Gear Review: Sitka Tool Box
Testing I got the Sitka Tool Box earlier this summer. I planned to use it mostly for whitetail and turkey hunts but found that it can serve a lot of purposes.
The first big test that it got was on a 10-mile hike in Rocky Mountain National Park over the 4th of July. The hike was labeled as “strenuous” and took us about six hours to complete. I had the Sikta Tool Box on the entire time as it carried our food, water, camera, and extra clothes.
I’ve also been using the pack a bunch since then as I do whitetail chores. It’s came with me into the woods probably a dozen times so far, holding my trail cams, mineral, and treestand accessories.
Specs Price | $250 Pattern | Elevated II Weight | 2.7 pounds Volume | 1000 cubic inches Pockets | 4 zippered, 7 slide-in Additional features | lifetime guarantee, bow carry system, treestand hanging ring, padded back and straps
What to Like The Sitka Tool Box is designed for whitetail hunters, whether you’re using a bow or firearm. It offers enough room to fit everything you need on those sits that go from dark-to-dark.
The bag doesn’t seem to have any noticeable flaws. You can tell every zipper, compartment, and strap was well-thought out to maximize functionality. The layout is perfect for gearheads who are carrying calls, scents, cameras, and other accessories.
For bowhunters, this bag is hard to beat. It’s made with a treestand hanging ring on the inside of the bag so that you can have access to the main compartment without having to fuss with any zippers. The main compartment is spacious and the walls of the bag are stiff enough to give it shape. This is important, as other packs sink into themselves as soon as gear gets loaded in.
The lid of the bag has mesh zippered pockets in three different sizes. They’ll be a good place to store memory cards, deer tags, shells, blades, or whatever small item you can’t afford to lose.
My favorite part of the whole bag is actually something that I initially overlooked. On the bottom of the lid there is a metal ring that attaches to a plastic fitting near the outside of the main compartment. When utilized, it closes the bag without making you zip and unzip the lid every time. This was awesome when I was hanging trail cameras and was constantly going in-and-out of my pack. It allowed me to quickly access everything in just seconds after taking off the Tool Box.
The pack carries itself nicely. I never grew tired of wearing it on the hike, and didn’t experience any issues after carrying large bags of minerals while scouting. The padding is breathable and comfortable, and good for almost any scenario a whitetail person would be in. I wouldn’t recommend it for packing out an animal or hauling a week’s worth of gear in, but that’s also not what this pack is made for.
What to Dislike Although this bag isn’t made for long trips, it would be nice if it had the option of holding a hydration bladder. Instead, it means I have to carry clumsy water bottles with me.
The zippers aren’t super smooth, specifically the one that closes the lid of the bag. The shape of the lid makes navigating the zipper kind of difficult, and is concerning if you had to quickly access something in the main compartment. However, the quick close metal ring/plastic fitting that I referenced earlier makes up for this. Because of that, I almost never use the actual zipper.
Summary This bag is an investment at $250, but it's worth it. I’ve already found tons of uses for the pack, and it’s not even deer season yet. There isn’t much Sitka could improve on with the Tool Box as it’s already the best whitetail bag on the market. For bowhunters that carry too much gear, this is a must own.
