Kifaru Apparel: New Line Passes The Coyote Test

The Wyoming-based company turns out garb fit for any hunt.

The weak link in a successful hunt is the hunter himself. Most take this truism as the individual in the field doesn’t have the chops to put meat on the table. Yet even the most skilled hunter can strike out due to a host of outside variables putting pressure on him.

From work interrupting you in the field to a calorie deficit deteriorating mind, body and spirit, there is more than one stone to trip over. Likely, among the most prevalent—weather conditions.

Nearly every hunter has a personal story of rain, wind or arctic frost making them throw up their hands, head to the truck and declare, Roberto Duran style, “No mas!” Funny thing, this variable is controllable.

The right clothing, designed to shield you from the worst Mother Nature has to throw at you, keeps you in the field and ups your odds of a successful hunt. And while it might not seem as sexy as the newest hunting rifle or reinvention of the 7mm, Kifaru jumping into the hunt clothing game is perhaps more substantial.

Expanding from no-compromise hunting packs and shelters, the Wyoming company has developed apparel not only engineered to ward off the elements. It’s designed to fill tags.

Rising From The Plains

A handful of other hunting writers, assorted industry geeks and I got to put Kifaru’s new apparel line to the test. And we got to run it in a merciless laboratory—a coyote hunt in east-central Wyoming… in January.

East of the Medicine Bow Mountains, the Rockin’ 7 Ranch is rolling high prairie dotted with lonely dark timber hills and horizons stretching to Nebraska, even South Dakota. It’s coyote country. More so, it’s unrelenting.

Armed with little more than Viking Armament rifles in 6mm Creedmoor, calls and Kifaru’s garb, we tackled the hunt and environment. And when everything mattered most, this scant gear worked.

Spike 150 Marino Base Layer

Kifaru never tackles anything halfway. In turn, when it set to design hunting apparel, it started with the foundation—the base layer. The company designed two versions: a crew shirt, patterned after your everyday short-sleeved T-shirt, and a long-sleeved hoodie.

I wore the latter all throughout the hunt and have to say it was forgettable—which is a compliment. More than anything, scratchy base layers have been the bane of my hunts since I first picked up a rifle. Yet Kifaru put together a next-to-skin option that rides tight, wears comfortably, and does its job. The extra mile on this layer of the system, 17.5 micron long staple Merino wool, a thread ensuring a near satin feel on the skin.

Specs Check

• 17.5 micron, long staple, ultrafine Merino wool
• Flatlock seam
• Low-profile thumb holes
• Temperature Range: 40-80 degrees

Roam Crosslayer

Over the years, I’ve come to consider the mid-layer as the workhorse for hunting clothing. Warm to cold, it’s the one layer rarely removed and does much of the heavy lifting. Of the Kifaru system, the Roam ended up one of my favorites—so much so, it finished off goose season with me and one near sub-zero camping trip in the Rockies.

What makes this grid fleece hoodie such a belle of the ball is that it’s dang near impervious to elements—rain, wind and snow. At the same tick, it’s breathable. If you’ve had any experience with grid fleece, you know you usually choose one or the other, so this is a coup.

Kifaru accomplishes this balancing act by utilizing weaving technology, making the exterior water and wind tight, while venting your body’s heat and moisture. Mind you, this is woven into the Roam—not some surface treatment—so it lasts as long as the hoodie.

As a bonus, it proved impervious to sandstone snags and those little prairie cactus hiding in the tall grass. It seems built for the long haul.

Specs Check

• Patented single-layer woven technology
• Wind and water resistant
• Dual zipper-entry kangaroo pockets
• Temperature Range: 40-75 degrees

Passbreaker Pant

Upfront, I haven’t run Passbreakers as hard and often as other pieces of this line. Time of year and temperature, these lighter leggings haven’t been called for, though I have designs for them during my annual first-rifle season elk hunt. Those sorts of conditions, to my mind, are where these pants will excel.

They’re light and nimble, double-woven and stretchy, so they don’t restrict movement. I’d classify them as perfect for those early-season hunts where you’ll work up a sweat and tread some ground you likely won’t later in the year.

Specs Check

• Double-weave, 4-way mechanical stretch bottom weight
• 100% recycled polyester construction
• Knee-pad compartment
• Temperature Range: 40-75 degrees

Torlander Pant

Had Kifaru made the Roam and the Tolander alone, the company might have been able to call it a day. Easily my other favorite piece of the system, the heavy-duty pant is designed to tackle the harshest conditions you can throw at it.

Not only was I happy to have them in the 30- to 40-mile-per-hour gusts on the Wyoming prairie, but also those frigid mornings calling in bomber birds. The pants are waterproof, something I put to the test in shin-deep snow on a recent camp in the Colorado mountains, impressive given the seams aren’t taped.

Here’s the rub, the Tolander wear like normal pants—that is, they aren’t like waddling around in overstuffed snow pants. Given I live for late-season mule deer hunts, I appreciate everything these pants bring to the table. And since those hunts can mean putting miles under my boots, the super-sized side vents on the Tolander are greatly appreciated.

The only nit to pick on the Torlander is price—they aren’t cheap—but I’d argue they’re worth every penny.

Specs Check

• 100% recycled polyester construction
• Waterproof and windproof
• Knee-pad compatible
• Temperature Range: 20-50 degrees

Pointe Synthetic Puffy Jacket

Actions speak louder than words, so the fact that Kifaru’s Pointe jacket has been a constant companion in my late-season hunts says something. The company puts its rating at 20-degrees, but I’ve pushed it past that and found it more than suitable.

I’ll confess, I’m surprised I’ve taken such a shine to the Pointe, namely because puffer jackets have never been my bag. Why the difference with this jacket? It doesn’t wear like a puffer—just stays warm like one—thanks to a highly compressive filler.

The one aspect I haven’t had the opportunity to test, though I already appreciate, is the Jackets oversized vent zips under the arms. Out layers, particularly on any hunt where you’re moving around the backcountry, are an issue. Typically, they heat up and most must be removed. These vents should all but erase the on-again, off-again nature of this layer.

Specs Check

• 20D Ripstop Nylon
• Windproof: Rated 1 CFM
• Water-resistant, quick-dry technology
• Temperature Range: 20-50 degrees

Where’s The Camo?

You’ve likely noticed the entire Kifaru line is comprised of solid colors—what the company calls Willow (brown), Steppe (olive) and Bur (off-white). This is intentional, as Kifaru wants to make the line compatible with hunters’ existing gear, in addition to buying the whole system.

I’d argue, this also builds in more versatility to the line—not just with other gear—but the landscape you’ll hunt. Olive blends into a lot more environments than sage-brush pattern. The rest is learning to keep still and quiet.

The Kifaru team doesn’t rule out camo in the future, but it’s likely a ways off.

Tag-Out

Beginner hunters think about caliber, seasoned hunters think about clothing. There’s a reason for that—the latter leads to backstraps.

While the hunting apparel market is crowded, Kifaru is a welcome addition. If you run their packs, you know why. The company doesn’t half-ass and is tough as the Wyoming terrain from which it’s forged.

The same goes for its apparel. While it certainly qualifies as premium gear, I don’t think there’s a hunter who will regret the investment. At least the hunters aiming at being successful.

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