Not All Camo Is KUIU
FIVE CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING TECHNICAL HUNTING GEAR
By: KUIU Staff
13+ years ago, our founder sat down with the toughest hunters he could find and asked about the problems they’ve had with their gear. This started a series of improvements addressing durability, comfort, weight, and weatherproofing – and revealed that “camo” was a hell of a lot more important and complex than concealment alone.
BRAND X BELIEF
Nothing is more important to serious hunt companies than their “core.”
It’d be hard to tell from an outside look, but here at KUIU, we’ve spent a tireless number of hours, months, and years navigating the balance between growth and maintaining our essence. Take, for instance, our new ventures into waterfowl and whitetail hunting – domains further down the mountain from our core, Western big game hunters, yet areas where we have personal experience and the expertise to improve the gear for more of our fellow hunters.
As a brand that caters to technical hunting needs, designed by the hunters who understand that the sport demands more than straight shots and spot and stalks. Our company belief is to engineer equipment for a hunter’s every move, and that easily applies to likeminded waterfowl hunters sticking out freezing winds and the motionless tree stand hunters lying in wait for wary whitetail.
MATERIALS X MANUFACTURERS
The hunting gear market is more crowded than ever, and with newcomers entering the industry day after day, time spent researching materials as ubiquitous as “down” or “waterproof” could’ve been better spent on scouting or shooting. This means that if you skip the work of researching and comparing the materials and build quality of one brand versus another, you might end up with a lower-performing product at a similar price (or higher) than that of a superior one.
Experienced hunters know full well that the true test of gear happens when your boots hit the dirt, and all you've got to work with is what you have on your back. We understand our crucial role in your hunts and the responsibility we bear in improving your experience. It's a responsibility we take seriously, which is why we scour the globe for the best materials and the best manufacturers to create top- performing, lifetime warranty gear. This gives you the confidence needed for hard hunts and saves you the needless time spent on researching and comparing. OUR TECHNOLOGY
TESTS X TESTERS
Few people could put a hurt on our gear like guides and outfitters, and some of the hunters our founder sat with over a decade ago are the same people testing our gear today. The KUIU Guides and Outfitters program consists of tough-as-nails men and women who don't just face severe conditions at every corner of North America; they're the individuals spending hundreds of days in the field and putting hundreds of mature animals on the ground every year. What they are not are influencers or content creators (some of them don't even have phones, let alone social media), and they don't mind telling us if the product they've been tasked to test is great, decent, or good for nothing.
However many months later, in the form of long surveys, phone calls, and emails for the phoneless types, feedback starts to pour in and provides us with expert, real hunt insights for another round of adjustments and revisions. Once final, it's off to production, shipped, checked, stocked, and made available to you – each piece field-tested and ready to prove its purpose on your hunts.
COMMITMENT X CUSTOMERS
One of the main reasons why you won't find KUIU a few aisles over from the bait and tackle section or among other hunt brands at a mainstream retailer is because understanding the proper application of our gear is a dense subject and not suited for general recommendations.
Sure, a big-box floor associate might be able to help you out with some quick selections, but when you start getting in the weeds of inclement weather, pack weight, packability, layering, and the hundreds of other considerations needed for a hunt you've spent a decade applying to or saving for, it's better for you, and an honor for us to get your guidance from the people who know the gear best.
There are no weak links at KUIU. Our for-hunters-by-hunters, direct-to-consumer (DTC) approach eliminates intermediaries and ensures that everyone from our testers to product developers, to the people who pick up the phone in customer service or shake your hand at an expo, knows the applications and limitations of our gear and how to set you up for success the right way, the first time.
REVIEWS X RATINGS
Parting with hard-earned dollars isn't something that should ever be taken lightly. We don't with our people and partners, and certainly don't expect you to either.
One of the most reliable indicators of a product's quality isn't only its reviews and ratings, but the consensus and consistency they've formed over time – or in our case, over the course of thousands upon thousands of hunts. What you'll find in KUIU reviews and ratings is a valuable look into how the package on your doorstep today performs on the hunt tomorrow – throughout the season, next season, and however many more you're planning after that.
We take a lot of pride in our full-stack product lines, made from top-quality materials, by top-class manufacturers, tested and tailored to meet and match diverse hunting needs. From silent and warm gear for whitetail to chest-deep and waterproof gear for waterfowl, to top-of-the-mountain pants, packs, base, mid, and outer layer systems for men and women big game hunters, the quality and consistency of KUIU gear is found in reviews and ratings, online forums, from a buddy, and most definitely in the field.
