Whitetail bowhunters who are serious in their pursuits demand a lot from their gear, and in my opinion, no scenario is more difficult to conquer for clothing than late-season treestand sits in the North or Midwest.

I’ve pursued whitetails from Texas to Saskatchewan, and many states in between, in air temps from 85 degrees to minus 30. In warm temps, you need lightweight hunting clothing that breathes. In rain, you need gear that keeps you dry. In cold, you must stay warm. As any avid whitetail bowhunter knows, regardless of temperature and whether it’s raining, the outer garments you choose also must be quiet or a deer will hear you draw your bow.

In general, finding warm-weather clothing that’s quiet is easy. Top-notch rain gear, on the other hand, is trickier to find. A lot of rain gear on the market is too noisy for bowhunting, so great care must be taken to purchase garments that are both waterproof and silent.

Tip: When shopping for bowhunting clothing in person, you can use a simple scratch test for sound: vigorously run your fingernails along a sleeve and listen. You’ll know immediately if it’s quiet enough for bowhunting in temps above freezing. (I’ll elaborate in a minute.)

Outer garments for late-season whitetail bowhunts must check numerous boxes. At a minimum, the clothing must be quiet and warm. For someone shooting a vertical bow (compound or traditional), it also must not interfere with your bowstring as you draw and release; if it’s too bulky, then it won’t work.

While the scratch test I described earlier is a good method when buying rain gear and clothing for moderate temperatures, it’s not fool-proof for late-season clothing. The reason is outer garment materials will perform — and sound — differently in a retail store vs. frigid temperatures.

For example, I own a few hunting jackets that work well in temperatures of at least 35 degrees. However, if I wear one of them in 25 degree temps, an inner wind-proof lining crinkles when I move. Is it real loud? No. Is it noisy enough for a whitetail at 15 yards to hear me draw my bow on a dead-calm morning? Probably.

Outer garment material is really challenged for sound when air temps dip into single digits. What might be decently quiet at 25 degrees can fail miserably at 5 degrees. That’s the biggest problem for a bowhunter shopping for a jacket and pant/bib that will perform well and be totally silent in crazy-cold.

I provide this lengthy intro to explain that I demand a lot from my late-season clothing when bowhunting whitetails. And it’s my hope that my field test findings below will help you when it comes to making a significant clothing purchase in 2023 or beyond.

 

KUIU’s New Proximity Series

During the 2022 whitetail archery season in South Dakota, I field tested the new Proximity outer garments from KUIU. Specifically, I wore a size XL Proximity Hooded Insulated Jacket ($299) and size 38 Proximity Insulated Pant ($259). (More on sizing in my final comments.)

You can visit the KUIU website to read detailed product descriptions for the Proximity Series. Instead of restating this info here, I’ll touch on my top takeaways.

Dead quiet. During my November bowhunt, I wore the Proximity jacket and pant in temps from 35 to 10 degrees. When I unboxed the garments, I was impressed by the soft, quiet exterior. But would an inner lining crinkle in severe cold? The answer is no. The pant lining didn’t crinkle as I hiked to my treestand in the predawn darkness, and the jacket lining was quiet when I moved slightly to use my bino, or grab and draw my bow.

Warm. KUIU designers strategically positioned heavier insulation in more vulnerable areas, and they nailed it. Even on days with gusts to 30 mph, the Proximity stopped the wind and kept me warm. On the coldest mornings I used the hood over my stocking cap, and it’s the best hood I’ve ever used. Period. I generally hate hoods and have removed them from every other hunting jacket/parka I own because they don’t fit right, cut down on my vision, and interfere with drawing my bow. But I decided to leave the Proximity hood in place for at least one hunt just to see how it worked, and I’m glad I did.

Smart design. As with the hood, KUIU designers get an “A” from me when it comes to pocket locations and sizes on the jacket and pant. The jacket’s safety harness port works well, too.

Effective camo. I’ve always been a fan of camo patterns that use large sections of dark and light colors to bust up the human silhouette, and KUIU provides three camo choices (Valo, Verde and Vias) that excel in this area. I chose Valo. Note: The Proximity Series is also available in one solid color: Ash.

Ease of movement. On the website, KUIU describes jacket fit with these words: “Its outer-layer fits comfortably over a safety harness, insulated mid-layer, and base layer — while its articulated design, high-stretch fabric, and streamlined forearms allow you to shoot without interference or restricting mobility.” In layman’s terms, this means it’s easy to move in the jacket. It’s not bulky, but it’s not restrictive, either. It fits right and moves with you.

Lightweight. I can guarantee you’ll be shocked at how light the jacket and pant are the first time you hold them. The jacket weighs only 1 pound 15 ounces, and the pant weighs 2 pounds 4 ounces. I own a wide selection of cold-weather jackets and pants/bibs, and all of them are much heavier (and bulkier).

Convenient pant zippers. During November deer hunts when I’m in the field from dark to dark, I’ll often hike back to my truck at some point during the day to grab some food and change wool socks. With most pants/bibs, it’s a hassle removing boots to change socks. I either have to remove the pant/bib entirely, which is cumbersome in the cab of my pickup, or stand outside (cold!). Thanks to the Proximity pant full-length side zippers, my midday wool sock changing task was easy. FYI: I typically stuffed the pant bottoms into knee-high rubber boots (1,200-gram Irish Setter Mudtreks) and it worked well.

Raised back on pant. I’ll admit that when I first researched the Proximity Series online, I was disappointed to learn that KUIU offered only a pant and not a bib. To date, all of my late-season deer hunting had been while wearing a bib. I switch from pant to bib when the air temp drops below 40-ish. When I tried on the Proximity Pant over my layering garments, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the fully adjustable (and removable) suspenders worked very well, and the pant’s structured raised back would keep my waistline covered, even while sitting. Sizing note: The pant is sized to fit over a thin base layer plus a thicker insulated layer. The pant and jacket work well together to keep your midsection covered and warm, even when sitting.

Not bad on burrs. The one downside to clothing that’s whisper quiet in the coldest temperatures is it’s often a nightmare for collecting burrs. And I was afraid the Proximity Series would be a burr magnet. I was pleasantly surprised to learn through experience that it was no worse than my other cold-weather gear for gathering burrs.

 

Final Thoughts

A few important comments about sizing: I’m 5 feet 10 inches and weigh 175 pounds; I wear size 34 jeans. As I stated earlier, I chose a size XL jacket and size 38 pant because I wanted to wear a few layering garments under the jacket and pant to maximize warmth.

Based on the sizing chart (for men’s tops) provided on the KUIU website (based on chest and arm length measurements), I should have ordered a size M top. Like other manufacturers of technical hunting clothing today, KUIU has an “athletic fit.” I suppose I could wear a size M t-shirt or base layer from KUIU, but there’s no way I’d be happy with a size M Proximity jacket for late-season hunting in the Midwest. In fact, I have a buddy who is 5 feet 8 inches, 165 pounds, and he has the size L Proximity jacket; I tried it on over my standard layers and it was too small for my liking.

Because KUIU is a direct-to-consumer brand, you can’t check out sizing in a retail store. Yes, KUIU will cover the shipping costs if you need a different size, but this takes time and it’s a hassle. Better to get it right the first time. 

I’m pleased with the size XL Proximity jacket for temps of 10 to 35 degrees, but if I really wanted to stay warm in the treestand in temps of minus 20 to plus 10, then I’d be even better off with a size XXL jacket, which would allow me to wear even more layering garments underneath. Read that again: Even though the sizing chart indicates I’m a size M, I’m telling you that for the most brutally cold conditions in the Midwest, I’d be better off with a size XXL Proximity jacket — that’s three sizes larger than recommended on the chart.

Similarly, the size 38 Proximity pant I ordered is good for a few layers underneath and temps of 10 to 35 degrees. (I wear size 34 jeans.) However, if I wanted to wear even more layers underneath to stay warm in the stand in temps of minus 20 to plus 10, then I’d choose the next size up, a 40 pant. Note: All sizes of the Proximity pant have the same 34-inch inseam; going up a size doesn’t mean the legs will be longer.

My field test of the KUIU Proximity jacket and pant last deer season couldn’t have gone any better. The quality appears to be outstanding, so I’m thinking durability will not be an issue. I look forward to wearing the clothing on cold-weather bowhunts in 2023 and beyond.