Dont have -33 but i have 1st lite and core4, i dont recommend the core4 as mine has holes all in it. 1st lite is very durable and i havnt got cold since i started wearing merino wool
Minus 33 is very durable. Get the lightweight and heavyweight tops and you will be ready for about all conditions. Wear both with a heavy wool sweater over them in really cold conditions for all day warmth. I cut the sleeves off just above my elbow on my heavy sweaters so my arms still have good freedom without being bound up from all the layers. Wool is still the warmest material a hunter can wear.
First Lite's quality is fantastic and I hear that Minus 33's is as well. Minus 33 is cheaper and uses the same grade of Merino Wool as First Lite. If I were to buy anything I would buy Minus 33.
I did my review on this on another site but I'll copy and paste it here:
First off, count me as a sceptic of how well this stuff works. I finally broke down last Friday (the day this ice storm moved in) and went to Cabelas (hi Jeff ) and tried it on.
I walked out with 3 pieces of base layer gear: Llano lightweight (top), Chama mid weight zip (top) and Allegheny lightweight bottoms. They had a limited selection and didn't have the mid weight (Allegheny EXP) bottoms or the Chama hoodie I wanted but I had to have something so I bought what they had. I really like how the tops have longer sleeves with a thumb hole so that it covers half your hand and keeps it warm. Much better to have longer sleeves than needed than too short IMO.
I worked outside all weekend on night shift and was exposed to the elements for up to 2 hours at a time, depending on the circumstances. I didn't have a hunting jacket or pants, just polyester work attire and a jacket with no wind blocking ability.
The verdict? I never got cold, not even for a second. On Saturday night, it was 16-18 degrees with 15mph+ gusts and the only time I could feel the cold was when a wind gust would rip through, other than that, I was toasty the whole time. My legs could have used the mid weight Allegheny EXP to go over my lightweights but I was fine without them. That being said, I'll add them to what I already have this summer. I just finished ordering the balaclava from First Lite as well. This stuff is top notch guys, I feel dumb for waiting and freezing in a tree or a blind for this long without some quality gear like this. Especially when you've dropped some serious coin all year on your lease or a hunt out of state, you owe it to yourself to sit comfortably as long as you can. The bottom line is my days of layering in a manner of looking and feeling like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man are done. This is so crucial for bowhunting when you've got to worry about string slap on your bow holding arm.
My next purchase will be the Allegheny EXP and the Chama hoodie and then I'm done. It comes in black, ASAT, Realtree AP/Xtra, and Max-1. I am not affiliated with First Lite in any way, in fact, KUIU and a few others have merino wool as well. Get you some, it's worth it.
The minus 33 in comparison to FL sees tighter woven and even feels heavier when comparing both lightweight sets. Justin Charles has really good merino wool as well. May not be in business anymore I don't know.
While first lites stuff is nice for early season in camo colors, if you are looking for merino wool base layers save yourself half the price with the stuff LL Bean has. Its nice medium weight wool for 65 bucks tops or bottoms......
I can't comment on the First Lite but I recently got my first set of Merino Wool and went with the Minus 33 mid weight top and bottom. I am really impressed with the warm it provides. It has been really cold here in MN the last couple weeks and the stuff has worked great. I have not been cold or hot, just nice and comfortable.
The mid weight is soft, comfortable and fits good. It is hard to explain but for being thin it has some weight to it......
I did my home work the same way you are doing it and went with Minus 33, but I think both are going to be very good products. I would see what you can get the best deal on and pull the trigger.
-33 feels a little heavier.
If you want thumbholes get fl tops.
Other than that -33 is as good or better.
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