Thoughts on Sitka's new Optifade Cover

[DOMMA]

I'm a little surprised on Sitka's new Optifade Cover. It seems fine for early season but Sitka already has Optifade Subalpine which appears to be very similar and designed for similar environments.

Sitka is offering the Optifade Cover and on their Stratus and Fanatic jackets/bibs. It seems like when it is cold enough to wear the Fanatic, there will be little green left on the trees and the Optifade Cover will be out of place. The EVII option has too much white to wear at any other time than late season.

What are your thoughts on Sitka's camo options?

 

[wapitibob]

Subalpine is too light for almost every fir/pine/cedar forest I hunt. The European "forest" pattern that I have is too dark. Cover may be about right but I haven't seen it in the woods yet. I hunt the West.

 

[wayoh22]

Optifade Cover is primarily made for the early-season whitetail all over the US and more specifically the Southeastern deer hunter. It'll also be the primary Turkey pattern too. The cold in the southeast is much different than the midwest, so Fanatic getting Cover does make sense.

 

[DOMMA]

Optifade Cover is primarily made for the early-season whitetail all over the US and more specifically the Southeastern deer hunter. It'll also be the primary Turkey pattern too. The cold in the southeast is much different than the midwest, so Fanatic getting Cover does make sense.

I live and hunt primarily in MD. By December, the leaves are down and everything is brown/gray/tan/black. There is very little dark green, or any green, anywhere. What part of the Southeast are you referring to?

 

[wayoh22]

I live and hunt primarily in MD. By December, the leaves are down and everything is brown/gray/tan/black. There is very little dark green, or any green, anywhere. What part of the Southeast are you referring to?

I'm not but I would hardly consider Maryland the Southeast.

Southeast would be Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana

 

[omicron1792]

MD def not the southeast.

I live in Alabama and use fanatic a good bit. But I’m a sissy when it comes to cold weather.

 

[DOMMA]

I'm not but I would hardly consider Maryland the Southeast.

Southeast would be Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana

I'm surprised there are many Sitka Fanatic users in these states.

 

[BigDuckHunter]

Got a buddy that hunts in south LA. Cover is perfect for his part of the country. I always wondered why they developed it as well since subalpine works well enough for the few weeks we have of green early in the season, but he sent me a picture from the stand this week and cover still fit his woods perfectly.

 

[Buckhead]

I live in N Georgia, have a lot of Sitka stuff. Mostly hunt whitetails (rifle) from both ground and tree stands. Hunt in a mixture of pines and hardwoods.

In comparison to Cover, I think Subalpine is the superior pattern. In the areas where I hunt, Cover is generally too dark, more of a specialty pattern for thick evergreens or early season applications before the leaves fall.

I have the Fanatic in EV2, but hardly wear it. Rarely gets cold enough, but also doesn’t blend in well either. With layering, Stratus in SA is what I rely on when temps dip.

 

[Ho5tile1]

I hunt in NW Florida Georgia and Alabama I get cold easy once I’m up a tree. It’s gonna be in the 20s the next few mornings here and that new pattern looks much better here as everything is still green here year round. Some of the under brush thins out and a lot of leaves fall but still not enough to look like it does when I hunt in Illinois in the winter. I have the fanatic bibs and jacket and my buddy says I look like a snow cone up in a tree down here and he laughs but the deer didn’t seem to care, had several deer look at me in my snow cone suit in a green tree and as long as I was still they didn’t seem to care. Now up North that same buddy says the snow cone suit fits in way better when the leaves are gone and there is some snow. They would make fun of me for using Sitka but when it was 15 degrees with a 25 mph wind and stronger gusts they were texting saying it’s time to go to the truck. I was like nah I’m good and warm and can’t even fill the wind. So I laughed at them and told em if y’all had some Sitka yall would still be up a tree hunting. I might get the new cover pattern but hate to sale my stuff and take such a loss on it when it seems to work just fine even in the greener woods. It does look out of place but the deer don’t know that. Camo is more for us not the deer..


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[JAC8504]

I don’t understand the Optifade Cover pattern. I think it will be a flop overall.

The Subalpine is far more versatile with the browns and greens. Once the leaves turn from green to brown the subalpine continues to blend. If you decide to hunt on the ground… subalpine shines for a ground sit.

Once leaves are pretty bare the EV2 excels.

Cover is far too dark. Very niche. Using it for spring turkey? Way too dark IMO. You will look like a black dot moving in the woods. This is a niche pattern for the SE US. As it may work well for thick southern pines I don’t see it selling or working very well elsewhere

 

[omicron1792]

Agreed. But it is absolutely killing it in the SE. down here every 3rd guy hunts and most think if they don’t have a full kit they are losers.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

Camo colors are made for
Humans. Camo patterns Re made for animals. Remember, animals are mostly color blind. They see things differently than humans and patterns are way more important that color scheme. Plenty of people kill plenty of animals using solids, cano, or plaid.

Optifade is optifade is optifade. Coloration will help when shtf and you are playing Wolverine agains the city zombies. It wont help you shoot animals any better.

Not saying the color scheme is a method to get people to buy new gear, but color scheme is a method to get people to buy new gear….

 

[Maverick1]

I don’t think one pattern vs another will impact the outcome of your hunts one bit. If you are looking for a reason/excuse to buy new camo just buy it.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Predator Fall Grey, Predator Spring Green or ASAT work better than any of those garbage patterns Sitka uses to sell guys new camo anyways. If you want a pattern that will actually help a guy fool a whitetails eyes go those three routes.

 

[JAC8504]

Camo colors are made for
Humans. Camo patterns Re made for animals. Remember, animals are mostly color blind. They see things differently than humans and patterns are way more important that color scheme. Plenty of people kill plenty of animals using solids, cano, or plaid.

Optifade is optifade is optifade. Coloration will help when shtf and you are playing Wolverine agains the city zombies. It wont help you shoot animals any better.

Not saying the color scheme is a method to get people to buy new gear, but color scheme is a method to get people to buy new gear….

Yeah but… the Sitka gear and assortment isn’t all the same. Certain lines are only offered in certain colors. While I may like a particular garment due to its feature set I do not like the color. So, if camo colors are for hunters then I don’t like it.

Optifade ISNT Optifade ISNT Optifade ISNT. Optifade cover =\= Optifade subalpine

 

[JAC8504]

I don’t think one pattern vs another will impact the outcome of your hunts one bit. If you are looking for a reason/excuse to buy new camo just buy it.

No but for someone who is OCD doesn’t like 2 pieces in this color, 3 in that, 3 in this, 2 in that. 1 in this… then you have a whole hodgepodge of randomness

Easier on the mind