Sitka Rumors

Interesting. I wonder if that’s why EuroOptic had a fire sale not long ago.

I am a huge Sitka fan and wouldn’t dare admit to my wife how much I’ve spent over the last 3 years. It’s pathologic how many items I’ve got but I love each piece and would buy again. Sad if the company is changing.

Long read but here’s the skinny on Sitka from past to present…

To understand the current situation, you have to go back to the beginning. Sitka was created in 2005 by Jason Hairston (former NFL player). His goal was to provide the absolute best hunting wear that was impervious to all weather conditions. Cost to create the final product was never an issue since they used the highest quality products including Goretex. That’s why Sitka clothing was never cheap and an opti-fade camo beanie sold for $50.

Hairston sold Sitka to W.L. Gore (Goretex) in 2009. Then in 2010 he created KIUI which is pretty much the same as Sitka. Hairston committed suicide in 2018 because he had CTE from years of playing football.

Sarah Spangler is from Wyoming and worked for Cabelas corporate for 14 years In marketing, management, business development, and advertising. She was hired by Sitka 6+ years ago to perform these same job duties and responsibilities including COO. Spangler moved up the ranks and was promoted to President in April 2024, 9 months ago.

Due to many factors including the current market and high costs of production, Sitka (Gore) decided to rebrand and change their core business model philosophy. This pissed off the Sitka pro staff, managers, and retailers who were promoting and selling Sitka clothing.

Many people left the company and retailers stopped selling Sitka which is why they had a huge sale over the Spring and Summer. Spangler is not against hunting or blood sports. Her job is to grow the business and make a profit for the parent company.

Part of the rebranding is now focused on creating outerwear and clothing for first responders, firefighters, military, hospital personnel, and NASA. There is less focus on hunting wear, while creating more affordable clothing for other markets.

W.L. Gore has financial investments and ownership in dozens of companies. Sitka is a small fish in their portfolio pond. IMO, Spangler was hired to increase the profit margin, create new business customers, expand the product line, and make Sitka look like a company that is a solid investment. I would not be surprised if in 2-3 years a capitol management company or private equity firm buys Sitka from Gore. Spangler will have done her job that she was hired to do, and pad that resume where she will get paid lucratively by the next company looking to rebrand and sell.

As hunters and outdoorsmen, the aforementioned sucks for us. Sadly, it’s part of reality these days as small lucrative companies get sold to private equity firms and the product & QC goes to shite. Remington, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shop, Academy, Cooper Firearms, Melvin Forbes Ultra Light Arms, are just a few that come to mind.

quote:

---

Got Blaze

---

Well said, that’s my understanding as well.

I am curious how long the goretex ban will take to affect current products.

The forever chemical problem-

The PFAS problem has been decades in the making. In the 1950s, Minnesota-based chemical maker 3M Co. launched Scotchgard that used fluorochemicals to make fabrics water- and stain-repellant. Within a few decades, the chemicals were ubiquitous in outdoor apparel and gear. That’s because “they just blew everything apart in terms of how well they worked,” says Richard Blackburn, a professor of sustainable materials at the University of Leeds. These chemicals can repel water as well as, if not better than, any alternative, he explains. If water is poured on a textile treated with PFAS, it just rolls or beads off. And unlike the alternatives, fluorochemicals also effectively repel oil, dirt and other stains. “From a chemical perspective, they are fantastic,” Blackburn says.
LINK /

Interesting stuff. I’ve been kinda out of the loop. Has there been anything developed that is as good as Gore Tex, from the standpoint of waterproof, breathable?

PFAS are in everything.

Anything that has an external coating or made from plastic has PFAS.

Your water bottle. Your PVC pipes. Your food wrappers. Your shampoo bottles. Your toothpaste bottle. Your polyester shirts. Your non stick pans.

My outerwear having PFAS would be the least of my worries if I was concerned with PFAS.

KUIU ftw

quote:

---

Or look at Code of Silence fleece stuff

---

I have a COS merino base layer that is awesome. They have some good sales and their quality is good.

I’m kinda “old school” and prefer wool in the deer blind. Scheels has some good stuff too.

Kuiu went woke and refused to let anyone put their camo pattern on AR’s

No thanks