Sitka Gear and Black Diamond, two giants of the hunting and outdoor recreation worlds respectively, collaborated on a snowboard kit that crosses genres. The result is the Mission Outerwear Kit.
On the surface, bowhunting and snowboarding may appear to have very little in common. But those who participate in both sports share a common thread. Time spent high in the mountains binds them to the core. Eric Jackson, a snowboarder renowned for big mountain lines, knows this passion for both sports.
Today, Sitka Studio, an innovation incubator of Sitka Gear, announced a collaboration with Black Diamond to build a limited-edition line of technical outwear for Jackson. The GORE-TEX kit blends Black Diamond’s knowledge of snowsports apparel with Sitka’s GORE OPTIFADE Subalpine camouflage pattern.
From the outside, this partnership may appear to make for strange bedfellows. But both brands note that the project aligns with their core values. And a video, “River,” also released today, dives into Jackson’s journey to “live a more purposeful, sustainable life,” according to a release from the brands.
The video combines heart-stopping moments from both snowboarding and hunting.
Mission Outerwear Kit
The video certainly is engaging. But the kit at the core of the collaboration is pretty unique in the outdoors market as it crosses genres.
For the kit, Sitka and Black Diamond created a GORE-TEX jacket and pants. It also launched three sizes of Dawn Patrol packs and a headlamp.
Let’s start with the Black Diamond x Sitka Mission Pant and Mission Jacket. Customers will get three-layer GORE-TEX shells tricked out with soft-brushed backing to enhance breathability. On the Mission Jacket ($650), an internal powder skirt, climbing skin pockets, and an array of other zippered pockets round out what looks like a slick design.
The Mission Pants ($500) have Offset zippered side vents and reinforced instep patches to protect against ski edges. As a signature look, both come with Optifade camo.
The pack and headlamp are simply color variations of two popular products, the Black Diamond Storm headlamp ($75), and Dawn Patrol Pack ($140-200 depending on size).
“Black Diamond shares our obsession with designing technical gear solutions and our passion for creating deeper connections with nature,” said Sitka Studio’s Brand & Creative Leader, Brad Christian. “We had a lot of fun bringing our worlds closer together.”
The limited edition dropped today. If you love the mountains and want to bring a bit of the hunt aesthetic to the slopes, check out the full collection here.
