Sitka Mountain Gear? Does anyone recommend it for Coues hunting

[coues7]

Which of the KUIU packs did you use the 3000ci or the 6000ci?

[CouesSlayer77]

Coues sniper how much are you willing to sell it for? Im still deciding on if Sitka is appropriate for down south

[THOR]

Coues sniper how much are you willing to sell it for? Im still deciding on if Sitka is appropriate for down south

I have used Sitka gear for the past few years and I will have to say it is the most confortable clothing i have ever had. One thing that is good about Sitka as well, is the warrenty. you can send it back to them and they will fix it at little to no cost, thats part of why it costs so much. just like a pair of swaros...you get what you pay for and the company behind it.

[rcdinaz]

I am using the 6000ci Kuiu pack.

 

I will still use the Eberlestock pack for aggressive hikes through brush. It is hard to beat the scabbard on the Eberle and being able to draw the gun quickly in the thick stuff. For long hikes with a lot of gear though the Kuiu is lite and does a great job of keeping the weight on your hips and the thing has about 50 pockets to store stuff.

[Coues Sniper]

CouesSlayer, I sent you a PM

[308Nut]

I have quite a bit of Sitka gear. Some of it I love and some I could take or leave. I love their Acsent pants and would not trade them for anything. I have been brutal on them and they have held up great. They have no holes or tears. I wore them for my entire 22S muzzy elk hunt without a problem (1 week of scouting and 1 week of hunting and another day packing out). There were areas where I was into catclaw. One spot quite a bit. They have survived all of my Alaska scouting and hunts this year through the thick nasty brush (thorny crap to boot), rocks and some of the thickest parts of 22S. They are cut pefectly and beyond comfortable. When hiking and climbing, you dont even know they are there. They dont restrict you at all. The pockets are layed out perfectly for LRF, bullets, bottle of water etc... and whatever else you need during a stalk while the pack stays on the hill and the buttons on the leg pockets are silent. The fabric is dead quiet as well. They dry very quickly and shed water very well. I realize this is a minor concern where you are at. I never overheat in them nor do I ever feel cold. What can I say other than that I think they are the perfect hunting pants. It has taken me along time to find the perfect pair of pants and Sitka NAILED it with them. As far as their upper base layers, well I like them too but I am not sure I like them enough to justify the price. The Ascent pants are worth every penny. At least to me. I love their beannies and gloves as well.

 

I dont have any of their jackets or coats so I cannot vouch for those.

 

Price aside, they do have very high quality gear. You cant go wrong with them, it just boils down to if you think the quality is worth the price.

 

After all that, I will say that I have other gear as well such as APX gear, UA, Kings ect.....Much of their stuff is of good quality as well.

 

Hope that helps!

 

M

[Ron G.]

I've got a couple of the Sitka jackets (90% and jetstream) as well as the KUIU guide jacket. They all have their place. The 90% is great for early season as it is very breathable. The Jetstream is windproof and pretty warm since it includes a hood. The Jetstream is the least breathable of the three, but very water resistant except at the seams. The KUIU guide jacket is in between the Sitka 90% and Jetstream jackets, more breathable than the jetstream, but not as windproof (more wind resistant than the 90%)and is lighter than the sitka jackets, but has fewer pockets.

 

I haven't hunted in traditional coues country down in southern AZ yet with my sitka or KUIU stuff. While the jackets have a smooth face and low nap inner surface, I feel like any type of fleece is a burr collector down south. Not as big a deal with jackets when they are worn, but if set down or strapped to a pack they seem to collect all sorts of burrs, grass seeds, and stickers. The sitka and kuiu jackets seem to be low enough nap/pile on the inside it probably won't be a big deal, but I have historically stuck with carhartt style jackets when coues hunting down south. Even in saying that, I'll most likely be wearing a sitka or kuiu jacket on my next coues hunt down south. The other benefits outweigh the negatives.

 

In regards to cmc's comment about the pants, he's correct in saying that the pants won't hold up near as well as carhartt's to the catclaw and other brush down south. I've had my sitka pants in some catclaw and other sticker bushes and they've come out with some snags. However, in comparing sitka or kuiu pants to carhartts, the sitka and kuiu pants hike and climb so much better. There is no binding or restriction in movement. They just aren't as durable. Just a trade off that people will have to decide if that is what they want. Carhartt's don't compare to 'technical' pants in wet weather.

 

Ron

[CouesFanatic]

I have the Icon 3000 KUIU Pack. I love this pack. It is supposed to be the lightest pack on the market for its size. I used to use the Badlands 2800. After using the KUIU I will never go back to Badlands. The kuiu fits better on me and is more comfortable. Its is also lots less bulky. It has tons of straps to put extra stuff on.

 

I bought the first version that they made. The top where the shoulder straps did start to come apart at the seam. I sent it back and they are fixing it for free. In the models they are shipping now, they have fixed this problem. My buddy uses a badlands also, and now wants to switch to KUIU.

[123456]

watch Camofire.com if you want Sitka at a discounted price. Usually lots of sitka on there. If you are not familar with this site, it is a deal a day website that sells hunting stuff at a discounted price. Always double check their price against ebay to make sure it is a good deal. Sometimes there 70% off claim is just nowhere in the ballpark of todays prices.

[Antmo23]

Im looking to get a new jacket for hunting in Az (elk, deer, javalina, bear) but Ive grown out of most of my jackets and am in need of a new one. I really like Sitka! I know the pricing is ridiculous but I can handle anything under 350:) any suggestions? Thanks for your help!

DO NOT BUY SITKA. I wore my sitka mountain pants once, ONCE!, in the catclaw in 21, and my pants were shredded! I did love the fit and style, but they could not stand up to the vegitation in Az, plain and simple. I bought a vest and a zip-t, no complaints there, but stay away from the pants! That, or stay away from the catclaw and scrub oak, lol, good luck with that! I tried out some pants from the new company KUIU and I absolutely love them! Bought a zip-t and beanie as well, and going to be adding more to the pile soon. KUIU just holds up way better and is cheaper to boot!