First Lite’s flagship versatile pants are soft, flexible, and stylish - But can they hold up to heavy use?

When you spend as much time outdoors as I do–crawling through cover, kneeling in mud, or patching up yet another barbed wire cut in your hunting dogs–you start to develop strong opinions about gear.

Over the past year, one piece of equipment that’s earned a permanent place in my rotation is the First Lite Men’s 308 Pant.

Literally, I wore the same pair of 308 pants every. single. day. for a full year, training dogs, calling in gobblers, casting a fly line, scouting cover, and hunting through four distinct seasons here in Idaho and across the West.

(Before you ask: Yes, they were washed regularly, but abused even more frequently.)

What started as a casual gear test turned into a genuine long-term relationship with one of the most comfortable and versatile hunting pants I’ve ever owned. How did they hold up to the abuse?

Let’s be honest here, the 308 is First Lite’s response to the Kuiu Attack Pant, the gold standard of multi-purpose pants that every big name in the outdoor industry is chasing. While they share some of the same DNA, the crew at First Lite has done a decent job of sourcing quality material to pair with a few technical upgrades lacking in the Attacks.

Comfort That Doesn’t Quit

Let’s start with the first thing you notice the moment you slip them on: comfort. The 308s have a level of stretch and softness that feels more like an athletic jogger (I affectionately refer to them as Bro-ga Pants) than a traditional brush busting hunting pant, like my Sawbucks. The 4-way stretch polyester fabric is lightweight but not flimsy, and the articulated knees and gusseted crotch give you an impressive range of motion I’ve come to expect (and now demand) in my hunting pants. I cringe looking back at all the years upland hunting in rigid, wet Carhartts.

I spend a lot of time in awkward positions, and these pants never restricted me once. Whether I was hiking steep chukar country or crawling through dense alder thickets to find a dog on point, they moved naturally with me.

In warm weather, the 308s breathe exceptionally well. Even during early-season hunts in 80-degree heat, I never felt swampy or overheated, especially when I deployed the mesh side vents. I use the vents far less than I imagined when I got my 308s, but they’re money when you need them.

Function Built for Real Hunters

It’s clear that the design team at First Lite didn’t just think about how these pants would look cruising the Boise Whole Foods in a flat-billed hat and mustache —they thought about how they’d function in the field.

The pocket layout is thoughtful and efficient. The hand pockets are deep enough to keep my truck keys secure. I rarely use the zippered thigh pockets, but those of you who still feel you need cargo pockets in 2025–but are too afraid to be seen wearing them–might find them useful. There’s also a smaller pocket that fits a knife perfectly—something I reach for constantly, whether I’m notching turkey tags or cutting summer sausage to share with the dogs. The pocket keeps your EDC clip protected and the knife turned towards your body, which is a relief for those of use who’ve lost not one but TWO Benchmades by snagging the clip on the shell pouch of my hunting vest.

The deployable phone pocket (not found in the Attacks) is probably my favorite and most utilized feature of the 308s.

The zippers are small, smooth and low-profile, and have (mostly) held up very well to the heavy use and borderline abuse. I think some of the zippers should have been larger and more robust (especially the front) but I understand the need to keep them streamlined and light weight.

The cuffs fit neatly over lightweight boots or tuck in comfortably behind gaiters without bunching. If I had a choice, though, I’d probably slim down the thigh and leg opening for aesthetics, and I believe there’d still be plenty of room for every body and boot type without compromising mobility.

“Literally, I wore the same pair of 308 pants every. single. day. for a full year, training dogs, calling in gobblers, casting a fly line, scouting cover, and hunting through four distinct seasons here in Idaho and across the West.”

They’re highly functional in the field but also stylish enough for everyday wear to work or around town, which is part of the reason they’ve been in my starting lineup 365 days in a row. I appreciate that the branding is subtle (just a small First Lite logo behind the right knee). Lord knows I’ve spent enough money to buy them, I don’t need to pay to advertise for you, too.

Durability That Earned My Respect

After a full year of daily use, I can confidently say these pants have passed every test I could throw at them. I’m notoriously hard on gear. Between briars, basalt, and dog wrangling, most of my pants don’t last more than a season.

But the 308s are still going strong with 365 straight days of wear. The seams are tight, the zippers are (mostly) intact, and there’s not a single tear or blown stitch despite months of abuse. Ironically, the only failure point is the right side vent zipper, which hardly gets any use.

I’ve worn these through everything from the dust of September sharptail cover to the frozen cliffs of January chukar hunts.. A year later, they’re still my go-to pants for work, travel, and the field.

A Few Honest Notes

No piece of gear is perfect. After a year of constant wear, the only issue I’ve had is minor pilling in high-friction areas and a side vent zipper failure. It’s mostly cosmetic, not critically structural, and easy to overlook or forgive with the punishment these pants have taken.

Price-wise, the 308s sit in the premium category ($175), but when you factor in the comfort, versatility, and longevity, I think they’re worth every penny. If you’re the type of hunter who wears one pair of pants for everything—training dogs, scouting, travel, and hunting—these will pay for themselves quickly.

Final Verdict

As both a veterinarian and a bird hunter, I need gear that performs across a wide range of unpredictable conditions—and I need it to last. The First Lite 308 Pant checks every box: comfort, function, and durability.

They’re the rare piece of clothing I never have to think about—because they simply work. After a year of living in them, I trust them the way I trust a good pair of boots or a reliable shotgun.

If you’re looking for pants that can handle the reps of an avid uplander and still look sharp when you stop for coffee on the way home—the First Lite 308 is it.

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