I bow and rifle hunt elk in Western Montana 25+ days/year. I bought this jacket in hopes that, as the top-shelf Sitka hardshell, it would meet my needs in the widest possible range of conditions: wetter, cooler bow days with minimal layers underneath, down to frigid, snowy rifle days with more insulation underneath. After a full big game season, my observations are: 1. I'm 5'10, 155 lbs, and athletic. The medium, which is the smallest size available, is almost comically large on me. For this reason I probably should have returned it before use. I recognize that this is partly because it is intended for high-elevation, high-latitude environments where one might layer heavily, but Montana in late November at 7.5k'+ isn't exactly the Keys, and I'll never wear enough underneath, even stationary for extended periods glassing, to warrant all the excess material. The sleeves in particular are so billowy they must have been intended specifically for Cameron Hanes, or The Rock maybe. 2. It is very loud. Not at all appropriate for bow. 3. The pockets are pretty much inaccessible with large FHF bino harness and pack waist belt on, though I guess this is tough to get around. 4. The hood fit and adjustments are pretty good but could use a bit of refinement. 4. It is otherwise completely bombproof and weatherproof. I have no concerns about abrasion resistance. I generally like the sizes and positions of the pockets and the pit zips. In short, if you're looking for a heavy, force-field, weatherproof outer layer, and you're big, and aren't concerned about noise, this is it. If you're looking for a tough but light, versatile, streamlined hardshell that fits and operates more like top-shelf ski/mountaineering hardshells from Patagonia, Arcteryx, etc., but are still totally bombproof, this is going to feel bulky, heavy, and, unless you are 40 lbs overweight or wear 850 fill down layers everyday, over-sized. Sitka CS personnel, which one should I have gotten? The new Gravelly shell looks awesome, but doesn't come in Optifade. Thanks.

I waited a year to review this jacket. It’s now been through 90 winter steelhead days, a dozen summer rain storms, and a few snow days. Coastal Oregon and Washington will test rain gear. I love the fit, light weight, and cut of the jacket. The material does keep rain out all day, the best of many jackets I’ve owned, and it dries out very quickly. I’m amazed at how warm it is with minimal under layers, and the armpit vents are awesome for a hike in a wet rain forest. It does have a few issues. The cuffs don’t keep water out. In fact, after a full day in the rain I found that the cuffs actually wick water up to my fleece. They also take a long time to dry, so I just got used to having wet wrists. The front pockets let water in, so the little lense cloth is always soaked...along with anything else in those pockets. It’s an amazing jacket with a couple of fatal flaws...fix those and it’s probably the best on the market.

Overall I give this jacket a B+ considering the performance to price ratio. I used it on September 2 while duck hunting in interior Alaska. I sat alone in pouring rain for 4 hours with a fleece hoody and the Kelvin Jacket underneath. I was not dry after the 4 hours and here's why. The collar was still not big enough for me to zip it up all the way with all of my layers underneath. The zippers on the pockets did not seem to be waterproof as my phone got wet in the front chest pocket. I also had water running up the cuffs. I really like the idea of the cuffs, but the function is not very good. When wearing the bulky Kelvin jacket underneath the rough Velcro patch rolls over the cuff and rubs on top of my hand. It's not a pleasant feeling. The hood works well, but I would prefer to not have the stow away feature. Don't get me wrong. This is a very nice jacket and the material and overall cut is great. I just expect more out of a $600 jacket.

After many seasons hunting here in Australia and in New Zealand from exposed mountains on the South Island to the rain soaked fiords I’ve found this jacket to be superior in every way to the tricot type jackets we are regularly exposed to. The outer shell dries super fast and won’t weigh you down. Cut perfectly for layering a puffy or fleece underneath and the hood is unreal. Great Jacket

This is the best rain jacket I’ve ever worn It is perfect for the roe buck season here in Spain. Congrat for the product

Expensive but worth it! I was pinned down for 3 hours in a Sept mountain storm at 9,200'. We got heavy rain with windy, thunder and lightning. Couldn't get to cover other than the trees in the area. Then came the hail. If you are going to be really ugly wet weather I couldn't think of a better outer piece than the Storm Front outfit, including the gloves. More than you need to buy groceries but exactly what you need on the mountain.

Just got back from moose hunting on the Newfoundland barrens! Rained everyday, sometimes hail with high winds. With temperatures just above zero. I wore my stormfront jacket and pants everyday for most of the day for a week. Through tuckamore trees, peet bogs, and over rocky ridges. I didn't baby my clothes. I was dry and warm the entire hunt. And I can't say that about the gear the Stormfront line replaced.

My favorite piece of rain gear. The length is perfect. The cut works for my body style, most of the time I have to go a size bigger on outerwear for the more modern technical clothing. Because of the cut allowing for layering, I can layer key pieces and still wear it without layers when needed. I think this is one of the best jackets on the market. I wish the hood was set up like the Jetstream Jacket. If the hood was setup like the Jetstream jacket I would have given it 4 stars.

I received this Jacket for Christmas last year in 2015. Right from the get go I could tell it was a quality product. The seals on the wrest are excellent. I am an avid hunter as I hunt close to 100 days a year. I am very fortunate and have access to great hunting land in Colorado for elk hunting and land in south Louisiana for hunting assorted waterfowl. This jacket had carried me through countless situations when I faced blizzards and raging thunderstorms. It even saved my life. This year I went duck hunting in vinice La. I have hunted In the delta my whole life. However, this was no ordenary trip. It was the coldest day of the year so far 30° with a 35 mile an hour wind. It was cal when we went out. Conditions changed really fast, waves got big and i ended up taking two waves over the bow of my boat. When I hit the water the neck of the jacket was above water, due to the fact I had a life vest on and I had zipped it all the way up. The wrest of my jacket helped keep my arms sealed. My jacket was talked into my waiders. I was in the water for probably four minutes. One of which I was almost dry. The water came in slow for the first minute I was bobbing Leica cork then as I swam to another boat that came to my rescue I eventually succumb to the Coldwater and I could not swim by that time I was close enough that they could get me the extra minute that this jacket gave me, save my life. This jacket is the best thing I have ever spent money on. You look at the price and say "wow it's way to expensive". Well I would pay a lot more for this jacket. It's well thought out and almost flawless down to the goggle wipe in the front pocket. Thanks Sitka y'all did great

This is a great wading jacket. I am a professional steelhead guide in the Pacific Northwest, and rain is a daily fact of life. This jacket sheds water great. I love the hand pockets are high and thus do not collect water when your hand are in them. (hands are higher than elbows when in pockets) Now here are the cons to the jacket. Waist is a little small, so that it is tight around the backside. Also the zippers in the forearms are not really needed and contents get soaked when you submerge your arms.

Really nice jacket. High quality construction. I am most impressed with its ability to block the wind. With some layers underneath, you can zip this coat up and feel immune to the elements and super cozy. Have been in heavy downpours and been dry so far. I was worried about the small teeth on the zippers but they are holding up well. Great hood system. I wear this a lot even when not hunting so turns out the cost isn't bad since it is multi-purpose

Solid Jacket. Must have for anyone hunting extreme weather involving wind and rain. I put this jacket to the test on several Kodiak goat hunts and a couple deer hunts on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska and the jacket performed great. I would warn that the material is loud when walking and moving through underbrush and branches so it may not be the best choice for hunts that require being silent. Sitka has addressed this issue with their Whitetail line of rain gear. That being said, this jacket is well suited for open country or mountain conditions where complete stealth is not needed. The material the jacket is made of is tough as nails and built really solid. The hood design is one of the best I've seen in any jacket I've owned, and was able to stay in-place in the 60 mph + wind I experienced on Kodiak. The soft rubber material at the cuffs can be cinched tight around your wrist which ensures water can't "creep" up your arms. This jacket will keep you dry in extreme rain. The many pockets are well placed and can hold quite a lot of gear. The only major complaint I had with the jacket are the two large chest pockets. For some reason, unlike the other zippers on the jacket, Sitka did not make these with water resistant seams which filled up with water on two occasions while hunting in southeast Alaska, one of which almost ruined my GPS unit as it was sitting in a couple inches of water by the end of the day. My fix and recommendation for anyone would be to put a few zip-lock bags or other waterproof storage in these pockets for gear you really don't want getting wet. When I talked to Customer Service about this shortfall, I was told they only guarantee that you, the person, stays dry and that indeed was absolutely true, I have never gotten wet while wearing this jacket. My gear on the other hand, not so much. I still feel that a $600 rain jacket could and should be 100%, not 99%. Final conclusion is that I would definitely recommend this rain gear for any serious outdoor person who wants to stay dry in extreme conditions, but you may want to be creative when it comes to your gear on the outside.

Living in Kodiak we get the opportunity to spend some time in our rain gear and the Stormfront Jacket performs as advertised. Pros: Tough as nails, Keeps you dry, Pit zips work well when you need to dump that excess heat. I often wear rubber fisherman's gloves and mated with the rubber wrist band make an impenatrable seal. Hood fit is excellent. Overall fit is excellent. Cons: I don't know about you, but when I'm wearing rain gear it's raining, so the stow away hood pocket could go. When wearing any bino harness the side pockets are placed a bit high making it nearly impossible to utilize them. Sitka makes several levels of rain gear so I can't complain too much about the weight, but there are a few things like the hood pocket that could be removed to decrease weight. I do use the left forearm pocket for my cell phone since all other pockets are covered by my bino harness, but no need for two IMO. Overall a great piece that will fit very well and keep you DRY.

Just got back from a rainy 5 day Dall Sheep Hunt in Alaska with my daughter. When the super cub dropped us off in the wilderness it was pouring. It rained off and on every day and every night. We were in a spike camp tent, too small to do much more than sleep in, so we were in an out in the rain alot for 5 solid days. The sitka storm front jacket performed flawlessly. It “dried” at night in the small vestibule of the tent, over the top of my wet boots, and I was able to comfortably wear it all day the next day. I even threw the jacket over my pack while I gutted out the Caribou and it kept my pack dry. Didn’t see a legal ram sheep, but both my daughter and I harvested a caribou. Anyway, I wanted you to know how great this next generation of storm front jacket is. It is worth every penny.

Let me begin with the question everyone asks. Are the Storefront pants and jacket worth it? Absolutely. I am an upland hunter, which is not a Sitka category, but hey, we have to stay warm and dry just like the big game guys. There are three things that should be mentioned. First, the pants and jacket are 100% waterproof. They will keep you dry in rain or snow. Second, they will keep you warm when used with a layering system (I prefer wool). I am talking about extreme conditions of cold and wind. Their wind breaking properties are phenomenal. Third, they are tougher than anyone would have any right to expect. It's rain gear not chaps. Nevertheless, I have worn them in thick brush with no problems. Last fall I took my dog into really thick stuff to find a buddy's downed pheasant. I would have had no reasonable complaint if the pants ripped. But they came through without a scratch. Well worth the money, and Sitka you have a world of upland hunters to market to.

It's difficult to pay this much for a shell, but as a hunting buddy put it, "at least I'm warm and dry while I regret it". The quality is extraordinary, the design is very well thought-out, and it looks nice enough to wear to dinner. The hand pockets are high enough so that water runs off your elbows instead of down into them, and the hood can be tightened without taking your hands out of them. Speaking of pockets, there are plenty of them. Maybe even too many. I don't think I've ever even used the little ones on the forearms. But too many are better than not enough. The long pit-zips make it versatile enough to use as a wind-breaker. I'm 5'9" and 170 pounds, and a size large is not too baggy with only one layer underneath, and not too restrictive with three. The pocket for the hood seems unnecessary, and I wouldn't mind if the jacket was an inch or two longer, but the bottom line is that it's an excellent item to have in your daypack for an outing, or your suitcase for a business trip to London.

Just finished up with a rifle elk hunt in Montana. Throughout the hunt I used Sitka's Fanatic Jacket, Stratus Bibs, Stormfront Jscket and Pants, along with the Timberline pants. I would give four stars to all of the above listed gear. Sitting on s ledge at 9500 ft, with a 40mph wind, rain, snow, and sleet, the fanatic jacket worked awesome with the Stormfront over it. I wore the Timberline pant, with a set a thermals underneath for the hike in, and packed in my status bibs and Stormfront pants for when I got to the elevation I would be at. Sitka is NOT cheap gear, but if you want to be confident that you have the best gear made, it is worth it.

Great protection from weather, while fishing off shore in the Great Lakes, scouting for deer and placing stands in the rain. This jacket is my favorite while watching our stand up paddlers race in nasty weather. Sometimes I'm not sure what I wore before I had this jacket. Keeps the wind And easer out period!

This is my first year hunting big game and my second year living in the Wyoming. My first year living in western Wyoming I knew I needed gear that could handle all 4 seasons in one day. My last day of archery this year was an experience for me because I had all 4 seasons in 3 days days. In the beginning the weather started in the upper 60's in 1 days time it started raining nonstop snow during the night. I watched people pull out of the mountains from the storm and upcoming storm. The stormfront jacket and pant kept me in the field. The goretex system is amazing I never once got wet under my stormfront series. At nights I would hang my stormfront in the horse trailer and to my surprise it would be dry and ready for the next morning. Luck was not on my side during archery but opening day rifle no matter the weather the stormfront will be in my pack. You can be sure that I will get a solid color for fly fishing and around town. A must buy for anyone looking to stay dry in the harshest conditions that nature can throw.

Excellent product. Jacket is well built and I really like the fit. I'm 6'6" 200 lbs with 38" sleeves and the xl fits really well over a puffy layer but is not bulky over a simple base layer. I spent 5 days in western AK caribou hunting this August and it rained about 95% of the time. Jacket never leaked and didn't feel like a sauna when hiking with a pack. I like neoprene cuffs as well as they don't wick water up your sleeves. Final positive I'd say is the jacket does dry quick also. Overall A+ from AK to my home Idaho hunting grounds.

By rights, you only take the time to write a review when a product is extremely bad or extremely good. This is definitely the latter case. I can't speak highly enough of both the craftsmanship within this jacket (and the matching pants), and the superb customer service offered by Sitka Gear. I have firsthand experience with an enormous number of "breathable, waterproof shells" (jackets and pants), from all the major brands and for any variety of hunting, climbing and general outdoor uses. The Sitka Stormfront Jacket (and pants) is/are - by an order of magnitude - the most beautifully constructed, practical and versatile garment I've come across. The workmanship is impeccable, perfect number and location of pockets and zippers, all designed to be usable in any variety of conditions, with or without gloves. The cut is exceptional and true to the size chart. And the durability is second-to-none - yes, there are lighter pieces out there...but you'll end up buying replacements of them as they get chewed up by harsh vegetation, rocks, etc. I see a couple of reviewers have commented on the 'noise' of the fabric. This won't be as quiet as a softshell or fleece, but I was personally surprised at how quiet the fabric is, at leats compared to other Gore-Tex fabrics. I agree with other reviewers that you need to consider your layering requirements when you pick a size - but that's no different to any other waterproof shell system. Well done, guys - this is a credit to you.

Hi, My son and I just returned from a Kodiak Island Goat hunt. We both wore our stormfront jackets, and pants everyday, and most nights! Very windy,and wet conditions.One of our most challenging hunts ever! I would not go again without this gear.After several days of hunting, our other partner asked about our camo clothing. Remarking about how well we blended in in the high country. Several times he was talking with us and finally asked us to move a little so he could pick us out of the landscape! Cheers Brett

Great at stopping wind and rain, I really like articulated elbows and knees, but has zero effectiveness in aiding against cold, it is really difficult to layer with this line, the fit does not allow for much layers to be added, especially the pants, if you order pants, definitely size up one or two sizes. High snag resistance is also nice, but due to the gore tex its a little noisy.

The Stormfront series takes rain gear to the next level offering unparalleled protection from mother natures worst surprises. It doesn't matter if it's the relentless rain during late season coastal hunts or blowing snow in elk country, the Stormfront will keep you dry and comfortable. From time to time I test gear on behalf of Gore and Sitka gear and this is one piece that will always have a place in my quiver. The Stormfront jacket is loaded with features like articulated elbows which aids in maintaining unrestricted movement, pit zips to keep you cool on extended grinds and is designed to layer with Sitka Gears array of insulation garments. When extend foul weather is certain, I rely on the Stormfront series to keep me keyed in on the hunt.