If you’ve been thinking about buying the Sitka Mountain Jacket, you might look at the price tag of $269 and hesitate.

You might be searching “mountain jacket Sitka” or “Sitka gear mountain jacket” or “Sitka mountain jacket review” to find out all the essential, nitty-gritty details.

Whether you’re looking for the lowest prices or the best reviews, I’ve got you.

I promise you that Hunter’s Gear Guide has the best, most-detailed review for the Mountain Jacket anywhere on the internet. Not a fan of reading? Click here for the video review!

And I’ve searched far and wide for the lowest prices out there. Check out the links at the bottom, if you decide to buy from one of them I get a small share of the earnings from the retailer.

Anyways, enough about me, and more about that “Sitka Mountain Jacket Review.”

The Sitka Mountain Jacket’s Comfort Is Average

Whenever I review gear, I make sure to test it out hardcore. I take it into the heat and cold, hike the living the crap out of it, and I write my reviews in it (just to be sure my thoughts are honest).

After using the Mountain Jacket on a few trips, here’s why I can honestly say it’s kind of comfortable.

#1: The Comfortable Two-Way Stretch Material

If you’ve ever worn any of Sitka’s pants, you’re probably in love with that four-way stretch material. It allows the fabric to stretch a little, and that’s important with all the sitting, scrambling, and moving around you do while hunting.

The Sitka Gear Mountain Jacket is no different.

The two-way stretch material on this jacket really stretches. You can actually see it if you pull the jacket. This is awesome for steep hikes, where you’re constantly grabbing onto brush and rocks to pull yourself up. The jacket doesn’t feel super tight across your back or armpits. It even feels great with a pack on.

The interior of the jacket is made from brushed polyester. Brushed means loose threads and short fiber ends are removed so the fabric doesn’t itch and has a nice smooth, soft feel to it.

The material is also designed to work with base layers to prevent overheating. It’s breathable, allowing moisture to escape. After hoofing it up hills, and down trails, I’m a pretty firm believer in the moisture-wicking, cooling effects of this jacket.

#2: It’s Not Very Windproof

Now if you typed in “mountain jacket Sitka” you might have known this jacket was windproof, maybe not. It’s designed to be Sitka’s ultra-light windbreaker, with taped seams, pull cords on bottom to tighten the jacket around your waist, and collar to keep it off your neck.

But, I’ve found the Mountain Jacket to struggle in its breeze-curbing responsibilities (which some of it may just be my fault).

After using this jacket on two separate trips, one to Alaska (where the weather was a gorgeous 70°F), another scouting bears in my home state of Utah, I’ve got a few thoughts.

First of all, while hunting in sunny Southeast Alaska, where the temperatures were warm that week, but breezes blew by lazily on mountain tops, that wind sucked the heat right out of me. Even with the those taped seams, and pull-cords, it was chilly.

Later, while scouting out bears in the spring, with temperatures hovering around 55°F, the Mountain Jacket felt great hiking around, but once the wind picked up, chilly breezes ripped right down underneath the collar and onto my body. It got cold, and eventually I just switched to my Sitka Jetstream Jacket, which has a hood.

#3: It’s Water-Resistant

The Mountain Jacket is built to resist light amounts of precipitation. I found this to be true while hiking through spring-time mountains in Utah.

Whether it was tripping into snow, the light rain that came down occasionally, or spilling my water bottle all over myself (true story), this jacket did a good job keeping me dry.

However, don’t push it. I just can’t see this jacket lasting very long in a full on rainstorm.

Small Details And The Sitka Gear Mountain Jacket

Sitka is always very detail-oriented when it comes to their gear.

I love that.

Have you ever bought something, only to be bugged by the tiniest thing the next day?

Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you know all the small details that mattered to me below. And if I missed something, let me know in the comments!

#4: It Has Three Zip-Up Pockets

The Sitka Gear Mountain Jacket has three pockets. Two hand pockets located on the front, and one on the chest.

The two hand pockets are smaller than those on the Jetstream Jacket (although I guess that comes with being lighter weight). They zip close, which is a nice feature considering you don’t want to lose any valuables you stash inside. These pockets are placed higher on the jacket, allowing you to wear a pack and still slip your hands inside, which is nice when you keep your hands warm while moving along.

The chest pocket is even smaller than the hand pockets. It also zips closed making it a great place to stow valuable items such as range finders, a GPS, and even your phone.

Each of the pockets are backed with mesh. This helps keep the jacket light and breathable.

#5: The Sitka Mountain Jacket Lacks Wrist Straps

This is a problem I’ve had with most Sitka jackets. The sleeves don’t have any straps to tighten them down.

The same goes for the Sitka Mountain Jacket. It lacks straps around the wrists, which lets wind or precipitation crawl up the arms. However, it does feature elastic which holds the sleeves around your arm when it’s time to roll them up and start cleaning your kill.

#6: Pull-Cords To Tighten The Waist

Sitka Gear’s Mountain Jacket features pull-cords around the waist. These tighten down the jacket’s waistline and keep wind from blowing up into the jacket.

You can actually tighten the cords from the inside of the pockets, but you’ll have to lift up the waist to loosen them. A great, simple feature that I’ve only had good experiences with.

#7: It Doesn’t Have A Hood

Oh man. Have I already mentioned how much this bugs me? Like seriously, can we add on two ounces and get a hood so the wind can’t blow down my neck?

But seriously, if you want something similar to the Mountain Jacket with a hood, check out Sitka’s Timberline Jacket.

The Practical Side Of The Sitka Mountain Jacket

Okay, I figure if you just skipped to this part of the Sitka Mountain Jacket Review, you’re probably a little more concerned on how this jacket performs during a hunt.

How does the camouflage work?

Is it quiet?

Is it going to rip on the first twig I catch it on?

Yeah, I got you. Let me share my thoughts on these questions.

#8: It Comes In Effective Camouflage

I’ve used this jacket specifically on two different hunts. One for Sitka Blacktail Deer in Alaska, one while looking for Spring Black Bears in Utah. Here’s how I feel about it as a “hunting jacket”.

After several wildlife encounters while wearing Sitka camo, I’m impressed. While searching out spring bears in Utah, I ran across a group of mule deer. They smelled me, they heard me, but they sure had a hard time finding me.

It does a nice job concealing you. The Mountain Jacket comes in two different colorations: Optifade Open Country and Optifade Sub-Alpine. Each works well for a different season and area. Open country working better on gray, early-spring, fall time hunts, the Sub-Alpine performing well in late-spring, greener hunts (such as Southeast Alaska).

The camouflage works well, but the jacket is also quiet. The zippers don’t make much noise and the fabric doesn’t rustle too loudly.

#9: I Wouldn’t Wear It Below 60°F

Unless you’re layering up.

That’s one mistake I’ve made before.

While the Sitka Jetstream works well as a standalone in cool environments, I wouldn’t even consider using the Mountain Jacket in anything below 60°F without layering on something warmer. Even above 60°F I would still be carrying layers, as I have had issues with this jacket and windy days.

#10: It’s Extremely Light

11.3 ounces.

That’s it. And while it lacks temperature wise, it does a great job packing tightly and not adding much to your load.

You can actually flip the jacket inside out and pack it into one of the pockets, creating a small, compact, lightweight bundle. This makes the jacket a worthy addition for distant back country hunts.

#11: It’s Durable

For such a lightweight wind-stopper, the Sitka Mountain Jacket can really hold up to tough country. After the bush-wacking I’ve ever been through in Alaska, and constantly snagging on Aspen trees in Utah, I haven’t even noticed a loose thread, let alone a tear in this jacket.

However, I do worry about the mesh pockets tearing. Especially if you’re carry something sharp or an item snags it while your pulling it out.

Concluding Thoughts On The Sitka Mountain Jacket

The Sitka Mountain Jacket, in my opinion, is pretty average. It’s incredibly light and easy to pack, but lacks the warmth and wind breaking capabilities of the Sitka Jetstream or Sitka Timberline jackets.

If you’re looking for a jacket to take on a warm hunt, and willing to pack the layers, I’d recommend this jacket. If not, I’d stick to it’s thicker counterparts I mentioned above.

Did I miss anything? Let me know below in the comments. Did you like this review? Give it a like and subscribe for more great content!

Those Low Prices I Promised

Sitka Mountain Jacket:

• Amazon – $269
• Sitka – $269

Sitka always discounts it prices on last year’s model. Here’s a few links:

• Amazon – $161.39
• Mountain Archery – $135 for Sub-Alpine
• Mountain Archery – $135 for Open Country
• Black Ovis – $188.30