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Kuiu super down PRO opinions?

Patriot38

Patriot38

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2018
Messages
528
Location
Victoria MN
Does anyone use this stuff? I'm looking for some late season tree stand gear to keep me warm. Is it worth it?

I have the cabelas stand hunter extreme coveralls and they are great but way too heavy to pack long distance. I also dont like the bulk.
 
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Are you wanting it as an outer or a puffy mid layer?


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Patriot38 said:
I'm leaning towards an outer. @flinginairos
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The issue you will have is noise and durability. The lightweight down puffy's like the Superdown are THIN. That's why they are so light. Any kind of brush will destroy them pretty quick. They will work great for a layer under something more durable. I use a 950 fill down jacket that I had custom made and I wear it under another thinner jacket and it super warm.
 
flinginairos said:
The issue you will have is noise and durability. The lightweight down puffy's like the Superdown are THIN. That's why they are so light. Any kind of brush will destroy them pretty quick. They will work great for a layer under something more durable. I use a 950 fill down jacket that I had custom made and I wear it under another thinner jacket and it super warm.
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Thanks for the tip. Noise is definitely something I'm paranoid about. I do have a pretty thin outer layer that would work great for this system. Using down as a mid layer seems like a great option. I'm curios how warm it would be in single digit temps for longer sits.
 
None of the puffy layers are meant to be used as brush busting pieces of outer wear. Again the issue is going to be noise with most puffy pieces. I have First lite uncompahgre puffy and it's very warm and is surprisingly durable and not nearly as swishy as some other brands but still a bit on the noisy side. I wore it under their softshell catalyst or sanctuary jacket on a few late season sits and that worked out pretty well.

I just packed it in and then put it on before I got settled in on stand.

Sitka has a mid layer the celsuis midi which is like a midweight puffy layer with a brushed face that is very quiet, but it's not going to be taking you into single digits by itself. You could look into that.

Here was my late season public outfit that worked pretty awesome (all First Lite gear, but sub similar items from other brands for same effect).
  • Furnace or Fuse baselayers depending on temps
  • Klamath or Furnace QZ top
  • Cirrus or Uncompahgre Puffy Jacket
  • Catalyst softshell jacket
  • Sanctuary Bibs
I would wear the baselayers, QZ top, bibs, and softshell jacket in(or possibly pack it in depending on temps) and pack the puffy layer in. When I got on stand and after I got everything setup i'd put my puffy layer and softshell jacket on before I made my final ascent into stand. I also added grabber chemical warmers as necessary.
 
I have Kuiu’s superdown ULTRA jacket, pants and vest. Kuiu’s super down PRO was designed to be tougher as an all day outer layer but I have never put my hands on the Pro. I bought the Ultra mainly for packability for a backpacking trip. To wear around camp and sleep in. Plus emergency insulation if needed. I wouldn’t wear it to hunt in but I could if I put it on in the tree. I do wear the ultra vest under a Kuiu guide jacket or chinook jacket. It’s an inferno. It’s very small when packed into its own pocket. Don’t wear it on the walk in. You will be soaked. It’s design to hold as much body heat in as possible so lacks in breathability. I wait to take it out of my pack after I cool down in the tree, then put it on under my jacket. Takes up very little room in my backpack. No amount of insulation that I have seen will keep you as warm that comes in that small of a package and as light weight as down. It will keep your core warm but leave you freedom of movement with your arms. I hate being a constricted blob that can’t move. It does make some scratching noise if worn as an outer layer but nothing you can hear as a mid layer. No need to wear walking in. Should be safe as an outer layer once in the tree if you are ok with the noise. I doubt a deer will hear it. It’s just loud by your ear.
But I’m a southern boy, so I may be way off on this advice. Lol
 
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Just wanted to bump this thread to see if anyone had experience with the super down pro yet? I really like my first lite sanctuary stuff but it is heavy and hard to pack. If the super down pro was as warm and quiet enough to use bow hunting I’d try it in a heartbeat.
 
BenG said:
Just wanted to bump this thread to see if anyone had experience with the super down pro yet? I really like my first lite sanctuary stuff but it is heavy and hard to pack. If the super down pro was as warm and quiet enough to use bow hunting I’d try it in a heartbeat.
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I had both sanctuary and super down pro. The pro is nice because of pack ability but that’s about it. It’s not quiet and I did not find it warm. It’s great that it’s packable but if it’s not warm and also loud there’s really no point in my opinion.


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I just got it to try out and am going to send it back. I’ll stick with just packing in my Woodbury or Sanctuary jackets.
 
Thanks guys, I appreciate the feedback. I think that pretty much sums it up and I’ll save my money!
 
No problem. After commenting, I tried it on again. It feels super warm but even under the axis jacket it’s still pretty noisy. The Kuiu stuff is so nice it’s darn tempting but I always come back to the conclusion there are better options for the static whitetail hunting.

I may still keep the axis though. It would be a nice piece. Feels much softer than the guide and is supposedly more wind resistant. I have the catalyst pants and the axis feels heavier and am guessing it’ll block the wind better but a touch noisier than the catalyst......

I may try it out to see if I can layer easily for temps 35 to 50s. I am a sucker for hunting gear lol
 
Imo the Kuiu doesn’t use enough down for truly cold hunts. I use western mountaineering down pants that I put on at the base of the tree under my outer layer. They have much more down and are very warm.
 
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