Clothing Question

[HarryHunter]

Let me first start off by saying. I absolutely love First Lite and the majority of their gear. Love the brand, their passion for conservation and their customer service.

With that being said....why do they continue to have so many durability and quality control issues?


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[Rob5589]

Such as?

 

[HarryHunter]

Seams that are suppose to be stitched that where completely missed from manufacturing. Rubber welding near pockets that are peeling off. Pants like the Obsidians literally falling apart, rain wear with failing zippers.

It’s also frustrating how other competitors have an extensive line of items that have wind stopping properties. Love the performance of their stuff just disappointing how quickly some of these items of mine and others I’ve seen fall apart.


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[KBC]

Maybe if it wasn't made in China it would be better.

 

[HarryHunter]

Maybe if it wasn't made in China it would be better.

So is Sitka and Kuiu,both much better in overall durability.


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[Rifleman86]

Durability is always the price of lightweight gear...

My FL stuff has more than a few tears/stitches/repairs... But it still functions just fine.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

So is Sitka and Kuiu,both much better in overall durability.


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Having a ton of all those brands and others...yes. FL makes wonderful base layers but the rest of their line has suffered QC issues for the past five years. I dunno why but it's noticeable. Compared to KUIU and Sitka, well FL doesn't. But hey, it's cheaper soooo....

 

[justinspicher]

Most of mine has held up fairly well over the years of use, I can fix most of the damage. I also create most of the damage that my FL has due to hard use. I am pretty sure that I can tear up about any type of clothing. This is why I rarely buy any of the clothing I have for outdoor use brand new.

 

[Brendan]

I've had worse luck with First Lite than I have either Kuiu or Sitka (Or Arc'Teryx, Kuhl, Prana, Eddie Bauer, etc etc). Gaiters I had water really comes straight through after a while, and 3 different pairs of Corrugate Guide Pants fell apart or failed within 2 weeks of use. I've now used Kuiu and Sitka a lot more than FL, and can't say I've had a failure that I didn't cause.

I do really love some of their Merino stuff though, one of their Hoodies is one of my favorite pieces of gear, and have some Merino gloves and beanies on the way. Been a little bit gun-shy to try stuff after how bad the pants were though. Having seams blow out and pockets fail on a hunt when brand new sucks.

 

[LostArra]

I've had worse luck with First Lite than I have either Kuiu or Sitka (Or Arc'Teryx, Kuhl, Prana, Eddie Bauer, etc etc). Gaiters I had water really comes straight through after a while, and 3 different pairs of Corrugate Guide Pants fell apart or failed within 2 weeks of use. I've now used Kuiu and Sitka a lot more than FL, and can't say I've had a failure that I didn't cause.

I do really love some of their Merino stuff though, one of their Hoodies is one of my favorite pieces of gear, and have some Merino gloves and beanies on the way. Been a little bit gun-shy to try stuff after how bad the pants were though. Having seams blow out and pockets fail on a hunt when brand new sucks.

My experience has been similar but after the initial poor sizing/fit of FL followed by durability issues I quickly moved on. I don't give many second chances on expensive clothing. I wear a lot of non-hunting brands but the Sitka and Kuiu gear I own and use has been significantly tougher.

 

[toadmeister]

Maybe if it wasn't made in China it would be better.

This isn’t any excuse for poor quality. Any manufacturer must meet the specifications defined and enforced by the ownership and management. Plenty of high quality products can and do come out of China just as poor quality can come from domestic USA manufacturers.

All that said, I love FL. I can be critical of them too if they do wrong.


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[WTFJohn]

I have sold off almost all of my FL gear. When it was possible to buy in a store, the differences between sizes in product lines could be worked around. About 3 years ago I noticed a lot more issues like pulled seams, missed stitches, and sizes that just didn’t match up right with my body type (5’11”, 180). Those issues, plus no retail sales & no wind stopper means it’s not an effective layering system for how I hunt. I’m not going to hold my breath for the MeatEater buyout to fix any of those issues either, I’d sooner expect it to become a BassPro exclusive line.

 

[KHNC]

I agree since i bought a full set up FL gear in 2013. ALL of it was mis-sized. The Medium was Lg to XL and the Lg fit like XXL. Totally ridiculous for the amount of money i dropped on it. I used it that season since i didnt have the money to buy all new shit and i didnt have enough time before a hunt to send it back and find something else. Durability seemed fine but the sizing was a joke. They didnt get a second chance from me.

 

[menhaden_man]

I’m in the same boat - forked out good money for a pair of pants that had holes in the pockets. I’ve crossed them off my list.

 

[gelton]

I've only used their baselayers and the original FL Stormtight, which the stitching held up on but leaks terribly. That said, I have dropped more $$ with them this year because I like their baselayers so much...never would use them for anything else though.

 

[archp625]

I'm hoping the Klamath Hoody will hold up. Ive had KUIU and now use Sitka. I wanted to order a solid color Sitka HW Hoody but it has been out of stock for months. Its also a unicorn or used Sitka forums.

 

[workethic]

One hunt in my catalyst pants and several hones in the pant legs. I hunt hard and somewhat expect to get a hole or two, but this was crazy. With the second hole I didnt have my needle and thread on me so I had to wait to get back to the truck.... I could have fit a softball in there. My wife's grandmother was a seamstress and is just as hardcore about sewing as I am about hunting. She told me the fabric they used was junk and the stitching they did was shoddy. I love the design and fit of first lite, but you gotta make clothing that can take a beating.

 

[HarryHunter]

The other issue I’m finding out is they have whole lines of gear that lack some serious wind and light precip cutting. Like their whole whitetail line has no dedicated way to stop wind. I found out very quickly my Catalyst set was near worthless against wind last winter as well.

Was also surprised how quick my rain pants and Uncompahgre puffy both got ripped last seasons.

Love the merino stuff, even love how light, breathable and packable the outerwear is but my god does it seem fragile.


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[stan_wa]

I only have about 4 items form first lite but all of mine have been wearisome

 

[j33]

Seems coming apart isn't covered by warranty? I'm wearing my Kiln right now and noticing some seems coming apart, it's been on only a few scout days otherwise I wear around the house/town. Might send them an email to see what they say.

I gotta agree First Lite isn't worth the price they are, lower quality gear based on my limited experience, moved onto Kuiu and Sitka along with other non hunting brands.