Sitka Gear Kelvin Lite Down Jacket and ¾ Pant

With Summer in full swing and the temperatures blazing, thinking about gear for use in colder conditions may not be at the top of your agenda. But now is the perfect time to be finalizing your mid-to-late season gear lists and taking care of business. Time waits for no man (or woman) and you most certainly don’t want to get caught with your pants down! Well, in this case it might not be a bad idea… Apologies for the bad pun and attempt at humor that will likely go over everyone’s head. But the subject of this week’s gear rant is two insulation pieces from Sitka Gear, that are you guessed it…comprised of down insulation!

Earlier this year Sitka released two new product developments in their “Kelvin” insulation line: The Kelvin Down Lite Jacket and Kelvin Down Lite ¾ Pant. The release was surrounded by an unusual amount of hype and fanfare. “Why?” you might ask. Stick around and we’ll tell ya!

The Kelvin line from Sitka is comprised of insulating layers that are categorized as puffy pieces. What is a puffy? Puffies are garments used for insulation purposes, typically with a lightweight, nylon face fabric, and traditionally stuffed full of goose down. These keep you warm by holding in your body heat and help to create a micro climate when used with both a base layer and outer layer. There are pros and cons with down, and in recent years we’ve seen puffy jackets and pants filled with synthetic insulation in an attempt to thwart down’s Achille’s heel, which is moisture. We’ll spare the details for later, as we cover the subject of cold weather gear in an upcoming issue of the print magazine.

Kelvin Lite Down Jacket

The Kelvin Lite Down Jacket is your go-to mid-season piece when warmth and packability are key. The bread and butter of this jacket is a 900 fill, DWR (durable water resistant) treated down/synthetic blend that was specially formulated for use in Sitka’s Kelvin Lite Down layers. To be as efficient and cost effective as possible, 60 grams of Primaloft Gold Active synthetic insulation is utilized under the arms and in the lower back to maintain warmth in these areas of high compression where down would not be as efficient; a smart move on the part of Sitka’s design team.

Delivering an amazing warmth-to-weight ratio, the jacket compresses down and nestles inside its own zippered hand pocket. A proprietary shell of 20D nylon two-way stretch fabric adds durability over traditional down garments. This is simply because it will stretch before tearing. The exterior hand pockets are situated high enough to access while wearing a pack and feature a mesh lining to help with ventilation. A low-profile hood that features no exterior hardware is just right for comfort and visibility. From first glance, this jacket is by far an improvement over Sitka’s previous mid-weight Kelvin offerings and definitely appears to be a very versatile piece.

KEY FEATURES:

900 Fill Primaloft Gold down blend insulation
60 grams of Primaloft Gold Active synthetic insulation under the arms and in lower back to maintain warmth in high compression areas
Two-way stretch nylon face fabric
Two zippered hand pockets with mesh lining for ventilation
Zippered chest pocket
Low profile hood with no external hardware
Colors: Optifade Subalpine and Optifade Open Country
MSRP: $349

Kelvin Lite Down ¾ Pant

Let’s first address the elephant in the room: why a ¾ quarter-length pant?! The decision to not build a full-length down pant is simply based on common sense and pure economics. Why continue the coverage where your boots and likely gaiters would negate the benefits of the down insulation, while also being the first area take the most abuse? Also, the extra length adds bulk in your pack and extra cost to the price tag. Once again, Sitka’s design team is very smart and obviously are seasoned hunters.

Like the jacket, 900 Fill Primaloft Gold down/synthetic blend, as well as 60 grams of Primaloft Gold Active synthetic insulation are featured. The latter is located in the seat to help retain warmth and to once again, not waste a high performance down insulation where it would not be able to perform at its best. The same two-way stretch 20D nylon face fabric utilized in the jacket, is used for absolute comfort and durability. There are two side zippers located on the outside of each leg, and situated a bit farther forward for ease of removal. A built-in nylon belt allows for a customized fit regardless of the situation. The Kelvin Lite Down ¾ Pant is definitely an insulating workhorse that will shine when spending long hours glassing from mountaintops, or spending long days in a saddle, on long horseback trips to remote hunting camps.

KEY FEATURES: