Sitka vs first lite vs kuiu
Equipment
I like redheads. But blondes are alright.
I don’t mind brunettes either.
All depends on the type of hunting you will be doing and anticipated weather conditions.
My Kuiu gear worked great in the mountains of BC. Sitka Whitetail Fanatic gear is my go-to for stand hunting for deer when temps are in the teens.
100% merino wool base layer worn on all the hunts.
like bows, binos and other gear, I suspect we all have our likes and dislikes, and would choose differently. of the 3, Sitka is probably the more expensive.
i do not know which clothing line is better but, the Sitka pants that are performance fit such as the mountain pants and timberline pants fit me best. I also like the fabric, camo pattern, pockets, ability to regulate temperature and overall quality compared to the others. for that reason, I choose Sitka pants.
one thing is for sure from a value (cost to functionality and differentiation relationship) Sitka is not the best. it's all excellent stuff money aside.
I would have to agree with Elkhuntr on the Sitka Mountain pants. I would wear them everyday if I could. I just received a new pair for Christmas since my last ones have 6 hard years on them. They changed the design a little from my originals, but I still like them. There is nothing wrong with my original pair, I just learned the hard way after 6 straight days of precipitation during elk season this year that I need an extra pair. I have Kuiu rain gear and would give that a thumbs up too. My elk hunting partners are First Lite guys and they really like their stuff. I really don't think you could go wrong with either.
Kuiu is the best if you are considering the value versus quality and craftsmanship, but if money is no consideration the Sitka stuff is hard to beat. First lite is an after thought in this conversation.
As mentioned, it boils down to personal preference...I wear all three. I prefer Sitka pants, especially the Ascent. Love First Lite tops, but hated the pants. Haven’t found any KUIU products I don’t like.
I use Kuiu for active hunts, First Lite for whitetails, and my girls are Sitka queens. Everyone is happy. Hope that answers your question:)
Sitka is pricey but great quality and it’s not hard to find great deals if you look around.
Sitka has OUTSTANDING customer service too
I have enjoyed all my kuiu during my active hunts. Have fallen in love with merino wool. (Mix of kuiu and first lite). I own some first light for my late season deer hunts. For the price.... I'd buy cabelas. In fact the only reason I'm keeping my first lite is for the asat pattern.
For some reason I just can't come to grips with climbing over a barbed-wire fence and snagging these. I was awed at the price when I saw them (Cabela's Ft. Worth store). Then I came back to reality and was thankful for my Carhartt pants and bibbed overalls for crossing fences and trodding through brambles.
It's not razor wire, it's barbed wire. Be careful going over it and you won't tear anything up.
My first lite corrugates give me plenty of play when I'm trying to navigate barbed wire fencing.
Late season cold here I wear my First Lite. I can layer and not feel 'heavy'. Very warm stuff. Like Luke mentioned, Cabela's is excellent too for late season tho it's not stuff you can walk around in much. My wife has a SItka Incinerator jacket that is amazing in cold & windy. Kuiu is good stuff too (not sure if that's proper english) but as has been said, all 3 seem to have a niche. In the end, it's all camo and who has too much of that...?...Safe hunts......Dave.....
I own all 3. Each company has few products that I really like. The fanatic line from Sitka is amazing. I probably wear more Kuiu but that might change.
From this past year I notice Sitka is holding up a little better and keeps the stink down way better than Kuiu.
First lite has been ok. I think its just the personal fit that I'm having issue with.
My take; I think if you are strictly a whitetail hunter the Kuiu/sitka stuff is overkill. In fact there are other combos that might work better- for example, its really hard to beat my old wool sweater as a mid layer when whitetail hunting.
For mountain hunting....the Kuiu and Sitka shine no doubt about it.
Its silly not to buy this stuff when it goes on sale, which it does regularly. Kuiu/Sitka has after season sales- like now- but you might not always find exactly what you want if you wait.
Like others have said. Bmw, Mercedes, Porsche.
Like most times I’ll disagree with elkman, I prefer first lite wool and Sitka rain gear. Not a huge fan of kuiu. But then again I buy all mine off the shelf!
Guess I should have been more specific on the question. For elk hunting in the mountains and carebou hunting in Alaska which would you prefer? I’ve read plenty of lousy reviews on both Sitka and first lite. So I’ve just been confused lately on which to go with for my next hunt. Thanks
Sitka for me. Best fit, customer service and quality among the three. And yes I owned all three, and not just one piece of each.
IMHO Nothing is better than Sitka for cold weather Whitetail hunting. Just got back from two straight weeks of sub-zero hunting in NW Illinois and being able to stay warm yet draw the bow at the moment of truth is remarkable. This is specialized clothing for tree stand hunting. Good luck. C
I'd really like to try the Incinerator line. Plan to take my boy to the Denver ISE tomorrow since we're all under the weather today.
On the bright side, all three brands have great resale value if you find you don't like them. You can post it up on here or Rokslide after your hunt, should you decide to go another route.
I have a decent amount of older Sitka and a good amount of newer Kuiu. For anything but cold sits I prefer Kuiu. Colder stand sitting I go to my Sitka. I could never afford to buy what I bought years ago in Sitka anymore. Since Gore bought them the pricing went through the roof. Of the pieces of Kuiu I have I prefer the Kuiu. I really like the Kuiu. I'd love to get my hands on some First Lite Sanctuary Stuff, but basically because I really dislike the camo patter on my older Sitka. It really sticks out in smaller bald poplars
All have their qualities, just depends on what you want to wear...For me, Sitka fit better than all the others! That and it’s worked for everything I want it to do...
Anyone use Pnuma Outdoor clothing line?
Climbing over barbwire can potentially ruin any camo lol.
Have owned and still own some pieces from each of the three. I only spend a small portion of my time in a tree. I happen to like most of my First Lite stuff the best. Likely because they make their stuff with layering in mind. Good example, I thought my Fanatic stuff was great, except for the fact that it isn't made with layering under it in mind. This is the main reason I got rid of it and I really love the Sanctuary. These different lines of clothing are like bows, to be honest. Everyone wants or needs something a little different for what they like. Only down side to this is you really need to try this stuff to see what works best for you, if you want to get the very best FOR YOU.
"Which one is better?"
Yes
+1,000 Brotsky.
Gear is made for a lot of different situations. Kuiu is cold weather, active and extremely light for fly-in type hunts. It's awesome gear and I love it but when walking to a stand and sitting all day I have other gear I go to because weight and sitting is much different.
Didn’t read all the threads but I’m a Merino wool freak. Best thing ever. Nobody does it better than First-lite. Did Kuiu and other brands but for MW pants and tops, FL all the way
The new Sitka line crushes kuiu. If I was sitting in a tree stand all day I don't see an issue with saving all the money you'd spend on either and use coveralls and over camo.
Bighorn , I have Pnuma gear. I think it’s best suited for whitetail hunting but I use it out west and when guiding Elk hunters in Oregon. It seems quite heavy for what I do but quality seems good. After spending a lot of money I need to wear it out before I change.
" Haven’t found any KUIU products I don’t like." True dat. Value wise they win hands down. I haven't had much issue with ordering gear from them..... but some have I guess. I plan out in advance accordingly. Hard to beat the attack pants for 99% of my hunting, I have non-camo pairs I wear for travel it's so comfortable and well thought out. Gaiters, Yukon raingear, etc..... even like their belt..... never been let down by anything they have. Love that active mountain wear.
First lite I think makes the best base layers and mid layers of the three. Their puffy is da bomb..... and that they USED to offer gear in ASAT always tipped the scale when it was a close call.
Sitka..... I have a few pieces.... but old pieces from when they were KUIU..... =D Just me... but I really like to support the smaller independent guys and not the corporate players. Other folks it's not an issue. Heck, plenty others work within major corporations. Like I said.... just me..... Gotta love American freedom to go where your heart leads you.....if anywhere.....
On that note..... First Lite I understand HAS just gone direct to consumer/customer.... the KUIU route. I haven't tried some of their outer layers in some time. Unfortunately without ASAT.... not sure I will. But ya never know. Never say never.....
I would say a lot is personal preference, as you can see from the posts. I wore Sitka Mountain pants on a sheep hunt in the NWT this past July and was on my hands and knees many times on the nastiest sh*t I have ever encountered (sharp rocks, cliff, etc). After the hunt, I checked my pants and there was not a mark on them. I really could not believe my eyes. They are TOUGH pants!
