By Pete Correale
I’m not gonna lie, as much as I do it, late season whitetail deer hunting sucks.
Besides the fact that the pre-season hype has worn off, and the chaotic rut activity is basically over, it’s the cold temps that always make me question why I even do this shit in the first place.
I don’t do well in the cold—never have—so when most guys are wearing one or two layers and staying comfortable, I’m usually stacked up with at least four and still shivering. Each year I don’t think twice about getting my hands on the latest and greatest cold weather treestand gear, regardless of the brand, camo pattern or cost. If in theory it is going to keep me warmer, allow for less layering, and still give me some mobility so I can actually draw my bow back, then I have to have it.
Kuiu Whitetail Gear
Out of everything I have used, it is in my opinion that Kuiu’s cold weather Whitetail gear is the first properly cut, incredibly warm product that combines mobility with warmth. The Proximity pant and jacket was the first game changer added to their lineup.
Too many highlights to list them all, but the gist of it goes as follows: body-mapped 3DeFX insulation, a patent-pending removable hood, safety harness port, hand warmer holders and pit vents. I could continue on about all the proprietary technology involved in the materials, but at the end of the day, it all equals to a warmer, more comfortable, less constricting system that allows you to layer less.
I thought the Proximity system would be the end all for other late season gear, but then Kuiu came out with the Super Down Haven Bib and the Super Down Haven hooded jacket. Honestly, this setup is probably too warm for most whitetail hunters who are not trying to kill deer in Saskatchewan. But for a slim reaper like myself, who doesn’t have much in the way of natural insulation, I’ll take the Haven combo all day, especially if it means I don’t have to put on and take off as many layers as I would with another setup.
Built for the Cold
The total weight of both the jacket and bib combined comes to just under 6 pounds. It has all the similar treestand-specific features as the Proximity kit, but features Quixdown, a water-resistant, 850+ goose down for insulation. If you want the warmest, most mobile setup in the game, this is your go-to.
Pros: Warm as hell, designed and cut to give you the most mobility as possible, with proprietary features that just make it better than any other whitetail systems out there.
Cons: Not cheap, but we all know that you get what you pay for, and I would rather be warm and broke, than cold with some scratch still left in the bank.
