The KUIU Forum is Here

Hi Everyone,

What I love about Building KUIU is listening to your ideas and suggestions to evolve this brand into something very special. Several of you have suggested we create a forum. In response to your idea, Eric has developed the KUIU Forum that is now live and waiting for your posts and comments about Mountain Hunting and the gear it involves.

I have enclosed the forum guidelines below for your review.  I look forward to reading your posts and thank you in advance for you support, posts and comments on the new forum……Jason

Please see the forum guidelines below and click on this link to go to the Forum: KUIU Forum

This forum is an open, worldwide discussion about everything for which KUIU stands. KUIU is committed to making ultralight mountain hunting kit that is fully functional, dependable and accessible. KUIU also exists to story and document the evolving tradition of ultralight mountain hunting. If you share our philosophies, interests, attitudes and passions, please join this discussion. It’s your personal experiences and insights that will make this forum an invaluable tool and resource, as well as a source of entertainment and inspiration to us all.

We ask that you keep an open mind and respond to posts by sharing your experiences rather than challenging fellow members of the community. We do not allow profanity, harassment, or other disrespectful actions. While we invite healthy debate, respect for others must be maintained at all times. Anyone not following these guidelines, or otherwise acting in a disrespectful or confrontational manner may potentially be removed from the forum.

KUIU is not responsible for content posted by users of the forum. Please note that we do not allow advertising, and we reserve the right to lock threads or remove posts at our discretion.

Guide Jacket

The 21.75 ounce Guide Jacket is made with a 274 g/m2 Toray Primeflex Softshell, a 100% polyester stretch woven face fabric, bonded to a high performance micro-fleece backer fabric. DWR treated at the yarn level with Toray’s patented & industry leading Kudos DWR, the guide jacket gives you an unmatched weather protection for a non-laminated softshell.

The Guide Jacket is designed with YKK zippered hand pockets set high to allow access with your Icon pack on, a YKK full front zipper, YKK pit-zips, an inside storage pocket and a well designed storm-hood.  Like the Chugach Storm-Hood, the Guide Hood is designed to be cinched in two directions to keep peripheral vision open with and without a hat on.

Articulated elbows and 4-way stretch allow for a full range of motion. Stretch paneled cuffs and a waist cinch keep the cold from coming in.



Toray’s Primeflex Softshell fabric is the perfect for the backcountry due to their patented spiral yarn technology that reduces physical weight, maximizes breathability, is highly wind-resistant, is quiet, durable and sheds light rain & snow keeping you out of your hard-shell except in the worst conditions.  The Guide jacket does not replace your hard-shell, but is perfect for cold, windy, intermittent moisture days when you need a high level of protection.

SALES INFORMATION

The Guide Jacket sells at kuiu.com for $199.99 and would retail for $349.99. It is available in Frost Grey, Major Brown and Vias Camouflage in sizes M-XXL.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comment on the Guide Jacket. Your input is really appreciated.

Jason

Icon Carbon Fiber Frame

I created the KUIU model to develop and produce products like the patent pending Icon frame; the worlds first carbon fiber backpack frame.  At a mere 13oz the Icon frame is the foundation to supporting heavy loads while still remaining comfortable to hunt in all day.

Carbon fiber is half the weight of aluminum and twice as strong as steel. It has held up perfectly to heavy stress during a variety of extensive lab & field testing.

The key component to this design as I have mentioned in the previous posts are the stays on the outside edges of the frame that pull into the hip-belt and run up to become the load-lifters.  This design decouples the load from your shoulders and hip-bones and redistributes the weight to your lower back, upper back and chest.  In testing this design I would wear this pack for hours and never need to adjust the load

Functional load lifters.

Two touch points allow for maximum airflow and breathability.  No sweaty backs with the Icon.  The ergonomically correct shape of the frame is tight to your back and angling forward for perfect balance.

The Icon suspension maximizes comfort, breathability, durability and support.

The hip belt is shape molded to fit well to your hips to support a heavy load and uses a pivot to connect to the frame to increase mobility and comfort.

The shoulder pads are designed to breath, using spacer mesh against your body, perforated foam and then mono-mesh that allow air to flow through the shoulder pats. They are attached to the frame by aluminum hardware into an inset track system to allow for easy adjustment and correct fit for a wide variety of body types.

One of the big advantages to this design is it is modular.  You can exchange bags the and suspension in mere minutes.  This will allow us to continue to develop innovative designs without the need to replace the frame.  The Icon packs will be available at the beginning of May.  Inventory is limited, make sure you are subscribed to the blog to get into the early subscriber purchase if you are interested.

Thank you for your support and interest in KUIU products. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on the Icon Frame.

Jason

KUIU’s Pricing Structure

I built KUIU to create significant change; change I strongly believe you deserve in uncompromised products made with the finest materials and manufacturing on the planet.  Change with a brand that is open to share its world-class suppliers such as Toray, The Merino Company and Pittards Leather to give you confidence in its products. Change with a brand that listens to its customers and respects their ideas and opinions.

There are a lot of questions, speculation and concerns regarding prices for KUIU products. I totally understand, as we have developed this line without price targets. Carbon Fiber pack frames and removing 4 pounds from your layering system are the results of using this model, a model that creates significant change.

The Internet has forever changed retail. Fortunately, we no longer have to rely on a retail sales person to tell us what raingear to buy for a once in a lifetime sheep hunt.  The Internet has given us the power to research products and brands, read unbiased reviews, post reviews, post complaints and become experts in the gear we buy.

Retailers no longer have to be experts of the products they sell because the customer is.  The Internet has changed retail into a self-service business, hang it on the rack or wait for an order on-line and ship it. The model has changed; we do the research, should we still pay the same prices? 40% to 50% retail mark-up?

I respect how much passion you have for this sport.  How much time you spend researching gear and intimately knowing the products you trust your life with in the mountains. It is clear by how much you have been involved in the development of the KUIU product line on this blog.

As a dedication to you and your passion, KUIU will be sold exclusively on line at kuiu.com at wholesale prices.  The same price I would sell KUIU to a retailer. I have enclosed the 2011 wholesale and retail price list to give you a clear understanding of what this will save you.

KUIU 2011 Price List

Product                        Description                        Wholesale            Retail

Base Layers

Merino 185 Zip-T            TMC 17.5 Merino            $69.99            $129.99

Merino 185 BTM            TMC 17.5 Merino             $69.99            $129.99

Merino 250 Zip-T            TMC 20.5 Merino           $79.99            $139.99

Merino 250 BTM            TMC 20.5 Merino            $79.99            $139.99

Outerwear

Guide Jacket                    Toray Softshell              $199.99            $349.99

Guide Vest                        Toray Softshell              $129.99            $239.99

Attack Pant                      Toray Stretch-W           $139.99             $249.99

Spindrift Jacket               Primaloft One                $139.99            $249.99

Chugach Jacket               Toray 3-layer Shell         $299.99            $549.99

Chugach Pant                  Toray 3-layer Shell         $249.99            $449.99

Accessories

Guide Glove                     Pittards Oiltac                $49.99                 $ 89.99

Merino 185 Beanie          TMC 17.5 Merino           $19.99                  $ 34.99

Merino 185 Gator           TMC 17.5 Merino           $19.99                  $ 34.99

Guide Hat                        Toray Softshell               $29.99                 $ 44.99

KUIU Belt                        Aluminum Buckle           $19.99                  $ 34.99

Packs

Icon Frame                     Frame & Suspension        $299.99               $549.99

3000 Bag                        Icon 3000ci bag              $199.99                $349.99

6000 Bag                        Icon 6000ci bag             $249.99                 $449.99

Selling KUIU in this new model allows me to continue to develop product without cutting any corners to meet price targets for retailers and allows more people to experience this amazing product line.  We all win this way.

I am expecting this pricing will sell us out in 2011 fairly quickly. I will give the KUIU blog subscribers the ability to order first to insure you get your gear. Thank you for being part of building this brand and I am looking forward to earning your business and getting you into KUIU products.

Jason

Pedro’s Fall Testing KUIU Review

Last spring, shortly after launching the blog, Pedro and I began exchanging emails regarding his Ibex hunt and my Stone Sheep hunt.  I offered to send him a set of protoypes with no strings attached.  If he liked them, use them, test them.  He certainly put the gear through a variety of hunts and terrain this fall.  Enclosed is his fall hunting review in KUIU’s prototypes.  I thought you would find his hunts & review very helpful & interesting, enjoy.

Jason

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A new year is approaching, and is at this time of year when you stop and look back to think about the past season.

Two months ago, a box coming from California arrived at my home, just when I was about to leave for a Barbary Sheep hunt in south eastern part of Spain.

Perfect hunt for a first test to the gear.  Mountains are not really high, but the terrain is open and if you want to get in to bow shooting distance, you have to hunt hard.

To make it a bit harder, we were  committed to try to get it everything on video.

We located this group of sheep at 8 in the morning really far away.  And it was not until the middle of the day, when the group lay down, when we started the stalk.

After a few hours, we finally made it, putting our hands on the sheep we were looking for. Beautiful!

The gear perform excellent.  Really comfortable and abrasion resistant.  It passed the first test, so it was time to take it to the next level!

The next step was the Pyrenees.  The Spanish biggest range, that divides Spain with France.

We were hunting above tree line.

Place where you can really hear the silence.  The views are magnificent.

The objective of the hunt was the Chamoix.

I need to try the new pack soon!

I love this way of hunting!

Temperatures were high, I was missing a camo first layer.  That have been solved though!

After a few days, we finally connected.  My first Chamoix, but definitely not the last!  Probably the most beautiful hunt you can make here.

Test passed!  Next stop, Kyrgyzstan.

You all know that also passed the test, since I already made a feature about it.

The gear perform excellent, and if worked great here, I am sure it will work well everywhere.

Since every hunting situation can take advantage of good gear, I try it in every hunting situation in Spain I could.

During this time, I realized how well the camo worked in different scenarios.  The final version must be amazing.

First layer Merino does the job in long waiting hours on a treestand with very low temperatures waiting for big boars.  With the advantage of doing great also in long stalks.

Raingear is really light, impermeable and resistant. If it can stand a woodcuck hunt, where you ran fast through thick forest when the dogs point, it can go through everything.  Missing some no camo clothing for small game hunting, and traveling.  Camo can be dangerous in some situations.

In this forests, a woodcook hunt can fastly turn into a wilboar hunt! Here both, with a woodcook and a really nice boar.

Some red deer hunting, but no luck.  Rut has finished, and its hard to find them at this time of year.

In resume, I am sure that KUIU is going to revolution the hunting world, if it have done it yet. The protypes amply met expectations, so I could imagine how it would be the final products.

Good luck all in the woods, and enjoy holidays.

Pedro Ampuero

1st Preproduction Sample Arrived

The first pre-production sample for KUIU arrived this afternoon, the least exciting product, but a momentous day for KUIU. This means we are officially in production on our first product.  The balance of pre-production samples will be coming in January & early February and I will share them with you when they arrive.

The Merino Wool has shipped and Toray’s fabrics are being finished next week and scheduled to ship before the 1st of the year.  I am shooting for a March 31st Launch Date.  I will keep you posted on the progress.

Jason

Icon Pack Preview II

One of the many advantages to the Icon frame is it will fit different bags. After reviewing your comments and other forum posts on packs, it was clear we need a well designed daypack with the suspension and frame to haul a boned out ram or elk quarter.

The 2500 uses the same fabric as the 5500c, a new 100% Nylon 160D 165g/m2 rip-stop Cordura.  It is durable, abrasion resistant and the quietest lightweight fabric I have found and tested for packs.

At just over 3 pounds, the 2500 is a fully featured ultralight daypack with quick access to your spotting scope and tripod, easy access to all of your daily gear and tucked away stretch pocket storage for items you have to carry but do not use very often.  It comes with a meat cell designed to hold a boned out ram or buck tightly against the frame, for better balance and keeps the meat from balling up at the bottom of your pack.  The 2500 was designed to be large enough to carry a rear elk quarter from a mature bull elk and ultralight bivy hunts.

By using a roll top design, you have easy access to the main compartment and meat cell, quiet entry to the main compartment and an elk quarter can extend out of the top of the pack. This is a really versatile mountain hunting set up.

 

Please note, the packs shown in the photos are prototypes and not in the correct colors, colors of webbing and buckles etc.  There have been some design improvements made as well.

I look forward to answering any questions and listening to your comments and recommendations.

Jason

Rear Elk Quarter in the 2500 Prototype

Elk Quarter In 2500 Prototype

The Bull Who Supplied The Rear Quarter for Testing

Waterproof Breathable Fabric Options

I have been asked a lot about KUIU’s rain gear and how it compares to other brands in weight and performance.  When researching rain gear it is really important to understand the different choices of waterproof breathable fabrics to make sure you are comparing apples to apples.  Below is some basic information that I  hope will help you make the best choice for your type of hunting.

There are three categories of waterproof breathable fabrics, 2-layer, 2.5-layer and 3-layer fabrics.  There are advantages and disadvantages to each. 2-layer & 2.5-layer fabrics are lighter in weight and less expensive. 3-layer fabrics are significantly more durable, will last longer and are much more dependable.

2-Layer

Two-layer fabrics glue a laminate or coating to a lightweight face fabric thus forming a single fabric. You can identify 2-layer rain gear by looking at the inside of the garment; it will typically be white or light grey.

2.5-Layer

2.5 layer fabrics add a very thin protective film to the laminate of a 2-layer fabric to increase abrasion resistance and add some protection for the laminate. You can identify 2.5-layer fabrics by the printed grid pattern over the top of the laminate.

3-Layer

A 3-layer fabric is made up of a laminate sandwiched between a face fabric and inside or backer fabric. 3-layer fabrics are much more durable due to the two layers of fabric protecting the laminate creating added strength.  3-layer fabrics significantly decrease abrasion and punctured caused failures so often experienced in 2-layer and 2.5 layer fabrics.  The downside to most 3-layer fabrics is cost, weight and the lack of stretch.

Waterproof breathable laminates and coatings are very thin and fragile. Abrasion, stress and punctures can create tiny leakage channels.  I have researched and tested 2-layer and 2.5 layer fabrics that have failed in less than an hour of field-testing.  The obvious advantage is the light weight and stretch which are really nice on backcountry hunts, especially when you may only be in your rain gear once or twice.

My goal for KUIU was to develop a durable, four-way stretch, 3-layer fabric that would weigh as much as a 2-layer and 2.5-layer rain gear.  I worked closely with Toray to successfully develop a fabric that is the foundation of lightest 3-layer rain gear available.  This new fabric uses Toray’s 4-way stretch laminate technology with an amazing 20,000/20,000 waterproof & breathability rating.

To answer many of the specific questions regarding the features of KUIU’s new rain gear. KUIU’s Chugach Jacket weighs in at only 17oz and the Chugach pant is a mere 13oz which are on par for 2-layer and 2.5-layer rain gear.  The Chugach Jacket offers a full front zip, two hand pockets, generous pit-zips and a well-designed hood.  The pant has reinforced cuffs, full leg zips that double as ventilation, zippered fly and built in belt.

Photos of this gear will be released early this spring, in. I hope this information helps you in researching rain gear and helping you better understand what KUIU has coming out in the next few months.  Let me know if you have any other questions or comments.

Jason

Four Pounds # 3 The Merino Company

Merino wool has amazed me since the first time I tested it. Body temperature control, odor management, comfort and performance, I knew merino was the perfect fabric choice for KUIU’s base layer program.

I did a lot of research sourcing merino for KUIU.  What I learned, like other fabrics, not all merino is the same.  Just because a products uses merino wool and has a 17.5 micron rating, it does not dictate the quality or consistancy of the fibers in the fabric. As with Toray for outerwear, I wanted to ensure quality, consistency and performance for KUIU. General sourcing of merino from the global market would not guarantee this.

The Merino Company (TMC) based in Melbourne, Australia has been supplying merino wool for over 150 years.  TMC has deep-rooted relationships with merino growers throughout New Zealand, Australia, South America and South Africa.  This creates distinct supply chain advantage over their competition.

“The TMC approach ensures there is minimal variation in wool quality throughout a supply chain, with transparency, traceability and tight controls from sheep to shelf (S2S).”  states TMC

TMC is able to provide a more consistent micron rating in their fabrics.  This is important.  A 17.5 micron rating is an average and to meet this fabrics will contain a range of fibers from 19.5 to 15.5 microns.  TMC is able to supply a fabric with more 17.5 micron fibers.  19.5 micron fibers are not as comfortable and 15.5 micron fibers are not as durable.  Thus TMC is able to provide a more consistent fabric which is more comfortable, performs better and lasts longer.

In addition to the supply chain quality advantages, TMC uses the most advanced yarn spinning and knitting technologies available.  They offer their customers the widest range of merino wool fabrics on the market.  TMC is the innovator in merino wool and leads the market in new fabrics and merino developments.  They are eager to work with their customers to develop new products specific to a market.  This makes The Merino Company the perfect partner for KUIU.

I look forward to hearing your thought and comments on The Merino Company.

Jason

What do you Surf?

Thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on your favorite publications.  Your input was incredible and the post received the most comments to date.

Several of you mentioned forums, websites and blogs you highly recommend for advertising as well.  I have followed bowsite Big Game Forums for a longtime as well as advertised there with Sitka. I would like to know what else you recommend?

Your top 3 to 5 Sites would be super helpful for KUIU’s marketing plan.

Thank you again for your help!!

Jason