ElCazador
Active Member
I have extensive experience with all three of those and own or have owned entire kits from the socks and boxers all the way to insulation and waterproof rain/snow jackets and pants. Without going into all the personal and professional reasons why I have some brand affinity over others, my advice would be to see what fits you best and is the most comfortable. When I'm hunting, I live in my clothing and gear for extended periods of time as someone who primarily backpack hunts or goes in by horse occasionally. My kit has to be comfortable, fit well, and keep me warm, cool, or dry depending on the conditions. First Lite is my go-to now for 90% of all of my hunting and I use it for skiing, hiking, working out, and just about everything else in my life. I think their wool is better than Kuiu's (it's more comfortable and durable from my experience). I think Kuiu's outerwear is superior to anything else on the market, however (the Guide DCS softshell jacket and vest are a marvel and all their waterproof gear and insulation layers are also incredible). I like the First Lite waterproof jackets and pants too but they are not nearly as lightweight and packable. Kuiu has evolved and added onto their product line significantly so I can't speak to their new stuff but I was fully kitted out in the original Verde pattern and picked up a few things in the Verde 2.0 pattern later. I love their gloves and the Attack pants too BUT I also love the First Lite pants and they have more options that suit my hunting needs in the West (primarily CO but also hunt ID, WY, AZ, NV, and NM). I have the Corrugate Guide, Obsidian Foundry, and Catalyst Foundary pants to meet all my needs. The Obsidian Merino pants are also amazing but not built for sliding down rocks or busting through thick cover - I love them for warm weather hunts and first came to love First Lite because of their wool pants back in the early days (they called the wool pants something different back then). Now for Sitka - I like all of my gear in the Sitka kit and it will do anything, any time, in any season. I just don't like the fit as much because they seem more tailored to fit the largest majority of body types which makes sense given the scale at which they operate but it also feels a little more baggy and loose fitting compared to First Lite or Kuiu. It's worth noting that First Lite tops and jackets seem to be tailored to those with longer arms and torsos so keep that in mind. Last year I sold all of my Kuiu goods because people will go nuts and pay top dollar for even the used stuff and I just found myself living in my First Lite gear all the time anyway. I LOVE that they give to fish and wildlife conservation and hunting organizations to support the wild places and our traditions. I kept the original KUIU down pants and jacket (which they don't make anymore and it's perfect) which I love to keep in my pack at all times - no other brand has ever made something so packable and lightweight yet still very warm. I still have my entire Sitka kit but it's more of a back-up thing for me or when I happen to be car camping and don't care about weight. Because of the more relaxed and universal fit, it's also great for when I have guests or a buddy needs to borrow something. The Sitka waterproof stuff is really durable so I often reach for it when plowing the driveway (we have a long one and live at 8,700 so it's a real chore) and downhill skiing with the family (easy to spot me on the mountain in hunting camo!). In conclusion to this long post, I've come a bit full circle on camo patterns and find myself gravitating back towards solid colors so the "dry earth" and "conifer" colors from First Lite are a real home run for me. I love the gray and black colors for general lifestyle clothing too and have all of their hoodies in all the solid colors. If money wasn't an option and I didn't care about camo, I'd buy all First Lite base layers and mid layers plus their Brooks down jacket and vest. Their Uncompahgre puffy is great too (unfortunately they no longer make the vest). Then I'd buy Kuiu outer layers in both soft shell (Guide DCS for me) and waterproof jacket and pants (I ran the Chugach jacket and the Yukon pants and loved that combo given the beating my pants take in the backcountry). I wouldn't hesitate to buy Sitka but compared to First Lite and Kuiu, the only reason I would do so is if I was one of those guys who's body weight fluctuates a lot and I needed a little more forgiveness in the fit or I didn't care about keeping my gear lightweight for backpacking. Sitka is also the best if you're a woman and want high performance goods from the base layers all the way out to the gloves and headwear. Nobody can really compete with Sitka for their women's line and the fit is much more dialed and not as baggy and boxy as the men's stuff. It's maybe a cop-out, but I think mixing the best of what you like, what fits well, what performs well and is comfortable, and what works for your needs is the sweet spot in my opinion so don't be afraid to pick a little from more than one brand. You'll be so comfortable and set that you won't give it a second thought so all that's on your mind is the hunt and enjoying the outdoors.
