FIRST LITE CORRUGATE FOUNDRY PANT REVIEW

A King of all Trades

First Lite dropped these a new line of pants in early 2021 dubbed the "Foundry" series. This particular pant is the Corrugate Foundry. They're really awesome, but have presented me with a unique problem. I have several pairs of pants all specifically designed for hunters, but I can't find a reason to not reach for these every time I venture into the field.

When it comes to the western hunter, this is a go anywhere - do anything pant. Versatility is the name of the game. This season I found myself crawling in sage flats for antelope, packing out a bighorn sheep at 12,500 ft, hunting Colorado high-country mule deer, and wading through blow-down matchstick timber for elk. I did it all in the Corrugate Foundry.

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The Good

If you were to slap a bunch of bells and whistles onto an M1 Abrams tank and turn it into a pant this would be it. Worthy of the Foundry name, these pants are tough! To test these pants I crawled over cactus, jumped over barbed-wire fences, and busted through thorn bushes. Other than slight fraying on the stitched First Lite logo, these pants showed almost no wear at all. The reinforced knees and seat combat the elements in high-abrasion areas.

There's a slight taper down the leg giving the pant a more athletic fit. They're not joggers by any means, but far away from bell-bottom leg openings.

The temperature range listed on the First Lite product page is from 20 degrees if proper base layers are worn to above 80 degrees. The hip vents allowed me to dump heat during an uphill climb while the pant material gave me a moderate amount of breathability.

The fit was true to size. I wear a 32x32 in my normal pants and ordered the same in the Corrugate Foundry. No issues. Great fit. The rigid waist band kept things in place.

Like a standard pant, the Corrugate Foundry has belt loops if you choose to utilize them. However, I opted for the new suspender design. Clever placement of the clips allowed me to keep my pants up while not putting any hard materials in the center of my back for my pack to rub into like the previous version. I feel like an old man, but I can't deny the functionality of them.

Pockets. Lots of pockets. There's room for snacks, handheld releases, chapstick, and more snacks. Oh and there's also a gusset for pocket knife clips on the pockets closest to your hips.

The Gripes

There's a lot to like about these pants but there are a few minor issues. Not many, but a few. This short list is going to be me just nit-picking. So before I start to rag on these pants, I wanna remind you that the Corrugate Foundry is money.

Speaking of money - my first gripe is that these are expensive. Like $200 dollars expensive! I really had to talk myself into pulling the trigger on this purchase. After a little deliberation, I was able to justify the price by thinking of it as an investment. Because that's what it is really. I ought to be able to wear these pants for 5 seasons minimum before replacement. And so far so good. After this past season, the rate of degradation leads me to believe that this investment will be worth the price.

I would never deter ounce counting backpack hunters away from the Corrugate Foundry, however they're a tad heavier than other pairs that First Lite offers. In the same size, the Corrugate Foundry weighs in a 28 oz vs the Obsidian Foundry that weighs 21 oz.

Are they worth it?

These are an easy buy. Yes they are expensive, but very very worth it. I've been incredibly satisfied with this set of pants. For the western hunter who needs gear to perform day after day in the backcountry, I have no problem saying that you can count on the Corrugate Foundry to pack you in and pack meat out.