Kuiu Colorado System - Mid October Rifle

[andyros2393]

Hey team,

You guys have helped me out a lot here. One of the last things I “need” to get is a clothing system for a Colorado rifle elk hunt this year first season. I was thinking of going with Kuiu but when I go on there website they have like 20 different jackets and 15 different kind of pants. Any recommendations for layering systems from Kuiu (or other brands) that will get me through that time of year in Colorado?

Things that confuse me:
1. They have multiple puffies (do I need one?)
2. They have multiple rain suits(do I need one?)
3. Multiple soft shells (do I need one?)

So on and so fourth. Any advice will help. Thanks guys

 

[jd1006]

I think you are better off looking for types of items than just going with a brand’s system.

Baselayers - Get zip-offs in light Merino or Synthetic (your preference), I think the Peloton 97 is a no-brainer for bottoms. For the top, you’ll want a light weight merino/synthetic that dries fast (I like the Sitka Core LW Hoody or the Sitka Core Lightweight Merino quarter zip). I really like the Stone Glacier merino boxers and the Sitka Light Weight Merino Boxers.

Mid Layer - Peloton 240 vest is a staple in my system. Cuts wind, adds warmth, and the vest allows me to stay cool while hiking. Sitka Kelvin Active is another awesome option. Consider a grid fleece hoody as well…lots of great options (i prefer the SG Helio Hoody to all).

Rain Gear - Filson Reliance Jacket can serve as a soft shell that is waterproof, Rain pants - find something lightweight and easy to put on —Sitka Dewpoint Pants

Puffy Jacket - You will likely wear this OVER everything else. It needs to be windproof and warm, but compressable for packing purposes. I have an REI Stormhenge that I use, but the other options you can look into are the Kuiu Superdown, the Sitka Kelvin WS. Some people go with a Puffy vest and wear it under their soft shell/hardshell (in that case I would get the SG Grumman Vest). The first light Uncompraghre is a lightweight, but still very good option that time of the year.

Pants - I think the FL Corrugate Foundry is the best option out there for 0-75 degree hunts. The open zip vents will let you take your base layers off. Pocket layout is awesome, Suspenders work great with a pack, and they are waterproof in the areas you need. The knee pads are a nice option, as well.

Puffy Pants - This is a preference and if you have room, but the Grumman Pants from Stone Glacier would be worth it for how light they are and the ability to zip them on or off.

Gaiter - SG’s gaiter is awesome, don’t overlook this; if you get into snow or mud, the Gaiter is going to keep things dry.

The Kiln beanie from First Lite is reversible (orange on one side) and the perfect weight, in my opinion.

I always have a ball cap of some sort with - I really like the KUIU Icon Pro, it dries very quickly.

Gloves are really preference—I usually have a pair of mechanix gloves, a pair of fingerless wool gloves, and I have been packing in First Light’s Brooks Glassing Mitts.

You can’t find better socks than Darn Tough. Again, preference on the weight, but their Over the Calf Merino socks do not pill much despite what you put them through and they have perfected the merino blend that absorbs the moisture and keeps your feet comfortable.

 

[andyros2393]

I’ll look at types of items! Just not sure what types of items would be best for that hunt ya know. Never been out west I’m a whitetail guy usually

 

[Colobwhntr]

October in Colorado can be tricky for weather. Your best bet I think is layers so you can add or take off some depending on the weather. Likely you’ll be hiking a lot so you’ll want to shed layers and add them when sitting. you could call kuiu and they can help you with a layering system or I think Sitka has a guide on their website

 

[bozeman]

Save some $$ if it’s a one and done type hunt:

Eddie Bauer puffy
REI or Columbia wind/water shell
BlackOvis merino base layers

Just as warm and functional, ALOT less $.

But if you are bent on Kuiu:
Guide jacket as outer, Puffy for warmth (not to use while walking/hiking). Peloton for mid layers, merino for base.

Should cover 90% of potential weather.

 

[j33]

I own a lot of Kuiu and I don’t recommend their Merino. As mentioned Black Ovis is more durable and cheaper, my last Merino shirt from Kuiu had holes by day 3 and was always under a fleece.

My first kite merino is softer and seems to dry faster than my Black Ovis but too early to know. Black Ovis sizing is tiny though so be sure to size up.

There are also better non hunting alternatives to their puffy jacket, their pants/fleeces are great though.

 

[BBob]

On foot pack hunt? Out of the truck? Outfitter horse pack? I personally have never really used a soft shell on pack hunts, I do out of the truck on occasion but not packing. Just heavier and less versatile than a puffy rain jacket combo. Soft shell's have their place but not my choice for October or earlier conditions. Depending on temps I have a light down (Ultra) and heavier (Pro) coupled with discontinued Kuiu Teton rain gear. If I had to choose one weight puffy over another I'd buy something in the Pro weight category. They don't make anything as light as the Teton rain gear anymore. The Teton and a puffy of some sort is always in my pack. Puffy, light rain gear is a pretty popular combo from what I see in the field.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Look at their suggested gear list for early and late here:

Elk Hunting Gear List - Clothing & Packs | KUIU

Be prepared for early and late season elk hunts with our elk hunting gear list curated by KUIU experts. Explore elk hunting gear and more at KUIU. KUIU

www.kuiu.com

And map clothing types to what jd1006 listed.

Spend money where it makes sense and look to save money where it makes sense. Don’t be afraid to look at non-hunting brands.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Take a look at skre gear. They sell bundles on their website that would be a great place to start and save you a little money. Then I would look at kings camo, black ovis, and kuiu to fill in the gaps. Personally I think having all matching camo is kind of pointless. It only matters in the local cafe or at the trail head when you look cool. As soon as you get on the mountain you’re never once going to think man I’m glad all this stuff matches. You’re going to think man I’m glad this stuff is keeping me warm and dry.

 

[mtnlomo]

I like Kuiu and wear a lot of their stuff, but I agree you can save some money while not compromising a ton or at all on quality. I am a big fan of having quality merino base layers. As far as matching camo, I like having solids to blend brands of camo without clashing, solids in dark green, gray and brown work well. Though it doesn't really matter as far as the animals are concerned to wear multiple camo patterns my brain doesn't like it.

 

[EdP]

I would not even consider all the high priced stuff like Kuiu, Sitka, etc UNLESS weight and volume is an issue. What you need for a backpack hunt is totally different from a truck hunt, other than it has to keep you warm and dry. When weight and volume are issues the higher end stuff is what you will need. I have a Kuiu Kenai hoodie and their Superdown Pro Jacket. Both are warm for their weight and pack up small. Be advised that neither has an outer material robust enough to stand up to brush. It's part of why they compress well but means you need a shell over them. I'm OK with that.

For a truck hunt, staying in a hotel or lodge where you can shower at the end of each day, the antimicrobial feature of merino wool is not so important. Buy a couple of synthetic base layer shirts and wash in a sink every evening. Consider merino if that's not an option to help keep odor down.

One other note. I don't believe any down puffy has an outer shell that is quiet. The nature of the materials used to keep the down in seems to preclude them being quiet. Plan to use down to keep warm while glassing, but not while actually hunting.

 

[ccarter]

Agree on the comments that there are good pieces from almost all of the hunting brands, and like mentioned above, lots of non-hunting brands. But since you asked about Kuiu, I'll give you some thoughts from what I've experienced, and what I think they still sell.

Top:
Base- Peleton 118 & Peloton 97. Most the time I wear a nike Dry-fit with the 97 over it, which is an extremely thin, lightweight fleece. Warm for it's weight, but breaths very well.

Mid- Heavier fleece- Peloton 210, 260 or 280
(some might recommend a soft-shell like guide DCS or Kutana- depends on if weight and packability is an issue) If you're backpacking, I'd skip. this layer altogether.

Puffy: Kenai or Superdown Pro- it could be well below freezing that time of year in Colorado, so in my opinion, the Superdown Ultra may not be warm enough when you're sitting still glassing.

Shell- North Ridge or Chugach rain gear.

Bottoms-
Base- Peloton or Merino

Pants: Attack

Shell: North Ridge or Chugach Rain pants.

Like others have said, that's probably 2 grand worth of gear if you go all Kuiu. If you supplement some of it with some store brands or hiking brands, you could save a lot in some areas– Your puffy, your base layers and fleeces are a good place to start.

Good luck with the the hunt.

 

[Ckenny22]

I think you are better off looking for types of items than just going with a brand’s system.

Baselayers - Get zip-offs in light Merino or Synthetic (your preference), I think the Peloton 97 is a no-brainer for bottoms. For the top, you’ll want a light weight merino/synthetic that dries fast (I like the Sitka Core LW Hoody or the Sitka Core Lightweight Merino quarter zip). I really like the Stone Glacier merino boxers and the Sitka Light Weight Merino Boxers.

Mid Layer - Peloton 240 vest is a staple in my system. Cuts wind, adds warmth, and the vest allows me to stay cool while hiking. Sitka Kelvin Active is another awesome option. Consider a grid fleece hoody as well…lots of great options (i prefer the SG Helio Hoody to all).

Rain Gear - Filson Reliance Jacket can serve as a soft shell that is waterproof, Rain pants - find something lightweight and easy to put on —Sitka Dewpoint Pants

Puffy Jacket - You will likely wear this OVER everything else. It needs to be windproof and warm, but compressable for packing purposes. I have an REI Stormhenge that I use, but the other options you can look into are the Kuiu Superdown, the Sitka Kelvin WS. Some people go with a Puffy vest and wear it under their soft shell/hardshell (in that case I would get the SG Grumman Vest). The first light Uncompraghre is a lightweight, but still very good option that time of the year.

Pants - I think the FL Corrugate Foundry is the best option out there for 0-75 degree hunts. The open zip vents will let you take your base layers off. Pocket layout is awesome, Suspenders work great with a pack, and they are waterproof in the areas you need. The knee pads are a nice option, as well.

Puffy Pants - This is a preference and if you have room, but the Grumman Pants from Stone Glacier would be worth it for how light they are and the ability to zip them on or off.

Gaiter - SG’s gaiter is awesome, don’t overlook this; if you get into snow or mud, the Gaiter is going to keep things dry.

The Kiln beanie from First Lite is reversible (orange on one side) and the perfect weight, in my opinion.

I always have a ball cap of some sort with - I really like the KUIU Icon Pro, it dries very quickly.

Gloves are really preference—I usually have a pair of mechanix gloves, a pair of fingerless wool gloves, and I have been packing in First Light’s Brooks Glassing Mitts.

You can’t find better socks than Darn Tough. Again, preference on the weight, but their Over the Calf Merino socks do not pill much despite what you put them through and they have perfected the merino blend that absorbs the moisture and keeps your feet comfortable.

This level of detail is very helpful

 

[Poser]

For 1st rifle, I usually have a lightweight hooded merino layer which I’ll supplement with a mid layer during the day as needed. This mid layer has evolved. In the past I have used a Kuiu Guide jacket then switched to a FL Sawtooth for a few years. This year, I’ll be using the KUIU Peloton in Orange.

Some years I bring a sun hoody.

Pants: I’ll use the Kuiu Katana or Attacks. Occasionally the Tiburon if it’s really warm.

Puffy: I depends on the conditions as to which weight but usually have one warm enough to survive a night if I have to.

Puffy pants: usually not during 1st rifle, but some years.

Rain jacket: I’ll bring a 2 ply Black Diamond jacket is conditions are dry. I’ll bring a heavier 3ply it’s going to be wet.

 

[K_pem]

As has kinda already been reiterated i would focus more on what you need in a system more so than only KUIU and building off of their system. Then you can get the best of all worlds and build to your liking.

That being said, if i was theoretically sponsored or something by Kuiu and had to build a system off of their gear alone it would probably look something like this:

Bottom:
Ultra merino boxers
Peloton 97 Zip offs
Kutana Pant
Ultra or PRO down pant (depending on temp lows and how cold you run)
Kutana or Chugach TR rain pant (depending on terrain conditions, Kutana should be tougher)

Top:
Ultra merino 120 shirt (long or short sleeve by preference)
Peloton 97 hoody (could do a 200 instead if you run real cold, but i like the 97)
Peloton 240 vest or Kenai vest (depending on how cold temps will be)
SD Pro jacket
Kutana or Chugach TR rain (again depending on conditions)

Extras:
Yukon gaiters
Yukon gloves or SF gloves w/ SD Glommit (depending on likelihood of rain vs snow and how cold you get)
Ultra neck gaiter
Peloton 240 Beanie

That would cover me pretty damn well for just about all conditions on that kind of a hunt. My personal mix and match kit for that hunt would look like below though.

Bottoms:
FL Wick boxers
Kuiu Peloton 97 base
Kuiu Kutana or FL Corrugate Foundary pants
SG Grumman down pants
Kuiu NX (old) rain bottoms (may be testing the new Sitka dewpoint however this yr)

Tops:
FL Wick SS/LS
Sitka Core LW hoody
Peloton 97 or Sitka Ambient hoody (depending on temps)
Sitka jetstream/Kuiu kenai/Kuiu 240 vest (depending on temps)
SG Grumman Jacket
SG M5 or Sitka Coldfront rain jacket (again depending on temps/likelihood of rain)

Extras:
Yukon gaiters
Sitka gunner glove
Kuiu down mitts (old)
Wick neck gaiter
FL Merino beanie
AND ALWAYS multiple pairs of Darn Tough socks to keep my feet warm/dry

Hope this helped

 

[Highvoltage1]

peloton 97 base top
118 merino zip base bottom
Attack pants
Peloton 240 mid
Skre puffy
Duck camp rain jacket
Outdoor research gaiters.
First lite merino beanie
Darn tough extra cushion socks.
Nomad insulated pull on pants just in case

I’ve hunted first rifle plenty and I’ve killed elk when it’s 75 or 4” of snow. Sometimes you have both in the same day. Best wishes hope this helps in some way.

 

[hunting1]

Camofire today has Kryptek, KUIU is nice but not required unless you want to spend the $$. I buy on sale items but would not pay full price. I prefer Sitka on the top layers as well.