If you guys use and like Sitka gear, I suggest you try out stuff from the Browning lineup of technical hunting clothes. I had most of the Sitka stuff and I sold it. The browning stuff is better, they have a broader line up, and it is cheaper. I can't tell you how impressed I've been with it. This stuff needs more pub as I believe they make the best clothing for hunters on the market right now. I bought a few pieces and loved it, and bought more, and bought more. I own most of the outerwear now and I continue to buy more.

The Quest jacket and pants are a gore tex soft shell. Breathable and waterproof. A+ quality. The zero gravity lineup is straight paclite goretex, 2.5 layers. Very light weight, super packable, stretchable and breathable. They have the pursuit series of jackets and pants that are a traditional soft shell with a little bit of nap inside to provide extra warmth, yet very breathable. There's another set (I don't have it) of goretex wind stopping soft shell. That's probably a winner as well. I also love their down jacket and vest - 700 fill and very warm and packable.

It sounds like I work for them - I don't. It's just a better product and much more economical. It comes in mossy oak treestand which looks a lot like the mothwing camo Sitka uses. All goretex and top of the line stuff. I highly recommend it. I had no qualms with Sitka, but this is better quality and less money.

I haven't tried their regular pants and shirts yet but that's next on my list. I'll report when I do.

There's a lot of good stuff out there... Sitka has never really impressed me.

It would be interesting to find out who the manufacturer is.

Hmm... IF that's true, then I had better buy stock in Browning...

Calvin -
From gore-tex's website:
http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satellite/product-content/soft-shell

The equivalent jackets from the top end companies cost about $500-600. The quest is about half that.

Looks like basspro has the quest jacket on clearance for $199 here:
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/s...Y&CMID=BOTTOM_selectitems#itemDetail

I agree.

Dryfly... you may not work directly for them but maybe you are a dealer??? I detect some untruthfulness in your words.
Gore may claim to be breathable and it is to some extent but it cannot keep up with the vapor the human body puts out. So it is not breathable in a realistic world!

Dryflyelk,
How quiet is your Browning softshell jacket?

+1

It's amazing that this miracle jacket is on clearance...

-1 Guess I'm easily swayed after using poor quality gear. My Sitka Downpour is the best rain gear I've ever worn but I haven't use any other high dollar rain gear. My $200 goretex jackey doesn't hold up to rain, should be called water resistant.

I use the Browning gear in Fl. for Deer and Turkey. It holds up very well and is durable through the mess we hunt in down here. It usually dries fast and doesn't lose it's color either. I bought it for it's price, to have a second set. I was considering Sitka or Predator on my out west Trip to CO. for Elk, looks like I better do some more research on gear. Thanks.

The latest line of clothing by Sitka..... IMO is as good as some of the best mountaineering equipment I've used.... and this comes from someone who's killed plenty of game wearing Patagonia and Arcteryx clothing and climbed plenty of ice and mountains.....

Sitka clothing is for real and it's only getting better........

Big Sitka gear fan myself. All that I own has far exceeded my expectations, and my expectations were set very high!

I've been through a lot of goretex over the years. While it does well, the bottom line to it, is if I'm in rain for hours and hours, eventually it'll soak through somewhere.

Their clothing is binding on me. It's advertised to
be 4 point flexible, NADA for me.

The pack is good stuff.

I have read about others that have sold Browning and switched to Sitka and rave about the Sitka.

I have Sitka and love it.

I have never really been a fan of sitka but I saw the new stuff Mark has and its pretty friggin sweet!

I have no idea what the price point will be but its right up there with any thing I have seen.

Nah, I don't work for them. And again I've owned both. I loved sitka for really breaking through into the technical area of hunting clothing. That was long overdue. It's great stuff...but very expensive. I have found the latest generation of browning gear to be just as good, if not better, and it costs much less. After having a closet full of both, I sold off the Sitka. I just liked the browning stuff better.

I haven't tried the browning pants yet. I still use the Sitka as my go-to pants and shirt. I've just switched for the outerwear. I intend to review what browning has this summer in that regard, and either switch or stay.

I have all the 2008 sitka lineup. Although it is kinda pricey if you look hard on the net you can find great prices. I am very pleased with it so far. IT is super quality and fits me great.

Anyone have any idea what the quest jackets and pants weigh as well as the sitka numbus jacket and pants??

hey Alaska - apples and oranges on the quest and nimbus. The comparables would be quest or one of the other soft shells (there are three) vs. the 90% jacket or Celsius jacket. The sitka nimbus compares to the browning zero gravity, a shell only. Both weigh at about 19 ounces. I know browning uses paclite gore-tex. I think the newer nimbus might, but their website still says a "breathable layer" whatever that means.

I got a bunch of Browning stuff to test drive and review about 6 years ago. To say it failed would be giving it undue credit. All seams leaked badly even after a couple applications of seam sealer.

The Hydro-sponge material was the worst fleece I have ever seen for soaking up water... they claimed it is waterproof.

The pants had shallow slash pockets sewn down inside. So any time you sit to glass the stuff leaves the pockets.

The suspender buttons popped off without any stress applied.

The take-up waist straps use velcro and they are so long they cover the entire strip making them 100% useless for actually adjusting.

I could go on and on... Browning's response was basically "Thanks, but we didn't think you were actually going to critique them..." Stuff like the suspender buttons, "We never should have put those on." The pockets "But that would change the style of the pants."...

I have a heavy fleece shirt by them I really like, beyond that, Browning does not make acceptable wet weather gear, IME&O.
art

Not to hijack but on the same topic...

Whats the cheapest guys have seen Sitka Ascent pants? I see Cabelas has them on for $119 for the tall models....

I have both browning and sitka.

Sitka 90% Jacket and pants. And Sitka Nimbus pants.

Browing Quest jacket and pants, and a paclite jacket.

I'm not sure if comparing these two (90% vs. Quest) are comparing apples to apples, but each serve their purpose.

For me, I'll use my sitka 90% in the warmer dryer weather (above 40 and dry). The 90% are very comfortable, almost like wearing pajamas hunting. I'll throw in the nimbus pants and paclite jacket for shell rain gear if I'm packing in for a few days and it might rain a day but mostly dry. 90% is definitely not waterproof.

If the weather is going to be colder, wetter, and the terrain is a little more brutal, the browning quest gear hands down. It's a lot tougher and will withstand the worst weather as long as you layer correctly. It's not near as breathable as my sitka 90%, but that is to be expected based on the material and durability. My Quest gear was/is completely 100% waterproof. Both 90% and quest have zipper vents to increase breathability.

I would say this though. My experience is that my Sitka Gear is not quite worth the money I paid. There is cheaper gear out there that will do just as well or close to it at a fraction of the cost.

I can't say the same about my browning gear. It's worth every penny and it can take a beating. I mostly hunt high country mule deer and if there is any type of weather, browning, always.

I think the 90% and the Quest gear go for around the same cost and I think there is much more value in the quest gear. It just doesn't breath quite as well, but everything else is better IMO.

Sitka deer,
The stuff browning is putting out now is light years ahead of what they put out even five years ago. I too had a hydrofleece jacket and I didn't really care for it. The "new" stuff is a whole new league. Give it a shot. You won't be disappointed. All gore-tex, taped seams, zipper garages, pit zips, etc. High tech top of the line stuff.

I was looking at the Browning Hells Canyon jacket and pants. How do the compare with the Sitka 90% jacket and pants?

dfryflyelk or other Quest users--
How is that stuff cut? Like Sitka?

Oh, and how noisy is it?

Yeah, it's cut similar to sitka...both are a tad tight for their size I would say. The Quest is a tad "stiffer" and a lot tougher than the sitka stuff do to the material differences (100% waterproof goretex etc...). Definitely not worried about snagging on anything like I am a little with the sitka (like if you have to crash through some thick [bleep]). Noise was not an issue with the Quest gear.

I really didn't like how either of the pants were cut and would say the sitka pants are cut a little nicer than the browning (I'm comparing 90% to Quest here).

For a fit reference on the pants. I'm comfortable in 36W X 34L jeans that have been washed....6'1 athletic build (my jeans have a little room and hit the ground at my heels).

I originally ordered large Quest pants, no way they were going to work. They would tighten up on my thighs way to much when I raised my knee (such as hiking) and the length was pretty short. I went with XL's which are better, but the waist is pretty big. I use suspenders and a belt and it leaves some room for comfort and breathability. The XL's don't tighten up on my legs when hiking and fit better in the butt and crotch. If you are my size, error on the larger side, unless you like a tight crotch and something riding up your crack (I'm talking about pants here guys).

For the sitka's again they were smaller, I like room and comfort and make up for it with suspenders and belt. I went with the 2XL's on the 90% pants. Huge waste, but comfortable. Neither of the pants are very long.

My $.02