First lite gear

[MARKL23]

Hi, how do you rate the first lite gear in comparison to kuiu. I live in England and First lite is very difficult to get ( I don’t believe they will ship from the US)
There is one retailer in Europe that will ship, I’ve bought kuiu gear from the US before and it’s great just fancied something different.
My main concern is sizing ? Does Firstlite fit similar to kuiu
Thanks

 

[TN2shot07]

I’ve only ever had a few pieces of kuiu but it generally runs smaller than the first lite I use.

 

[appmtnhntr]

The corrugate foundry pant with the zippered thigh is a great hunting pant. I have two pair with hundreds of miles on each.
They have a static waist, so order a size up from your normal pant size.

Also, the catalyst jacket is great. It will keep you comfy from 30*-70*. I have one for daily wear and one for hunting.

Hi, how do you rate the first lite gear in comparison to kuiu. I live in England and First lite is very difficult to get ( I don’t believe they will ship from the US)
There is one retailer in Europe that will ship, I’ve bought kuiu gear from the US before and it’s great just fancied something different.
My main concern is sizing ? Does Firstlite fit similar to kuiu
Thanks

 

[Hams42]

FL has hands down the best merino wool out of any of the main stream hunting brands. I didn't like their pants though. My wife has been running the kuiu attack pants and she loves them.

 

[NY_BLUES]

I second the Corrugate foundry pants. I bought a pair, put a CO deer hunt, 2 NY white tail seasons and 2 ice fishing seasons. Great pants, so i had to order more. Static waist band means going up a size, but that's not problem. Standard inseam is 32", but you can get a 35". I also have a guide jacket. I wore it in alaska with a base layer on a spring vacation, and it was very warm and cut the wind. Ive taken it hunting in Colorado and was able to get a puffy over it when it got cold, but it also kept me warm from 25°F and up.

I have a ton of their merino wool, their light weight, mid and heavy layers. I like everything but their 3/4 bottoms, but i don't like any 3/4 length bottom layers. I believe their base layers run true to size.

 

[44hunter45]

I'm a full-on Sitka guy, but the only base layer bottoms I use are the First Light zip-offs in boottop and full length.
Game changer.

 

[appmtnhntr]

I'm a full-on Sitka guy, but the only base layer bottoms I use are the First Light zip-offs in boottop and full length.
Game changer.

Agreed. I forgot to mention the zipoffs.
Incredible.
We were hunting backcountry in CO last year for deer and I wore the same pair of zipoffs and corrugate pants for 8 days. Even slept in them since it was 0*.

No smell other than campfire smoke by the end of the week.

The zip-off bottoms are the Xmas gift I give dad every year.

Nothing better than hiking way into a place with the corrugate pant with the zippers wide open, then stopping and putting those bottoms on without taking your boots off.

 

[MT Super Puncher]

Kuiu outer layers are superior to first lite in my opinion. Kuiu runs athletic, some say smaller, so my Kuiu tops are XLs but I wear a large in first light. Their pants are true to size.

First lite base and mid layers are top notch though. I have numerous pairs of first lite pants but honestly don’t wear them much. They have a weird fit except for the old light merino wool blend pants I have.

 

[Sheltowee]

First Lite is a slightly more relaxed, comfortable fit but seems less durable. I prefer FL but the KUIU gear I have is near bomb proof. I also picked up a little bit of Duck Camp for the first time and have been fairly pleased with it in limited opportunities to put it through the paces. Newer, up-and-coming brand out of Austin, Texas.

How common is wearing American-style camo while deerstalking? I've often pictured British hunters wearing heavy wool pants and tweed coats. Is that less common that I imagined?

 

[Irrelevant]

Each piece is different. I ended up with more FL than either Sitka or Kuiu, but each makes good clothing. Kuiu seems really durable but loud. Sitka is the overall highest quality. First lite seems to wear out faster, and there best stuff is warmer weather stuff like merino and fleece. Their wool pants are great for the first season... Maybe.

 

[Sheltowee]

Back when Jason Hairston was still alive, I heard him interviewed on a podcast. He made no bones about KUIU being designed for deep backcountry, high mountain hunting and not optimized for eastern deer hunting. Still great stuff but maybe a little overbuilt for slightly more casual hunting purposes.

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

I’ve got multiple pieces from Sitka, FL, and Kuiu as well as several non-hunting specific brands. I buy clothing based on the specific need and don’t really care who makes it, or a camo pattern, so long as it is quality. That said, if I were comparing my 10 year old FL to current Sitka and Kuiu I’d rank it right there with them. In fact I’ve got some merino pieces that have been used hard for 10 years that are as good as new. On the flip side, FL I’ve bought in recent years basically lasted a season before getting holes, tears, stitching separations. The original Corrugate guide pants, Uncompaghre puffy, and merino base layers I still have in use will likely last many more years but I’ve moved away from purchasing anything new solely based on my own more recent experiences. YMMV