First Lite Corrugate Guide pants durability

[jrc645]

I’m really interested in getting the first lite corrugate guide pants. I’ve heard a lot of stories of them ripping easily especially in the crotch area. I primarily hunt deep South Texas in thick mesquite, ebony, and cactus. Would anyone recommend these or have better options? Looking for something in hot weather conditions, durable, and that four way stretch.

 

[hflier]

I think they are pretty durable. I also believe the crotch problem was the older versions of the Kanabs and not the Corrugate, I could be wrong. Of course if you catch a tree branch or something the wrong way they could rip, but I think most pants would. I don't think they would be the best fro hot weather though I use my Obsidians until it gets cooler.

 

[jrc645]

Thanks. I’ll have to look into the obsidians some more.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Mine are holding up well. A few picks here and there.

I would say I feel thorns and snags through them very easily so don’t look for a lot of protection. I would say they are my second favorite behind kuiu tiburons for warmer weather.

 

[JollyRoger]

The fabric on mine has been durable. But the stitching around the fly has not been. These are Corrugates, not kanabs. The way the pocket bag is sewn to the fly flap is a weak point I think.

They are lightweight, very stretchy, and I like the pocket layout. But I think the stitching (and sizing) should be revisited.

 

[diamond10x]

I have both corrugates and obsidians. I have worn both walking through thick Texas brush where everything either sticks, stings, or bites you. The corrugates are nice but the weave of the material is not as tight as the obsidians and so they snag on brush a lot more. The obsidians are 4 way stretch as well but not as stretchy as the corrugates. Both are great pants but in my experience with both I prefer the obsidians in thorny brush.

 

[Hectocotylus]

The fabric on mine has been durable. But the stitching around the fly has not been. These are Corrugates, not kanabs. The way the pocket bag is sewn to the fly flap is a weak point I think.

They are lightweight, very stretchy, and I like the pocket layout. But I think the stitching (and sizing) should be revisited.

I’d agree with that, I’ve had holes in the crotch and the fly attachment. But the pants are great when they don’t have holes


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[rbljack]

and for clarification, the obsidiens are the newer version of the kanab correct? I have a pair of kanabs that are getting old, and will need replacing soon. I have a pair of corrugets, but havent worn them yet. Which pants would work better for colder conditions in the thorns, mesquite, brushy areas, etc.

 

[jrc645]

Based off what I’m hearing, I’m leaning more toward the obsidian. It should suit me well for the few cool fronts we get putting us in the 40’s too. Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[Texizona]

I wore the corrugates this year for 10 days caribou hunting in Alaska & 7 days elk hunting in Colorado. They held up perfectly and still look brand new. They're a little big in the waist, so I purchased a pair of the first lite suspenders. The suspenders were a somewhat of a pain when going to the bathroom, but I love how they kept my pants from sagging - even with all the stuff I keep in my pockets.

We hunt in very steep terrain and because the corrugates are so stretchy, they allowed great movement. We hunted in temps down to about freezing and with a pair of merino long johns, my legs stayed warm, as long we moved a little bit.

Overall, the corrugates are the best hunting pants I've worn.

 

[ChrisAU]

I wore the corrugates this year for 10 days caribou hunting in Alaska & 7 days elk hunting in Colorado. They held up perfectly and still look brand new. They're a little big in the waist, so I purchased a pair of the first lite suspenders. The suspenders were a somewhat of a pain when going to the bathroom, but I love how they kept my pants from sagging - even with all the stuff I keep in my pockets.

We hunt in very steep terrain and because the corrugates are so stretchy, they allowed great movement. We hunted in temps down to about freezing and with a pair of merino long johns, my legs stayed warm, as long we moved a little bit.

Overall, the corrugates are the best hunting pants I've worn.

I agree with the last statement, I wore them non stop for 6 days elk hunting and have worn them on dozens of whitetail hunts this fall. I've tracked a couple deer through some really thorny stuff and have no issues with durability. As far as the restroom, I loved them for going #1 on my back country hunt. Did have to use my hands to hold my pants up because I added the suspenders ha. Just unzip and whip it out and go. Also eliminated the need to wear a belt which is great to me when wearing a pack.

 

[Piscatory_4]

I wish first lite would change to the army field pant style suspenders, they hook on paracord loops sewn to left and right side. The front and back suspenders are a pain.

 

[GIS]

I wore both the obsidian and corrugate guide pants this year.

I wore the obsidians mostly during September archery hunting. They are super comfortable and breathable. I do have to fix several rips caused by all the dead fall I hunted in. I am concerned about long term durability because of this but I'll get another season or two before I need to get a new pair. They are dead silent and perfect for archery hunting.

I wore the corrugate guide pants on a week long backpacking trip in July and found them to be very comfortable even in hot temps. I also wore them in October during rifle season. They held up really well and only show minor pulling and snags from tree branches.

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[twall13]

I have both corrugates and obsidians. I have worn both walking through thick Texas brush where everything either sticks, stings, or bites you. The corrugates are nice but the weave of the material is not as tight as the obsidians and so they snag on brush a lot more. The obsidians are 4 way stretch as well but not as stretchy as the corrugates. Both are great pants but in my experience with both I prefer the obsidians in thorny brush.

You have to be the first person I've heard say they prefer the Obsidian's in thick brush. I get where you are coming from with the tightness of the material weave and feeling thorns, however, the Obsidian's just aren't meant for brush busting. That's not what they are designed for and the merino material doesn't hold up well to it. They are a quiet pant, they breath really well, they don't hold stink, they probably have a slightly wider temperature swing where they would still be comfortable, but their weakness is in wet conditions or thick brush. The Corrugates, being made from Nylon, are much more durable, dry quicker and are still quite breathable. Different purpose to each pant. I own the Kanab 2.0 (predecessor to the Obsidian) as well as the Corrugates. I like both pants for different purposes but find myself wearing the Corrugates more frequently for the conditions I hunt. I'd say the Obsidian's would probably be slightly cooler in hot temps, but they won't be nearly as durable in thick thorns.

 

[JWM]

I wore the corrugates for a season and they were comfortable but I had a ton of pilling across the thighs despite washing on gentle cycle. No tears from brush. I’ve been wearing them chukar hunting because they don’t seem to be nearly as water resistant now as i assume the dwr finish wore off.


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[Desert Dan]

I have nothing but good things to say about them. I hunt southern Arizona high desert where everything you described tries to reach up and grab me too. I've had one pair for two years now and not a single problem. To be fair I don't go looking for the thickest nastiest stuff to charge right through but as you know more often than not it's unavoidable over the course of a season. I've found they're also very durable for sitting long periods of time without the crotch or seat wearing out. I'm about to order another pair not because they wore out but to rotate them between season and off season so they last longer from normal wear.

 

[Agross]

You have to be the first person I've heard say they prefer the Obsidian's in thick brush. I get where you are coming from with the tightness of the material weave and feeling thorns, however, the Obsidian's just aren't meant for brush busting. That's not what they are designed for and the merino material doesn't hold up well to it. They are a quiet pant, they breath really well, they don't hold stink, they probably have a slightly wider temperature swing where they would still be comfortable, but their weakness is in wet conditions or thick brush. The Corrugates, being made from Nylon, are much more durable, dry quicker and are still quite breathable. Different purpose to each pant. I own the Kanab 2.0 (predecessor to the Obsidian) as well as the Corrugates. I like both pants for different purposes but find myself wearing the Corrugates more frequently for the conditions I hunt. I'd say the Obsidian's would probably be slightly cooler in hot temps, but they won't be nearly as durable in thick thorns.

I literally echo this entire post. I have kanabs and then a while later picked up some corrugates. And I'm really glad I did. Like both pants , but love my corrugates.

 

[bojangles808]

i ran them for a week bowhunting in AZ catclaw and i liked them. lots of threadpulls but no tearing or ripping

 

[Gobspur]

I like my corrugates but the butt has lots of pilling after 10 days of archery elk in colorado. Guess just from sitting down here and there. Buddy had same thing and he emailed first lite. They basically said its not a problem. I like my obsidians even more, but I dont think id walk thru thorny country in them.

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[FTG52]

Not sure if the new Obsidian's fixed the problem, but I blew the crotch out of 2 pairs of Kanab 2.0's with pretty light use.