds. I wore the incinerator jacket/bibs with the merino baselayers and the muff and layed in my hammock for about an hour. I couldn't believe how warm I was. I thought about taking a nap out there! Lol

 

[copenmechanism]

This season I wore a fanatic jacket with a merino base and ambient midlayer with a budget pair of bibs over merino base leggings and a pair of underwader pants into the low teens and was plenty warm for 4+ hour sits. I threw a couple handwarmers in the pass-through pocket and was toasty. No issues with access to it with my saddle on.

 

[Bump79]

My 2 cents would be that a heavy weight merino is a overrated and not needed in your system. Especially at that price. Your fanatic, mwdi, ambient and fanatic exterior is where your warmth will be coming from. Heavy weight merino is just that - heavy for the warmth. Ounce for ounce the fanatic hoodie is warmer. Ounce for ounce the Ambient is way warmer. If you did want the 330 - I'd probably skip the fanatic hoodie.

If you listen to Barklow and most others - the baselayer isn't there for warmth. Barkow literally did a whole Sitka video on their merino and didn't even mention the 220 or 330.. They make it because there's a demand for it, not because they think it's better. A baselayer is there for moisture management not warmth and the Sitka 120 does that better than anything I've tried. It needs to actually bring the moisture off the skin AND dry quickly. Light merino does that best in my opinion. But some love full synthetic.

And if the bugs aren't awful during season maybe you can replace the Guard Hoody for 120 hoodie. I have both because I live in Kentucky and we open in September.. the bugs can be brutal. Or to save cost just use the equinox guard as your baselayer.

Here's what I'd do:
Baselayer: merino 120 top and bottom. Pnuma heated stuff is a delight as well.. I love turning it on. It's a joy in the cold.

Midlayer: fanatic hoodie

Insulation: ambient 100 hooded jacket and equinox midi pant

Outerwear: fanatic jacket and bibs and the incinerator aerolite jacket and bibs.

Early october I am getting the equinox guard hoodie and pants.

 

[Beagle1]

For stand hunting the Pnuma heated vest is a game changer on those days you under dress or the weather suddenly takes a turn for the worse.

 

[Bump79]

only thing I wanted was a muff, with my saddle I really can't get my hands in the pockets to keep them warm.

I put my muff on top of my bridge and don't really have any issues

 

[ResearchinStuff]

I put my muff on top of my bridge and don't really have any issues

That will be me next season

 

[Bump79]

That will be me next season

Derailing the thread a little - but I actually pack my ambient or puffy inside the muff. Like a stuff sack. Works great. Climb with the muff on my back, get settled in and flip it around. Pull my next layer out of it and I'm set.