kuiu Verde or vias

[bowhunterty]

I have had great reults with my Sitka Open Country Optifade. Killed my last three bulls wearing it. The last two at under 20 yards. I like the Sitka products. But Kuiu has stuff that looks good and I may pick up some this year.

[RadSav]

The Optifade Ground Forrest pattern already exists. It is available in Europe.

Yeah I have seen it on the Beretta stuff.  Big bulky Austrian style clothing.  Not my thing!  Tone to the pattern looked rather good.

[sagewalker]

Vias

 

[GurrCentral]

Vias for me.

[RadSav]

As a science based seamhead who has spent most of the past 35 years stalking animals within bow range (with rather good success if I can say so myself) I have formed an opinion about what I like and want in camo patterns.  With the exception of open country mule deer and sheep country I could really care less about tone or pattern if rifle hunting.  As long as you are not wearing white in a black forest it rarely ever makes a difference.  But you start breaking that 100 yard security zone and things start making a difference!

100 yards to 30-35 yards patterns mean very little to me.  In those conditions tone and stealth is all I am concerned about.  Charcoal in front of volcanic rock is good enough, green in front of a fir tree is enough, white on top of white snow is good enough.  Watch the wind, slow your movements, make no noise, keep your white face out of the spotlight and you will be fine.

Patterns start to make a difference when you step inside of that 40 yard zone.  Pattern still will not eliminate the prior mentioned Tone and Stealth, but patterns do start adding short moments or even seconds to a blown opportunity.  One third of a second more time can often spell the difference between success and failure inside the dead zone.  So everything comes into play at that point, #1-Tone, #2-Light absorption (non-reflective), #3-Stealth and #4-Pattern is how I rate importance here.

I tend to give almost zero credit to folks who claim a certain pattern is the holy grail because they tagged an elk inside 40 yards wearing the stuff.  I find elk to be the cattle beast of big game animals - not too terribly smart.  Throw in some cow estrus and a teenage sex drive and they become down right stupid!  So success in elk hunting to me means very little in the grand scheme of things.  Army surplus wool pants and a plaid shirt is WAY more than enough for me if hunting rutting bulls.  If you want to impress me with an elk story, tell me about stalking up on a lead cow in the bright sun.  Then perhaps I'll pay attention 

Stalk a big blacktail or a wise whitetail inside slam dunk archery range and I'll pay attention.  Call in a coyote solo with a mouth call and deliver an arrow at 10 yards and I'll hear what you have to say.  Crawl up on an open country muledeer with near zero vegetation and put an arrow into him from 35 yards and you certainly have story worth listening to.  Have a turkey brush you as he struts by on his way to your decoy and I am all ears.  And if you ever have a crow try to land on your head while on a bear stand, that's something I want to know about!!!

Will you ever catch me trying to work the edge of a western WA clearcut in Vias or Open Country Optifake?  Not likely if I'm bowhunting blacktails.  Would you catch me trying to accomplish the same thing in Verde?  If I wasn't too Bubba to fit into the Kuiu clothing chances are you would!   Would you catch me doing the same thing bowhunting whitetails in the NE?  Vias - No!  Verde - Yes!  OC Opti' - Perhaps.  Could you find a place on earth I would attempt to call in turkeys while wearing Vias?  I can not think of any such place.

I would be hard pressed to find a situation where I would chose Vias over Verde.  There are some areas where I would take OC Opti' over Verde.  But those are far and few between.  I prefer many other mimic patterns over Verde, but as I get older the quality performance clothing has begun to lead me to compromise.  Of those premium clothiers and their private camo patterns I seem to like Verde the best.  Though Kuiu would have to redesign their clothing to fit an old fat bastage like me before I could ever purchase their stuff again

[DeerHarvester]

All my kuiu gear is in vias and I have had great luck with it. I have had both deer and elk within 15 yards and they never seen me. I hunt mostly high desert areas. That being said I'm picking up some verde to add to my collection. I think it will work well in more green areas.

[Stein]

Camo patterns are very similar to fishing lure colors - absolutely created for the buyer not the critter.

[Dhoey07]

Just placed my order today

[fair-chase]

Kuiu Verde or Vias which camo do you prefer. I would like to hear your thoughts on how either works for you, and what kind of area you use it in (sagebrush, alpine meadows or dark timber).  I will be getting all new gear after  late rifle and don't know which camo I want or if it really matters what I choose. I hunt every kind of area/terrain we have in WA. Also I have sitka timberline pants, the new cabelas glassing pants and matching coats for both.. I just want to try kuiu's gear.

My 

If you want to try Kuiu, make sure your doing it for the right reasons (camo pattern not being one of them). Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for some disappointment. Kuiu makes some excellent products but they are not for everyone. Take the time to seriously analyze your hunting style before taking the plunge. Just throwing this out there because I wish I would have done this before committing so much money into a clothing system. I still favor many Kuiu products but have had to make many changes along the way to really dial in what works for me.

A few things to keep in mind:
- The number one reason (my opinion) to make the switch to Kuiu is to save weight. If your not counting ounces, you are not in Kuiu's target demographic. That doesn't mean it won't work for you, just keep in mind what the goal of Kuiu's clothing systems are and you'll be in a better position evaluate what items you need and what items you don't.

- Following the first point...Kuiu does not excel at stand hunting, especially cold weather stand hunting. No matter how much I love my Spindrift and Guide pants/jacket, it's not going to be enough when calling predators in January. And that's alright, because that's not what it's intended to do.

- Many of Kuiu's outerwear products produce a considerable amount of noise and are not conducive to close range stalking. The Chugach rains supreme in the noise category. Beating out tyvek, cuben fiber, and a 1946 Peterbuilt in a close battle.    While I would not call the Guide series noisy, I wouldn't call them quiet either. Same goes for Spindrift and Superdown. But again, the intention of this gear is not to stalk prey at close range through creek bottoms or brushy draws.

- One of the areas that Kuiu really excels at is in range of motion. If you find yourself traversing blowdowns or boulder laden slopes on a frequent basis, then the flexibility that Kuiu provides is second to none. If your just walking out to the back 40 to shoot a deer off a hay pile, you may be over investing in clothing.


Sorry, got away from the original question. Not trying to discourage you from Kuiu in any way. I think Kuiu makes some excellent products. Just trying to help as it can get expensive trying to get the right system that works for the type of hunting you do. I've owned nearly all of the Kuiu line at one point or another if you have any questions about a specific piece feel free to pm me.

[7mag.]

Kuiu Verde or Vias which camo do you prefer. I would like to hear your thoughts on how either works for you, and what kind of area you use it in (sagebrush, alpine meadows or dark timber).  I will be getting all new gear after  late rifle and don't know which camo I want or if it really matters what I choose. I hunt every kind of area/terrain we have in WA. Also I have sitka timberline pants, the new cabelas glassing pants and matching coats for both.. I just want to try kuiu's gear.

My 

If you want to try Kuiu, make sure your doing it for the right reasons (camo pattern not being one of them). Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for some disappointment. Kuiu makes some excellent products but they are not for everyone. Take the time to seriously analyze your hunting style before taking the plunge. Just throwing this out there because I wish I would have done this before committing so much money into a clothing system. I still favor many Kuiu products but have had to make many changes along the way to really dial in what works for me.

A few things to keep in mind:
- The number one reason (my opinion) to make the switch to Kuiu is to save weight. If your not counting ounces, you are not in Kuiu's target demographic. That doesn't mean it won't work for you, just keep in mind what the goal of Kuiu's clothing systems are and you'll be in a better position evaluate what items you need and what items you don't.

- Following the first point...Kuiu does not excel at stand hunting, especially cold weather stand hunting. No matter how much I love my Spindrift and Guide pants/jacket, it's not going to be enough when calling predators in January. And that's alright, because that's not what it's intended to do.

- Many of Kuiu's outerwear products produce a considerable amount of noise and are not conducive to close range stalking. The Chugach rains supreme in the noise category. Beating out tyvek, cuben fiber, and a 1946 Peterbuilt in a close battle.    While I would not call the Guide series noisy, I wouldn't call them quiet either. Same goes for Spindrift and Superdown. But again, the intention of this gear is not to stalk prey at close range through creek bottoms or brushy draws.

- One of the areas that Kuiu really excels at is in range of motion. If you find yourself traversing blowdowns or boulder laden slopes on a frequent basis, then the flexibility that Kuiu provides is second to none. If your just walking out to the back 40 to shoot a deer off a hay pile, you may be over investing in clothing.


Sorry, got away from the original question. Not trying to discourage you from Kuiu in any way. I think Kuiu makes some excellent products. Just trying to help as it can get expensive trying to get the right system that works for the type of hunting you do. I've owned nearly all of the Kuiu line at one point or another if you have any questions about a specific piece feel free to pm me.

I agree with most of that. Kuiu gear is designed for backpack hunting in the wilderness. It is a system, and works very well for it's intended purpose. I don't agree about the noise. The puffy pieces are noisy when used as an outer layer, and the rain gear is noisy as well, but the Chugach is the best rain gear I've ever used. The Attack Pants and Guide series, I don't think are noisy at all.

As far as camo pattern, I truly believe that camo patterns are 80% user preference. I've found that the most important thing is breaking up your outline, the human bipedal form. The camo pattern you choose to do this is not as important as most people think, and not nearly as important as clothing manufacturers would lead you to believe.

[Stein]

In my opinion, they don't see you, they see you move.  I'm guessing I am not the only one that has had a deer not see me when dressed in non-camo clothes as long as you stay still.  I was deer hunting in MT this year in a carhart and orange in the middle of a field.  When the deer would put it's head down, I would move.  When it came up, I froze.  Walked right up despite the fact that it looked at me a dozen times and I was not behind cover.  If I move and they catch me, I don't think camo really helps for big game.

Like an above post, I'm looking at their stuff because it has an athletic fit, is flexible and light.  I'll probably end up with a fair amount in the brown so I can wear it outside hunting season.

[ROCKWHEELER]

You guys are right about camo patterns don't really matter its movement that dear and elk will notice before anything else. I backpack in my camp hopefully miles away from others and have been using Sitka's gear for years and iam an ounce counter. Just placed and order yesturday for guide pants, chinook jacket, and a hat in Verde. I already have base layers. You guys that have there rain gear how do you like it?

[7mag.]

You guys are right about camo patterns don't really matter its movement that dear and elk will notice before anything else. I backpack in my camp hopefully miles away from others and have been using Sitka's gear for years and iam an ounce counter. Just placed and order yesturday for guide pants, chinook jacket, and a hat in Verde. I already have base layers. You guys that have there rain gear how do you like it?

Best rain gear I've used. It's very breathable, which is important to me, because I overheat easily. It doesn't breathe like cotton, after all, it's still rain gear, but it breathes far better than anything else I've tried. Very waterproof too. I've been in some nasty rain storms in my Chugach set, and have yet to find a leak. I took a twenty minute shower in mine, trying to find the breaking point, but never got wet. I'm sure it will fail at some point, but so far, after two seasons and lots of training hikes, I'm impressed.

[DeerHarvester]

Kuiu Verde or Vias which camo do you prefer. I would like to hear your thoughts on how either works for you, and what kind of area you use it in (sagebrush, alpine meadows or dark timber).  I will be getting all new gear after  late rifle and don't know which camo I want or if it really matters what I choose. I hunt every kind of area/terrain we have in WA. Also I have sitka timberline pants, the new cabelas glassing pants and matching coats for both.. I just want to try kuiu's gear.

My 

If you want to try Kuiu, make sure your doing it for the right reasons (camo pattern not being one of them). Otherwise you may be setting yourself up for some disappointment. Kuiu makes some excellent products but they are not for everyone. Take the time to seriously analyze your hunting style before taking the plunge. Just throwing this out there because I wish I would have done this before committing so much money into a clothing system. I still favor many Kuiu products but have had to make many changes along the way to really dial in what works for me.

A few things to keep in mind:
- The number one reason (my opinion) to make the switch to Kuiu is to save weight. If your not counting ounces, you are not in Kuiu's target demographic. That doesn't mean it won't work for you, just keep in mind what the goal of Kuiu's clothing systems are and you'll be in a better position evaluate what items you need and what items you don't.

- Following the first point...Kuiu does not excel at stand hunting, especially cold weather stand hunting. No matter how much I love my Spindrift and Guide pants/jacket, it's not going to be enough when calling predators in January. And that's alright, because that's not what it's intended to do.

- Many of Kuiu's outerwear products produce a considerable amount of noise and are not conducive to close range stalking. The Chugach rains supreme in the noise category. Beating out tyvek, cuben fiber, and a 1946 Peterbuilt in a close battle.    While I would not call the Guide series noisy, I wouldn't call them quiet either. Same goes for Spindrift and Superdown. But again, the intention of this gear is not to stalk prey at close range through creek bottoms or brushy draws.

- One of the areas that Kuiu really excels at is in range of motion. If you find yourself traversing blowdowns or boulder laden slopes on a frequent basis, then the flexibility that Kuiu provides is second to none. If your just walking out to the back 40 to shoot a deer off a hay pile, you may be over investing in clothing.


Sorry, got away from the original question. Not trying to discourage you from Kuiu in any way. I think Kuiu makes some excellent products. Just trying to help as it can get expensive trying to get the right system that works for the type of hunting you do. I've owned nearly all of the Kuiu line at one point or another if you have any questions about a specific piece feel free to pm me.

Very good review.   
I have found my attack and guide pants to be pretty quiet.  The chugage is loud in my opinion, but I feel it's a good trade off for staying dry.  Also I agree this is not cold weather gear when sitting long periods.

[wooltie]

I'll chime in since I pretty much outfitted myself with KUIU and used it extensively this season (e.g. 3 day backcountry 12 miles behind a gate; day hunts; multiple day hunts; +60 degree weather, rain, 50 degrees and rain, and 25-30 degrees clear skies).

I own:

Attack pants,
145 and 210 zip base layers
Chugach pants and jacket
Guide jacket
Guide gloves

All of the articles in some combination or another, kept me warm, dry, and cool in all the situations described above.

I tend to walk a lot, hike to spots, and generally do not sit for 2-3 hours at a time.  I'm active.  Always have my pack.

Their gear works as designed.  Zero constriction, athletic fit. The rain pants and jacket kept me bone dry in 12 hours of downpour and western wa jungle brush.  I was able to layer accordingly.  When I would get hot from walking and climbing, I simply unzipped the pants, the pit zips, and shirt to regulate body temperature.  Relief occurred in a matter of minutes.  Rain pants are loud, I guess, but no louder than some $250 first lite rain pants my buddy wore.

Majority of the time I work the attacks, 145 shirt and rain gear--for 40-50 degree weather, walking, hiking, climbing.

Because I'm active, it rained frequently, and the wa jungle is messy, I wore the rain gear 90% of the time.  The advantage was that I wore minimal layers underneath.  For the rain gear does breath as well as rain gear can, and I would use the zips to cool myself off whenever I got hot.  By noon if it was dry out and I wasn't beating the brush, I'd take off the rain gear.

When the temps dropped to 25-30 for late buck, I wore fleece pants under the attacks, the 145, the 210, the guide jacket, and the chugach gear.  Again, everything layered appropriately.  Sitting in 30 degree weather, no sun, early morning, did get cold after an hour, however.  I think a down layer at this point would be needed.

On the buy list are warmer gloves and 210 pant base layers.

I went with vias cause it seems to provide greater contrast over the verde, in my opinion.  Though I would not hesitate to outfit with verde either.  Just personal preference.  Both work well.