First post, figured I'd jump in. Just moved to VA from AZ and I'm originally from Ohio, so back to east coast deer hunting for me. Appreciate all of the info I've gathered on here as I jump into saddle hunting for the first time ever, should be interesting.
As far as camo is concerned, I balked at Sitka and Kuiu prices myself for a long time. I got big into predator hunting in AZ so once the summer heat broke, we'd be out every single weekend fall through spring hunting anywhere from 4-8 hours a day. I bought a set of Sportsman's Warehouse Killik gear and it was OK but the fit left a lot to be desired and we would put a lot of miles in walking from the truck to our stand/s and with how much we were hunting I was considering taking the jump to a better camo.
I finally decided to do it and went with Kuiu since I liked their Valo pattern over any of Sitka's (and frankly their clothes seem a little more modern to me) and I dropped the coin on a pair of pants, lightweight long sleeve, puffy vest, and a light jacket. I can tell you that as soon as I put all of that stuff on, I instantly said to myself "Ohhhh, now I get it". The comfort, fit, and overall thought put into the pieces are just great and I was so much more comfortable in the field. I'm now a Kuiu believer and will be purchasing their Proximity line for late season hunts this year. Anxious to give that line a try.