I purchased these boot top longjohns to pair with my Corrugate Guide Pants, in the hopes of ditching the bulky pajamas I had rigged to help with deal with the cool spring mornings hunting Ontario Turkey. Morning temperatures on opening day dipped down below -6°C (20°F) and the airy Corrugate Guide Pant was not cutting it on its own, so I ordered these, and recieved them the next day. Amazing experience with First Lite right off the bat.
I came in from hunting my home property around noon to try them on and I have to admit, my initial impressions were skeptical. They felt lighter than I expected, and the fit was a bit looser than I'm used to. As I wore them that day, hiking back up the rocky ridges to where the turkeys were hanging out, I thought that there was no way these were going to keep me warm the next morning. They breathe way too well, and no matter how hard I pushed my legs were cool and dry. Determined to test them fully, I suited up the next morning and headed out before first light. Temperatures were a little warmer hovering around -2°C (28°F). Boy was I ever wrong.
This was one of my first times using a merino base layer pant and I didn't realize how well this blend could regulate body temperature. I was warmer with these than I was with any amount of bulky pajamas jammed down my pants legs. And the beauty of it was that it kept going with me all day long. The fit was lose enough to allow for another thin layer underneath without being too tight, but tight enough to feel like a second skin after getting used to the cool ring around my legs where my socks didn't quite make to top of the bottoms.
I can see myself wearing these as my Baselayer, coupled with added layers during colder months, from spring Turkey hunting, right through to late season. They breathe so well I might end up using them for day to day life when a light pant just isn't enough.