armyjoe
Super Moderator
So after 3 months of scouting, 3 ½ weeks of hard hunting, four elk packed out, I finally have a ONE DAY low before I'm going back up to be able to write the review on the full 2013 Kryptek line. Throughout scouting season and hunting season I have been fortunate enough to use almost the entire Kryptek line and want to give you guys my thoughts on the pros and cons of each piece of gear.
Merino top: this has been my go to top for the vast majority of the season and I think Kryptek hit the nail on the head with a very fine merino shirt.
Pros: Vented undercuts under the armpits and sides. wore for a week and a half straight without any smell. Durability appears to be very good. I went through some rough stuff and I don’t even have a single small tear.
Cons: the one con that I can see is the Marino is not offered in crew shirt only a quarter zip. The sleeves are a tad long but I might just have short arms
Valhalla Pants: this pant was with me for the majority of scouting season as well as the first two n half weeks of hunting season.
Pros: lightweight for hot weather but did not sacrifice durability. Synthetic material dried quickly. Stitching held up even under extreme use. Synthetic material did not stink like balls as bad as Sitka did after five straight days of wear. Stretch and flexibility was perfect
Cons: I wish the belt loops were the same on the Valhalla as the Alaios. There is a thin rubber on the outside of the knee of the Alaios that I think would be beneficial for the Valhalla.
Alaios Pants: I wore these pants just recently because the weather had changed so only have four days in them.
Pros: warm but not to the point of a winter pan. Stretch and flexibility as in the Valhalla was perfect. Rubber material on the outside of the knee made me feel more comfortable taking a knee without the possibility of maybe putting a small tear in. Some zipper locations however others are in the cons. Quiet material
Cons: zippers – I believe there are too many zippers on these pants and I can’t really find a good use for over three quarters of them.
Cerdic Hoodie: I wore this as a mid-layer for glassing or to sleep in if the nights got cold.
Pros: I liked the hood and the quarter zip that zipped all the way to my mouth. This helps with the keep warm during wind.
Cons: the zipper was easily snagged due to the material being so close to the zipper in the inside.
Dalibor Jacket: use as an outer layer during summer scouting and early-season
Pros: lightweight material but still enough warmth for cold mornings. Sealed zippers and zipper pockets were nice. Waist cinch was also nice to snog up when winds were blowing.
Cons: I’d like to see a small zipper around the collar for the availability to add or remove a hood.
Borealis: unfortunately I really did not wear this during hunting season
Pros: a lot warmer than I had expected. The Marino for the arms and back offers extra ventilation which was nice.
Cons: no light layer on the Primaloft side so Primaloft gets wet from sweat if you’re sweating bad. The Merino becomes extremely heavy if you are sweating and takes a very long time to dry because it is heavyweight Merino. This was the reason why I chose not to use this on my haunts.
Kratos Jacket/Vest: Used a little during cold morning glassing but more this past week because weather got colder
Pros: warm, light, packable and durable. Everything you wanted jacket. Soft brush cloth on the collar so fully zipped doesn’t rub on your neck
Cons: really can’t find one I think this is a great all around jacket. Maybe next year they’ll offer a Kratos in a down though
Koldo Jacket: Wore a ton!
Pros: warm for rain jacket and also offer great windproof. Material is quieter than expected and I was fully capable to use when bow hunting.
Cons: the hood – hated it 100%. You could fit two heads inside of it. I know it was made with a military aspect in mind however for hunting we do not wear ACH’s so it needs to be reduced in size
Poseidon Rain Top/Bottom: my go to rain gear this season
Pros: extremely lightweight compared to the Koldo. Durability was fantastic for being so lightweight. Full-length three-way zippers on the pants for easy access to gear or putting on or taking off.
Cons: None- these really were the most surprisingly perfect lightweight durable raingear.
Beanie/Hat:
Both worked great. No issues
Overall I would say Kryptek really hit the nail on the head this year and stepped it up with their designs. The cuts of the material all fit extremely well to relative normal sizing. The material has held up this year and is top notch when it comes to durability. The highlander camo pattern is one of the best I’ve ever used. I am extremely happy with 99% of all of the gear I have used from Kryptek this year. They really are making a big impact in the market today and based off of how well the 2013 line is the skies the limits.
Merino top: this has been my go to top for the vast majority of the season and I think Kryptek hit the nail on the head with a very fine merino shirt.
Pros: Vented undercuts under the armpits and sides. wore for a week and a half straight without any smell. Durability appears to be very good. I went through some rough stuff and I don’t even have a single small tear.
Cons: the one con that I can see is the Marino is not offered in crew shirt only a quarter zip. The sleeves are a tad long but I might just have short arms
Valhalla Pants: this pant was with me for the majority of scouting season as well as the first two n half weeks of hunting season.
Pros: lightweight for hot weather but did not sacrifice durability. Synthetic material dried quickly. Stitching held up even under extreme use. Synthetic material did not stink like balls as bad as Sitka did after five straight days of wear. Stretch and flexibility was perfect
Cons: I wish the belt loops were the same on the Valhalla as the Alaios. There is a thin rubber on the outside of the knee of the Alaios that I think would be beneficial for the Valhalla.
Alaios Pants: I wore these pants just recently because the weather had changed so only have four days in them.
Pros: warm but not to the point of a winter pan. Stretch and flexibility as in the Valhalla was perfect. Rubber material on the outside of the knee made me feel more comfortable taking a knee without the possibility of maybe putting a small tear in. Some zipper locations however others are in the cons. Quiet material
Cons: zippers – I believe there are too many zippers on these pants and I can’t really find a good use for over three quarters of them.
Cerdic Hoodie: I wore this as a mid-layer for glassing or to sleep in if the nights got cold.
Pros: I liked the hood and the quarter zip that zipped all the way to my mouth. This helps with the keep warm during wind.
Cons: the zipper was easily snagged due to the material being so close to the zipper in the inside.
Dalibor Jacket: use as an outer layer during summer scouting and early-season
Pros: lightweight material but still enough warmth for cold mornings. Sealed zippers and zipper pockets were nice. Waist cinch was also nice to snog up when winds were blowing.
Cons: I’d like to see a small zipper around the collar for the availability to add or remove a hood.
Borealis: unfortunately I really did not wear this during hunting season
Pros: a lot warmer than I had expected. The Marino for the arms and back offers extra ventilation which was nice.
Cons: no light layer on the Primaloft side so Primaloft gets wet from sweat if you’re sweating bad. The Merino becomes extremely heavy if you are sweating and takes a very long time to dry because it is heavyweight Merino. This was the reason why I chose not to use this on my haunts.
Kratos Jacket/Vest: Used a little during cold morning glassing but more this past week because weather got colder
Pros: warm, light, packable and durable. Everything you wanted jacket. Soft brush cloth on the collar so fully zipped doesn’t rub on your neck
Cons: really can’t find one I think this is a great all around jacket. Maybe next year they’ll offer a Kratos in a down though
Koldo Jacket: Wore a ton!
Pros: warm for rain jacket and also offer great windproof. Material is quieter than expected and I was fully capable to use when bow hunting.
Cons: the hood – hated it 100%. You could fit two heads inside of it. I know it was made with a military aspect in mind however for hunting we do not wear ACH’s so it needs to be reduced in size
Poseidon Rain Top/Bottom: my go to rain gear this season
Pros: extremely lightweight compared to the Koldo. Durability was fantastic for being so lightweight. Full-length three-way zippers on the pants for easy access to gear or putting on or taking off.
Cons: None- these really were the most surprisingly perfect lightweight durable raingear.
Beanie/Hat:
Both worked great. No issues
Overall I would say Kryptek really hit the nail on the head this year and stepped it up with their designs. The cuts of the material all fit extremely well to relative normal sizing. The material has held up this year and is top notch when it comes to durability. The highlander camo pattern is one of the best I’ve ever used. I am extremely happy with 99% of all of the gear I have used from Kryptek this year. They really are making a big impact in the market today and based off of how well the 2013 line is the skies the limits.
