There are many questions that have puzzled hunters of every age on every continent since the early days such as “Do I use fixed broad heads or mechanical?”, “What is the best cartridge for my kids first hunting rifle?”, and “What rain gear should I get, Sitka’s Cloudburst setup or their Stormfront system?”. Now there is no right or wrong answer to these questions, but to guide you in the right direction to yield the best results you need two things, knowledge and experience. I have extensive experience using both Sitka’s Cloudburst and Stormfront systems for several years now. I’m confident with the knowledge I am going to pass onto you below, you can make your own informed decision on which system is best suited for you.
Sitka’s Cloudburst System
Overview
In the redesigning of the 2019 Sitka Gear Cloudburst Jacket, Sitka spared no detail. This is the perfect piece to reach for when the wind is blowing and rain is coming at you sideways. The jacket has been refined in its build to reduce overall weight, and streamlined for all your backcountry pursuits. Micro-taped seams and GORE-TEX® 3-layer laminate construction help make the 2019 Sitka Gear Cloudburst Jacket 100% waterproof, and breathable. YKK® zippered internal chest pocket provides internal gear storage, and exterior Gore™ Optifade™ Concealment YKK® zippers are placed on the dual hand pockets, and in the pits to allow you to help regulate heat while on the move. The integrated drop-away hood, adjustable hem, and adjustable cuff helps keep you in the hunt when the action heats up. Then there is the newly updated 2019 Sitka Gear Cloudburst Pants. It has been maximized for the comfort of ease for all dedicated big game hunters. The new proprietary textiles help minimize weight, while enhancing weather protection and breathability. The streamlined design helps aid you in stalking and ambushing prey. The micro-taped seams and GORE-TEX 3-layer laminate creates an 100% waterproof and breathable layer while dealing with all the wet weather mother nature can throw at you.
Top Three Features
The first is the price coming in at about half the price of Sitka’s Stormfront system, making it easier on your wallet and saving you money to spend elsewhere on your trip. Next is the weight of the pants (1 lb 2.9 oz) and jacket (1 lb 3.4 oz) which saves about 1 Ib in your pack compared to the equivalent Stormfront gear. Lastly, the great breathability of the Cloudburst system is a key feature. When you’re trucking through rain that most other rain gear would turn you into a portable sauna, the Cloudburst Jacket and Pants will keep you more comfortable as you push on.
My Thoughts
This system is great for the guys and girls that go out for around 30 days a year and see about 5 to 10 days of bad weather on their season. My wife does about 25 to 30 days a year in the field big game hunting and the Cloudburst setup has never failed her when the weather tried to kick us off the mountain. This is a great set up for those one to two hard hunts a year in the Midwest after elk and mule deer.
View all Sitka Cloudburst products here.
Sitka’s Stormfront System
Overview
The newly redesigned 2019 Sitka Gear Stormfront Jacket fits an old adage “It’s easier to stay dry than to get dry.” The designers at Sitka Gear used the most durable and abrasion-resistant GORE-TEX 3-layer Pro Shell laminate to create the ideal rain gear for extended hunts in a wide range of conditions. The strategically located pockets designed to place your hands above your elbows, causing water to flow off your elbows instead of into your pockets, helping to keep you and your gear cache dry. The pit zips allow for easy heat dump, so you don’t feel like you are in a sauna when hiking with a pack. When the action heats up, the 4-panel hideaway hood stows neatly in the zippered collar pocket, so your ears are clear and your vision keen. The pants were also redesigned in 2019 with proprietary textiles, the Sitka Gear Stormfront Pants is the next level in rain gear. These pants are a beautifully crafted piece of equipment that is ideal for wet-weather hunts. The designers at Sitka Gear used the same ultra durable and abrasion-resistant GORE-TEX 3-layer Pro Shell laminate as the new jacket, with enhanced durability and abrasion-resistant overlays on the knees to create this new workhorse for the Stormfront line.
Top Three Features
Durability, this set up was built to be used and abused, pushing through thick draws and climbing up and down sharp rocks. Next is the pockets, all 100% water tight keeping your gear ready to use and not stored in the pack or in under layers making them harder to get at. Lastly is the hideaway hood, it doesn’t seem like much but the hood being zipped away in-between downpours increases your hearing exponentially. When that dead silence sets in after the rain stops every sound you hear could be a bull moving to a better spot before the next storm.
My Thoughts
This is my go to for big game rain gear spending over 100 days a year in the field and 30 of them in bad weather. The Stormfront setup has been worth every ounce of weight and dollar spent in those hard two day long thunderstorm hunts. If you are actively hunting during hard rain, you have to capitalize on every opportunity that the animal will give you, and need instant access to your gear. There is no substitution for the Stormfront system in these situations.
View all Sitka Stormfront products here.
Final Thoughts
So in my recommendation, if you find your rain gear slowly getting to the bottom of your pack and only see a hand full of storms a year, then I would go Cloudburst all day and save your money. However, if your guiding 50 plus days a year or wearing normal rain gear out every year, or even finding yourself hunting once in a lifetime spots were you will be in the rain like Alaska or New Zealand, then I would tell you to make the jump to the Stormfront system.
