Best brand for someone looking to upgrade

[KcNsan3]

I've had the same Realtree/redhead gear for years and am looking to upgrade. What's everyone's favorite brands I should be looking at? Price doesn't have to be accounted for.

 

[nobody]

What type of hunting? Time of year? Location? Animals? Weapons/seasons? Do you NEED camo? Are you backpacking or day tripping? Are you hiking tons or sitting in a tree stand?

 

[KcNsan3]

What type of hunting? Time of year? Location? Animals? Weapons/seasons? Do you NEED camo? Are you backpacking or day tripping? Are you hiking tons or sitting in a tree stand?

I'm wanting something versatile. I bow and rifle hunt, I hunt mainly in the fall but do winter hunts as well. Do I need? Arguably no, but am wanting to upgrade, backpacking and day tripping. Will include hiking and sitting in a tree

 

[nobody]

Any of the big names. Get somewhere that you can try a bunch on and buy what fits. If you go based upon what fits best then you'll probably end up with a mixture of multiple brands. First lite has great merino base layers, Kuiu's rain gear is top notch, King's XKG and Kuiu pants are great, Stone Glacier has great down gear, etc. Do some digging in your price range, try a bunch of stuff on, and buy what fits best. Ignore the brand.

And don't discount the store brands either. I own plenty of "high end" stuff, but my parka is a Redhead from Cabela's because it has the features I want for the way I use it, and it didn't break the bank as a piece of gear that gets used infrequently. I have some T-shirts from Killik (Sportsman's Warehouse) that didn't break the bank and work just fine.

 

[KcNsan3]

Any of the big names. Get somewhere that you can try a bunch on and buy what fits. If you go based upon what fits best then you'll probably end up with a mixture of multiple brands. First lite has great merino base layers, Kuiu's rain gear is top notch, King's XKG and Kuiu pants are great, Stone Glacier has great down gear, etc. Do some digging in your price range, try a bunch of stuff on, and buy what fits best. Ignore the brand.

And don't discount the store brands either. I own plenty of "high end" stuff, but my parka is a Redhead from Cabela's because it has the features I want for the way I use it, and it didn't break the bank as a piece of gear that gets used infrequently. I have some T-shirts from Killik (Sportsman's Warehouse) that didn't break the bank and work just fine.

Is Sitka starting to lose momentum in its hype? Thats what I was eyeballing.

 

[nobody]

Is Sitka starting to lose momentum in its hype? Thats what I was eyeballing.

It's fine, it's just not the only viable option anymore. When they came out, they only competed against themselves. You either owned Walmart grade Realtree/Mossy Oak, King's, or Cabela's store brand outfitter camo. So people latched onto Sitka, and rightfully so. It's solid gear and performs well. That said, there's just so many other great options in today's market, much of it at lower prices and lighter weights. I do still own my Sitka Kelvin Aerolite sleeping bag, but I've sold my only other couple pieces of Sitka gear. Didn't love their fit in general, and they don't do much (if anything) in solids. But the performance is there if you like their stuff and have the coin and it fits. I do feel you pay a premium for the fact that they're owned by/affiliated with Gore-Tex, but other than that I can't really give a good reason for why myself or the people I hunt with and know don't look at their stuff.

 

[eltx]

I’ve gravitated toward solid bottoms and camo tops. I like Kuiu/Stone Glacier pants and Kuiu/First Lite tops.

 

[H80Hunter]

I’d watch the John barklow 8 piece layering system to get some basics and then kind of work around that. Any of the top brands are fine, I’ve got pieces from a ton of different brands. This is the internet so if someone bought Brand X pants and ripped them crawling over a barbed wire fence they dedicate their life to claiming the brand sucks. They all work. I like Sitka because the warranty is great and they even do repairs.

 

[Fetty Wapiti]

Eddie bauer has you covered. Don't be afraid to look into non hunting brands like mtn hardware and others. Camo is def overrated... just my 2 cents

 

[venado mula]

Stone Glacier, Kryptek, then it get's mixed from there. I hunt the mountains so I'm running ultra light, quiet, fast drying solids and breakup pattern rain gear. I run merino wool socks (all year), gloves, beanie and merino wool base layers when it's chilly. Hope this helps.

 

[DenimChicken]

Great advice above. I’ve got pieces from a number of different manufacturers. Some are definitely more technical in nature and appeal to the hiker and back country hunter. I would find the fit and features you want and buy with confidence from any of the big names. People get really passionate about what brand they love but unless you are in love with a specific camo pattern you can be well served by picking up individual pieces as you need them.

 

[TaperPin]

There are more brands all the time that cater to hunters with every camo pattern, but much of it is marketing driven. When I was hardcore backpack hunting I kept a spreadsheet with everything going with me and the weight of each. For a piece of equipment (or anything) to get upgraded I looked at it in terms of the cost per ounce of weight savings. Many of the cool designs are just over built with features and it adds weight. I kept with neutral colors and some camo, but getting away from the idea everything has to match some pattern opens up a lot of mountain clothing aimed at backpackers that is cheaper, often better made, and lighter.

 

[Keener22]

The best system usually lies somewhere in between all of the brands, but Sitka has been my favorite so far. Gore Infinium is my favorite material on the market so far. They cover a really wide variety of pursuits. They also offer the best Pro Program if you’re someone it applies to.

The downsides to Sitka is that their solid color offerings are hit and miss, and the pant offerings are somewhat behind others on the market. They’re not bad at all, in fact I love my mountain and apex pants. Kuiu makes my favorite pant, but honestly I have found their tops and jackets to be completely underwhelming and poor in performance compared to the Sitka tops I own. Even the ones everyone seems to love. Perhaps I thought I was buying something I wasn’t or didn’t understand the materials.

I’m probably just buying the Kool-Aid, but I also am a fan of John Barklow and his experience/teachings. He is a wealth of information, and I can appreciate that when he is the one behind developing and testing a lot of Sitka’s pieces. Kuiu and others seem to just hype up their marketing to sell, and don’t really give a reason why or much background on their products.

 

[Mojave]

I own the following:
Kuiu (heaps)
Sitka
Swazi (heaps)
Harkila quite a bit
Tru-Spec (their expedition pants)
Mountain Hardware
North Face (the Bud Light of outdoor gear) I have not bought anything from them in 10 years
Propper Tactical (heaps)

Actual rain gear (rubberized) for actual wet weather like SE Alaska, New Zealand and Olympic Penninsula is only made by a couple of companies Helly Hanson and Grundens. Gore-Tex, Schoeller, Swazi, and Toray "waterproof" fabrics are only water resistant to a point.

 

[Runningwater]

I'd agree with some of the above and don't fall into "one" brand, and particularly don't limit yourself to "hunting" brands. I have a mix of all sorts of stuff all over the price spectrum - Arcteryx, Sitka, Kuiu, LL Bean, Cabelas, North Face, Black Ovis, Smartwool, Meriwool, Prana, and a host of random cheap stuff from Costco. FWIW I have very little in camo patterns (a few pairs of pants and shell pants). I like camo pants because they hide blood stains and tape patches better than solids!

 

[Winnie]

I am a fan of Sitka. You can always find it on sale. You can try it on in many stores. It has just plain performed really well for me while archery elk hunting, deer hunting, antelope hunting, etc.

I am thinking of trying a pair of KUIU Attack pants. really wish I could try a pair on somewhere though.

 

[bozeman]

Sitka 70%, Kuiu 15% and Eddie Bauer 15%.......

 

[TaperPin]

As you upgrade a fun little test is to weight your old piece, soak it in water and let drip dry 10 minutes to get an idea of what It does when wet - repeat with the new item. Some synthetics retain a ton of water - think of micro fleece car cleaning rags. For instance, military polypro long johns are fantastic, my favorite fall base layer top, but they hold a bunch of water - much more than light fleece.

 

[CobraChicken]

Is Sitka starting to lose momentum in its hype? Thats what I was eyeballing.

I sold my sitka gear and went stone glacier. I have long arms and legs so it fits better. I use it for Archery, rifle, waterfowl and upland. Love the solids, never looking back.

The only piece of sitka gear I have left is the Kelvin active. Hands down my favorite piece ever.

I also have a mixture of kuhl, and kuiu. Some odd items from various companies here and there. Love my kuhl pants

 

[WKB]

I have some Sitka, some Under Armour Storm. the pattern is cool and trendy but not necessary. The upgrade for me is the actual fabric feel, fit, and stretch. I find that it feels better and I get more mobility out of that rather than the RedHead or Walmart Realtree stuff. The durability seems to be a wash between the brands.