Sitka Turkey Tool Belt Hands On Review

There is a time and a place to wear a kitted out turkey vest and make sets with multiple decoys, and there is a time to keep your gear light and mobile. Sitka’s Turkey Tool Belt is all you really need to run around the turkey woods. This belt has been a hot topic this past year among run and gun turkey hunters, so I had to try it out myself. I used it throughout the spring season here in Georgia, and I couldn’t be happier with it. Today, I will go over everything I liked, and didn’t like, and dive a bit deeper into it than a plane feature review; you can see how many pockets it has on amazon.

Sitka makes a great product that you know is going to last. That didn’t change when they released the turkey tool belt. Your standard vest will never be truly replaced, but this tool belt does nearly everything your vest does besides having a back pouch for decoys or birds. The only other difference is how much gear you can carry, you are only going to have room for your key pieces of hunting gear. Still, if your strategy is as lightweight as this belt, you can rely on it when it matters most.

Room For The Essentials

This belt doesn’t look all that big, but you have quite a bit of room to slide your gear into. The compartment that I use the most is the one on the front. It is made to hold your calls, and it keeps them pretty organized. You have room for two pots, four strikers, six diaphragm calls, and there is even a spot for a scruff pad. When I am hunting with a run and gun mindset, I don’t need to use a ton of different gear, 70% of the time I am going to my belt, it is to this pocket. It opens with a regular zipper, so you will have to make sure to open it quietly.

If you are just looking at the belt online, there seems to be a zipper on the top for a large middle pouch that should be able to store a ton of gear; however, it is pretty shallow. On the side of the bag, there is a flap that opens for a box call pocket, which is super padded so your call doesn’t make any rogue sounds. If you like box calls, this is awesome, but it takes up that space in the middle of the bag. This leaves that top pouch without much room. You can still store some low profile loose gear in there, but nothing too big.

This padded box call pocket keeps your call completely still, avoiding any unintended friction and the resulting noises. The pocket opens with an easy magnet, but you can also latch it closed with an orange band coming from the bottom of the bag. All and all, this box call pocket is pretty neat and it allows you to carry a call that I would say many run and gun hunters usually leave at home due to its bulkiness and usual errant noises while on the move.

The Side Pockets

Along the sides of the belt, there are some “nice to have” pouches. They keep a low profile, but you can still keep plenty of gear in them. Out of these, my favorite is the front left (when you’re wearing it) pocket; it has three shell holders in it, and it is just big enough to hold a box of shells. While I don’t need access to shells as often as a duck hunter, I’d rather have them right in front of me behind a single zipper rather than at the bottom of a vest pocket clanking around. Similarly, the front right pocket is just a plain pocket with a bit more room in it. This is a good place for any important small items that you want to keep handy, like Reese’s cups.

You’ve got two more side pockets on this belt though. The first is on the right, and it is a sort of cup holder. You can keep a bottle of water in it, or you can use it like I do for a loose pouch with quick access. I sometimes throw gear in here that I am back and forth on using, especially when I am moving around a lot. This drink holder can also be moved from one side of the belt to the other, unlike the rest of the pockets. I have tried looking online for a replacement for this waterbottle pouch so I could have two of them, but no luck thus far.

Your last side pocket has a nice magnet opening, and it is made for keeping small shock or locator calls like a crow call. I really like the magnet opening on this, and I wish they had used it more often throughout the belt; it is super quiet. Even if I am about to wake up the entire woods with a raspy crow call, I would prefer not to fight with loud zippers. Although if my only complaint is something as small as a zipper, it’s safe to say that this is a pretty solid belt.

Punching Above Its Weight

This belt is simple on the surface, you may not see it as much more than a fancy camouflage fanny pack. However, this Sitka Turkey Tool Belt has a few tricks up its sleeve. The first “extra” you will notice is the seat that is strapped under it. This seat is detachable and folds out to an 11.5”x14.5” rectangle. While it isn’t the thickest cushion ever, it is super lightweight and keeps your bottom dry and protected from briars when you want to make a quick sit.

There is yet another pocket on the top of the belt near the handle. This thin pocket holds the attached rain cover, which pulls out and slides onto the same straps that clip the seat cushion in. You definitely don’t want to get your calls wet, so this cover can keep them dry even when you get caught out in some unexpected rain. There is room to slide a little bit of gear into this pocket and there is another zippered pouch inside; your phone would certainly fit in it, but nothing too thick.

The last secret this turkey tool belt has are a couple of straps on the bottom made for holding a shirt, or tripod, or anything that you could strap down with a couple of small straps six inches apart.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• It has well-designed, low-profile pockets that keep gear organized and quickly accessible (e.g., shell holders, quiet magnetic pouch).

• It includes useful integrated features like a detachable seat, a built-in rain cover, and extra gear straps.

Cons:

• The zippers can be loud, which is a drawback compared to the quiet magnetic closure that is only used on one pocket.

• It is difficult or impossible to find and purchase replacement or additional pouches (like the water bottle holder).

Overall Impression

It HAS A JOB, AND DOES IT WELL! The Sitka Turkey Tool Belt ($229.99) is an awesome piece of gear that a lot of turkey hunters would enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of times where slower, more thought out hunting is the best way to go, but the thrill of run and gun turkey hunting is hard to replace. This tool belt is going to keep all the gear you need to do that readily available. You also know that it is going to last since it has the Sitka name, so while it may be the most expensive belt you ever own, I doubt you will have many complaints after your first hunt.

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