Adam Scepaniak 05.12.25

Most all of us have a closet stuffed with camouflage that we rotate out and in based mostly on the season, time of 12 months, or recreation that we’re searching. Some is new whereas others are outdated. Regardless what your searching wardrobe seems to be such as you hopefully have one thing for each season and each cause to exit within the subject. A camouflage colour many people probably are poor in – whether or not we understand it or not – is inexperienced. Sure, inexperienced. We have now a bevy of fall coloured camo patterns as a result of that’s when the majority of searching season are, however what a couple of lush, inexperienced camouflage sample for early season hunts?… Sitka Gear is a titan within the camo clothes trade they usually noticed this metaphorical writing on the wall as nicely. So, they went into their laboratory and delivered to us Optifade Cowl: a camo sample designed to excel in densely vegetated and leafed tree cover environments. Precisely like early season whitetail deer and turkey searching. So, on this AllOutdoor Evaluate, we’re going to try Sitka’s new Optifade Cowl camouflage of their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie whereas I look to bag myself a chook throughout Minnesota’s spring turkey season. Let’s dive in!
Sitka Protection on AllOutdoor
Specs – Sitka Equinox Guard Pant in Optifade Cowl Camouflage
First up, we now have the Sitka Equinox Guard Pant within the new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample. It is a garment that’s immune to all method of ticks and bugs so the creepy-crawlies keep off of you when you’re searching; particularly if you find yourself sitting towards a tree ready for a longbeard to come back by. The entire specs, options, and pricing for this pant may be learn beneath as offered by Sitka:
- Colorways: Optifade Subalpine, Optifade Cowl, Coyote – MSRP $249 | Optifade Elevated II – $149.40
-
Light-weight, breathable cloth with raised inner grid sample promotes most airflow
-
Scent-free Insect Defend® repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges (no-see-ums)
-
Inside leg gaiters helps forestall ticks and chiggers from contacting your pores and skin when worn underneath socks
-
Two YKK® zippered aspect leg vents with mesh gussets expel warmth when transferring quick
-
Entrance leg YKK® zip pockets for extra air flow and storage
-
Devoted knife pocket
-
Hidden suspender attachment factors
-
UPF 50+ safety; handled with Polygiene® Odor Management Know-how
-
Pair with Equinox Guard Hoody and Glove for extra head-to-toe safety from bugs
-
Complete weight: 13.5 oz.
The Equinox Guard Pant helps forestall contact with bugs in three distinct methods: restricted pores and skin publicity, bite-reduction cloth and built-in Insect Defend® safety. Snug and moisture-wicking, particularly in scorching, humid situations, the pant is comprised of a light-weight SITKA-developed cloth that promotes airflow and options zippered leg vents that expel warmth when transferring quick and zip up for additional safety. Inside leg gaiters helps forestall towards ticks and chiggers from crawling up your legs when worn underneath socks.
Specs – Sitka Fanatic Hoodie in Optifade Cowl Camouflage
Subsequent, is the Sitka Fanatic Hoodie within the new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample to finish our searching outfit. This hoodie has loads of intelligent tech in-built to additionally guarantee mosquitoes don’t drive you again to the truck whereas searching and also you keep within the recreation throughout your hunt. All of the essential particulars are listed beneath courtesy of Sitka:
- Colorways: Optifade Cowl – MSRP $179 | Optifade Elevated II, Sitka Black, Deep Lichen – MSRP $143.20
- Weight: 16.6 Oz (Dimension: Massive)
- Physique and Hood Material: Heavyweight Consolation Stretch Fleece (93% Polyester/7% Elastane)
- Facemask Material: Fast-Dry, Light-weight Stretch Mesh (88% Polyester/12% Elastane)
- Polygiene® Odor Management Know-how safely neutralizes odor precipitated from sweat
- Constructed-In Breathable Mesh Face Masks: Conceal your face on the transfer and improve your success price
- Flip-Over Hand Mitts: Along with the built-in thumb-holes allow simple layering
The Fanatic is a high-performance hoodie on steroids and can rapidly turn out to be a favourite in your whitetail system. Physique-mapped grid and microgrid fleeces work collectively to control your physique temp whereas holding scent down, because of Polygiene® Odor Management Know-how.
A Phrase from Sitka on their NEW Optifade Cowl Camouflage
Bozeman, Montana – SITKA Gear, a pacesetter in high-performance searching attire, introduces OPTIFADE Cowl, the most recent innovation in hunter concealment. Developed in collaboration with high wildlife researchers from the College of Georgia Deer Analysis Lab, this cutting-edge camo sample units a brand new normal for concealment in greener seasons. Designed to excel in densely vegetated and leafed tree cover environments, OPTIFADE Cowl leverages scientific analysis with superior patterning to successfully disrupt the imaginative and prescient of deer and turkeys in these particular environments, significantly within the Japanese US. OPTIFADE Cowl employs a science-backed, field-proven method to reinforce stealth for hunters. This new sample builds on OPTIFADE’s established design ideas, incorporating specialised coloration and breakup components to make sure hunters stay nearly invisible to recreation. Whether or not pursuing whitetail deer from velvet via fall or searching turkeys within the eager eyes of spring, this sample provides unparalleled concealment.
“Our purpose at SITKA has at all times been to push the bounds of what’s doable in searching gear, and with OPTIFADE Cowl, we now have taken concealment to the subsequent stage,” stated Todd Barker, Advertising and marketing Director at SITKA Gear. “Cowl isn’t just about mixing in, it’s about serving to the hunter turn out to be undetectable within the eyes of the sport.”
What’s the Upsell? What’s the 30-Second Elevator Pitch?
There are a ton of choices out out there immediately for camouflage (everyone knows this). So, what is healthier in regards to the new Optifade Cowl sample from Sitka? In the event you had been caught in a searching elevator with one among their camouflage engineers, what could be the elevator pitch? That is what Sitka has to say:
OPTIFADE Cowl was created to deal with the shortage of scientifically backed concealment for greener seasons, and the environments and landscapes throughout the japanese US. Partnering with the UGA Deer Analysis Lab, SITKA researched ungulate and turkey imaginative and prescient in these environments to engineer superior stealth for the woods. Understanding recreation species; means to detect motion 4 instances sooner than people with 300-degrees of peripheral imaginative and prescient, their heightened processing pace and superior peripheral imaginative and prescient fashioned the premise of OPTIFADE’s confirmed design ideas. OPTIFADE’s sample design disrupts the define of a hunter’s silhouette utilizing micro- and macro breakup components important for stopping recreation from monitoring human outlines.
Turkeys and ungulates possess an enhanced sensitivity to UV wavelengths. SITKA’s analysis with animal imaginative and prescient consultants targeted on the construction of recreation species’ eyes and colour notion based mostly on photoreceptors and cone distribution. Accompanying this analysis had been intensive rounds of UV spectrometer testing to make sure the coloration utilized in OPTIFADE Cowl adheres to the precise visible constraints and environments the place hunts happen. The result’s a whole concealment package deal for hunters in greener seasons.
Subject Use – Sitka Equinox Guard Pant & Fanatic Hoodie in Optifade Cowl Camouflage
So, how did this camo carry out out within the subject? Was it adequate to deceive a wily hen turkey? Spoiler alert: it’s an emphatic YES! I wore the Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie together with the brand new Sitka Gear VentLite GTX Boot and a hat to match to go searching this spring in Minnesota. It took roughly 4 hours for me to coerce a Tom to come back inside vary earlier than I crammed my tag, however earlier than that occurred, I had wildlife throughout me (they usually had been none the wiser).
I had a number of hen turkeys inside 12- 15 yards of me whereas I sat subsequent to a tree on the bottom, they usually by no means detected me. In reality, they “outed” my decoys as being faux after they walked round them half a dozen instances and pecked at them, however they by no means seen me. With my face protecting from the Fanatic Hoodie pulled up, they might not discern {that a} hunter was of their midst.
Since I had my butt on the forest ground for a number of hours, I appreciated the mildly stretchy waistband within the Equinox Guard Pant. I didn’t really feel like my stomach was being squeezed out like a near-empty tube of toothpaste. I may comfortably sit and watch as some morning raccoons paraded by me with out ever noticing me. It’s the little moments like that that make searching fulfilling for me. Feeling like I’m so crafty and sneaky that wild animals don’t even discover me – even once we’re at eye stage.
Whereas I used to be by no means chilly sporting any of those clothes as I stalked into my searching spot at 5AM, I do respect the thoughtfulness within the design of the Fanatic Hoodie that it was thumbholes and even finger covers to maintain your palms heat but accessible on the identical time.
I even had a correct hat to defend my eyes from the brilliant daylight streaming via the woods at daybreak. So, I may hold my eyes peeled for a turkey headed my method.
Remaining Ideas
So, what are my last ideas on the new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample of their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie?… General, I’m supremely impressed. All clothes clothes I’ve ever examined from Sitka are of extremely top quality, however this new inexperienced camouflage sample they’ve developed works nice. I had 2 whitetail does stroll by me at 15 yards away (they by no means noticed me). There have been 2 overweight raccoons that rumbled on by (by no means noticed me). I additionally had 4 hens and a pair of Toms working round me in all instructions they usually by no means knew I used to be there till I pulled the set off on a chook. The “proof is within the pudding” is how the saying goes, and I’ve gathered all the proof that I would like. That is one other winner from Sitka. The Optifade Cowl camouflage sample coupled with all the completely different clothes types that Sitka provides goes to set you up for fulfillment this searching season. Make sure you test it out on their web site; it’s completely value it.
In closing, I wish to say thanks to Sitka for permitting AllOutdoor and myself the chance to check out their new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample of their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie. That’s drastically appreciated. Additionally, we wish to know what all of you guys and gals suppose? Do you consider that the brand new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample of their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie is one thing value spending your cash on? Would you deploy them for searching this fall? Take them with you tenting? Use them tending cattle on a ranch? As at all times, tell us all your ideas about Sitka and the brand new Optifade Cowl camouflage sample within the Feedback beneath! We at all times respect your suggestions.
SITKA Gear Social Media Channels