By Jason Reid
USA -(Ammoland.com)- For most of my hunting life, my clothing consisted of cotton t-shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, long underwear and big generic camouflage coats and pants.
How many others have crammed obscure layers on to try and stay warm? I will guess most of us have had some odd system of layers which still left us chilled more often than not.
This past season, I had my first real experience with a true layering system which was specifically built to keep me warmer, drier and much more comfortable.
Hunting both the elk mountains and the whitetail woods, I felt much more confident with my Sitka System.
Each part of the Sitka layering system I found to make a significant comfort difference throughout the hunting season.
Each system starts at the base and like many hunters, I’ve taken base layers for granted over the years. Failing to pay attention to my next to skin garments, I’ve paid the price by using clothing with inadequate materials.
Subsequently, I was creating a sweat lodge with no ventilation system. You know the feeling of being clammy and HOT after simply walking to the stand.
We all know what happens as a result of sweating. You spend the rest of your sit fighting to keep your body temperature regulated.
I didn’t understand the power of a specific base layer built to solely wick moisture away from the skin until I wore Sitka’s Core Base Lightweight Crew Long Sleeve and the Core Lightweight Hoody.
The feel of these garments is silky smooth. The lightweight editions of these shirts are available in a crew cut, short sleeve and a hoody option. I utilized the crew cut option all season as I did not find myself battling extreme heat and needing the protection of the hoody. My father; however, used his hoody the day he killed his 340 P&Y bull in September.
With the crew cut shirt, I don’t feel like it restricts my movements or tugs at my neck when I turn my head. The fabric material is a polyester bi-component construction and is far more comfortable than your average pair of pajamas and creates a seamless feeling against my skin. When my first base layer arrived in the mail, I don’t think I took it off for three days. It is comfortable because it keeps you dry. These base layers pull moisture off your skin and in correlation with other layers, help push sweat further away from the skin while destroying bacteria.
If sweat has been an issue for you in the past, you will be able to appreciate the abilities of this shirt.
Between long stints in the mountains and in the whitetail woods, I was surprised by the lack of noticeable odor build up coming from my shirts. There are plenty of shirts on the market which claim to have odor destroying capabilities. When I saw Sitka’s Polygiene label, I was a bit hesitant to believe this would be any different. Essentially, Polygiene is silver chloride which has been recycled and woven into the fabric. Silver has long been known for its anti-microbial and bacteria destroying capabilities and after an intense season of hunting I can say with confidence this kept my body odor at a minimum.
What you will find with the lightweight, mid weight and even heavy weight core shirts is the quick drying time. Having a garment be able to dry quickly without retaining odor extends its use. During my 2015 whitetail season, at one point I hunted a portion or all of 27 of 30 days while rotating two lightweight base layers and only had to wash them once. [Don’t tell his Mom.]
Look, Sitka comes at a cost and not everyone can afford to build an entire system. But after this past season, I believe if you are going to look into buying any of these pieces of gear at all, one should start with these base layers. You are paying for true quality which is felt. Complex solutions to common issues are made to look simple. It is nice to wear something which has been given much thought and careful attention to detail.
Learn more at www.sitkagear.com/products/whitetail/next-to-skin/core-lightweight-crew-long-sleeve
About Jason Reid:
Jason Reid is a writer and business professional from upstate New York. After deciding to pursue his dream of becoming an outdoor writer, Jason started a blog from his dorm room at Houghton College, growing it and working hard to earn opportunities. While bowhunting big game is his ultimate passion, Jason welcomes all outdoor challenges which force him to push his limits. Jason’s work can be viewed on his website Pushingthewildlimits.com