The incorporation of PrimaLoft Gold aerogel technology builds the lightest, warmest synthetic hunting collection from this brand yet.
Sitka Gear has never shied away from the use of synthetic insulation across the board. And it continues to double down on the efficacy of a synthetic layering system for hunters of all types.
Luckily, material technology is behind this effort, and PrimaLoft sits at the helm of developing high-performance gear to meet the needs of military professionals, athletes, and outdoorspeople alike.
Sitka’s incorporation of PrimaLoft Gold Insulation with Cross Core technology into its latest series of outerwear cuts back on weight, ups the thermal component, and increases durability.
Sound too good to be true? It’s not.
How Does Aerolite Work?
OK, so the first thing we need to discuss is how insulation works. As much as we’d like to think these high-tech materials keep us warm, trapped air is actually nature’s best insulator. And the materials used dictate the amount of trapped air doing the job.
Say you’re wearing a down coat. It’s very cold outside, but it’s dry. And you’re very warm. The high loft of the down is trapping a lot of air inside of the coat. Then, someone dumps a bucket of cold water over your head. The down jacket compresses when wet, and those lofty (and even treated) feathers clump up. The loft is gone. It’s now very cold and you are soaked. You die.
OK, I overdramatized a bit. But to sum up how PrimaLoft Gold Insulation with Cross Core technology is different, I’ll start here. Aerogel is the world’s lightest insulator — made nearly entirely of air. It’s also super delicate, easily shattered, and water-soluble.
What PrimaLoft’s latest iteration does is encapsulate aerogel in a way that makes it ideal for outerwear. Incorporating aerogel into the weave of the fabric creates mini air pockets that insulate with less weight and bulk as well as adding what I’ll call built-in loft to the fabric. It also negated the difficult properties of aerogel with this new tech.
Unlike down or other lofted materials, you can sit on Aerolite, compress it as much as you want, soak it in water, sleep on it, whatever — and you won’t push the insulating air out of the garment. Voila! It keeps its thermal integrity.
It’s worth noting several outdoor recreation brands have already implemented this insulation in products. L.L.Bean launched a sleeping bag with PrimaLoft Gold Insulation a couple of years ago. But the hunting market is now getting this major new tech too. In comes Sitka Gear.
The Sitka Gear Aerolite Collection
Final Thoughts on Aerolite
