Best KUIU setup for Elk

[big10hunter]

What is the best clothing setup (KUIU) for hunting Elk in Sept? So many different combinations....

 

[cocky84]

I use

Guide jacket
Attack pants
Zip off pant base layer
Merino t shirt
Hoody

Chugach rain gear

 

[fngTony]

Only have Kuiu upper layers.
Merino 125 ls
teton 1/2 zip
teton insulated jacket
guide jacket
neck gaiter ( more for concealment than warmth).

My system seems overkill for September but I chill easy.






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[fngTony]

I only have 2 gripes with the guide jacket.
1. pit zips don't come down your side very much.
2. pits zips don't function as easy as the sitka jetstream but are better constructed.

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[Aventus]

I am in the same boat, except my Elk hunting will be in November in Colorado. This is my first time big game hunting. So, I am a bit blind lol. But, from what I've been told, first week of november in colorado could be 60 degrees one day and 15 degrees the next. I've been thinking about getting some First lite layers and then Kuiu Guide Pants/Jacket. I just don't want to overheat from all the hiking. But I also don't want to be freezing if snow is on the ground or a storm comes through. Or it just is simply a cold day. Any suggestions/advice? Also, do you think a Pac boot is needed?

 

[doverpack12]

I use
attack pants
145 zip off merino bottoms
125 merino long sleeve
145 merino zip tee
peloton 240 hoody
depending on the temp I also carry Costco down vest (like kuiu super down) or I carry Arcteryx Atom for morning and evening/sleeping in
rain jacket chugach
peloton gloves or merino 210 gloves
icon pro hat
and I think I'll add the 200 peloton beanie

 

[mcseal2]

I can't tell you about all Kuiu's stuff as I only have a few pieces and they are pretty new to me, but can give a general idea.

It depends a lot on how you hunt. For elk I'm usually day hunting and covering a lot of country, plus I tend to be pretty hot blooded. We are usually either working hard traveling through some real bad burns and canyons or stopped, so I like to dress real light and have warmer layers for stopping to glass for long durations. When and where I hunt the elk are pushed up into real tough to access spots that most people won't bother them in but where bachelor groups of bulls will often hide out. I try to dress light so we can move a lot checking these spots but have warm layers for when we do stop for a longer duration. I dress way lighter and am way more comfortable now than when I first started, as a newbie to the mountains I dressed warm and sweated my butt off.

The Kuiu Guide jacket by itself is not extremely thick or warm. It's made to be a light jacket on it's own or a windbreaking shell over a warmer layer or layers. I just got one and really like it but haven't had it out hunting yet. I compared it to the Kryptek Dalibor II under the post by that name under clothing.

I elk hunt the very end of October and very beginning of November in Wyoming and I usually dress very light for the morning hikes. I use a really light warm weather base layer like the Sitka Core lightweight or similar. Over it I wear Sitka Ascent or Mountain pants, or the Krypek equivalents of them. I pick a jacket to fit the weather but it's usually a lighter early to mid-season type jacket. In Wyoming I can't cover my orange cap with a camo hood anyway so I don't usually wear a hooded jacket there.

The key to staying warm for me is having lightweight warmth in my pack for when I stop for an extended time and staying dry. I carry a "puffy" insulated jacket in my pack for those times so I can remove my outer jacket and put it on, then put the wind-stopping jacket back on over the puffy jacket. I have used a Montbell down jacket for several years that is very warm and weighs just 9oz. This year I got a Sitka Kelvin jacket on sale as well as a Kryptek Aquillo waterproof down jacket I plan to try. The Montbell works great, but has to be kept dry. For my lower body I just got the Kuiu Kenai insulated zip-off pants. I haven't tried them outside the house yet, but they weigh very little and look like they should be great for easy on-off use glassing. I always have a Carhardt fleece 2 in 1 hat in blaze orange I can either wear over my cap or over my light fleece ski mask also. These 2 things weigh about 4oz all together and can really cut the wind off my face. I figured that combo out while checking cows calving on an ATV trying to keep my face thawed and vision un-impaired. My full time job is ranching so I spend most of my year outdoors in all conditions, I test my hunting gear out working before trusting it away from civilization. I also like having a light pair of merino wool liner gloves I can wear all the time, and a warmer pair of thick rag wool gloves I can pull over top for long glassing sessions. If there is snow on I always use gaiters to keep my legs dry. If the weather report justifies it I take rain gear also. I don't yet have great lightweight raingear. I use Cabelas Space rain that works but is fragile when not expecting to need rain gear, and Helly Hensen Impertech stuff when I know it will rain. It's great for staying dry but not breathable and hot when exerting yourself. I have torn up to much raingear around barbed wire and don't seem to be able to convince myself yet to buy the good stuff that costs several hundred dollars, I'd probably use it for work and ruin it.

Another item I got that is kinda heavy but really nice when it's real cold is a Hill People Gear Mountain Serape. I pack it all the time late season whitetail hunting and often predator hunting. It can replace or augment the puffy jacket and insulated pants mentioned above, and helps break up my outline. It's amazing how warm it can be when the hood is up, kinda like a 40oz wearable sleeping bag. It is 1 garment to throw over the top quick and cover everything, much easier than putting on pants and an inner insulating jacket.

Anyway, hope that gives you some ideas. Others with more and different experience will likely give other opinions but that is what works for me.

 

[fngTony]

I am in the same boat, except my Elk hunting will be in November in Colorado. This is my first time big game hunting. So, I am a bit blind lol. But, from what I've been told, first week of november in colorado could be 60 degrees one day and 15 degrees the next. I've been thinking about getting some First lite layers and then Kuiu Guide Pants/Jacket. I just don't want to overheat from all the hiking. But I also don't want to be freezing if snow is on the ground or a storm comes through. Or it just is simply a cold day. Any suggestions/advice? Also, do you think a Pac boot is needed?

Nov in Colorado is very different than sept. You will get better info starting a new post, where in Colorado makes a big difference in Nov.

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[IdahoElk]

Merino base top 125 or 210 and some days both (and bottom if needed),teton or attack pants,Peloton 240 hoodie,chugach top and bottom.that will cover most everything in Sept. here in Idaho unless a cold front comes through,then I will add some Super Down.

 

[bates]

Attack Pant
145 zip top.
200 peleton hoodie
Chinook jacket - depending on hunt
Ultra nx rain gear
Puffy

 

[Jimbo V]

I would definitely say bring a super down. Weather can get crappy real quick especially if you're up high. They're so light that to me it's a no brainier. The extra warmth and comfort is worth the few ounces IMO. Keep in mind I have very little factory installed insulation therefore I have to supplement with layers and puffy jackets!


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[Dos Perros]

Where? Backpack or day hunting?

 

[big10hunter]

How about the same question for Kryptek?

 

[LJ Buck]

I would look at putting things from different lines together.

Pants- Sept/FL Corrugated Guide Nov/Sitka Timberline
Rain Sitka: Dewpoint Sept&Nov
Base Layers: Sept:FL Liano, Chama Hoodie
Outer: Sept& Nov SITKA TRAVERSE COLD WEATHER HOODY
Insulation: Sept FL Puffy or KUIU Kenia Nov: Kifaru Lost Parka

 

[Shrek]

I would look at putting things from different lines together.

Pants- Sept/FL Corrugated Guide Nov/Sitka Timberline
Rain Sitka: Dewpoint Sept&Nov
Base Layers: Sept:FL Liano, Chama Hoodie
Outer: Sept& Nov SITKA TRAVERSE COLD WEATHER HOODY
Insulation: Sept FL Puffy or KUIU Kenia Nov: Kifaru Lost Parka

This is a solid setup and your won't look like such a gay douche at the trailhead ! The camo is for you and other people not the animals. Drab natural colors is more than enough camo for the animals. Movement is what gets you spotted. Hunt the wind and slow movement is the key.

 

[BackcountryMT]

This is a solid setup and your won't look like such a gay douche at the trailhead!.

So much wisdom in one post. Does it upset you when the gay douche's kill animals too?

 

[Pac8541]

I'm a gay douche then. The only person I have anything to prove to is myself.

I like the Chinook pant. Its warm when I need it to be and the vents on Kuiu pants are awesome. Kinda wish FL would do the same thing. Merino 145 goes under it and again, their zip off function is so useful I'm surprised no one else is doing it. Peloton 240 was a lifesaver and super versatile. Great outer layer with its wind protection and not nearly as noisy as some people would have you believe. All that said, this year I'm switching to the Alpine Pant and Peloton 200 zip on pants. I think I'll get even more versatility out of that combo unless it gets REALLY cold, but I don't get that much where I'm at. Also adding the Kenai jacket because last year with the miles I covered, I could use that extra ventilation without having to drop a pack and take stuff off. And its quiet.

 

[robtattoo]

I guess I fit the gaydouche category.....

145 merino long sleeve base layer
Ice Breaker merino 190 mid layer & bottoms
210 merino top layer
Attack/Guide pants
Puffy jacket
Guide jacket
Merino beanie
I carry a cheap nylon poncho for my rain gear (I DETEST rain gear.)

 

[Titan_Bow]

LOL, I've seen some pretty hardcore dudes packing back to the trailhead with meat and bone, looked like they stepped off the cover of a Kuiu or Sitka catalog, and I've seen the same thing with out of state guys, wearing 3xl, brand new matching head to toe camo, that you know aren't going up the mountain. The gear from these manufacturers is nice stuff for sure. Is it needed? No. But if it gives you confidence, and you have the money to spend, then do it. Support companies that give back to our lifestyle and passion!

Whether it's Kuiu, First Lite, Kryptek, or just a hodgepodge of stuff from REI and Backcountry.com, here's what I suggest:

100% merino wool base layer-top and bottom

Comfortable and durable hiking/trekking pant. Synthetic or merino. Something non insulated that dries quick, is quiet..

Puffy jacket or thicker fleece insulating layer

Good quality waterproof / breathable outer shell- top and bottom. This serves multiple purposes. Rain gear, wind protection while glassing, or just an added warmth layer.

Merino beanie, neck gaiter, and gloves.

Merino socks


This one system will serve you well, at least here in Colorado, in September

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

This is my clothing system for what I use for backpack bow hunting in Colorado.

Shirts
Merino 125 SS
Merino 145 Zip T
Tiburon Zip T

Outerwear
Guide Vest
Guide Jacket
Alpine Pants

Insulation
Super Down Zip T

Rain Gear
Chugach Rain Jacket
Chugach Rain Pant

Accessories
Tiburon Hat
Merino 145 Beanie
Guide Beanie
Tiburon Glove
Guide Glove
Bino Harness

Kuiu products I'd like to invest in
Super Down Hooded Jacket - to replace the Super Down Zip T on later season hunts. The Zip T works great for backpacking!
Chinook Jacket - to replace the Guide Jacket, it is a little warm for September in Colorado
Merino 145 Zip Off Bottoms - to replace my nike combat ones
Yukon Gators - to replace my Kenetreks
Yukon Pro Glove - to replace the Guide Glove, I love the Guide Glove, but want something water proof
Merino Crew Sock - to replace UA merino socks
Peloton 130 Briefs - to replace UA vented briefs
Peloton 200 Neck Gator - to have for later season hunts
Climbing Belt - to replace my REI one

Conclusion
If I eventually invest in a few things, I would feel like I can handle almost anything Colorado weather throws at me. This system I have used for one full season and didn't have any issues with it. I look forward to putting it to use this upcoming season!