Kuiu Kenai jacket vs?

Seeknelk

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Jul 10, 2017
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I've been thinking about getting the kuiu Kenai jacket for a lighter, all around insulation piece.
I have a Sitka Kelvin WS puffy, so the super warm piece is covered. To get to the point, are there any comparable jackets out there with same attributes? Silence, super breathable , warm enough etc? I don't need a brush busting coat of anything, I know it's not super tough etc.
 

success

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Sep 7, 2018
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Louisiana
I love my Kenai. I wear it all the time. Have a second one in gray to wear out and about. It’s light and warm but definitely not as warm as a puffy. It also breathes well.
 

kpbrown31

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Apr 29, 2016
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I love my Kenai. I wear it all the time. Have a second one in gray to wear out and about. It’s light and warm but definitely not as warm as a puffy. It also breathes well.
Have you used it as a packable puffy for for western archery hunts? Trying to weigh something from Kuiu vs the FL Uncompahgre and haven't purchased anything yet?

I also wear a puffy jacket nearly every day in the winter as my primary jacket to and from work, so considered just buying something in black that could double as my every day coat and a random insulation layer for my annual hunt out west.
 

JColony

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Nov 10, 2020
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Anchorage, AK
I love my Kenai! As for packability, there may be jackets that will pack smaller. But it is very light and I find that I don't need it to pack down to a baseball. I often find myself filling voids in my pack with it near the top.

As for insulation, I use it 365 days a year up here in AK. Layer it in the cold and stand alone in the mild.
 

jd1006

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Jul 21, 2021
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I wasn’t a fan of it. I strongly prefer the discontinued version of the Kutana Hybrid—lesser weight, better face fabric, breathes better. For non-hunting brands, I like the Arcteryx Atom LT and the Patagonia Nano Air
 
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Seeknelk

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NW MT
Thanks for the help so far.
I guess what I'm mostly wondering is if anyone makes a competitive jacket to it that checks all the same boxes. With the same soft , silent outer, very light, breathable, multi purpose, .etc.
Not interested in a noisy shell for this purpose, I have some noisy puffies and love them for what they are. I don't need camo but don't want black or red or fusia.
 

jd1006

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Jul 21, 2021
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The nano air from patagonia is what you are describing. The Cirque Jacket from Stone Glacier is what you are describing, too (but has a lot more insulation than the kenai).
 
Joined
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I used to be a huge fan of the Patagonia Nano Air, but for my uses, the Kenai is even better.
Appx same weight of insulation and breathability.
The pockets are great. It has pit zips and the interior pockets are the perfect size to carry my splitboard skins when touring in the winter. The fit is just a little more roomy and longer, so when wearing a pack, it stays under the hip belt.
Only downside is that the outer fabric pills quite easily, even from pack straps.


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The Kenai jacket was one of Kuiu's early pieces that kept me coming back to Kuiu. It didn't have a competitor that I knew of. I think Sitka made an "active something" that wasn't quite as heavy/warm.
 

Bump79

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Oct 5, 2020
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I've been wanting to try this guy out. I personally didn't care for the Kenai, I found it to be way too fragile for that price. Even hunting in open conditions in eastern MT it seemed to fragile. Uncompahgre didn't breathe very well and seemed backwards to me with a less breathable material on the interior than the exterior.

Active insulation is a tough nut to crack. The Stone Glacier new jacket looks intriguing.
 

bbckfh

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Aug 20, 2019
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The kenai is on my short list to try. I have an Atom LT and a Nano Air. I prefer the Patagonia piece. The face fabric is quieter and has less sheen. I used it in the Gros Ventres and it was great.

The Cirque is high on the list to try. And the Sitka MDWi. Between those three and the Nano, I’ll be stocked up.
 

schmalzy

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Oct 1, 2014
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Go to piece for me. Breathes the right amount, Layers well. Definitely not super warm, but seems about perfect for when you’re moving around. I’ve hiked with it wearing a pack in the low 30s and had to pull it off. I have one in gunmetal and wear it daily and also in the field.

As others have said it pills relatively easily but not super noticeable.

Would definitely but it again.


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Feb 14, 2021
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I like my Kenai alot. It's just a little tight in the shoulders so I've gone to the FL Unspellable 2.0.

Considering the SG Cirque and waiting for more reviews/data before I pull the trigger on one.
 

Gman12

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Aug 27, 2020
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I have the Kenai and love it. It is warm and extremely comfortable. I like mine so much that I will most likely buy another one in a solid color and use it as my every day jacket. I like it better than my puffy jacket and it seems just as warm to me.
 
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I love my Patagonia Nano-Air. I've had it for 6 years or so and it has seen better days. I'd buy a Kenai in a second if I found a deal (I see them as essentially the same thing, the differences being noted by @B_Reynolds_AK ).

I actually did buy a Kenai at one point but the fit seemed off (it seemed wide and the sleeves were too long for a M), which seems to happen with a lot of Kuiu pieces. I returned it. Good chance they fixed it.
 

jd1006

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I’d look at the outdoor vitals options for insulated jackets. They appear to be sourcing their stuff in the same factories as Kuiu. The Ventus Hoody has the same insulation as the kenai.
 

Mark at EXO

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I’d look at the outdoor vitals options for insulated jackets. They appear to be sourcing their stuff in the same factories as Kuiu. The Ventus Hoody has the same insulation as the kenai.
The Ventus is unbelievably warm for the weight and the fit is great (for me). I just wish it was more breathable. It is not as "active" as I'd hoped for.
 

Bump79

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The Ventus is unbelievably warm for the weight and the fit is great (for me). I just wish it was more breathable. It is not as "active" as I'd hoped for.
How would you compare it to a Kelvin Active or Kuiu Kenai?
 
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