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Sitka

How does WeatherWool Stack Up Against Sitka?

I'll be working on this section ... it's a new idea ... here are my initial thoughts ...

In Fall/Winter 2017/2018, Sitka ran an ad on Facebook that read: "SITKA Gear exists to elevate the standard against which all other hunting brands are measured – in product design, content authenticity, customer service, and environmental stewardship." We think of this as The Sitka Challenge ... and we accept!

Note that the following is just me (Ralph) presenting information as best as I can, and will be happy to get input from others, including the folks at Sitka!

WeatherWool is All-Purpose Outerwear -- people wear WeatherWool in many settings, social, business, church -- but here we will confine ourselves to hunting applications, because that is Sitka's focus.

Product Design: I don't quite understand why Sitka would specifically cite "product design" because to us, design is a means to achieving performance, and performance has to be the real goal, doesn't it? One quickie ... what happens to Sitka around fire? WeatherWool doesn't much care about fire or embers. Is Sitka breathable? They say so. I have not worn Sitka but have talked to lots of people who have, and they tell me Sitka is not breathable ... which means most people will get wet with sweat. Probably we need a separate page to talk about the Gore-Tex that Sitka is made from, because so many outerwear companies use the stuff. I'll add a lot more here when I get a chance.

Content Authenticity: I'm not sure exactly what this means, and so far I have not found an explanation on their website. Sitka offers base layers made of Merino wool ... so we go along with that idea, although we recommend Woolpower for cool and cold-weather base layers. But their outer layer, which is really what they are known for, is synthetic. Sitka is owned by W.L. Gore, and Gore-Tex is polytetrafluoroexthylene, more commonly known as Teflon. This stuff is made in chemical factories from petrochemical feedstock. WeatherWool comes from sheep ranches, and we exert a light touch in all subsequent processes.

Customer Service:

  • My family owns the company, and you can call me, Ralph, 24/7. The office phone (831-704-1776) is normally forwarded to my cell (973-943-3110). You can text me, email (Ralph@WeatherWool), or use Facebook, Instagram, Youtube. But the telephone is best.
  • Check out our No-Risk Field Trial.
  • Not sure about your size? We will send, at no extra charge, two sizes so you can try them both on.
  • Put on some weight? Lose weight? Or just want to try something different? You can trade in your old WeatherWool.
  • Unhappy? Get a refund. Almost nobody has ever wanted a refund, but we cannot have unhappy customers.

 

Environmental Stewardship: Well, we do own and preserve some forest and some swamp!  And we love doing, that, but we do it as individuals, not as a company. Sitka is a partner of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a terrific outfit in my opinion. Sitka also says on their website that they "invest heavily" in many other organizations, which they list. Some of these are organizations that I know well, and of which I am personally a life member. If Sitka wants to give money away, it's OK with me. But I wonder if their customers would appreciate lower prices so they could decide for themselves what to do with the extra cash.

 

15 April 2021 --- Ralph