The KUIU women's super down super hooded jacket survived the bow and rifle season in Montana. This is its performance

Jackie Holbrook | posted on December 16, 2021 at 2:00pm

Since I spent my first season in the wild 20 years ago, women’s hunting outfits have improved a lot. At that time, there was no special hunting equipment for women, such as the Kuiu Women's Super Down ULTRA hooded jacket. I photographed my first mule deer wearing ripped jeans and a thick Carhartt coat. Teen fashion statement? perhaps. Feature? almost not.

At 15 years old, I cannot believe that my equipment is so comfortable and technical today. I will wear Ms. KUIU Super Down ULTRA Hooded Jacket for most of the hunting season in 2021. This jacket is a garment full of strength, and it contains something as light as air.

If you are looking for a versatile mid-layer that can keep warm without taking up space in your backpack, this is it. The following is my experience wearing this jacket.

This jacket is designed as a sporty version, which means it fits well. I am wearing a 5 feet 5 inch medium size that weighs 135 pounds. I find the fit very cute and practical. When the temperature drops below freezing, the jacket can be worn comfortably on a three-layer base layer, including long-sleeved long-sleeved shirts, medium-weight hoodies and fleece sweaters. I can also put a soft shell jacket on top of everything without feeling bulky. 

The Super Down ULTRA Hooded Jacket designed by KUIU is windproof and waterproof. I look for this in every hunting jacket. As a person who mainly conducts spotting and tracking hunting in the mountains, I don't want to be forced to stop and take off my backpack, double Nuo strap and bright orange every time the weather changes.

KUIU claims that its Super Down ULTRA system is 40% lighter than the previous version. The company’s website states that this is because the fabric uses the Toray finishing process and does not require coating to create a lighter fabric. In addition to hunting and fly fishing, I also own a few down jackets that I wear daily. This is the lightest down jacket I have ever worn.  

Down jackets are a favorite of hunters who often hike and pack their luggage. Most of the best down jackets are light, very warm, and can be folded and put in a backpack, which makes them one of the best winter jackets. Layer or outer layer. However, the downside of down is that when feathers are wet, they lose their bulk. This means that the jacket loses its warmth.  

KUIU solves this problem by using Quixdown, which the company calls "high-quality goose down, treated with durable water repellent, and almost impermeable." KUIU claims that through this technology, down can maintain its performance even in the wettest weather. Insulation bulkiness.

KUIU Ladies Super Down ULTRA Hooded Jacket is priced at $299. The company produced a hoodless version for $279. These prices are roughly equivalent to other down jackets on the market.

You can see that KUIU makes clothing for mountain hunters and makes some of the best cold weather hunting jackets. One of the most frustrating parts of mountain hunting is finding a balance between increasing and decreasing the number of layers when you are shaking at sweaty climbing heights and sitting still. The KUIU women's Super Down ULTRA hooded jacket proved to be a superstar layer in the mountains. This jacket is layered over a long John's top, hoodie, and cardigan, keeping me warm in 40-mile-per-hour winds and sub-freezing temperatures. Sometimes, when hunting buddies double up on a heavier down jacket, I only wear this one to get warm. 

The 15-week hunting season in Montana usually throws everything at you depending on the weather, from 100 degrees to blizzards (this is only during the archery season). This year, elk hunting with bow and arrow is hot and dry, and the coolest time of my day is usually in the 1960s. I found myself walking in and out of the area in a T-shirt or hoodie, putting on my jacket and calling the elk while I was sitting.

Once the bow season transitions to cooler weather, the jacket becomes the preferred middle layer. I will wear it in a soft shell jacket. It gave me an impressive insulation boost under the quieter layer. I like that it doesn't add any volume to my body and makes it easier for me to move in the woods. Even at a temperature of more than 30 degrees, I can comfortably wear the long john layer, KUIU jacket and soft shell jacket as the outer layer.

Once I hid my bow for a year and grabbed my gun, the KUIU Women's Super Down ULTRA Hooded Jacket quickly became my go-to jacket, both as the middle layer and the outer layer. I hate wearing bulky clothes, it feels like cotton candy stumbling through the woods. The larger number of layers is also a burden in the backpack, but this jacket provides you with warmth without looking bloated. Its low-key level is indeed impressive.   

I have nothing to say about the performance of this jacket in humid weather. Montana struggled with extreme droughts that lasted into the fall. However, November brought some really evil winds and sub-freezing temperatures to my mule deer hunting. This jacket meets its windproof requirements.

Windy and cold conditions are that you will like to have a hood to prevent wind from blowing into your face and your ears. The two-way adjustable hood is very warm and can stay in place even in the wind. The zipper pockets on both sides are easy to access and keep your hands warm. Elastic band cuffs can be easily folded or put on other jackets.

I spent almost three months rushing in the jungle in the wood, crawling in the cacti, and using this jacket to hold the meat. Although it has been washed several times, at the end of the season, I have not seen a feather fall out, nor have I seen any tears in the fabric. I can confidently say that this is one of the best winter jackets to integrate into the cold weather system. 

KUIU Super Down ULTRA Jacket is the company's lightest women's down jacket. It is not only light, but also very light. It weighs less than half a pound. When I received the mail, I thought the package was empty because it felt too light to fit the jacket.

The left pocket doubles as an easy-to-use stuff bag. When in a bag, the jacket is about the size of a burrito. A friend of mine uses this jacket as a daily jacket, and she can easily slip it into her purse when she is not wearing it.

Based on how thin it is, I doubt how hot it is. I found myself repeatedly underestimating its warmth. In many cases, I will start hiking just to take off my clothes because the jacket keeps me warm. It remains unchanged at temperatures below freezing and wind speeds exceeding 40 mph. It can easily fit into any bag, and you won't know where it is until you put it on, it provides you with great warmth.

Ms. KUIU Super Down ULTRA Hooded Jacket is not my first choice for bow hunting. When the woods are still, any man-made noise will interfere with hunting. The texture of the fabric is too noisy for my favorite bow and arrow. It will crackle when you move and when you pass vegetation or terrain.

If you are hunting bows and arrows in wet and windy conditions where comfort is paramount, the noise may be worth weighing for the performance of the fabric. However, it seems to me that if you are doing bow hunting in warm weather and you only need one jacket in your backpack, please leave this one at home.

For many years, I have been jealous of the male hunters who climbed the mountain in KUIU in my life. They are full of praise for its lightness and clothes that make them comfortable when hunting in the wild. In addition to performance, I have always attached great importance to fit. Usually, they go hand in hand. When your sleeves are too long, your pants rub together, and your crotch touches every fence you cross, it will be difficult for you to hunt at the top of the game.

Finally, I can put on the KUIU equipment that fits the female skeleton, and it feels so good. If you are going hunting, every ounce is important, please consider adding this jacket to your layer lineup. It will surpass the space and weight it takes up. However, you don't have to be a mountain hunter to take advantage of the benefits of this jacket.

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