Is High End Camo Worth It?
A Sitka Kelvin Down WS Hoody goes for $399 MSRP. For that much money, you could go to Walmart and buy an entire set of camo, a pair of boots, and even have money left over to buy a box of ammo. So why would anybody invest in upwards of $1500 in camo?
Well, to answer that question we have to look into what makes the “high end” camo so expensive. Sitka is made with several different layers. Sitka is made with GORE-TEX Infinium with Windstopper. Each inch of the materiel contains 9 billion pores. Every pore is 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, which makes it impossible for rain, snow, or sleet to pass through. The pores help the fabric to breathe so that sweat vapor can escape, which in turn keeps you cool. The next layer is called PrimaLoft, which is made of fine fibers that retain warmth, even when wet, and creates a product that is quiet and less bulky, which helps you not need so many layers while hunting. Sitka also uses Polygene to help keep the hunter scent free.
I used to think high end camo was an ignorant purchase. I used to think people only bought it because the TV shows told them too. Then, I had a buddy talk me into trying some. I found a good deal and ordered a pair of Sitka Ascent pants, Core Lightweight Crew, Core Lightweight Hoodie, and the Mountain Jacket. I decided I would test them out on a 5-day elk hunt. After one day, I was a believer! In the mornings, it was around 20 degrees, and all my hunting buddies were bundled up. All I had on was a pair of tights, ascent pants, crew shirt, and mountain jacket. I stayed warm all morning long. In the afternoon the temp got up to around 80 degrees, and all my buddies had to shed tons and tons of layers, while all I had to do was take my jacket off because the breathability of the camo was so amazing.
I used the same camo on an October Antelope hunt with temps touching 100 degrees in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The camo breathed amazingly well. I continued to use the same camo all the way through deer season, where temps got into the teens and never had an issue.
If you go to Sitka’s website, the prices may or may not be within your budget, but if you keep watching other websites like Camofire, Mountain-Archery, and Sierra Trading Post, it is not uncommon to find over 50% off discounts! All the camo I mentioned above, I was able to get for under $500 on different closeout sales.
So once again, is high end camo worth it? My answer will be YES, 10 times out of 10.
-Brendan Scott, Fall Obsession Field Staff