I’ve been a softshell naysayer for a long time. Always thought it made a lot more sense to throw in a light windshirt instead.
When I received a Sitka Evo to evaluate I pretty much guessed on what my overall thoughts would be (not overly positive). I was wrong.
For one the Evo is much lighter than “typical” softshells. Two with breathable panels under the arms and on the back, he doesn’t breathe poorly like most softshells.
I’ve ended up wearing it a lot more than I thought I would and has even made it on some backpacking trips where a softshell would never before make the cut.
I definitely see a use for a softshell in day hunting scenarios- they are typically very robust, they typically have very good wind and precipitation protection and weight day hunting isn’t near the issue is for backpack hunting.
While I might not always have a softshell, I have one a lot more than I did a year ago