Mountain Evo Jacket | Sitka’s New High Adventure Addition

Having a lightweight wind-stopper jacket in your lineup of outdoor gear is an asset that no one should overlook before going hunting or on other mountain endeavors. When Sitka asked us to review their newly released Mountain Evo Jacket, I jumped at the opportunity to review it. The Mountain Evo is also the evolution of Sitka’s original Mountain Jacket.

“Backcountry hunting and other high-exertion mountain pursuits demand more from your outerwear.” ~ sitkagear.com

Mountain Evo Jacket Overview

When I first tried the Mountain Evo, I saw how this jacket resembles the Army’s Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System’s Level 4 Wind Jacket. While it’s not meant for freezing cold temperatures, the Mountain Evo Jacket is great for cooler weather and active users such as hikers. Sitka developed the jacket as a lightweight windbreaker for hunters on the move and for other individuals who love to take mountain trips.

Starting at the jacket’s top, let us look at the hood. The Mountain Evo’s hood is a drop hood style with a contoured form. The drop hood makes the jacket comfortable for me to wear because the zipped collar does not push into my neck when I have the hood down. With the hood up, the contoured shape does not block my peripheral vision. This feature makes it handy for me when walking through the woods while deer hunting so that I don’t miss any movement out of the corner of my eye. The contoured shape also snuggly fits my head and follows when I turn my head.

“You need protection from the elements but also gear that moves with you and breathes easily without weighing you down.” ~ sitkagear.com

On the Mountain Evo’s main body are a zippered chest pocket on the left side and two zippered hand pockets on either side. The interiors of all three pockets have mesh lining, which helps with breathability and reduces the jacket’s weight. A pull cord is in the right-hand pocket to tighten the jacket’s hem. One feature that I wish the jacket includes is the addition of wrist straps on the sleeves. It is not a deal breaker for me, but I would want an option to prevent foliage from going up my sleeves while climbing up a mountain or through dense brush.

Another thing I noticed about the jacket was the fit. The Mountain Evo’s fit is snug but not constricting. I liked that I still had free range of motion as I moved around in the jacket, thanks to the four-way stretch panels on the back and underarms and the two-way stretch design on the front. A plus for hunters, who stalk their targets, is that it’s not too loud while wearing the jacket.

“Carefully mapped 4-way stretch panels at the back and underarms let you dump heat quickly and move without restriction.” ~ sitkagear.com

To achieve Sitka’s goal for the Mountain Evo Jacket to be a lightweight wind stopper, they utilized Gore’s WINDSTOPPER^® material on the jacket’s front. As well as most of the area on the sleeves, and hood. To meet the goal of being breathable, Sitka included four-way stretch panels made of polyester on the back and the underarms of the sleeves.

By assembling the Mountain Evo with ultrasonic welding, Sitka also set it apart from other jackets. In grunt terms, ultrasonic welding is fusing materials with a laser. It flattens the seams so hunters can pack the jacket into a more diminutive form when not wearing. Another benefit of ultrasonic welding is that it minimizes the jacket’s weight.

To test the Mountain Evo’s breathability, I wore it while the temperature was around the low 50s for one of my ruck-centered PT sessions. Even as I was training steadily, the jacket did an excellent job breathing which prevented overheating. After my training session, I noticed that even while I had my ruck on, I did not have sweat on the back of my shirt that I had under the Mountain Evo.

Mountain Evo Features courtesy of sitkagear.com

• WINDSTOPPER^® by Gore-Tex Labs
• Body-mapped four-way stretch polyester panels maximize mobility and breathability
• Ultrasonic welded seams add protection without adding bulk or weight
• Contoured hood for warmth and concealment that won’t block vision
• Zippered hand and chest pockets
• Total weight: 13.6 oz
• MSRP: $329.00

Final Thoughts

Even though the smallest size for the Mountain Evo Jacket is a medium, I did not feel like the jacket was too big for me. The jacket is helpful for hikes or hunting trips in the mountains when the weather is getting cool in the spring or fall. I like the Mountain Evo jacket, especially with Sitka incorporating the WINDSTOPPER® panels, polyester panels, and ultrasonically welded seams. I will have this jacket in my lineup of outerwear for my future hunting trips and hikes.