Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Kuiu Rain Gear didn't work for me

I just returned from a hunt on the Alaskan Peninsula. We had everything from a drizzle to heavy wind blown rain for eight straight days. It was a great test for rain gear.

I purchased a Kuiu Yukon jacket specifically for this hunt. The jacket was a dismal failure. My bush pilot chuckled when he asked, "Is that your rain jacket?".
"Nope" I replied, "just a jacket I wear in the rain."

The jacket had a seam leak between my shoulder blades and leaked heavily there. That is fixable. The worst part was the fabric just soaked through and my liner jackets were wet in no time. The sleeves were the worst as rain was caught at my elbows as I glassed.

If it had been colder, there could have been a serious safety issue. I'd be returning this jacket to Kuiu if they warrantied their products to work as advertised. At $350, it's a complete ripoff. I would have been just as dry (or just as wet) in a $100 soft shell jacket.

To be fair, I also took a Kuiu Icon 1850 pack and it worked great for me. It's well made with a great frame and suspension. It's a keeper for me.

I hope some others may gain from my dismal experience.

My guide recommended Lacrosse hip waders and Helly Hansen rain gear. It rained every day but the last on my September brown bear hunt. It didn't breathe, but it didn't leak and it wasn't too expensive.

Sitka sucks just as bad, if it makes you feel any better.

I've heard some great reviews about the jacket from some sheep hunters. That being said, if I'm on a multi day hunting or fishing trip up here I am bringing my impertech. That stuff has never let me down. Mine is currently covered in moose blood and a few scales from some silvers. Love the stuff.

That's the standard for guides up here!

Saw u coming, did they?

If it leaks from the inside, it WILL leak from the outside in the conditions you encountered.

Save that "breathable" stuff for a duck blind in light rain..

Yup - Helly, Grunden's; I even have an Icelandic- I think- product called 66�North which has been around for over 15 years and still works well. PVC is the way to go for being out in the rain and wet.

It makes you wonder, dont people wear this stuff before going up there? It rains down here too, and an hour in it would tell you Sitka/Kuiu/Gor-Tex is junk..

I used the Yukon jacket and pants in BC last summer on a sheep hunt and it rained like hell for a week straight. I had just the opposite experience with the Yukon. Kept me warm and dry. Wore it everyday for a week. Never been to the peninsula. My Alaska buddies tell me it's the worst weather in the world.

I think people read all the marketing hype, and then all the advice from the internet forums from people who spent a TON of cash on the gear, but have not worn/used it in a real field setting yet, and get the impression that it's the bee's knees. I know because I bit on that bait a couple years ago and spent a lot of my money on KUIU (and did the same thing with Sitka years earlier)� and I'm woefully disappointed in both. I wore a set of Kuiu Chugach rain gear in Unit 20B outside of Fairbanks last spring on a black bear hunt with my son� worked fine in a very light rain, but once it started coming downward it soaked through VERY fast (as in minutes). If I'd not been wearing all wool underneath it I could have been in trouble, even with temps in the 50's. I'm not a fan of Kuiu or Sitka. My Frogg Toggs work better frankly, but are mostly duct tape now as they tear easily. My next set of rain gear will be PVC, I'll deal with the sweat.

The only thing that worked in a honest to god Costa Rican tropical storm (tarpon fishihng) was rubber/vinyl. ANYTHING else was a soggy mass (but warm). Muddy

Helly and hippers been my go to for many, many years.

they don't make weight for sheep hunts, then I go a different route, Red Ledge top, Frogg Togg bottoms, and a silnylon poncho over that if sitting and glassin in heavy rain. Though it's pretty danged hard to glass in rain and odds are you're in the clouds sheep hunting at elevation.

I use the long coat by Helly and it covers the tops of the hippers when standing, have used full length Helly rain pants over the hippers but don't like the binding and how hard they are to get on over hippers even with the side zips.
Soooo I improvise, I take cheaper type rain pants and make rain shorts out of them. take up less space in the pack, easier to get on and off over the waders and keeps my azz dry when sitting.
They look goofy but they work better for me than full length pants when wearing hippers.

but most of the time I like my azz/crotch area to be uncovered for walking

even prefer rain chaps over rain pants, LL Bean makes some good ones. though they ain't light

Forrest,
That blows - sorry to hear that. Did you try to return it?

I've sent Kuiu a request for a Return Authorization. The warranty information on their website indicates they won't accept a return on a used product just because it doesn't function as advertised. We'll see what happens.

My experience with several Gore-Tex items has been very positive. Simms, Cloudveil, Orvis and Patagonia breathable waders have provided years of superior performance for me. My Simms and Cloudveil wading jackets have provided bombproof performance in conditions similar or even worse than what I just experienced in AK. I have a Marmot Gore-Tex XCR jacket that is my go-to backpacking jacket that has never let me down and it's seen some pretty severe conditions as well. The Kuiu Yukon jacket doesn't hold a candle to these other breathable jackets or waders.

I've got the KUIU Chugach Jacket. I just got back from Alaska and hunted the Togiak refuge right on the beach. It rained most days. I sat out in it for 8 hours of straight rain one day and stayed completely dry. My guide had Goretex and he got wet. I also have used it on numerous all day soakers during spring turkey hunting in the south and I used it on a sheep/moose hunt in the NWT, It worked so well on the NWT hunt that my guide went and bought all KUIU as soon as he got home.

The yukon has the same waterproof membrane as the Chugach so I'm surprised that it didn't work. Sounds like you may have a defective product.

That has not been my experience with the KUIU line up to this point.

Lee

1 defective product could cost one their life. Lucky him he can request a return authorization.

Buddy of mine has the best way of testing I know. He dresses up in his new duds and then gets in the shower. He has found not many high-tech garments hold up. Once dry, he sends them back. He wears Helly-Hansen.

As I've long opined, there is nothing to will truly keep you dry, what you have to do is find something that will keep you warm when wet. I've tried various waterproof breathable garments over the years and they have almost always been a disapointment. The only keep the water out when new and clean, and they have never breathed well enough in high humidity and lower temps. The best way I've found to deal with truly wet conditions is to layer with good wicking underlayers that will keep you warm when you perspire in them (and dry spares to change into), and true pvc rainware as the outer layer.

My kids did get me an Arc'teryx shell that has seemed to live up to being waterproof and somewhat breathable, but I don't know how it would hold up to thrashing through alders and brush so I've just used it for skiing and hiking.

Forrest , I think Kuiu and Sitka, to say nothing of Cabellas, think that hunters are not completely happy unless they are miserably wet and cold. Just like Navy SEAL trainers.

I used Cabelas cheap breathable rain gear that packs into a 4"X3" tiny duffle. I was in a down pour for 30 minutes in the NWT, and stayed dry. I was on a dall sheep hunt.

30 minutes of rain isn't really the start of a test IMHO. When you are in rain every day of the hunt for 10 dyas or so... thats a test.

Phil, I would have been warmer and drier if you had some proper firewood in your neighborhood! I would have paid extra for a cord of seasoned red oak.

The emergency airlift of Rocky's hot biscuits warmed my stomach and my heart. I promise you, even though I was wet I had a smile on my face for 12 days straight!

"A Fine and Pleasant Misery"

Pat McManus rocks.

Sorry to hear about the bad experience with the Kuiu jacket. I just got back from two weeks in Alaska and used my Kuiu Chugach rain jacket for the first time and thought after this trip that it was by far the best rain wear I have used. Kept me dry in almost daily rain on my two week hunting/fishing trip and breathed very well.

I had good luck with Sitka rain gear on my trips to Alaska.

I have had good results with Gore-Tex rain gear here in the interior also but then we have SW Alaska and the Aleutian weather.

There is no comparison!

If that's their standard warranty i'll never own a piece of KUIU gear. When it comes to rain gear, i'll stick with my Impertech bibs and long coat.

Each time I get a new rain garment I pull it out of the package, get in the shower & spend at least 30 minutes under the flow. If it's raining outside I suit up and get in it.

The last place to test rain gear is on a hunt.

"I've sent Kuiu a request for a Return Authorization. The warranty information on their website indicates they won't accept a return on a used product just because it doesn't function as advertised."

This, for sure. That's about as ball'sy as you can get and expect to stay in business. SERIOUSLY??

I had been considering a purchase from them. But not now.

The packer on my last trip used Kuiu gear. He was up in the Alaskan Range for 4 months. He said he was throwing it away when he got home.

You would be better off using a 55g contractor grade garbage bag� it'll cost a lot less, and keep you dry. Then when your done using it you can throw all of the crapy Kuiu clothing you wasted your money on into the garbage bag and take it to the curb.

agreed.. The only time I wore my goretex when I lived in Kodiak, was when it was not raining... so, about 12 times in 7 years...

Well, my jacket went back to Kuiu today. I asked for a refund but was offered only an exchange as they don't accept returns on used gear. I don't understand how I could possibly tell it was defective without using it first. I'll keep you posted on how things turn out when I get my new jacket.

ForrestB,
If your Yukon jacket failed, what did you have on for pants? Yukon, Chugach or something else?
I have had just the opposite experience with the Yukon/Chugach rain gear.

I have provided a link to their Terms & Conditions page. Also stated is their LIFETIME WARRANTY for the original owner. But please show me where its stated they won't accept a return just because it doesn't function as advertised? That is counter-intuitive to good customer service.

https://store.kuiu.com/Articles.asp?ID=254

Look anything can fail. But the Yukon and Chugach line is typically on backorder - that doesn't happen if the product repeatedly fails.

I don't own any of that Kuiu/Sitka crap. When I go to Alaska all I wear is green woolen pants, merino long sleeve light weight shirts and whatever fleece jacket I feel like taking. HH go on top of that.

All that synthetic crap really sucks in the brush- too fn loud: swish-swish. Natural fibers are much quieter in general.

I've decided next year when I hunt Alaska again,I'm dressing like a guide- I bought a Carhart vest and hoodie 3 weeks ago in Anchorage just for that hunt.

Although not true rain gear, I've been extremely pleased with my Kuiu DCS Guide Jacket. When paired with a Cabela's Primaloft jacket and some layers of merino wool it has proven to be a very flexible combination easily handling rain showers, snow, and temps down in the teens/20s.

From the Kuiu website:

If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us immediately at servicekuiu.com or during business hours Monday-Friday from 9:00AM-5:00PM PST at 855-367-5848. A return authorization (RA) number is required to initiate a return, exchange, or refund of the full purchase price. Returns, exchanges or refunds are subject to the below policy conditions.
RETURNS:
� Must be returned to KUIU within 60 days of the original purchase date
� Product must be unworn and in an unaltered, salable condition with tags attached
� By law, product must be sent back clean
� All returns must be associated with an RA number. Items returned without an RA number included will not be accepted. Please contact customer service for an RA number.
In the event of a refund, a credit of the full purchase price (shipping excluded) will be issued in the form of the original payment method. A refund issued to a credit card will appear on your statement within 1 to 2 billing cycles.
EXCHANGES:
� Must be returned to KUIU within 60 days of the original purchase date
� Product must be unworn and in an unaltered, salable condition with tags attached
� By law, product must be sent back clean
� All exchanges must be associated with an RA number. Items returned without an RA number included will not be accepted. Please contact customer service for an RA number.
To account for changes in inventory, the exchange process is executed in two steps:
1. A new order is placed for the desired exchange merchandise and a charge to your credit card or other desired payment method of choice is processed. You will receive an Order Confirmation email when the new order is placed.
2. Authorized return merchandise is accepted, processed, and a credit of the full purchase price (shipping excluded) will be issued in the form of the original payment method.
Because item availability cannot be guaranteed at the time your return is received, we highly recommend placing a new order as soon as possible.
KUIU OUTLET RETURN POLICY:
All outlet sales are final and not eligible for return or exchange.
WARRANTY POLICY:
WHAT WARRANTY COVERS:
This warranty covers any manufacturer workmanship defects in your KUIU gear. This warranty applies to consumer use only and is null and void if the product is used in a manner it is not intended for.
HOW LONG COVERAGE LASTS:
This warranty lasts for the lifetime of the product.
WHO IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY:
This warranty is for the original consumer purchaser only. It is not transferable. Proof of purchase must be verified.
WHAT WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:
Any problem that is caused by abuse, misuse, or an act of nature (fire, flood, moths, etc.) is not covered. Snags, stains, pilling, discoloration, deterioration, burns, or damage from normal wear and tear are not covered by this warranty. Consequential and incidental damages are not recoverable under this warranty.
WHAT KUIU WILL DO:
If the item proves to be defective in workmanship, KUIU will attempt to repair the item. If this is not possible we will replace it with a new item of similar composition and price. If no such item is available, a refund for the full purchase price of the original item will be issued at KUIU discretion.
LIMITATION ON DAMAGES AND DURATION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES:
KUIU will repair or replace the product as provided under this Lifetime Warranty. This shall be the only remedy of the consumer. KUIU shall not be liable for any loss or damages, including consequential, indirect, and incidental damages arising out of the use of, or inability to use, the product, or for breach of any expressed or implied warranty or condition on this product. Except to the extent prohibited by law, any implied warranties or conditions of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are limited in duration to the duration of this warranty.

I was wearing Simms chest waders...no problems there.

hmmm maybe it's the greatest stuff sinced sliced bread


but I've braved a bit of weather before I ever heard of Sitka or Kuiu

perhaps I'm starting to overcome my gear addiction


so much of what sells these days is just great marketing and our hopes for "perfect" gear

only new piece of kit I've purchased in recent times was River's West raingear, and it's great stuff, but not for raingear.

Hello,

I use for 2 years now some Kuiu products, in alaska. I spend at least 6 months a year in the field. I only speak about stuff I have tried by myself.... So

1) I use Yukon gear for two years and I gave them at tough look this year. From south peninsula to central alaska... Bear, sheep, moose etc seasons. My judgment is Kuiu Yukon line rocks ! I wear Yukon suit every duty day and I'm 200% satisfied... I was a packer too and I know how the job can be hard on clothes especially when you pack and fall in rocks or alders with huge loads.

the yukon line is really robust.... Sharp rocks, alders, abrasive stuffs doesn't worn out my Yukon after a full season. by the way I gave a test to some other trendy marketing brands and imho KUIU works...

H&H works too it's cheaper right but all my H&H are done after one season and are definitely not as flexible as Yukon gear in different weather conditions than you can handle in AK.... Of course if I have to stand on a boat for fising under a rain storm I would use my H&H. Anyway I was in south peninsula this brown bear spring and we had 5 days of undiscontinued rain... I was wearing H&H around the camp but as soon I was hunting I was wearing my yukon jacket and pant cause when you hike or pack it's just more confortable and more efficient....

So maybe your yukon suit was defective. Things can happen. One KUIU product I used this season was defective. I had many email exchange with their customer service and I can tell you... The boss Jason follow closely all the business. So I'm again 100% satisfied.

Last but not the least, this forum start really to be a bashers forum... Myself I had a very very bad experience few weeks ago with a very very famous worlwide brand.... It's the worst experience I have ever had.... Their products are the best in the market but the customer service rep I had in front of me was a 1st class ass..... Do You think I'm bad... Yes I'm.... cause I love the brand but I won't use it anymore.... I could ask to deal with another rep but I won't.... Cause this guy should be fire...... BUT I'm not starting a thread to [bleep] the brand.... I know their products are great, I know I was unlucky.... Things happen....

These forums are made for reviewing not only the good products, but the bad as well. So you highly praise the KUIU stuff but won't mention the gear that didn't work for you.

Lots of brands out there both good and bad and to be honest, the last paragraph of your review wasn't helpful at all so why mention it if you're not going to share ALL the info? Some of us would be interested to know (and might already know) who this person is that gave you such bad customer service.

Hello,

1) The jacket is the insulated one and the jacket had a defect. so it.s not a question of working or not... I noticed the defect asap I got the package but I stocked the jacket in the closet cause I was too busy to deal with the return and I decided to return few months later...

2) so now I'm going to test a new one without any defect and I'll let you know in couple of months...

3) I won't disclose the name of the optic brand cause products by themselves are just top notch and I was just unlucky to deal with a fuc..... ass.....

4) By the way some guys don't understand that even with a top brand like KUIU when you get sweat of sweat cause you hike, pack like a craze or you have 4 layers of clothes well you get as soak as if your jacket was not rainproof.....

This summer I was at 6000 ft packing daily between 80 to 120 lbs.... it was just cold... and sometimes huge rain..... my body was producing so much heat and sweat that I had to remove my Yukon Jacket all daily hike wearing the yukon jacket only when I took some rest, or when the rain was hard... if not I would have been soak of soak like my hunter [bleep].... after his gore-tex jacket "this 500$ !@##$ is not rainproof......my yukon pant was open..... my upper body was wearing only a 150mg wool t-shirt.... he was wearing a rain pant, underwear etc....

5) You can't say a brand is bad just because you had one bad experience moreover if the product has a defect.... if you get 2 products with defect okay you can start to have some doubt but anyway it's easy to be critic.... or if twice you get a fu.... customer service rep....

have a good evening

To close the loop, Kuiu offered to exchange my jacket for a replacement. I returned my Kuiu jacket to them and was told that there were no Yukon jackets available for an exchange. Kuiu then offered a refund which I gladly accepted.

I'm pleased with the outcome and more than pleased with my 1850 pack. Ben Britton at Kuiu took care of me.

Wow, having run a lot of goretex and had not nearly the luck you have, makes me wonder if I"m doing something wrong.

We started with it while competitive shooting and anything that touched ground long enough while waiting a rain delay that could be hours, woudl damp out. Not sweat as we were laying around in the target pits and not getting the whole brunt of the storms off of Lake Erie.

I've been so dissappointed in its performance that I've never risked it on the AK coast... I have risked it interior but alwyas carry precip or such as backup and put it on if it rains...

Good to hear that they took care of you.

Simms makes great jackets. It was my go to in Alaska for guiding fishing trips. There guide jacket stands up to the elements. It is a fishing company, but works for hunting too. The animals don't know.

If I am looking at a typhoon though, the HH still makes an appearance.

Good to hear. Thank you for sharing.

WHAT WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:

Any problem that is caused by abuse, misuse, or an act of nature (fire, flood, moths, etc.) is not covered. Snags, stains, pilling, discoloration, deterioration, burns, or damage from normal wear and tear are not covered by this warranty. Consequential and incidental damages are not recoverable under this warranty.
Looks to me like they've covered all the hunting mis-haps. I think they have a good product, just covering their ass. In todays business world who can blame them.