KUIU’s New Valo Camo

New camo pattern is taking the hunting world by storm! 

Always on the cutting edge of innovation, KUIU has released their new Valo hunting camouflage pattern. The result of over three years of research and development, the new Valo pattern is a truly all terrain, all-purpose hunting camo. 

Featuring a lighter, low-contrast pattern and a complex color pallet, Valo camo takes on the colors of its surroundings while the earth tones conceal movement. The unique pattern is a combination of a large macro pattern with micro details to help breakup the human outline at both long and short ranges. 

The pattern was tested in some very tough and diverse hunting conditions and terrains across North America from Alaska to Mexico and California to Ohio and all points in between, by some of the best outfitters and professional guides in the business. The Valo pattern literally works everywhere. 

In early June, KUIU sent a number of items for review. Included in the mix were the Attack Pant, the Pelleton 118 Long Sleeve Crew T and the Guide All Season Jacket. 

At first inspection, all were crafted with the attention to detail one would expect from KUIU. Stitching is tight, no frays or loose ends and sizing is dead on. The material is very lightweight but substantial enough to take on whatever environment you happen to be in. 

Since I am smack in the heart of the desert Southwest, I wanted to see how the Attack Pant would hold up to a jaunt to the Catalina mountains near Tucson, Arizona to cover the devastating Bighorn wildfire that had been burning for nearly a month. At this time of the year, daytime temps can and do top 105 degrees or more, with overnight lows in the high 70s. 

We were touring the air support sector to get some photos of the helicopters and crews helping to douse the fires. On site, we found out we had to gear-up with pants and a hi-viz yellow shirt to let crews and personnel know we were valid visitors and for safety reasons. 

This meant that their pants had to go on over the Attack pants. Frankly, I was surprised that it was not more uncomfortable than it turned out to be. Don’t get me wrong, the addition of another pair of pants in 90-plus degree heat was definitely noticeable, but the Attack Pant still allowed ease of movement and wicked away the excess moisture. 

I decided to do some improvisational testing at home, so I took the Attack pants and literally doused them with water. I was most impressed thing to see that when I poured water on the pants, it simply beaded up and ran off. 

Short of a gale or blizzard, these pants should keep you warm, dry and comfortable in the harshest environments. But then, that’s the goal for all of Kuiu’s hunting apparel and equipment. In all, the Attack Pant is a comfortable and durable addition to any hunting gear. 

Moving on to the long sleeve crew, this shirt is purpose built to be a versatile base layer. Anyone who spends time in the field knows that temps and conditions can change in seconds. Warm temps can change in the blink of an eye, to cold and wet. The ability to react to these changes are the mark of a determined hunter and the testament of good hunting apparel. 

While meant as a base layer, the long-sleeved crew neck shirt can be a heat beater as a primary shirt but, keep in body heat when the weather turns, and the other layers start coming out of the backpack. The gussets at the wrist make it easy to pull on gloves and include thumb holes to add extra coverage and warmth in addition to providing hand warmth when you need to ditch the gloves for that shot you’ve been working toward all day. 

And now we come to the jacket. As I stated at the beginning, temps in the Southwestern desert at the time I write this is in the triple digits and overnight lows are in the 80s. Not exactly jacket weather. However, I did give the jacket close scrutiny and am impressed with the thought put into the jacket’s design with regard to real world conditions. First, the jacket is crafted from the same material as the Attack Pant and water beads up and rolls off of the jacket just as easily as the pant. 

The arms are cut to allow full range of movement and the undersleeve features a zippered vent seam to allow air flow and can be unzipped from armpit to elbow if desired. 

The jacket is lined with Toray Primeflex Softshell bonded to a Micro-Fleece backer that provides high performance with lightweight. The softshell construction is quieter, more durable and more comfortable across a wider range of conditions. 

The Guide Jacket resists light rain and snow and zips to the neck to keep in warmth. There is a zippered interior pocket and two zippered chest pockets, two zippered handwarmer pockets and a shoulder pocket. 

The jacket features an athletic cut that allows for the addition of base and insulation layers and still allow room for rain gear to be worn over it when conditions get tough. 

As with all Kuiu products, the new Valo camo systems are built for people who take their hunting seriously. Kuiu knows there’s nothing that creates a bitter memory of a hunt more than being absolutely miserable for the entire duration of a hunt. Or worse yet, endangering one’s health by using the wrong gear. 

Kuiu builds all of their gear to withstand the worst that nature, or their customers can dish out.–Randy Gibbs