What are your early season temps like?

Obsidian pants are good for 60-80F and can be worn as mid layer in mid and late season.

Corrugated jacket and pants are lightweight but are slightly noisier than the rest of the merino outerwear, but probably not great for mid season layering.

Catalyst is more of a mid season set.

If you’re looking at temps from 60-80F I would look at obsidian pants, 150 or 200 weight tops, and corrugate or sawtooth hybrid jacket.


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I prefer the corrugate pants over the obsidians, just more comfortable to me. I got a sawtooth sort of on a whim cause the corrugate was sold out, and I have fell in love with that thing! It's my main jacket in cool weather and a great mid layer when it gets colder.

 

I wrote all this in another thread, I’ll paste it here;

I’m just here to chime in I’m on my first year with all this FL gear and I thought I’d share my experiences so far. First, I agree with everyone the quality is top notch. I’ve never owned any Sitka gear but this stuff is light years ahead of my old UA gear. All I’ll add about sizing is I wear the same size FL as I do everywhere else and followed their size chart have had no problems.

60 degrees or more and I’ve been wearing the Obsidian pants and the Wick crew. Add in the kiln for the very lower end of this range in a stationary setting. Only issue was getting into some burrs, but I’d say these pieces really regulate your temperature well.

When it’s been say, 30-60 degrees I’ve mixed in the catalyst set and been happy with it. I’ve never owned anything with a wind proof membrane so I don’t have a reference but the catalyst cuts the wind far better than my old UA Ayton jacket.

I had shared the concerns above that the Catalyst pants was going to be too light to get me all the way to my sanctuary bibs, but I was comfortable down to ~32 degrees with a 230g Minus 33 base layer under them. I did get some military ECWS grid fleece bottoms for a little more flexibility in my system (haven’t worn them yet) but if you’re not SUPER sensitive to cold, I think you could wear a mid weight base layer under the catalyst pants close to 30 degrees before you were uncomfortable. Your experience may vary.

We got hit with an early frost. That day I was worried I’d be cold, so I layered pretty heavily. I wore the 150g wick crew (I’ve been wearing that under everything), minus 33 midweight 230g top, the Kalamth QZ and the Sawtooth vest and had no problems. I took the Catalyst jacket but never put it on. On a few other days I wore the same base layers and was comfortable with the catalyst jacket instead of the sawtooth vest. I’ll probably reach for the Woodbury jacket instead, but I think if I wore the heavyweight furnace top, the Klamath fleece, and maybe the sawtooth vest underneath it, I could wear the catalyst jacket in the 20s and be ok.

I haven’t gotten to wear the Sanctuary bibs and Woodbury jacket but I’m very excited to try them. They’re very comfortable and quiet, but no field testing yet.

 

I start with Obsidians and a Merino top, weight depends on temperature. I typically pack in the catalyst jacket and put it on as the temps drop. Then as the fall goes on I add warmer layers underneath and that takes me into upper 30’s for mornings which warms to 50’s where I live, typically into November.

 

I agree with the Obsidian pants and LS Merino top. They are great for the warm early season. I bought the Sawtooth for the next layer and ending up not liking it. It did not block the wind at all. It was great if I was in the woods, out of the wind. But on the field, the wind blew right through it. Makes a good layering piece though.

 

I was a little worried about the durability of the Obsidian pants. after reading some of the reviews first lite site.some where saying they got tears easy. It hard with this online shopping because you cant put your hands on it.

 

Depends where you are. I wear them early season in WI and have never even come close to ripping them. If you are tough on gear, busting brush with them on, it may be a different story. Though they don’t feel flimsy by any stretch.

 

how are the Obsidians for noise compared to the catalyst?

 

Good question. I don't know how the Catalyst can be quieter then the Obsidians, since there 90% wool, but who knows. I would like to know also

 

I agree with H80HUNTER. I have Obsidians now but had pair of the Kanab 2's that lasted me four years. I wore them turkey hunting pig hunting early to mid season deer hunting and loved them for fishing. I wore the crap out of those pants.

The Obsidians are great pair of pants.

 

I used the light weight wick in the early season combined with the corrugate pants. I have the obsidians too, but since where I was hunting was harder to get to I used the tougher pants. If you have an easy to get to place, I'd pick the obsidians. The wick is amazing cool and light

 

I love the kanabs {older obsidian) I have at least 3 or 4 seasons and over 100 hunts and hundreds of miles in them. I found them pretty tough I have no major tears. There are going to be tougher options but the wool handles temp swings better then any synthetic which in turkey is ideal for me.

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Thanks for all the input. I am thinking the obsidian

 

I have both:
Obsidian— regulate temp well, moisture wicking, silent, dry quick
Catalyst — a bit warmer, Water resistant, very very quiet. Plenty quiet for archery.

I honestly don’t think you can go wrong. GUN TO MY HEAD, I probably prefer the Catalyst but they’re both seriously awesome.