So over the course of this season I've realized my hunting wardrobe needs a refresh, especially with plans to go on an az muley hunt next year.

I want to go with either kuiu or Sitka for the most part.

Main need is for colder weather stuff… I could have shot JLAB NYE if I would have been warmer. I especially a jacket I can shoot my bow in, and either insulated pants or bibs.

Also would like to find some regular pants, decent thermals, and some warm socks

Basically all I have is a Sitka Heavyweight Hoody, and I literally ordered that today. I prefer the look of the kuiu camo to Sitka, though I value function over looks.

Also do either make stuff in a youth 14-16 husky?

Tia

tandy miller said:

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Also do either make stuff in a youth 14-16 husky?

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Women's sizes would work for you.

They're not cut the same and are too tight in places

Particularly the ***** area

I have a bunch of Kuiu and Sitka stuff. Look at the Sitka Fanatic jacket, it has a goofy zipper but I really like the way it fits and works great when rifle or bow hunting and is warm and windproof. I wish they had a different camo pattern however.

That's actually the one I've been looking at. Also I am not above mixing camo patterns

The built in hand muff is great. I wore mine in KS on a pheasant hunt 10 days ago and it got down to 0 degrees, a couple of hand warmers dropped in there kept my hands and body very warm whether I was walking or blocking.

ETA: I do not own the bibs as 99% of my hunting is in south Texas, but I have to imagine they work just as well.

Same re: where I hunt mostly. That's why I've just kind of made it work till now. It's hard to drop a grand on clothes that can only be worn a few x a year. If it weren't going to md hunt I'd probably just get a pair of coveralls and heated socks

Why not first lite. I bought a sanctuary 2.0 jacket and tried it this past week in the teens and - wind chill and it made my walls coveralls that I always thought were great seem cold. I was skeptical of the camo patterns on so much brown, but researched it a bunch and and that seems to be in the spectrum that game animals (deer especially) have a hard time with. I put it on and sat in some brush on the side of drive and if not for my paleface my wife would have not even seen me. Saying this so that you do not get too much green in your patterns. By the way I got a large jacket. I am 5' 11 160. I would not go smaller at all. To mee Kuiu is same way small

First Lite

I'd go with Sitka because you can go to a retail story and try on their gear.

I've got a Kuiu jacket that is too tight they wouldn't let me exchange return because it was on sale and 2 shirts that are the same size. One fits great and the other is tight as well. They are merino and unlike my Smartwool they are neither soft or comfortable. I'll never buy Kuiu again. Their customer service is terrible and they don't care once they have your money in hand

Orrr, buy a cheapo electric vest on Amazon. I got one for Xmas and omg it's a cold wind beater. It's cheap nylon fabric and needs to be under an outer layer, but it gets hot hot hot.

What type of terrain will the AZ hunt be in? Are you camping in a tent? The stuff you'll want when everything is in a pack on your back and you're covering ground will be very different from staying warm in a stand or blind.

8-9 pieces of Sitka in and I'm sold. Buy a piece/2 a year and it'll add up quick for a hunting arsenal. I have 3 different weight baselayers that I use early season when it's warm and the jetstram vest and jacket that I throw on once it hits under 40. Windproof and not bulky at all. Just spent 3 days on a top drive in South Texas in the cold and wind and a cold windy duck hunt (wind chill 11) this morning and I was sweating in the blind.

NRH ag 10 said:

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What type of terrain will the AZ hunt be in? Are you camping in a tent? The stuff you'll want when everything is in a pack on your back and you're covering ground will be very different from staying warm in a stand or blind.

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This. The fanatic jacket is awesome, but not at all what comes to mind when I think AZ Mule deer. Too warm to hike in unless it's below zero and too heavy/bulky to carry around between sits.

I mix and match. Most of my stuff is Sitka Camo with other brand solids. But these are items I've had success with. I have also owned a Kuiu Guide set and Yukon rain gear, but I sold most of it to finish out a Sitka set. I liked the fit and finish of Sitka a little better at the time. But consider them on par with each other.

Down jacket - Sitka Kelvin WS (pants too) but pants are worn under something or just over your pants in stand. Will snag

Base layer - First lite Merino

Shirt- First lite merino zip T, Sitka Core Hoody

Pants- Sitka Mountain Pant, Stone Glacier Dehaviland Pant, First lite Corrugate, Filson Wool Bibs

Mid layer- hoody: Firstlite Furnace Hoodie
Sweater- Filson Guide wool sweater

Vest- Sitka Jet stream

Soft Shell- Sitka Jetstream

Rain gear - Sitka Downpour, Stone Glacier M7, Sitka Cold front

Feet: Western Mountaineering Down Booties (sounds dumb, looks dumber but are awesome)

Hands: Firstlite fingerless wool gloves and first lite muff

My favorite Jacket : Kuiu Axis Thermal Hybrid Hooded Jacket but not sure where it falls on this list. Could be a mid weight jacket for cooler hunts.

I like Kuiu over Sitka but Pnuma over both.

Columbia ski jacket and ski pants. Wear them to hunt and ski! I got the jacket and pants for $250. Going on three years now. I

These probably arent great for stalking up and down mountains…. but the last 2 weekends Ive dug out Duluth Trading insulated pants that I had basically forgotten about….oustanding imo

Base layers Marine ECWCS gear is hard to beat USMC Frog tops & bottoms.

Just copy these guys:

Check out black ovis for nice merino base layers that won't break the bank. You can even catch them on camo fire every once in a while for a really good sale price.

Don't you have family with a ranch in STX? If that ranch outfits/guides hunts see if you can get enrolled as a guide under the ranch. You can get up to 40% off all the time on Kuiu/Sitka/FL gear through the "pro/guide/outfitter" program. Same goes for individuals that work in military/law enforcement/NPS/TPWD employees, you get a huge discount as well.

I have a few Black Ovis base layer shirts from Camofire. They work well combined with outer layer stuff over the top. They were just on there yesterday, check back the next couple of days and they'll be on sale again.

My suggestion is to layer up. I use multiple layers of lighter clothing to stay warm. Besides the Black Ovis merino, I also stopped at a military store in SA and picked up some shirts there as well. I use them for warmth underneath a Sitka jacket. The jacket is a lighter jacket so I can wear it anytime, I just add more layers underneath if it's colder.

1st lite early season sale they pretty much put everything 30-40% off. Really like a lot of their stuff and like the camo

Yesterday said:

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Columbia ski jacket and ski pants. Wear them to hunt and ski! I got the jacket and pants for $250. Going on three years now. I

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My Dad successfully hunted all over Colorado in the 70's and 80's and never wore any camouflage and a bright orange wool beanie. He had a bunch of high quality Filson stuff in layers and could wear it hunting or doing everyday stuff without looking like Elmer Fudd ready for the invasion.

I just want high quality clothes that I can hunt in or take part in just about any activity without having to have activity outfits.

ValleyRatAg said:

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Yesterday said:

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Columbia ski jacket and ski pants. Wear them to hunt and ski! I got the jacket and pants for $250. Going on three years now. I

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My Dad successfully hunted all over Colorado in the 70's and 80's and never wore any camouflage and a bright orange wool beanie. He had a bunch of high quality Filson stuff in layers and could wear it hunting or doing everyday stuff without looking like Elmer Fudd ready for the invasion.

I just want high quality clothes that I can hunt in or take part in just about any activity without having to have activity outfits.

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I feel the same way as you and your dad. I mainly just buy earth toned colors of clothes instead of camo so I can wear them all the time. Works totally fine for me while hunting. Sitka/Kuiu/FL all have a good selection of solid colored options in each piece of clothing. Most of my entire wardrobe is Duluth Trading Co., they have a line called Alaskan Hardgear that is absolutely amazing. It holds up well when putting it through the paces in the brush and doesn't break the bank. Plus DTC has a sale pretty much every other day, so it can always be picked up for a great price. Their Boar's Nest flannel shirts are the best flannels I've ever worn.

Big fan of Duluth too.

NRH ag 10 said:

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What type of terrain will the AZ hunt be in? Are you camping in a tent? The stuff you'll want when everything is in a pack on your back and you're covering ground will be very different from staying warm in a stand or blind.

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No we won't be camping. Will only have what we need for the day at any given time.

I bought my son and myself some of the King's new Camo. The preacher pants are really comfortable.

For all my western hunts, I have a lightweight baselayer, a grid fleece, a puffy jacket (I prefer down for warmth and longevity), and a waterproof jacket. I have gaiters strapped to my pack as well in case of morning dew in long grass or rain.


For much colder hunts (single digits lows) my baselayer changes to mesh wool layers meant for cross country skiing, I wear a soft shell jacket (stone glacier) and my down jacket changes to a first lite chamberlin, which is insanely warm. I add in puffy pants for when I stop and leave the rain jacket in my truck. I think most people you talk to will have some variation on this theme. The individual pieces will be different, or someone might swap a grid fleece for active insulation like Sitka Ambient, but the overall setup remains the same: baselayer, insulation for moving, insulation for sitting, protection from precipitation.

I don't necessarily buy from hunting brands for all of it, my main down jacket is from sierra designs and I wear prana stretch zion pants in warmer weather. You can save a lot of money on insulation pieces by getting neutral color stuff on sale at places like moosejaw.

For stand hunting, you will probably want your outer layers to have a much quieter face fabric than the nylon of most outdoor brand or western focused insulation pieces.

Minus33 for Merino Wool Base Layers
Darn Tough Socks
Get some Prana or Kuhl pants in a solid color you can wear when you aren't hunting.
REI has some really highly rated puffy jackets for insulation layering.
Cabela's has some packable rain gear at reasonable cost.
Go Sitka for your outer shell coat, they are the best. Everything else you can get by just as well with the brands I mentioned (and others) for less money.
Don't cheap out on boots however!!

Whatever you go with, think lots of thin layers. It keeps your mobility up and allows you to always be custom tuning to the day. Even adding an extra cotton t-shirt between layers can make a big difference.

A duck hunting buddy in Kodiak showed me a trick for hands that works exceptionally well. Black surgical gloves. I usually wear them under fingerless gloves. It completely blocks the wind, ice, or water from touching your skin but you maintain all the feel of bare fingers. If it gets really cold, you can wear them under most full insulated gloves and your hands are full roasty.

If i knew anything about clothes business, I would start a camo hunting clothes business that makes pants shorter than the damned 32 inseam. 95% of stuff can't be hemmed at all or at least not hemmed without a crazy amount of work.

Furlock Bones said:

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If i knew anything about clothes business, I would start a camo hunting clothes business that makes pants shorter than the damned 32 inseam. 95% of stuff can't be hemmed at all or at least not hemmed without a crazy amount of work.

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Yeah it sucks being short… I have issues w jacket sleeves being long and bunching, causing bowstring to hit.

One of the things that intrigued me abt kuiu was you can get their pants in a "short" inseam

This year I cut end off a tube sock and used it as a compression sleeve, but it would be nice to find something that actually fits

Yesterday said:

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Columbia ski jacket and ski pants. Wear them to hunt and ski! I got the jacket and pants for $250. Going on three years now. I

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only problem with this is noise. finding stuff that is quiet enough for hunting from a stand is tough.

if you buy Kuiu, get a size bigger as they run small. I have mostly Kuiu but they are all good brands really. Just buy what you can afford and is comfortable. I put more money into boots and a pack than the clothes, but that is just me.