Sitka Thunderhead Jacket | Stealthy Rain Gear

One lesson that military members and hunters learn while practicing fieldcraft is how to minimize the amount of sound made from ones equipment and clothing. One piece of clothing that can be extra noisy is raingear. Sitka has an answer to noisy raingear for hunters in the form of the Thunderhead Jacket.

Thunderhead Jacket Overview:

Starting at the Thunderhead’s top is a storm hood. Like other rain jackets, the hood has an added brim to help cover my face and glasses from the elements. At the hood’s back is a built-in drawstring system that cinches down the hood to make it more form-fitting so that it turns with my head instead of my head “swimming” inside it. Additionally, two drawstrings are on the hood’s left and right sides for adjusting the hood’s opening. Sitka also secured the drawstrings in the jacket’s interior with built-in storage flaps. I appreciated this design because it retains the drawstrings and prevents them from getting in my face if there are strong winds.

“Rain gear is notoriously noisy, and while stalking big game, noise is not an option.” ~ sitkagear.com

The jacket’s body has a zippered chest pocket on the left side and two zippered hand pockets on the left and right sides. The Thunderhead’s hand pockets have drawstrings to tighten the jacket’s hem. One item to note is that the string locks for both drawstrings are in the jacket’s inside and not in the pockets.

“Thunderhead Jacket combines an exceptionally waterproof and breathable 3-layer GORE-TEX fabric with an ultra-quiet brushed face to keep you both protected and silent, and a brushed backer for against-the-skin comfort.” ~ sitkagear.com

At the Thunderhead’s sleeves ends are adjustable cuffs with Velcro. I appreciated this addition because it allows me to close or open the cuffs while moving in the brush to prevent debris from falling into my sleeves and help control my body heat. The Thunderhead also does not have pit zips under the sleeves.

One aspect of the Thunderhead that separates it from other rain gear is the material for the jacket. Sitka uses a 3-layer GORE-TEX fabric, a GORE-TEX membrane sandwiched between outer and inner polyester layers. Since we had a dry spell, I tested the jacket’s waterproofness by getting hosed down while wearing the jacket. As expected, the Thunderhead performed well without any significant issues keeping me dry. One thing I did notice was that some water had ended up in one of my pockets. Still, I determined it was because my cuff had water on it when I slipped my hand into my pocket.

“Product is Performance Fit, designed for minimal layering.” ~ sitkagear.com

Sitka brushed the outer layer in a manner that makes it quiet. This feature is beneficial for hunters who are stalking deer or other big game during rainy weather. The brushed outer layer helps to “conceal” the GORE-TEX and reduces the crinkles from wearing raingear. Thanks to the brushed backer, the jacket inside also feels softer than other raingear.

A medium-sized Thunderhead Jacket is not baggy on my frame when I wear it, but it is not constricting. There is room to add layers when the weather gets a little cooler while not feeling stuffed into the jacket. That is a good balance in the jacket’s fit, especially when moving through varying elevations and then stopping to wait for deer.

For gear that sees rough and rugged use, I appreciate it when manufacturers have lifetime warranties to repair their equipment due to manufacturing defects. I was impressed that Sitka is also willing to attempt to repair their gear, including the Thunderhead, at a reasonable cost to the owner when the gear becomes damaged from expected use. I appreciate that Sitka offers this service because it shows that Sitka sees its equipment as an investment to be maintained instead of discarding it once it is damaged.

Thunderhead Features courtesy of sitkagear.com

• GORE™ OPTIFADE™ Concealment Subalpine is designed for stalking and ambushing ungulates from ground level in tree-covered and vegetated terrain.
• GORE-TEX waterproof/breathable fabric helps you stay comfortable and focused.
• GORE-TEX 3-layer fabric with brushed polyester knit face and backer.
• Durable water repellent finish prevents face fabric from wetting out.
• Fitted hood moves with you and won’t obstruct your vision.
• Zippered hand and chest pockets for dry, secure storage of your essentials.
• Weight: 25.5 oz. // Size: L
• MSRP: $359.00

Final Thoughts

A lot of my experience with GORE-TEX jackets comes from the Army-issued raingear. While it performs well, it can be noisy when moving through the brush. However, the Thunderhead’s 3-layer fabric and how quiet the jacket is are impressive to me. Especially since I do a lot of stalking, the Thunderhead Jacket will help keep me dry and stealthy during hunts through the brush.