KUIU vs Sitka vs First Lite

[RM_Bowhunter]

I consider all 3 to be more or less on the same plane, but like OP I have also earned a seat in a meeting of Kuiu Anonymous. I do have Kuiu Merino both SS and LS base layers but I typically wear the Peleton 118 as base layer in cold weather and I just got a couple of the new Gila LS shirts I've been testing to use for the summer and so far so good. If Kuiu went out of business and I had to start replacing things I think I'd be giving Forloh a try. I am liking what they're doing as a brand and would want to support made in USA. They also offer veterans discount, which is also a big draw for me (FL does

I consider all 3 to be more or less on the same plane, but like OP I have also earned a seat in a meeting of Kuiu Anonymous. I do have Kuiu Merino both SS and LS base layers but I typically wear the Peleton 118 as base layer in cold weather and I just got a couple of the new Gila LS shirts I've been testing to use for the summer and so far so good. If Kuiu went out of business and I had to start replacing things I think I'd be giving Forloh a try. I am liking what they're doing as a brand and would want to support made in USA. They also offer veterans discount, which is also a big draw for me (FL does too, of course).

I'll save you a seat at the next meeting!

 

[Thinkingman]

I wear FL because I really like their Fusion pattern for where I hunt and, more importantly, they aren't sized for NBA players.
I'm 5'8" and have a thick build...36" waist, 30" inseam.
FL fits me much better than Kuiu.
Most of what you hear about FL durability relates to their merino clothing. I have a merino 200 top and it's very solid after 5 or 6 years of moderate use, mostly archery elk and rifle deer.
I would never buy merino pants or anything I expected to take thick brush or thorns.
Corrugate pants are fantastic for 20-85 degree hunts and show NO wear after miles of sagebrush.

 

[C.payne]

I have used all three.
For me I feel like First lite has been the least durable. Also there fit is hit or miss and with living in Canada that has cost me a lot of return shipping and eaten duty costs. I do really like there merino and would give it the edge over the others.

Kuiu has a lot of great stuff. Durability has been great overall but their pants are all to tight in the thighs for me. Unless of course I size up in the but I hate a loose fit in the waist. Their Kutana pants are awesome and durable but look like I’m wearing leggings.

Sitkas fit for me has been spot on and their durability has been unreal. So most of my clothing I wear now is Sitka.

Overall you can’t really go wrong.

 

[Mountain425]

My experience with the 3, firstlite is the best .

 

[doverpack12]

I use what performs best for my intended use regardless of brand. Been working on my layers and system since around 2010 when I decided it was time to move on from BDU pants early seasons and wool surplus pants late season.
Kuiu is what I have the most of particularly pants but the Stone Glacier pants are both trying to make me change my mind. Not worth owning a pant not made by kuiu or SG in my mind.
Base I have lots of merino but find synthetic actually works better with new fabric treatments and proper body hygiene. Use mostly kuiu 118 here in short and long sleeve.
Mid I only own kuiu but have considered the Sitka Kelvin active hoody. Kuiu peloton 240 and 97 are very difficult to beat.
Axis jacket is perfect for late or cold when needed for wind, Jetstream was great in its day but the axis is better all around.
Gore socks as they significantly outperform darn tough in heat or cold for my feet.
No merino underwear unless you want to chaffe, exofficio are best for me.
First lite has not been durable or well designed in any mid to outer layer I have tried over the years. The wick tee I have lost favor over time and the elastic wears out so I prefer fabrics with no elastic. Their outer layers do not perform at levels on par with many other brands

 

[Justin Crossley]

I've used them all quite a bit. Kuiu and Sitka have been similar in quality and durability for me with both being good.

First Lite has not been as durable or of good quality.

I still use all three along with some other brands but I'm not likely to spend my money on First Lite.

 

[SRfishNhuntNW]

I got a pile of all 3. They’re all great. Of the 3 Sitka has had the most durable items. That’s been my experience. First Lite and Sitka both have a fairly athletic fit to their pants that some people hate but I prefer it. Along with the suspenders. I’m liking first lite’s foundry line a lot. But Kuiu dominates in the rain gear category for me. 4 way stretch rain gear is unbeatable for me.

 

[Tbuckus]

I have a mixture of all three.
Sitka is great, if you can afford it. I personally feel that the other two give you more bang for the buck. Fit for me is between FL and KUIU.
KUIU- great product but hit and miss. It can be hard to find the right size that fits you. Some items are sized for layering. Ran into a couple items that I had to change sizes due to them being too large. Don’t like any of their synthetic cloths.
FL- fit has been better for my body type. Don’t like tight. Snug to loose. Too loose and I’m out. I feel price points is better and they have lots of sales. They’ve had issues with items lasting, but they stand behind their product. Better customer service than both other combined.
Obsidian pants- phenomenal fit, pockets are perfect. Had the old guide pants but they were comfy but too loose in the pockets. Plus they blew out in the crotch
merino underwear- best underwear I’ve owned. The earlier red dawn (?) pair fell apart. Probably have 5 pair at least. Always order another pair when I buy something else.
Shirts- love them
Unpronouncable jacket- old one is great but too loose for my liking. I still bring it on every hunt.
Stormtight pants- just ordered them. Hoping they fit better over base pants than the Sitka rain pants I have. I initially loved the Sitka rain pants, but realized that they are too snug when a loose pair of pants are under them.

 

[twsnow18]

All 3 have their place, IMO. I own multiple pieces from all 3.

Sitka - Durability and quality is unmatched. Guys have hundreds of days on timberline pants and jetstream jackets and they barely look used. Plenty of online reviews back that up. I’d rather be wearing Sitka if I’m cutting wood, setting up tents, getting in/out of side by sides, etc. Sitka has the best re-sale value, it’s the swaro of camo. Cons, price, slightly heavier across the board and for whatever dumb reason, still a very limited merino wool line.

First Lite - Best merino selection and best base layers, no doubt about it. Best solid colors too. Durability of their outer layers has always been their knock, especially with their 1st/2nd Gen stuff. Which was to be expected.

KUIU - Their shit is light and fills the “hardcore” backpack hunter void really well. When I got this Kenai jacket in the mail 5 years ago, I thought no way is it gonna hold up. It’s still goin strong. My guide pants are still goin strong. Knee pads in KUIU’s pants blow and are too thin.

All 3 have their place. Sometimes I’m just huntin cows from the truck and need durable and strong over lightweight.

 

[coloyooper]

I would use first lite merino over anything else but that’s about as far as it goes for me. I do like the catalyst pants. They kept me plenty warm (paired with some of their long johns) in single digits on the south side of the Brooks but I don’t love most of their outer layer gear.

 

[carter33]

I own and abuse all 3 in numerous layers. FL is by far, and I mean by FAR the least durable. Their merino lines in every layer I own is so fragile. After one season everything tears apart at the seams. Or just flat out gets holes in random places. I only continue to make a purchase here and there because of their solid color options but overall I’ve never been impressed with FL. Sitka is very durable as I still use certain pieces I’ve owned for 6-8 years. Kuiu I have a down jacket I’ve had for probably 6 years still and still going strong.

I was getting ready to the say the same in regards to FL durability, I have used a bit of all 3. I do really like the first lite merino hoody I believe it’s called the kiln maybe, bit heavier but I mostly hunt in colder conditions and it also seemed more durable than other pieces.

If I had to buy a piece from any brand and commit to using it sight unseen id rank Sitka first, Kuiu second and first lite last. Though all make great gear I have just found Sitka to edge them out. Though I absolutely love the Kuiu burner parka and first lite fingerless gloves and that kiln piece. I do like and wear some of the Kuiu casual line as well.

As a side note I have absolutely abused a pair of the Sitka timberline pants and while they have some stains and signs of wear I cannot imagine anyone destroying those in a few seasons maybe save some hardcore guides.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I know it's not in OP's list, but anybody bother with Kryptek stuff? I see some of these pieces can be had deeply discounted at times, which triggers my frugal insider but also tells me sometimes there's a reason for that.

 

[svivian]

I buy whatever is the cheapest, its all really about the same IMO. I commonly am found mismatched in the woods which also helps to confuse the game I'm after.

If i was buying full price I would buy pants and shirts made by mountaineering companies and not worry about the camo.

 

[C.payne]

I know it's not in OP's list, but anybody bother with Kryptek stuff? I see some of these pieces can be had deeply discounted at times, which triggers my frugal insider but also tells me sometimes there's a reason for that.

I have quite a few pieces of their clothing. I have the Bora pants and jacket from the Altitude line. They are very well made and durable. I also have a couple Cronos hoodies. The fit and function is great but they could really benefit from some polygiene to keep the stink down.
I have the Valhalla pants which are crazy comfortable and the Alaios pants which would have been one of my favourite all around pants except one major draw back. The material used over the knee area has zero breathability and my knee areas sweat and constantly feel clammy. It’s really weird. Other than that the pants are great.
Sizing has been pretty spot on overall. One thing with their pants to mention is that the cut on the lower leg is relatively wide. Unlike Kuiu and Sitka pants that taper.

 

[twsnow18]

As a side note I have absolutely abused a pair of the Sitka timberline pants and while they have some stains and signs of wear I cannot imagine anyone destroying those in a few seasons maybe save some hardcore guides.

Same here.

I’m about to start season 4 with mine, I’ve beat the hell out of em. I’m confident they’ve got at least 3 more seasons left. And the knee pads are legit.

 

[blacktail sniper]

For the last 3 seasons I've strictly worn KUIU on all my hunts. I've even become that guy that wears the base camp solids and KUIU brand t shirts to family functions because of how comfortable they are. I don't have any experience with Sitka or First Lite. My question is.... is one of these three brands better quality than the other?

I do really like the KUIU brand, but it does get really expensive. The sales are few and far between for the items I generally need to pick up. First Lite appears to be in the same boat with affordability, but I'm guessing the quality is similar??? Sitka seems to be the most readily available, but that worries me with quality considering they are in all of the box stores.

I'm curious to hear thoughts on these three.

Thanks!

I started wearing kuiui when the first came out packs clothes rain gear etc as Jason opened his store 45 min from me. However since his death I have experienced a lot of sizing issues Im not a big guy a 5'10" 180-190 and have to by xl in all the base layers and even times they have been to small in the forearms and then xl too big. still love the attack pants and the rain gear has been awesome but I have been switching all my base layers to FL they are by far more comfy and sizing has been money. as my kuuiu wears out I will be looking toward FL or SG. I just cant seem to find a FL jacket I like that compares to my guid jacket

 

[SuspiciousFish]

I recently bought the First Lite Guide Lite pants on sale. While they have been pretty good hiking pants the number of loose stitches is pretty laughable. Its cosmetic for the most part but not something you should accept at that price point. They are really loud as well which is something I need to consider for the fall.

I have the Kuiu Peloton 240 hoodie and have to say its top notch. The fit and finish is really well put together and how they put in the stretch without spandex really does make the garment move well. I end up wearing it all the time and use it work working out on cold days. Kuiu has some sizing problems though on their Merino long sleeve T. I bought a large that is advertised at 35'' sleeve but when I got it the sleeves measured 38'' and came up past my hands. I will probably get them tailored as its cheaper than returning. I have a 30 inch draw so I have really long arms too. Kuiu makes the best day packs out there in my opinion.

I have not tried Sitka but see some of there logo apparel at Sierra Trading post so you may get lucky with some technical gear there. I actually snagged a Sitka mesh logo hat there for like $13.

 

[Colinfarre5]

It's sad that no one has really mentioned Stone Glacier. Their stuff is on par with Sitka, Kuiu, FL. I'd argue their quality and durability is up there with Sitka, just my honest opinion!

Also, I used to strictly run first lite merino. I tried SG's merino and sold all my wick layers for their chinook merino tops and bottoms. They seem to dry faster than FL merino, and fit better!

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Mojave]

I do not like first lite at sll had many different items 5 years ago andvwont go back.

Kuiu for 90 percent of what i do.

Sitka is awesome but expensive and fit for fatties.

Swazi is my favorite. Non kuiu brand.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Kuiu is the best. First lite is bullshit that falls apart too fast and Sitka pants don’t have hip vents.