Hunting vs. Technical Outdoor Brands

[CV335]

I know this topic has been discussed in the archives but seems like it has been a while and with the way prices have gone up over the past few seasons, I wanted to get some fresh, up-to-date perspectives.

Don't get wrong, I love my hunting gear and that is about all I have exclusively bought. However, looking at some of the current prices for clothing, I am wondering if it is in best interest to look outside the traditional hunting space. For those that have done so, what are your go-to brands? For those running non-hunting brands, was it due to cost (are costs actually cheaper in those non-hunting brands) or maybe better performance compared to hunting brands (materials, durability, etc.)?

I am looking to refresh a few pieces in my kit (specifically mid-layers and puffy). Camo does not concern me so I am starting to look into both hunting and other outdoor brands. Appreciate any feedback or recent gear failures/successes you can share.

 

[Bump79]

I'm a huge fan of the Decathlon puffies. They are cheap, so I don't sweat shredding them, losing fill power or getting burn holes from the fire.

Mid layer - I love the active pieces. My brother has the Gohunt Atmophere. I liked it as much as my Sitka.

 

[Yaremkiv]

I've been straying away from the hunting brands myself. KHUL, Fjallraven and Prahna make great pants and are typicaly $50-$100 cheaper. For tops I still buy Stone Glacier and Sitka for the hunting specific features they have.

 

[Green-Up]

I'm trying to explore other brands outside the "industry" as well. I have a pair of Fjallraven vidda pro ventilated pants (trousers as they like to say) and a Mountain Hardwear stretchdown jacket on the way at the moment to try out.

 

[FLHunter87]

There’s literally tons of stuff out there for specific needs. I have been moving from hunting brands into more Hiking brands, etc. I also have been doing the same because paying $100 for a lightweight shirt with upf protection is basically the same thing you can get on Amazon Sam’s Club Costco etc for 12-30 bucks. Magellan make good light with pants that are around $30 bucks. I have been actually starting to sell a lot of my Kuiu and Sitka stuff cause I have so much and don’t even use. Then slowly buying new things from doing a little searching and research. There’s some things that are worth the money in my opinion. A good base, mid, and socks. Pending the hunting you do obviously will depend what’s important for you. Darn Tough socks can’t be beat in my opinion, especially ones that have hot and sweaty feet, they absorb well, hardly any funk smell too and dry really fast and plus a no if ands or but warranty for life!