KUIU vs Sitka Gear-Which is Better

[Shane Lindsey]

Definitely "athletic" cut.

I have Sitka, Kuiu, and First Lite. I think the fit of the FL is more true. At least for my short, round stature...

 

[Ebender34]

I’ve solely used Sitka for 9 years. Have some pieces I like and some I didn’t. Will I keep buying? Yes. Do I still look at others? Also yes. I like stone glacier too.

 

[Buffalobwana]

I have a lot of KUIU stuff and some Sitka gear.

A very broad generalization; KUIU is for moving, Sitka is for sitting.

Someone earlier said KUIU is best suited to Western hunting. I believe that’s a true statement.

Each company makes good stuff. If you don’t mind a mixed bag, find out what works best.

I have Sitka Duck Oven jacket. Very warm, but it has no hood. Not ideal. Not my best purchase decision. I have the matching pants. Very warm. I’d sit in a stand with those. GET GOOD PANTS! Few people understand that the secret to staying warm is to keep your legs warm. Heat loss is heat loss no matter where it comes from.

KUIU’s DSC Guide jacket is very breathable. Take that as a criticism and compliment. It’s not a stand jacket. You can feel a stiff breeze through it. Not a huge fan. Maybe I haven’t found its niche use yet.

KUIU puffy down jackets are great. Super light and very wind proof. I carry it and only put it on when I sit to glass.

KUIU Attack pants are good. I have half a dozen and wear them in TX for guiding Aoudad.

 

[Buffalobwana]

My personal opinion on merino goes against the common narrative. I don't like it. It feels wet to me. I prefer polypropylene base, Marino over that, then layer according to conditions.

Possibly if I wasn’t moving, I’d like it better. Oh well. I do what works for me. You will have to test out what works for you.

 

[Hard H2O]

I have the Sitka Incinerator bibs and parka. In Minnesota I use it for elevated stand, pop-up blind, turkey, and general hunting in colder weather. Works great for me. The Sitka gear seems to have better ergonomics than some other brands.

Sitka versus other brands seems to have better fit and finish.

For base layers in moderate temps I use the Scheel's Churchill merino. I think that is better than the merino from other brands.

The Sitka Territory pant is my go to for most everything outdoors. From ice fishing and hunting to scouting to shooting NRL22 matches.

 

[Josh06]

I realize the original post was from a while ago but reading through the posts I saw one unsure of KUIU customer service so thought I would share my one experience. I had to use their customer service once with a pair of gloves that a seam came unstitched on. The gloves were very well used and I was unsure they would honor it as a warranty but they did. It was very easy to get a replacement, I submitted the claim on their website with pictures and the next day they emailed me letting me know they didn't have the same color but would replace with my choice of what was in stock. They shipped the new gloves out fast and even included a free t-shirt.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I just bought a Sitka Jetstream Jacket.
Wanted one with a hood.
The Kuiu Guide Jacket will be for sale.
Hope it works out good!

You will love the Sitka Jetstream. It is probably the most versatile piece of Sitka, unless you need an awesome insulation layer, then try the Ambient. I went on an Alaska Cruise several years ago. Cold, wet, rainy weather every day (we picked the wrong week for sure). The Jetstream was the only jacket I had, and it kept me warm, dry, and comfortable the entire time. Can't say that about our travel companions-they were miserable.

 

[southpa]

Sitka. I've used both, sitka edges out kuiu in all the garments I've used. It performed better and lasted longer. I've got rid of anything kuiu and have all sitka. For someone new, needing everything to get started, I don't think the price point of sitka is representative of how much it's better than kuiu. Basically, I think it's slightly better but is it worth it for the price? Probly not. But I've also not looked at the price of kuiu in about 8 years. A while back it was much more affordable than sitka.

 

[TxHeartShot]

I have two pieces of Kuiu gear, Chugach rain jacket and pants and they've worked well as an outer layer over insulation and stand alone rain suit. Crazy breathable and pretty tough material.

I'm almost exclusively Drake for waterfowl hunting. Have lots of NatGear for about 90% of western hunting and STX deer hunting. NatGear needs to get their act together because their camo colors aren't always exact...like a jacket and pants in same material and same line of gear are different colors!

 

[Laelkhunter]

Keep watching Camofire.com and Huntoftheday.com Both change their sales specials daily, and offer Sitka at great prices about once a week. Blackovis also has sales, and offer great discounts with the discount code which changes from time to time and you can save about 20%.

 

[Iamnick]

I bought the sitka stratus set and I was pretty underwhelmed. I paid half price for it, they offer military / 1st responder pricing and it still seemed overpriced.

Not a huge fan of the material, if you have to walk through any kind of brush it will be stuck in there forever. Pockets could be better. It's not the worst stuff in the world but for the price I was expecting something more.

 

[fta0303]

My personal opinion on merino goes against the common narrative. I don't like it. It feels wet to me. I prefer polypropylene base, Marino over that, then layer according to conditions.

Possibly if I wasn't moving, I'd like it better. Oh well. I do what works for me. You will have to test out what works for you.

Very interesting. I had the opposite performance- merino wool underlayer was very warm, wet with sweat or dry. Polypropylene, cold when wet, always wet. But everyone's experience is different, and where you are and what you're doing makes a difference. I was mostly in the Washington and Oregon Cascades, a pretty wet environment but not extreme cold (above freezing mostly). I was a hiker and a backpacker, so a lot of sweat & movement, not a lot of still time. My operating assumption was that I was gonna be wet from sweat all the time.

The best pants i ever found were Army surplus wool whipcord. Dense weave heavy wool shirt. I carried a wadded up down vest for camp. And a Goretex rain/wind mountaineering parka, or early on, a surplus USMC poncho, which doubled for a tent (these i wore only when not moving much, or in a downpour). Last but far from least, a heavy wool watch cap, and some rag wool gloves. This outfit was heavy by modern standards, but it worked very well. Silent moving through brush.

At one time, I had a dense, heavy wool cardigan supposedly made by some Indians in Canada. High collar, heavy-duty zipper. It shed water, was maybe the best "coat" I ever found. Smelled heavily of lanolin, might've been a garment intended for subsistence fishermen. Not for carrying a pack though.

An important point: tip-top physical condition is worth a lot of outer wear. If not in shape, you'll likely be cold and subject to hypothermia.

 

[Ebender34]

My personal opinion on merino goes against the common narrative. I don't like it. It feels wet to me. I prefer polypropylene base, Marino over that, then layer according to conditions.

Possibly if I wasn't moving, I'd like it better. Oh well. I do what works for me. You will have to test out what works for you.

That last sentence (what works for you) is truly the best answer.