Now that I have used all pants in the line up for 2 seasons in the mountains as well as in the midwest, I feel comfortable giving them a thorough review. Every pant is great and has its place in a clothing system, but they do have their draw backs. First Lite Corrugate Guide Pant: I'll start with my favorite, the guide pant. This is the work horse, all around, never let me down, pant. This is my go-to pant for western backpack hunting. It is made of 4 way stretch nylon and is perfect for long hikes, it is also DWR coated which is perfect if you are in an area where rain is unlikely so you can skip on the dedicated rain pants. I wore these on a 7 day backcountry bear hunt in Idaho where we received some sort of rain everyday and these were enough, if it was a heavy rain we would be in the tent anyway. I will say they don't dry out as fast as I hoped they would when the get wet. Perhaps the best feature is the durability. I've had 3 pairs for 2 years and have yet to rip any of them. I can't afford to have my pants get tattered up on day 2 of a hunt when I'm cruising over down fall (which is all over Colorado). Have taken them on 3 backcountry hunts in the last couple years and have no plans to swap them for another pant. Another down fall is they tend to be a little on the louder side for light pants. First Lite Obsidian Merino: Since i'm on the subject of down fall in Colorado, I'll talk about these pants next. I wore these pants a lot preparing for my 2017 archery elk hunt and was sold on them. Super light weight and breathable plus they have stretch nylon in the right spots (crotch and on your butt below the waste band). Perfect, right? Well yes, in the perfect world they would be great for an early season archery elk hunt. But with fire lay down and beetle kill trees everywhere, there are a lot of sharp edges on the logs you're stumbling over all day. Day 3 I had a couple rips on my ankles and day 5 I ripped my leg pocket. Durability is the downfall of the merino pant. This is not the pant's fault rather than my fault for expecting the pant to perform well where snags are unavoidable. Other than that, they are a great lightweight pant if you're not in a place with a lot of lay down. I wore these a lot early to mid/late October in a tree stand because they are DEAD quiet. Flea fart quiet. They also have that stretch nylon in the spots that matter so thats nice for longer hikes and sitting all day. I will probably leave them at home for week long backpack hunts though. First Lite Catalyst: These are a fleece lined soft-shell pant that First Lite released last year so they are relatively new. I used these as my main whitetail pant this year from mid October through the end of the season layering with different base layers. I haven't put these through a ton of harsh terrain yet but they have faded a little bit on my thighs from waist high grass that I walked through twice a week hunting one of the pieces I frequented this year. They are also dead silent and work amazing as a mid season to late season pant with layering. As far as taking these out west, I could see using them on a late season elk or 3rd to 4th season muley hunt, but those are usually more truck camping scenarios. They are warmer than the guides and obsidians, but not quite like wearing a bib or heavy cold weather pant so mobility is still good. It is also nice that First Lite includes suspenders with the obsidians and catalyst and has loops for the guides. I think this is the better way to wear them vs a belt, especially backcountry hunting. If you have any questions about these pants, let me know.
Nice review! Curious if you have tryed any other brands to compare? I'm mostly Sitka myself, just because I get insider prices. Wondering if they are compatible. I own a couple small pieces of Firstlite and really love there hats and gloves, but the hat doesn't take much abuse. I have heard the same review on the guide pants from others, my have to try them out sometime. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Lmao, my friend wanted to see if putting some clickbait in the title would get a spike of view. That being said, the catalyist for sure
The ascent pants are one of my favorite I've worn. I think they were little lighter than the guide and the nylon stretches a little better. I really like that they have specific cut sizes like 32x32 instead of just Sm Md Lrg etc... My hunting buddy wears the mountain pant when we go out west and they seem awesome, little heavy for me though for early season. Also the prana stretch zion is a great pant too and you can find those for around $70, I wear these more on a day to day basis to work and such than the guides.
I got the FL Knabs, Obsidians, and Corrugate guide pants. Love them all for different reasons. Guide pants in solid colors Are my all-around favorites for doing everything from working around the house to in the field. I got the Sitka Timberlines and these are another favorite. Love the knee pads and Goretex areas, perfectly thought out.
