Subalpine and Elevated II are the two primary patterns SITKA ambassador Beau Martonik relies on in the stand. He’ll walk you through when to use which based on the terrain, the environment, and the foliage.
SITKA SAVED MY LIFE. On November 17th, 2023 My top ladderstick broke just as unhooked harness. I fell 20 ft, it was 15 degrees with a stiff windchill. Took a few hours to find me. Broke pelvis in 2 places, broke 3 vertebrae in my back and my right arm broke in half at the elbow. I couldn't 😮😮walk or even move at that. The lucky part of this was I had on a sitka t shirt, fanatic hoody with fanatic jacket and bibs. That set of gear kept me from hypothermia. Now, I didn't have gloves and fingers were getting frost bite. Lucky for me I had fanatic hoody and those built in hand muffs saved my fingers. I don't care what others say about Sitka and the cost it literally saved my life. Of course all of my Sitka got cut off of me in the trauma center. Sitka replaced it for a song with a get well note. I highly doubt there are more than 1 or 2 companies that would go that for above and beyond. As far as the ladderstick, it is a piss poor design and the top 16 inch section is a death zone.
Not understanding the release of subalpine for whitetail. We were told for years from Sitka that based on science, the EVll pattern was the best for hunting from a treestand in all seasons. Deer see in shades of gray not green and brown. This marketing campaign conflicts with everything stated prior. Seems selling the same gear in multiple patterns has taken priority over product development.
Not to be argumentative, but I don’t think it’s as much about selling multiple patterns, but more because they have a potentially large customer base, particularly in the Southeast, that don’t want to look like a cotton ball against a pine tree. YES, the EVII is amazing when elevated against a hardwood, but in thick, dark-barked trees, to the human eye it looks very white and stands out. All that to say, if you take your camera and take a picture of SA or EVII against brush and use the black and white feature like a deer would see, realistically you almost can’t tell the difference. But for most hunters, they don’t want to wear something that white, simple as that. In terms of marketing and sales, I think it’s an excellent way for Sitka to compete with ever-evolving competition.
Agreed. After spending thousands and thousands of dollars on the elevated 2. There is no way in hell I’m doing that again just for the sub Alpine camo for early season. I have used the elevated 2 both early and late season with much success as well as hunting from the ground in the same camo during gun season when it is snowing. It’s a great all around camo. The deer cannot tell the difference between elevated 2 and sub Alpine. I know this for a fact. I asked the deer 🦌. And they said there is no difference
I have the Fanatic, Stratus, and Guard sets in Elevated. I'm based out of the Shenandoah valley, so PA weather is very similar to this area. I contemplate the subalpine guard set for early whitetail/squirrel, but just don't know if I would get the same level of use, compared to the subalpine sets.
I am from Alabama, and I really wish Sitka would come out with the "Fanatic" Whitetail Elevated II jacket and bib system in the Subalpine Camo Pattern so that I can still stay warm through the late season from the ground. I prefer to hunt from the ground instead of a treestand. I can get in and out quietly while being there for an all-day sit. Also, I am a left-dominant anchor. So the jacket would have to be for just that. I am constantly checking the site for this, but no luck so far. And by the way. I am 6'0 165 - 170lbs. That means that I am a 30T to 32T in pants. What's going on with all of the sizes! I literally have to buy a regular just to simi-fit. As I stated earlier, I am constantly searching the Sitka site for updates. Sincerely, Previous Consumer
Thanks for the feedback Cornelius. Our product development team is always striving to solve problems and the feedback from you guys in the field is what makes that happen. Thanks for your support and insights.
I agree and disagree. I like the Elevated II for early season tree stand hunting, but when things start to really brown out in the mountains of central and northern Pennsylvania, I like the Subalpine. The browns and tans blend in well with the changing foliage and falling leaves; even when I'm in a tree. There's not much green in the PA mountains in November. For ground hunting, I agree with you, that the subalpine is great throughout the season. Even though deer don't see colors the way we do, they do see contrast. That's why I lean this way with my Sitka camo choices and probably why there is a demand for the Stratus system in Subalpine as well.
There needs to be a lot more information put out as to why I should buy the sub alpine over elevated II. I would be interested if there was more context explaining what was found to make them feel they needed to add it in their whitetail collection. I'm not convinced to buy it on a 90-second opinion based video for whitetail, I will probably pick it up for early turkey hunting because some mornings can be brutally cold.
Do you cross over to turkeys? Do you hunt off the ground ever? Do you go west and hunt elk? Subalpine can do all of those things. Ev2 is great up in a tree all yesr long but it doesn't blend on the ground well
