I had the opportunity to spend a week hunting elk in Montana with Sitka Athlete Mike Mitten last September. We enjoyed a string of nights around the campire. One of the nights, after a long day of chasing bugling bulls, Mike agreed to answer a few questions on his passion.... bowhunting whitetail deer. 

Okay guys, as most spring turkey seasons are winding down and hot summer weather is rapidly approaching, it’s time to start ramping up for early season hunts. Though many archery seasons won’t be here until September, we are now less than two months away from the archery blacktail opener here in California, and I know many of you will get started soon after that.

I know all of us are pumped to get back at it, but one thing about these early season hunts for all of us is, it can be HOT! I wanted to walk you through some of our early season gear to show you what we here at Sitka recommend for this time of year, and why it works.



First off, the Core base layers really get a workout this time of year. No matter what, I have always started with a Core shirt this time of year. This keeps my upper body dry and cool and does a good job of fighting odor. For the most part, I don’t end up wearing any type of base layer bottom when it’s warm, except for the wicking and fast drying boxers.

This could see a change this year with the introduction of our Merino wool base layers. I haven’t had the chance to test these in hot weather yet, but they are as lightweight as the Core layer and should perform very well in warm weather. As a natural fiber, Merino does a great job of regulating body temperature in any weather, keeping you cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cool. The Merino will also be a huge benefit for multi day trips because of its odor protection. This will definitely be my go-to base layer when I’m wearing the same clothes for multiple days at a time.





Moving on to pants, there are a couple of options for this time of year. With the introduction of the Mountain pants last year, you now have another option from the Ascent pants. Being as light weight as possible, without sacrificing durability, the Ascent pants are definitely the top choice for those 80+ degree days. The Mountain pants use a slightly heavier version of the 4-way stretch Ascent fabric, and work great for warm days when you need a little added protection. Both pants wick moisture and dry very quickly so you stay comfortable in a wide range of temperatures.

Also, new for this year, the Timberline pant can be utilized in certain situations for early season. These use a heavier version of the Mountain pant fabric and also have a durable and waterproof/breathable fabric in the knees and seat. If you are hunting the high country in September, you know that temperatures can be cold at night and sometimes not get above 60-65 degrees during the day. In this case the Timberline’s would be a great option.





Depending on where you are hunting, you could have some pretty cool temperatures in the morning. When this is the case, I will also have a Traverse top and a vest or lightweight jacket like the Ascent Jacket with me. I will also use the Traverse bottoms or for this year, the Merino bottoms, in cooler, early season weather.

Cheers,

Andrew Bounds 877-748-5247

Customer Service representative and gear specialist, Andrew Bounds, briefly touches on the features and benefits of the Bivy 45, the largest of Sitka’s pack line from our headquarters in Napa, CA. Coming in at an ample 4500 cubic inches, and 6.45 pounds, the Bivy 45 is sure to satisfy some of the most crippling loads you can tack on.

Enjoy.

Sitka Ambassador Shane Osguthorpe, from Out Of Bounds Creative (outofboundscreative.com/?), testing the Loden Stormfront Jacket in the backcountry of Utah.

This is the first of the photo galleries that will highlight each of our packs for this year. We get questions about the various features on our packs and wanted to post some detailed pictures to give everyone a better look. The torso length on all of the packs has been extended this year. So the fit will be much better for the guys who have had trouble getting our packs to fit well in the past.

This will be the place to ask questions that you have, so let us know what you think and if you need to see any other views!

Team Sitka

Sitka founder Jonathan Hart tesing the 2011 Contrail Wind Shirt in the howling wind during a backcountry powder day in Lake Tahoe, California.

What will you use the Contrail Windshirt for?

Fellow employee Jeff Sposito and I made it out in search of some public land spring hogs.....here are some pics from the day.

Please feel free to ask any questions below and we'll do our best to answer them quickly!