Sitka or Kuiu??

[sagewalker]

What gear do you like better, Sitka or Kuiu? Why?

[7mag.]

I have both and prefer Kuiu. Both are good quality gear, but I think Kuiu is a little better. Kuiu is also cheaper. I am talking about their clothing, I wouldn't buy a pack from either company. You should also check out Kryptek. Kryptek is cheaper than Kuiu, and seems to be pretty good quality. You can also buy Kryptek at Cabela's, and often on sale on Cabela's web site.

[JLS]

I have zero experience with Kuiu.  I have had very good luck with all of my Sitka clothing.  If you watch for sales, you can pick it up for a fair bit less than retail.

[Bean Counter]

I just looked at Kuiu's website for the first time and all I can say is 

$400-600 for a backpack??

[JLS]

I just looked at Kuiu's website for the first time and all I can say is 

$400-600 for a backpack??

You won't want to look at Kifaru's website then.  Mystery Ranch isn't any better, but they do make really good packs.  Depends on how hard you use them as to whether it's worth the cash.

[Bean Counter]

Their advertisements in the Huntin' Fool usually show them on a dall sheep hunt in Alaska. I suppose I'll look them up in a few decades( retirement) if I'm still fit enough for such an excursion.

[JLS]

Their advertisements in the Huntin' Fool usually show them on a dall sheep hunt in Alaska. I suppose I'll look them up in a few decades( retirement) if I'm still fit enough for such an excursion.

Shouldn't you be out hunting Coues whitetails?

[rittem1]

I'm glad you started this thread, Sagewalker. I am trying to decide on a parka that is waterproof, windproof, breathable and won't entirely break the bank. Another brand I have been looking at is First Lite. Their jacket will run you $300 in the camo patterns but I don't know anyone who owns their stuff. Kryptek, Sitka, Kuiu...

Any other thoughts or additional manufacturers that I should be checking out?

[lewy]

I had pretty good luck with Sitka stuff until I bought there gore Tex shell rain gear which by the way wasn't cheap, it keeps water out about as well as a pair of sweats multiple buddies had the same result. I also had bad luck with the 90% stuff being pulled apart in the sticker bushes. I have ordered a few things from kuiu now and so far it has been great, haven't used there whole line tho-

[MtnMuley]

Both Sitka and KUIU make things that are better than one another.  There's not a "which is better" in my opinion.

[sagewalker]

I bought Kuiu's Guide Jacket as well as the Guide Pants. I also purchased their Merino base 230 top and bottoms. I have used the jacket quite a bit, and I gotta say I absolutely love it. It is quiet and light weight as they come. Im in the Yakima area and it has been cold, cold, cold here. Not only is it light weight but it is also very warm when layered properly. I am 5'10'' and 190lbs and wear a size 34 in pants. I bought the jacket in a large, and the pants in a 36 to give me some room for layering for colder weather. The base layer tops I got a large and the bottoms as well. The base layer bottoms were a little small so I had sent them back and got an XL, which are now perfect. I am going out tomorrow morning to go do some dog hunting/hiking, so I will be able to better inform members on the gear when I get back from my trek. A lot of my friends own the Sitka gear and they love it so far, I wanted to give this stuff a shot and see how it performs. Seems great so far! Thanks for the opinions, keep um coming!!!   

[RadSav]

Kuiu is great stuff if you have the body for it.  Unfortunately I do not.  That is why I am still a Sitka guy.  Sitka is better for those who don't miss many meals and find hard workouts painful   If you are a human mountain goat and are physically built to play the part you may very well like the Kuiu better.

[Bean Counter]

Their advertisements in the Huntin' Fool usually show them on a dall sheep hunt in Alaska. I suppose I'll look them up in a few decades( retirement) if I'm still fit enough for such an excursion.

Shouldn't you be out hunting Coues whitetails?

That six week, during-the-rut season has come and gone. Ends January 31. I found a new honey hole with four bucks and two shooters. Public land with tons of road access. Those clever buggers managed to outwit hunters from four gun seasons and a few weeks of archers. Yours truly included. 

C'mon August!

[RadSav]

That six week, during-the-rut season has come and gone. Ends January 31. I found a new honey hole with four bucks and two shooters. Public land with tons of road access. Those clever buggers managed to outwit hunters from four gun seasons and a few weeks of archers. Yours truly included. 

I sure miss spending my Januarys down there.  When I finally sell the business and retire I hope there is still a little land left down there to tag some deer and tasty peccary. 

You are running a little north for coues by the looks of that photo.  Most of them I hunted were between Wilcox and Ft Grant.  Actually my best was so close to the penitentiary the guards would get a little nasty once they noticed I was from out of state. 

  for getting off your topic  sagewalker

[trophyhunt]

I love my kuiu gear, also have some sitka.  My sitka coat and pant also tore on the sticker bushes, got soaking wet with the sitka coat. But it was really wet and it wasn't 100% rain gear.

[ollie]

I love the sitka gear that i have! the fit is very true and comfortable unlike the countless other brands i have purchased over the years, to me thats well worth the money. I'm looking at getting the rain gear in the near future, currently i use a "goretex" mt. hardware jacket so i imagine the waterproofing and functionality is close to the same. As far as the kuiu brand goes it seems like basically the same design concepts, they just use materials that aren't propietary to GORE who sitka is owned by. kinda a ford vs chevy thing. it definatly  come's down to personal preference on your intended use, fit, functionality and if it fits your style of hunting. a weekend warrior during deer season doesn't need the full system like a guide might. 

[Bmcox86]

I'm glad you started this thread, Sagewalker. I am trying to decide on a parka that is waterproof, windproof, breathable and won't entirely break the bank. Another brand I have been looking at is First Lite. Their jacket will run you $300 in the camo patterns but I don't know anyone who owns their stuff. Kryptek, Sitka, Kuiu...

Any other thoughts or additional manufacturers that I should be checking out?

Check out the jacket review that rokslide just did, they put all the big name rain jackets up against each other and have some really good information on their about them

[GoPlayOutside]

Jason Hairston is the founder of both company's.  I would like to know what he honestly thinks.

[sagewalker]

Just an update on  the Kuiu gear I bought and talked about earlier on the thread. I went out Saturday to go look for some yotes, the wind was blowing, snow was falling and it was colder than heck. The guide jacket, guide pants and the Merino 230 bottoms and top performed as they said they would! I was extremely warm and comfortable. Good stuff, no complaints. 

[_TONY_]

A couple weeks ago I bought a bunch of Kuiu gear, and absolutely love the stuff...

[haugenna]

Kuiu has some great lines within their product line.  I am not a fan of sitka.  It has never fit me very well. I am a little taller than most, the pants seemed to ride high.

Top gear with Kuiu in my opinion-
Attack Pants and Guide Pants- Warm and very breathable.  Athletic fit.

Super Down Zip T- Amazing!  The down technology they use is second to none.  Maintains its loft when wet.  Definitely not an outer layer but a mid layer.  The outer shell of the superdown product does not look durable enough for an outer layer.  Sitting and glassing it will work great.  Brushbusting will end badly.
 
Chugach NX- Lightweight rain gear but a little noisy

Yukon Gear- heavier rain gear but a little noisy- Both are some of the most breathable rain gear on the market and it is important when hiking in the rain. 

Not so great Kuiu Gear-
Their packs have not tested well. I was at SCI this last week and saw the new packs coming out and it looks like they have the frame breakage issue taken care of. Stone Glacier and Kifaru fill this need extremely well.

Merino Wool- too scratchy.  The weave pattern and quality of merino wool is not where it should be compared to other manufacturers.  Firstlite fills this need very well.

You will not go wrong with Kuiu outerlayers and firstlite base layers. 

[huntnnw]

Sitkas rain coat is $600 versus getting the exact coat from KUIU for $300 and its NOT crappy gore! I love my KUIU stuff very well made versus my Sitka stuff that is falling apart

[JoeE]

I have a bunch of KUIU and I highly recommend it. I have some sitka base layers and gloves but I still prefer my KUIU stuff.

[sagewalker]

I know linton outdoors always has sales on Sitka and Firstlite gear on their website

[jbeaumont21]

Jason Hairston is the founder of both company's.  I would like to know what he honestly thinks.

This is from Jason's blog back in November last year:

KUIU CALLED OUT
November 27th, 2013 | By: Jason Hairston
After reading the Price Points Thread on our forum questioning KUIU’s pricing structure, I thought it might be helpful to write a detailed post of where KUIU comes from and what drives our products and pricing.

After reading some of the posts it is clear many of those who commented have not been part of the brand from the beginning. Or have been given wrong information in how our competitor’s gear compares.

BRIEF HISTORY

I co-founded Sitka in 2005. Our product line was an attempt to bridge the gap in design and technologies between hunting and mountaineering gear. I launched and operated Sitka from my home office and garage in Dixon, California.

In July of 2006 we introduced the first Sitka product line in the Schnee’s Boot catalog, based in Bozeman, Montana. Schnee’s was the only retailer to pick up Sitka that first year and sold the all the 2006 inventory we bought in only 90 days.

In just a few months Sitka had exploded in popularity and demand as the first technical mountain hunting brand in the world. In 2007 Sitka was carried in every major big-box retail store in the United States and Canada.

In 2008, longtime Patagonia designer Richard Siberell introduced me to Toray at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City. He explained all the advantages of Toray’s patented Spiral Yarn technology, fabric performance and the industry leading innovations.

I quickly pushed to build a Sitka program with Toray fabrics but could not make the margins work. Our gear prices were going to double and retailer buyers were already complaining Sitka was too expensive.

We had to kill the program, but I could not get the Toray fabrics out of my mind.

In 2009 my business partner and our CFO, feeling pressure from the failing economy made some bad decisions and lied to our shareholders, threw me under the bus, stabbed my family in their backs and sold Sitka to W.L. Gore for pennies. Then forced me out of the company I built. All of it was never needed as Sitka would have survived.

I was down but not out and highly motivated and determined to build a new business model. A business set up to bring to market a line of the most advanced technical mountain hunting products ever produced featuring Toray fabrics.

This new company would be one of integrity, honesty and transparency, focused on making the best products possible with the best possible service. I took everything I learned from creating Sitka and used it to build a much smarter business plan.

I eliminated the retailer to focus on making products without price restrictions. I wanted no limits on materials, design or manufacturing. I would no longer sacrifice quality to hit price points for a retailer. And I wanted an emphasis on service and customer experience.

Rob Moore a loyal friend and investor at Sitka believed in me and financially backed KUIU. Without Rob none of this could have happened.

 

TODAY

KUIU is on a growth rate 3 times faster than Sitka, built on a foundation of world-class materials made by the finest factories, relentless innovation and service with total transparency.

KUIU products significantly reduce weight and drying times while increasing moisture management, breathability and durability and hunter performance in the most demanding conditions in the world. The products have driven the growth of this brand.

Behind the products I have assembled an incredible team of people to help me realize my dream of KUIU. The talent and drive at KUIU, the attention to the smallest details, make this customer brand experience like no other.

Below is a brief highlight of the suppliers, materials and innovations we have brought to market to date.

SUPPLY PARTNERS

Toray, Osaka Japan

$20 Billion Company
Chemistry is the foundation of Toray
Chemical
Aerospace
Nano Technology
Carbon Fiber
Synthetic Fabrics
The FINEST performance synthetic fabric supplier in the world.
More innovation to the performance fabric sector than any other supplier.
Primeflex Yarn
Dermizax NX Laminate- World Leading 40,000 mvt breathability rating.
Kudos DWR
QUIX DOWN
Stunner Stretch Down Proof Fabrics
Dot Air fabric technologies
The Merino Company, Levin New Zealand

New Zealand’s oldest Merino Wool supplier
Worlds Leading Innovator in Merino Wool
New Yarn Technology-2014
Vertically Integrated Supply Chain
100% New Zealand merino wool.
Exclusively 17.5 Micron Ultra-Fine Merino Wool.
Pittards Leather, Yeovil England

The Finest Performance leather Supplier for gloves on the planet.
Oil-tac Enduro Performance Leather
Bemis Heat Bonded Films and Glue

The #1 film and glue supplier for seam tape and welding.
YKK Zipper

#1 performance zipper supplier in the world.
Exclusive zipper supplier for all of KUIU’s products.
Cordura

160D 100% Nylon Rip Stop Cordura
Used in all Icon Backpacks
 INNOVATIONS TO MARKET

Toray’s Dermizax NX waterproof breathable membrane. Industries highest breathability rating @ 40,000 MTV with a 200% stretch rating.
Toray’s QUIX DOWN- nano-technology created the highest performing waterproof down application available.
Toray’s Primeflex Fabric- Patented Spiral yarn technology allows for 4-way stretch and recovery without elastic.
95% to 5% Polish Goose Down
Toray’s Dot Air Fabric- Micro openings significantly increases airflow through fabric.
KUIU ICON Molded Carbon Fiber frame- The worlds first molded carbon fiber backpack frame – Patent Pending
Toray’s KUDOS DWR- the most effective and durable water repellant fabric treatment available.
Toray’s Stunner Stretch Fabric- first ever stretch down proof fabric.
Pittards Enduro Oil Tac Performance leather.
PRODUCTS

Super Down Products

Quix Down water repellency-significantly better performance than any other waterproofing down application.
100% Polish Goose Down
850+ fill
95% to 5% Down to Feather Ratio.
Toray Stunner Stretch fabrics.
The 1st stretch down proof fabrics.
Super Down Sleeping Bags in 2014
Chugach & Yukon Products

Toray Dermizax NX Laminate featuring the world leading 40,000 MVT rating.
The highest breathability rating for a water proof breathable garment ever produced.
200% 4-way stretch rating.
Yukon Gaiter: First ever seamless 4-way stretch gaiter.
Toray Prime Flex Fabrics

Guide Jacket, Pants and Beanie
Attack Pants
Face Fabric for Chugach & Yukon products
These fabrics used in all of our outer wear fabrics use Toray’s Spiral Yarn which is patented and allows our fabrics to have NO ELASTIC which is so significant to performance, weight and longevity of a fabric.
Toray fabrics are made exclusively in Japan. Not China or Taiwan like our competition. This is why we get the nice hand feel and longevity out of our gear.
Icon Backpacks

Patented Carbon Fiber Frame Design made by Rocket Composites in Sacramento, California, USA
11 ounces
Modular System
Assembled to order at KUIU, Dixon CA.
Zamberlan

Fine Italian made mountaineering footwear.
KUIU Pamir Boot.
The most advanced hunting boot ever created.
Camouflage

Vias
Verde
VERTICAL PRODUCTION

Developed a very unique vertical supply chain to insure quality and lower lead times.
Toray makes all of our products featuring Toray fabrics. This insures the quality and performance of our products versus using an independent factory. Toray implements Japanese technicians and quality control standards, which are the highest in the world.
The Merino Company produces all of KUIU Merino Wool hunting products.
I am transparent about ALL the ingredients in our products to build trust with our customers. Our gear is expensive to make because it is made only with the best by the best. We have absolutely nothing to hide. This should be evident in the list of suppliers, brand name materials and innovations KUIU has brought to market listed above. A list that is unmatched.

To accurately compare the competitions products against KUIU you need to look at the same product details. The details such as the fabric brand name, the country of origin, quality and percentage of down, the micron in the merino wool and the breathability of the rain-gear all matter. Most brands will not share this information because you would not buy their products if you knew. These small ingredient details are what make great gear.

And please do not listen to Pro-Staffer’s and bribed forum administrators telling you the free gear they promote is just as good as KUIU’s. This industry is filled with these bribed “pro-staffers” who one day are recommending Leica and the next day telling you Nikon is just as good.

KUIU does not have a prostaff because I do not believe in bribing people to promote our products. Instead we invest the money into building products the right way so our customers do the talking for us.

If you care about what is in the gear you buy then put your trust in KUIU and my relentless pursuit of the finest materials and craftsmanship on the planet.

And if you still do not believe me then please ask the over 1,500 Professional Guides whom now only wear KUIU and recommend it to all their clients. Most of them are Sheep Guides working in the most remote and demanding conditions in the world. They demand the best. So should you.

I look forward to your questions and comments.

Happy Holidays!

Jason

- See more at: http://blog.kuiu.com/#sthash.2bk7XyI6.dpuf

[JPhelps]

I have only ever used Sitka. I have no reason to try another brand. The fit, function and performance has worked perfect for me. I am a Gore Hunt-Tech but will always give honest feedback on the gear I use.

I used the mountain pants from July scouting trips through the late December hunts. The pants performed well. When wet they dried very fast, movement is unrestricted (even for a big guy), and they turned out to be very durable only a few snags from hunting the thick brush.

For tops I used the Core and traverse over an icebreaker base layer along with the jetstream vest, 90% jacket and Jetstream jacket (waterproof besides the seams) and never once needed to add anything to the system. I may add one of sitkas insulated vests to supplement for cold mornings or extended trips.

For rain gear I am still using Helly Hansen Impertech.

For the way I hunt this has proven to be an effective system.