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! Outdoor Vitals I found not long ago as well. Their Highline leggings are pretty sweet and hopefully one day they’ll make a matching top.

 

[7millie]

Mountain hardware and outdoor research make some good stuff. You can find some really good sales too since they are more of a broad spectrum as opposed to hunting specific stuff.

 

[CV335]

Thanks everyone for the input and suggestions.

The biggest takeaway for me is that I probably need to stop limiting my search to hunting companies. I seem to always start there and potentially not researching enough into those other brands. Since camo isn't a concern for me, it sounds like there are some solid opportunities to save money on mid-layers and puffies without sacrificing much, if any, performance.

Keep the suggestions coming if anyone has long-term durability reports on jackets or mid-layers; especially items you've put through several seasons of hunting rather than just hiking. That's the kind of real-world feedback that's hard to find from product reviews alone.

 

[F16pointy]

I continuously look at the outdoor brands, and there is some really nice stuff out there. But even the higher quality stuff is expensive. I typically dont buy the outdoor brands simply because I only wear my hunting gear for hunting. I have a pair of Kuiu Guide pants that I bought in 2014 that are still like new other than dirt & blood stains. So spending the cash on that stuff doesnt bother me when i use it for 12 plus years or more.

 

[CV335]

I continuously look at the outdoor brands, and there is some really nice stuff out there. But even the higher quality stuff is expensive. I typically dont buy the outdoor brands simply because I only wear my hunting gear for hunting. I have a pair of Kuiu Guide pants that I bought in 2014 that are still like new other than dirt & blood stains. So spending the cash on that stuff doesnt bother me when i use it for 12 plus years or more.

100% agree and appreciate that feedback. If it is durable and can be used for many times, I am fine paying for quality. I was running into the same issue in which the non-hunting brands were still pricey with little to no cost savings. I compare the materials but was curious if there was real world feedback on if those non-hunting brands offer better performance for the price and/or more durable than the hunting brands. If the same, then I would probably prefer to buy from hunting companies that I share (or ought to share) similar values with.

 

[B Harrison]

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.

I’m thinking the same thing, camouflage is completely irrelevant except for duck and turkey hunting.

I do think you get more durability out of outdoor work or sport clothing, but I have never owned any high end hunting clothing either.

 

[Trogon]

Rab is making really great mid layer and puffy options. Black diamond and OR are good as well. I think the quality of these brands are better than most hunt brands (sitka, kuiu), but thats debatable. I like, and buy them all, depending on purpose. get more wear out of non camo items.

 

[justinspicher]

I’m pretty lucky to have an outdoor exchange in town. I’ve been buying used clothes for several years now. My go to is Patagonia. I have an entire layering system in blaze orange from them.