Not impressed by First Lite Llano

[duchntr]

Aerowool is very durable and the best base layer I have used to date for drying, no stink, and durability. I hunt in some brushy shit holes and went through a Llano shirt a year. a couple years ago I got pissed in some brush and tore the whole damn sleeve off. But I have been rocking the Minaret Aerowool shirt for the last two years and only have one small hole in the sleeve. Will it rip and tear... Sure, but I also have holes in my Sitka base layers.

Yup aerowool is great! no durability issues whatsoever. It should come at no surprise that ANY 100% merino shirt that is as thin as the llama for example will have durability issues, especially when used as an outerlayer. Hence the reason for adding synthetic to the blend.

 

[twall13]

I've had my Llano for a little over two years now. I wear it all the time and don't baby it when I'm in the field. I do wash it with wool light inside out with the zipper up and then hang it to dry as I think dryers add a lot of wear and tear to this type of clothing. Since I've owned it, it has developed numerous small holes/snags. The material is also wearing thin at the thumb holes. It doesn't look all that great at this point but none of that has really effected it's performance for me up to this point and it was well worth the money for the performance it delivers. It doesn't stink so bad I can't stand to wear it after a five day backpack hunt and it breaths remarkably well, even on training hikes in 95 degree weather. I would buy it again except now they offer Aerowool so when my Llano is worn to rags I'll replace it with the Aerowool and have similar, if not better, performance along with added durability. Three solid years of performance was worth the cost to me. If you are expecting a lightweight 100% wool garment to last much longer than that under heavy use your search may never end.

 

[Thor0331]

I've had my Llano for a little over two years now. I wear it all the time and don't baby it when I'm in the field. I do wash it with wool light inside out with the zipper up and then hang it to dry as I think dryers add a lot of wear and tear to this type of clothing. Since I've owned it, it has developed numerous small holes/snags. The material is also wearing thin at the thumb holes. It doesn't look all that great at this point but none of that has really effected it's performance for me up to this point and it was well worth the money for the performance it delivers. It doesn't stink so bad I can't stand to wear it after a five day backpack hunt and it breaths remarkably well, even on training hikes in 95 degree weather. I would buy it again except now they offer Aerowool so when my Llano is worn to rags I'll replace it with the Aerowool and have similar, if not better, performance along with added durability. Three solid years of performance was worth the cost to me. If you are expecting a lightweight 100% wool garment to last much longer than that under heavy use your search may never end.

Yeah I get it. If I get two years out of them I'll be happy. The shirts they give us at work are XGO. SyNthetic shirts made in USA. They can stink after a few days but I've been rotating six of them for three years now. No holes or wear. Might just stick with these and deal with the stink. Just wanted to see what all the hype was about with the merino wool.

Thanks to everyone who's given some input. Again, not bashing First Lite at all. Good company and if I had to choose a hunting apparel company I'd still go with them. Just expressing a concern on one product which they have replaced now with a better solution to my exact concern. Just went by pure volume of reviews. Out of the 30 or so reviews of the Llano, only one said anything about durability issues that I saw

 

[Ryan Avery]

Yeah I get it. If I get two years out of them I'll be happy. The shirts they give us at work are XGO. SyNthetic shirts made in USA. They can stink after a few days but I've been rotating six of them for three years now. No holes or wear. Might just stick with these and deal with the stink. Just wanted to see what all the hype was about with the merino wool.

Thanks to everyone who's given some input. Again, not bashing First Lite at all. Good company and if I had to choose a hunting apparel company I'd still go with them. Just expressing a concern on one product which they have replaced now with a better solution to my exact concern. Just went by pure volume of reviews. Out of the 30 or so reviews of the Llano, only one said anything about durability issues that I saw

I don't see this a bashing at all. I hunt in S. Idaho a lot. I think the only way I would rip a Llano down there is by opening a gate on BLM land or maybe falling on some rocks. There is very little underbrush in the mountains and lots of sagebrushes. My point is not all reviews are the same and you voicing yours is what Rokslide is all about.

 

[5MilesBack]

Just wanted to see what all the hype was about with the merino wool.

You can wear it for a week in the back country and it doesn't stink, that's what the hype is about. I always wear another camo shirt over my merino base layers though, like my Microtex Lite, and I've been using my Llano since 2008. Still no holes. But I'm not exactly busting brush in them either......maybe just timber. I also have several Icebreaker and Red Ram merino tops as well.

 

[fngTony]

Thanks for sharing your experience! All brands to some degree get undeservingling bashed and over praised. This was very honest and down to earth.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[stromdidilly]

I've put holes in every merino base layer piece from FL that I've tried. I've yet to find anything better so just keep sending them back and they keep sending me new pieces to put holes in...

 

[Thor0331]

Well.. second shirt had same problem. Now I have to send this one in and haven't even got the first one back yet. I'll call FL tomorrow and see if they can just send me the aerowool shirts instead and just pay whatever the difference is. It would save both me and them time and money in the long run. If I do have to keep these shirts I'm only going to use them for running