Before I left for my hunting trip, I received a series of packages from KUIU. If you’re not familiar with KUIU, it’s a company that makes hunting clothing and gear, and nothing else. The company was founded by an avid hunter who, like me, looked at the various camo patterns on the market and thought, “this stuff is just not made to hide someone in the West.”
Jason Hairston, the founder of the company, originally started Sitka. He started that company with a revolutionary camo pattern that actually works out here. Too many of the modern camo patterns are just photos of trees and brush, which might be great for a swamp in Florida, but it isn’t as effective at breaking up your outline in the Rockies or out on the plains.
After a few years running Sitka, he sold that company to Gore. Sitka still makes absolutely incredible gear, and they continue to produce camo that works out here. Other companies have stepped up, too, like UnderArmour with their RidgeReaper camo.
But Hairston wasn’t content to sit on the sidelines. He kept tweaking his gear and his camo, and he eventually launched another company, KUIU. You can only get KUIU directly from the company – they don’t sell it in stores.
I got a bunch of gear from KUIU, mostly in the Verde camo. If you can only get one pattern, KUIU’s Verde is a good one. It blends well with the woods of the Rocky Mountains, but it still breaks up your outline on the plains. I did get a shirt and pants in their Valo pattern, too, which is tailored specifically for the plains.
I’ll let you know in a few days how that KUIU gear worked. I’m hoping it helps me come back with stories of a very successful hunt.
