AO Review: Sitka Optifade Cover – Equinox Guard Pant & Fanatic Hoodie
Adam Scepaniak 05.12.25
Most all of us have a closet full of camouflage that we rotate in and out based on the season, time of year, or game that we are hunting. Some is new while others are old. Regardless what your hunting wardrobe looks like you hopefully have something for every season and every reason to go out in the field. A camouflage color many of us likely are deficient in – whether we realize it or not – is green. Yes, green. We have a bevy of fall colored camo patterns because that is when the bulk of hunting season are, but what about a lush, green camouflage pattern for early season hunts?… Sitka Gear is a titan in the camo clothing industry and they saw this metaphorical writing on the wall as well. So, they went into their laboratory and delivered to us Optifade Cover: a camo pattern designed to excel in densely vegetated and leafed tree canopy environments. Exactly like early season whitetail deer and turkey hunting. So, in this AllOutdoor Review, we are going to take a look at Sitka’s new Optifade Cover camouflage in their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie while I look to bag myself a bird during Minnesota’s spring turkey season. Let’s dive in!
Sitka Coverage on AllOutdoor
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- AllOutdoor Review: Sitka Grange Flannel (Pyrite Plaid) – All Week Attire
- AllOutdoor Review – Sitka Gear VentLite GTX Boot in Olive Green
Specifications – Sitka Equinox Guard Pant in Optifade Cover Camouflage
First up, we have the Sitka Equinox Guard Pant in the new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern. This is a garment that is resistant to all manner of ticks and bugs so the creepy-crawlies stay off of you while you’re hunting; especially when you are sitting against a tree waiting for a longbeard to come by. All of the specs, features, and pricing for this pant can be read below as presented by Sitka:
- Colorways: Optifade Subalpine, Optifade Cover, Coyote – MSRP $249 | Optifade Elevated II – $149.40
- Lightweight, breathable fabric with raised internal grid pattern promotes maximum airflow
- Scent-free Insect Shield® repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, chiggers and midges (no-see-ums)
- Internal leg gaiters helps prevent ticks and chiggers from contacting your skin when worn under socks
- Two YKK® zippered side leg vents with mesh gussets expel heat when moving fast
- Front leg YKK® zip pockets for additional ventilation and storage
- Dedicated knife pocket
- Hidden suspender attachment points
- UPF 50+ protection; treated with Polygiene® Odor Control Technology
- Pair with Equinox Guard Hoody and Glove for additional head-to-toe protection from insects
- Total weight: 13.5 oz.
The Equinox Guard Pant helps prevent contact with insects in three distinct ways: limited skin exposure, bite-reduction fabric and built-in Insect Shield® protection. Comfortable and moisture-wicking, especially in hot, humid conditions, the pant is made from a lightweight SITKA-developed fabric that promotes airflow and features zippered leg vents that expel heat when moving fast and zip up for extra protection. Internal leg gaiters helps prevent against ticks and chiggers from crawling up your legs when worn under socks.
Specifications – Sitka Fanatic Hoodie in Optifade Cover Camouflage
Next, is the Sitka Fanatic Hoodie in the new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern to complete our hunting outfit. This hoodie has a lot of clever tech built in to also ensure mosquitoes don’t drive you back to the truck while hunting and you stay in the game during your hunt. All the important details are listed below courtesy of Sitka:
- Colorways: Optifade Cover – MSRP $179 | Optifade Elevated II, Sitka Black, Deep Lichen – MSRP $143.20
- Weight: 16.6 Oz (Size: Large)
- Body and Hood Fabric: Heavyweight Comfort Stretch Fleece (93% Polyester/7% Elastane)
- Facemask Fabric: Quick-Dry, Lightweight Stretch Mesh (88% Polyester/12% Elastane)
- Polygiene® Odor Control Technology safely neutralizes odor caused from sweat
- Built-In Breathable Mesh Face Mask: Conceal your face on the move and increase your success rate
- Flip-Over Hand Mitts: In addition to the integrated thumb-holes enable easy layering
The Fanatic is a high-performance hoodie on steroids and will quickly become a favorite in your whitetail system. Body-mapped grid and microgrid fleeces work together to regulate your body temp while keeping scent down, thanks to Polygiene® Odor Control Technology.
A Word from Sitka on their NEW Optifade Cover Camouflage
Bozeman, Montana – SITKA Gear, a leader in high-performance hunting apparel, introduces OPTIFADE Cover, the latest innovation in hunter concealment. Developed in collaboration with top wildlife researchers from the University of Georgia Deer Research Lab, this cutting-edge camo pattern sets a new standard for concealment in greener seasons. Designed to excel in densely vegetated and leafed tree canopy environments, OPTIFADE Cover leverages scientific research with advanced patterning to effectively disrupt the vision of deer and turkeys in those specific environments, particularly in the Eastern US. OPTIFADE Cover employs a science-backed, field-proven approach to enhance stealth for hunters. This new pattern builds on OPTIFADE’s established design principles, incorporating specialized coloration and breakup elements to ensure hunters remain virtually invisible to game. Whether pursuing whitetail deer from velvet through fall or hunting turkeys in the keen eyes of spring, this pattern offers unparalleled concealment.
“Our goal at SITKA has always been to push the limits of what’s possible in hunting gear, and with OPTIFADE Cover, we have taken concealment to the next level,” said Todd Barker, Marketing Director at SITKA Gear. “Cover is not just about blending in, it’s about helping the hunter become undetectable in the eyes of the game.”
What’s the Upsell? What’s the 30-Second Elevator Pitch?
There are a ton of options out in the market today for camouflage (we all know this). So, what is better about the new Optifade Cover pattern from Sitka? If you were stuck in a hunting elevator with one of their camouflage engineers, what would be the elevator pitch? This is what Sitka has to say:
OPTIFADE Cover was created to address the lack of scientifically backed concealment for greener seasons, and the environments and landscapes across the eastern US. Partnering with the UGA Deer Research Lab, SITKA researched ungulate and turkey vision in those environments to engineer superior stealth for the woods. Understanding game species; ability to detect movement four times faster than humans with 300-degrees of peripheral vision, their heightened processing speed and superior peripheral vision formed the basis of OPTIFADE’s proven design principles. OPTIFADE’s pattern design disrupts the outline of a hunter’s silhouette using micro- and macro breakup elements essential for preventing game from tracking human outlines.
Turkeys and ungulates possess an enhanced sensitivity to UV wavelengths. SITKA’s research with animal vision experts focused on the structure of game species’ eyes and color perception based on photoreceptors and cone distribution. Accompanying this research were extensive rounds of UV spectrometer testing to ensure the coloration used in OPTIFADE Cover adheres to the specific visual constraints and environments where hunts take place. The result is a complete concealment package for hunters in greener seasons.
Field Use – Sitka Equinox Guard Pant & Fanatic Hoodie in Optifade Cover Camouflage
So, how did this camo perform out in the field? Was it good enough to deceive a wily hen turkey? Spoiler alert: it’s an emphatic YES! I wore the Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie along with the new Sitka Gear VentLite GTX Boot and a hat to match to go hunting this spring in Minnesota. It took approximately 4 hours for me to coerce a Tom to come within range before I filled my tag, but before that happened, I had wildlife all over me (and they were none the wiser).
I had several hen turkeys within 12- 15 yards of me while I sat next to a tree on the ground, and they never detected me. In fact, they “outed” my decoys as being fake after they walked around them half a dozen times and pecked at them, but they never noticed me. With my face covering from the Fanatic Hoodie pulled up, they could not discern that a hunter was in their midst.
Since I had my butt on the forest floor for several hours, I appreciated the mildly stretchy waistband in the Equinox Guard Pant. I didn’t feel like my belly was being squeezed out like a near-empty tube of toothpaste. I could comfortably sit and watch as some morning raccoons paraded by me without ever noticing me. It’s the little moments like that that make hunting enjoyable for me. Feeling like I’m so cunning and sneaky that wild animals don’t even notice me – even when we’re at eye level.
While I was never cold wearing any of these garments as I stalked into my hunting spot at 5AM, I do appreciate the thoughtfulness in the design of the Fanatic Hoodie that it was thumbholes and even finger covers to keep your hands warm yet accessible at the same time.
I even had a proper hat to shield my eyes from the bright sunlight streaming through the woods at dawn. So, I could keep my eyes peeled for a turkey headed my way.
Final Thoughts
So, what are my final thoughts on the new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern in their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie?… Overall, I am supremely impressed. All clothing garments I have ever tested from Sitka are of incredibly high quality, but this new green camouflage pattern they have developed works great. I had 2 whitetail does walk by me at 15 yards away (they never saw me). There were 2 obese raccoons that rumbled on by (never saw me). I also had 4 hens and 2 Toms working around me in all directions and they never knew I was there until I pulled the trigger on a bird. The “proof is in the pudding” is how the saying goes, and I have gathered all of the proof that I need. This is another winner from Sitka. The Optifade Cover camouflage pattern coupled with all of the different clothing styles that Sitka offers is going to set you up for success this hunting season. Be sure to check it out on their website; it’s absolutely worth it.
In closing, I want to say thank you to Sitka for allowing AllOutdoor and myself the opportunity to try out their new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern in their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie. That is greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to know what all of you guys and gals think? Do you believe that the new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern in their Equinox Guard Pant and Fanatic Hoodie is something worth spending your money on? Would you deploy them for hunting this fall? Take them with you camping? Use them tending cattle on a ranch? As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Sitka and the new Optifade Cover camouflage pattern in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.
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