ScentLok BE:1 Divergent Review: Cold-Weather Bowhunting Test

Cold-weather hunting clothing has to do more than keep you warm. For bowhunting, it also has to remain quiet, allow you to draw normally, and work around a safety harness or saddle. That becomes difficult when jackets get heavier and more insulated.

I tested the ScentLok BE:1 Divergent jacket and pants during late-season hunts from about 19°F to 27°F. I hunted from the ground and from a saddle, encountered wind and falling snow, and wore the system through brush. I also put the jacket through my controlled heat-retention test and weighed both pieces.

The Divergent is heavy, but it does not hunt like a typical 7.6-pound cold-weather system. It is exceptionally comfortable, extremely quiet, and much easier to draw a bow in than its weight suggests. That combination is what makes this review interesting.

My Verdict

The ScentLok BE:1 Divergent is one of the strongest combinations of warmth, comfort, quietness, and bowhunting mobility I have tested so far. It is not the warmest system in every situation, and it is not something I would wear during a difficult walk. However, it provides serious late-season warmth without the bulk and brush problems I have experienced with some high-pile Berber-fleece systems.

• Best for: Cold, stationary bowhunting from a saddle, treestand, or the ground
• Clothing System role: BUILD + LOCK, with LOCK as its primary job
• Biggest strength: Warmth and comfort without sacrificing bow mobility
• Biggest weakness: Heavy and not packable
• My recommendation: Strongly recommended, especially when found on sale

ScentLok Divergent Test Results at a Glance

Category	My Result
Warmth	Excellent for late-season stationary hunting
Quietness	One of the quietest cold-weather systems I have tested
Bow mobility	Normal draw and anchor with little arm or collar interference
Wind protection	No noticeable penetration in 10–12 mph wind
Snow protection	Falling snow shook off and did not soak through
Brush durability	Handled jaggers and thick brush without damage
Saddle use	Usable and more practical than bulkier extreme-cold systems
Jacket weight	4.40 pounds
Pants weight	3.20 pounds
Complete system	7.60 pounds

Where the Divergent Fits in My Hunting Clothing System

The Divergent serves two roles in my Hunting Clothing System.

Its body-mapped PrimaLoft insulation helps BUILD warmth after I reach my hunting position. Its outer material then helps LOCK that warmth inside while protecting me from wind, light snow, and brush.

I consider it a LOCK layer first because it is the final layer I wear over the rest of my system. It does much more insulating than a normal outer shell, though. That allows it to handle part of the BUILD role at the same time.

This is not a MOVE layer. If you wear the complete system during a hard walk, you are going to overheat. I wore the pants during reasonable walks, carried the jacket, and put the jacket on after reaching my hunting position.

Scent Control Is an Amplifier, Not a Substitute for the Wind

Scent control is an amplifier. It will not overcome a bad wind, but it can improve your chances when it becomes part of everything else you do correctly.

I do not believe any piece of clothing allows you to ignore a deer’s nose. A mature deer’s ability to process scent is too good, and the wind will always be the most important part of staying undetected.

I look at scent control as an amplifier.

Camouflage helps reduce your visual signature. Quiet clothing reduces the sound you make. Careful access keeps you from spreading ground scent through the area. Controlling perspiration, storing your clothing properly, watching the wind, and reducing the odor coming from your body can all improve your chances a little more.

None of those things guarantees success by itself. Together, they can give you an advantage. The devil is in the details.

That is where the Divergent’s scent-control technology has value for me. ScentLok uses Carbon Alloy to adsorb body odors and Silver Alloy to help control the bacteria that create odor. Because the jacket and pants cover almost the entire body, they become the final scent-control layer over the rest of my clothing system.

The integrated neck gaiter and facemask add coverage around the areas where a lot of odor can escape. The harness port also allows me to keep the jacket closed while using a treestand safety harness instead of leaving an opening around my neck and upper back.

I still hunt the wind. I still control moisture during the walk. I still store my clothing carefully and follow a complete scent-control routine. The Divergent does not replace any of those steps. It adds another layer of protection to the system.

If you want to understand why that matters, start with my guide to how a deer’s nose processes human scent. Then see the 26-step scent-control routine I use before, during, and after a hunt.

Care matters with this technology. ScentLok recommends reactivating Carbon Alloy in a household dryer on medium heat for about 40 minutes when the garments are new and after approximately every 40 hours of field use. The company also recommends airtight storage between hunts and washing only when the clothing becomes visibly muddy or bloody. You can see the complete instructions in ScentLok’s garment care guide.

How I Tested the Divergent

I tested the Divergent during three cold-weather field periods, including both morning and evening sits during the first trip. The conditions were different enough to expose the system to cold, wind, snow, brush, ground hunting, and saddle hunting.

Test	Conditions	Setup	What Happened
January test	About 23°F with snow on the ground	Morning ground hunt and evening sit	I forgot my base-layer bottoms. The pants were comfortable for most of each hunt, but my legs became chilled late in the sits.
Snow test	About 27°F with falling snow	Evening saddle hunt, roughly 2:00–6:30	The snow shook off, the system stayed dry inside, and I remained comfortable.
Wind test	19°F at the start, warming toward 30°F, with 10–12 mph wind	Morning saddle hunt, roughly 5:30–11:00	I did not notice wind coming through the system and remained warm with my complete base- and mid-layer setup.

I always used the Divergent jacket and pants together. I did not mix the jacket with another pair of late-season pants during these tests. That matters because this review reflects the performance of the complete system rather than the jacket by itself.

Divergent Heat-Retention Test

I also ran the jacket through the same controlled test I use for my cold-weather hunting jacket comparison. The test uses a 90-minute heating period followed by two hours of cooling. This shows how the jacket warms, when it reaches its peak, and how long it holds heat after the heat source is removed.

• Starting temperature: 61.7°F
• Temperature when heat was removed at 90 minutes: 84.5°F
• Peak temperature: 88.0°F at 105 minutes
• Temperature after two hours of cooling: 72.0°F
• Total increase: 26.3°F
• Heat remaining above baseline after two hours: 10.3°F

The Divergent produced the largest temperature increase in the standardized group I have completed so far. It also continued warming for 15 minutes after the heat source was removed.

That result supports what I experienced in the field. The Divergent takes advantage of the heat you build while walking or setting up, then continues holding that warmth after you stop moving. It can also benefit from being pre-warmed before leaving camp or the vehicle.

This test does not create a universal temperature rating. Wind, activity, base layers, body type, and the length of the hunt all change how warm a system feels. The test is best used to compare jackets under the same controlled method.

Warmth and the Layers I Wore Under It

The Divergent is very warm, but the layers underneath it still matter.

During the first test, I wore an Arms of Andes 160g alpaca top with a heavy 400g insulating layer. I forgot my base-layer bottoms for both sits during that trip. The Divergent pants kept me comfortable for a long time, but I eventually felt the mistake in my legs.

See the Arms of Andes 160g alpaca base layer.

During the later tests, I wore a Brynje mesh base layer under the First Lite Rugged Wool QZ. I also used Brynje mesh bottoms with a heavy insulating bottom during the coldest morning.

See the Brynje mesh base layers I use.

The mesh helped control moisture from the walk, the Rugged Wool QZ added the BUILD insulation, and the Divergent finished the system by adding more insulation and locking out the conditions.

The Most Comfortable Cold-Weather System I Have Worn

Comfort is the first thing I noticed after putting the Divergent on. The inside feels extremely soft, and the complete system feels more like something you settle into than a stiff cold-weather shell.

The jacket weighs 4.40 pounds and the pants weigh 3.20 pounds, but most of that weight feels like insulation rather than unnecessary bulk. The jacket uses different insulation weights across the back, body, hood, and sleeves. The reduced insulation in the arms makes a major difference when drawing a bow.

I could reach my normal anchor without the shoulder, sleeve, or collar getting in the way. The cuffs fit closely around my wrists and stayed clear of the bowstring. For a jacket this warm, the freedom of movement was impressive.

ScentLok BE:1 Divergent Jacket Review

The Divergent jacket does not use a normal full-length front zipper. It has a half-zip front with long side zippers that help you pull it over your other layers and provide some ventilation.

I have mixed feelings about that design. Even with the zippers open, the jacket was more difficult to put on and remove than a normal full-zip jacket. My shoulder problems probably contributed to that. Once the jacket was on, though, the fit and comfort were excellent.

Body-Mapped PrimaLoft Gold with Cross Core

ScentLok uses PrimaLoft Gold with Cross Core in different weights across the jacket: 200g across the back, 170g through the body, and 133g in the hood and sleeves. That is more than a marketing detail. The jacket keeps the core heavily insulated while trimming down the areas that need to move during the shot.

The design is one reason the Divergent feels less bulky than its weight suggests. It warms like a heavy stationary jacket without making the arms feel as overbuilt.

Kangaroo Pocket and Storage

The large front kangaroo pocket is extremely warm and comfortable. It gives you a place to keep both hands together without fighting around a safety harness.

There are also storage areas across the front and chest. I used the insulated electronics pocket for my phone. I did not notice a clear positive or negative difference in battery performance, so I cannot make a strong claim about it. It worked as a secure place to carry the phone.

Hood, Face Covering, and Neck Protection

The removable hood, built-in face covering, and high neck protection work very well together. This was one of my favorite parts of the jacket. The complete setup felt warm and comfortable around my head, face, and neck without ruining my anchor.

ScentLok BE:1 Divergent Pants Review

The matching Divergent pants are not bibs, but the removable suspenders allow them to ride higher than normal hunting pants. That adds coverage without creating the full bulk of a bib system.

I wore a medium in the pants, which is normal for me. They fit well and were exceptionally comfortable. The zippers extend high enough up the legs that I could put the pants on and remove them without taking off my boots.

I wore the pants during the walks while carrying the jacket. They warmed up quickly, so this worked best when the walk was reasonable. For a long or steep walk, I would carry both pieces and dress at the stand.

The pants also handled thick brush better than I expected. I pushed through jaggers and brambles without tearing them. That smoother exterior is an important advantage over late-season systems that use high-pile Berber fleece.

I recommend using the Divergent as a complete system. The jacket is warm by itself, but the pants create the balanced protection needed for a long cold-weather sit. My first test without base-layer bottoms proved how important the lower half of the system is.

Quietness, Wind, and Snow Protection

The Divergent is one of the quietest cold-weather systems I have tested. Any heavy clothing will make some noise if you shake it hard enough, but normal bow movement was nearly silent. I did not hear anything that would concern me during the draw.

ScentLok describes the jacket as highly wind resistant rather than waterproof and windproof. In my field test at about 19°F with 10–12 mph wind, I did not feel the wind penetrate the system.

During the falling-snow hunt, the exterior shed the snow well. I did not notice moisture reaching the inside. I would trust it in snow and brief light moisture based on my testing, but I would not treat it like a waterproof rain jacket.

Does the Divergent Work for Saddle Hunting?

Yes. I hunted from a saddle twice while wearing the complete system.

The bridge crossed the front of the jacket and required a little adjustment around the kangaroo pocket. Once I settled in, I could still use the pocket and did not think about the bridge much during the hunt.

The pants were thicker than normal hunting pants, but I could pull my saddle over them and sit comfortably. The complete system worked much better in a saddle than the bulkier Code of Silence ColdFjall jacket-and-bib combination.

I still would not wear the Divergent jacket while climbing with sticks. Carry the jacket, complete the climb, and put it on after reaching hunting height. That reduces sweat and keeps the jacket from interfering with the climbing process.

Weight and Packability

The complete Divergent system weighs 7.60 pounds:

• Large jacket: 4.40 pounds
• Medium pants: 3.20 pounds

This is not a packable system. You will need a large pack or a dependable way to strap the jacket to the outside. I carried the jacket rather than wearing it during the walk.

Weight is still only part of the story. The Divergent is heavy on a scale, but its body-mapped design keeps it from feeling as bulky during the shot. I care more about whether a jacket earns its weight than whether it wins a lightweight contest. The Divergent earns much of its weight through insulation, comfort, and protection.

Divergent vs. Other Cold-Weather Bowhunting Systems

The Divergent belongs in the same purpose-built cold-weather bowhunting group as the Sitka Fanatic, Pnuma Highpoint, Code of Silence ColdFjall, and ASIO Late Season.

Its closest construction comparison is the ASIO. Both use smoother exteriors that handle brush better than high-pile Berber fleece. The Divergent separates itself with body-mapped insulation and an even quieter exterior. The ASIO uses a more uniform insulation layout.

System	Where It Currently Fits
Sitka Fanatic	Purpose-built treestand system for moderately cold late-season conditions
ScentLok Divergent	Serious warmth with excellent comfort, quietness, durability, and saddle flexibility
Pnuma Highpoint	Comparable general warmth with a quiet Berber-style exterior
ASIO Late Season	Closest exterior and brush-performance comparison, with uniform insulation
Code of Silence ColdFjall	Current extreme-cold specialist for severe stationary conditions

Those positions reflect the jackets I have tested so far. They are not permanent rankings. As I test more cold-weather systems, the comparison may change. The measured results and firsthand findings for the Divergent will remain useful even if another jacket eventually moves ahead in a category.

For the latest rankings and complete testing data, see my cold-weather hunting jacket comparison.

Price and Value

I paid $299 for the Divergent jacket during a seasonal sale. At that price, it was an incredible value. Its measured warmth, comfort, quietness, odor-control features, and bowhunting design place it in the same discussion as jackets that regularly sell in the $400–$500 range.

ScentLok changes prices and runs sales throughout the season, especially around Black Friday and after hunting season. I would check the current price before paying full retail.

Who Should Buy the Divergent?

Buy it if you:

• Hunt from a saddle, treestand, or fixed ground position in cold weather
• Need a very quiet outer system for bowhunting
• Want serious warmth without the brush problems of high-pile fleece
• Prefer an outer layer that combines BUILD insulation with LOCK protection
• Are willing to carry the jacket to your hunting position

Skip it if you:

• Need lightweight, packable insulation
• Plan to still-hunt or walk for most of the day
• Dislike pullover jackets
• Want a fully waterproof rain system
• Rarely hunt in temperatures below freezing

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Divergent Pros and Cons

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Final Verdict

The ScentLok BE:1 Divergent does not need to remain my number-one cold-weather system to earn a strong recommendation. Its measured warmth, quietness, comfort, brush durability, and saddle compatibility give it a clear place in my Hunting Clothing System.

The ColdFjall is currently the system I would choose for the most extreme cold. The Divergent is the system I would choose when I still need serious warmth but want greater comfort, mobility, durability, and the ability to hunt from a saddle.

It is heavy, but it is also one of the most huntable late-season systems I have tested. At the $299 sale price I paid for the jacket, it was one of the best cold-weather clothing values I have found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How warm is the ScentLok Divergent?

I stayed warm during stationary hunts from approximately 19°F to 27°F when wearing the complete jacket-and-pants system with appropriate base and insulating layers. My results should not be treated as a universal temperature rating because wind, activity, hunt length, and individual cold tolerance matter.

Is the ScentLok Divergent quiet enough for bowhunting?

Yes. It is one of the quietest cold-weather systems I have tested. I could draw and reach my normal anchor without hearing concerning fabric noise.

Can you saddle hunt in the Divergent?

Yes. I completed two saddle hunts while wearing the complete system. The saddle bridge required minor adjustment around the kangaroo pocket, but I remained comfortable and could still use the pocket.

Is the Divergent waterproof?

I would describe it as water resistant rather than waterproof. Falling snow shed well during my testing and moisture did not reach the inside. I would not use it as a substitute for a dedicated rain shell during sustained rain.

Should I buy both the Divergent jacket and pants?

I recommend the complete system for long cold-weather sits. The jacket provides excellent upper-body warmth, but the matching pants create balanced protection and prevent the lower body from becoming the weak point.

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