Ice Armor,Artic Armor or Frabill Suits

[Budweiser8]

I wear Arctic Armor and like it other than the fact that it doesn't breathe very well. I have the camo set without the fleece liner which could make a difference. I hopefully will find out next year as i hope to buy a new set again next year just for fishing - i went with the camo this year because i also needed a new duck hunting suit and tried to save a few bucks and use 1 suit for both...overall i do like it

[mrch33]

... so no one is ever going to die from falling through the ice again???

... that's great news!!!

There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home!

I'm just trying to help, I'm sorry that you guys are too short sighted to see that.

... have any of you guys seen the "ARCTIC ARMOR SAVED MY LIFE THREAD?"

I hope you dont ever wear your arctic armor suit without the jacket because think about it, yeah thats right, your feet float which causes your head to sink underwater.  I got the frabill suit for this very reason.  If I am going out on ice that is unsafe at all, I wear a pfd so that my upper body floats and I dont sink.  I rarely wear my whole suit so I would rather have a little more weight on the bottom than have my bibs force my head down so my legs will float.   cleary most everyone on this thread is annoyed with you so why dont you take your own advice and stay on the arctic armor saved my life thread or stay on topic.  This thread talks about who bought what suit not how much you wanna sit in a room with the lights off with your suit on dreaming about falling through so get a clue and get off this thread.

[Hooligan]

Everyone thinks they're safe on the ice.. but too many people lose their lives every year in tragic but very preventable accidents!!!

There's no such thing as safe ice.  It's all dangerous.  I know there are those that will call me an idiot, and there are yet others that will agree.
I ordered the AA suit.

[GCD]

I hope you dont ever wear your arctic armor suit without the jacket because think about it, yeah thats right, your feet float which causes your head to sink underwater. 

That ain't gonna happen bubba!!!

... so everyone that feels guilty about not having a floatation suit can bash me???... but I can't express the benefits of having one?

You should reread the title to this thread... Arctic Armor is in there!

Watch the video I posted earlier, visit the IDI site and watch their videos...
http://www.idigear.com/video.php

... can you not see the benefits of this suit? It could actually save your life!!! How much is your life worth?... less than $300?

Imagine your best buddy that picked you up at 5:00 am standing at your door at 5:00 pm to talk to your wife, with the kids trying to crowd in to listen and a State Trooper standing by his side, while he cries like a baby because he and you went through the ice and he was the only one that made it out alive because he was wearing an AA suit... imagine the sorrow and desperation...

...not that it really matters, at least you saved $300 eh?

[ICE REBEL]

Yes your right i did put it in the topic. I put it there for one reason and that reason is because the three suits i posted are the most popular suits on the market NOT FOR SOME LIKE YOURSELF THAT HAS NOTHING BETTER TO WITH HIS TIME THEN TO COME ON THIS FORUM AND TALK SH$T ABOUT PEOPLE OR TO GIVE A PRECHING TO OK BUDDY. I really think you don't ever go fishing because your always on here and got something stupid or something smart to say about something. GET A LIFE BUDDY.

[craigthor]

I own the Frabill SnoSuit. Definitely worth the coin if you want a great suit. I spent several months comparing suits before I bought. Here is what I came up with:

Artic Armour: Floats but doesnt breath, I hate clothing that doesn't breathe

Ice Armour: Warm and Dry but the fit wasn't right for me. Couldn't find a suit that fit both top and bottoms well.
 
Frabill SnoSuit: 1000 Denier Nylon more wind protection then even 95% of the manufatured Shelters, Breatheable, zippers in great spots to allow air flow if you get hot in specific areas, 100% water proof as I sat in slush for 5 hours and never got wet or cold. Lots of pockets and added padding in the right spots.

I sold my flip over after getting the SnoSuit as this allows me the absolute best in run and gun fishing. I was out in -13F weather and kept warm with no heater or shelter. Keeps me dry and doesn't absorb water when I'm kneeling in it or my gas auger kicks up snow and water clearing the holes.

IF I'm in unknown or sketchy ice I always have a throw rope, ice picks, PFD, whistle and someone with me. On real sketchy ice I tie myself off before even venturing out. In the end everyone can make their own opinion as everyone has different tastes and things that appeal to them.

I say get what fits your fishing style the best jsut because SnoSuit works for me it may not be for everyone.

Craig

[eyesonice]

I have the grey and black ice armor extreme. Very warm, most of the time I don't even wear the jacket and if I do very seldom is it zipped up. Pockets have a lot of room and the padded knees are very nice every time you have to get on the ice setting up, catching fish and picking up. I have no regrets on my purchase. Just wish I would have waied a couple of years because they have come down in price since I bought mine. 

[mathteacherrob]

I have a Stearns float suit that I wear, they are so nice. Waterproof flotation and warm as well, best part was I got the suit on ebay for $50 or so.

[WildFisherWomanVT]

I got the camo arctic armor. Its the BEST! Its a soft material not like the other. Super warm and it floats (which I hope I dont find out). It dries super quick and lets no wind in. It took a while for me to get the right layering to wear with it. Spent some time sloppy sweaty figuring that one out since its quite toasty in there. Jacket has tons of pockets for losing your small stuff into their bottomless pocket pits. Not only it is killer for ice fishing, but its even more killer in the stand late season deer hunting and its a major bonus that it is silent. IMO it is the top choice in my book for winter hunting/fishing.

My only complaint is the sizes run BIG!!!!!!!!!!!! or HUGE! Im 5ft7 135lbs and I am swimming in the XS.

It is pricey but its the best couple hundred I ever spend to add to my gear collection.      

[Rebelfisher]

I got the blue suit and love it. I can care less about a floatation suit, but thats my opinion, and everyone has their own...I carry picks n rope and use good judgement. I dont care what youre wearing because once that cold water shocks you, all bets are equal...granted, it floats, but it ISNT a survival suit.

[eriksat1]

You can't say a word about AA suit without GCD chiming in with about 50 replys, from insults to name calling if you don't buy AA, The ice must be really thin where he fishes. I have been driving my F150 truck out to my spot for about a month now with almost 20" of ice I'm not to worried about falling through at this time of year where I'm at. When I go fishing thin ice, early ice or late ice, I wear a stearns life vest pdf but that is not good enough for him he knows better than all of us. I have to believe he has some affiliation with AA. Other wise just shut the hell up and let people make there own decision on what warm weather gear to buy. Personally if I am going to spend that much money I will get something in Gore Tex that breaths.

[jammer icecube]

ON that note.Strikemaster suits are fantastic!

[ICE REBEL]

I got the blue suit and love it. I can care less about a floatation suit, but thats my opinion, and everyone has their own...I carry picks n rope and use good judgement. I dont care what youre wearing because once that cold water shocks you, all bets are equal...granted, it floats, but it ISNT a survival suit.

That's right it isn't and it only floats for like 5 minutes.

[Baero]

I just picked up the Frabill Ice Suit the other day, tomorrow will be the test with the cold. I went to Runnings to get the Ice Armor Extreme, but they had the Frabill for $100.00 less,  so I grabbed that.  I have worn it blowing snow so far and seemed warm.  Has a ton of pockets like they all do, could do without the billboard on the back, but oh well.

Should beat my Carhartts when kneeling on the ice.

[slamminsam]

Enough of the bible thumping and insults GCD. North America is free. We can do whatever the hell we want. We get the point already. You do this in EVERY one of these threads.

Lighten up Francis....

He is correct about the suit and life...just a pompous ass...knows everything about everything and no one else can change his mind.  He lives on this site just waiting to throw in his 2 cents...look at all his posts.  Free country, free opinion...just filter it out. 

[lynng]

What about the Frabil Suit?

I decided on this suit and have worn it since Christmas. I just love it. It is very well made. Almost too warm. The pockets and padding are very well thought out.  The cut of the suit makes it easy to move around in. If you want  well made, warm, and dry; then this is your suit. If you want flotation wear an inflatable.

[MT hooker]

Purchased the gray ice armor suit about a month ago.  For warmth, waterproof, windproof, and breathability, it is great.  However---The bib zipper lost a tooth about the third time I wore it.  Store that I bought it from is 250 miles away.  Had the wife fix it and run a thread thru the zipper so the slides don't come off.
Also I wish the bib leg zippers came up higher.  The bib material is very warm and I like the padding, but they should have made the lining material of something more slippery.  It grabs on to your pants and no way can you put them on with any type of shoe or boot on.  
Good luck deciding what you will buy.

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[5watchman5]

Just got a pair of the blue and black Ice Armor bibs and love them!  Can fish in any weather now.  Highly reccomended

[ICE REBEL]

Well i did end up going with the ice armor extreme suit (gary and black). I got it a few weeks ago and love it. It is very warm and really keeps the wind off and from what i have seen it also keeps you dry to. Very happy with this suit.

[Champlain Islander]

I am 62 years old, retired and have been ice fishing all my life. I own a house on Lake Champlain in Vt and ice fish almost every day commercially. I fish for all sorts of pan fish in many locations around here. I have always worn a Cabelas Exedition Down coat and gore-tex/ down pants or bibs. Staying warm hasn't been a problem and I enjoyed all the pockets in the Cabelas coat. This year I was ready to get a new outfit because the old one was getting pretty worn and leaking feathers. I heard about the AA suits and thought it was a smart thing. I looked at them at a Gander Mt store near here and decided that they were a great suit but I was worried that they wouldn't be warm enough because they were quite light as compared to my trusty old down coat. I went home and saw a friend out on the ice who bought one and he claimed they were warm. I decided to go back the next day and get one based on his recommendation. I found the coat and bibs to be very warm, wind proof, somewhat rain proof and had all the pockets to hold my tackle. The suit is light in weight and doesn’t load up when raining or wet snow. Now for the good part……
Anyone who has spent a long time out on the ice has probably either fallen in or had an experience where others have or a near miss. Lets face it guys being out on the ice and staying safe is the most important thing. I fish every day and have seen a few times where the ice deteriorated during the day especially at late season when the bite is on. 3 days after I got my AA suit a friend fell through on early ice and his partner called to the rest of us fishing about a 1/4mile away if we had a rope. We ran over to the guy who had been in the water about 5 minutes by that time and was not doing well. He was exhausted and had an opening about as big as a PU truck where he had tried to climb out and the ice just crumbled. He was about toast and it was up to me and my fishing partner to either get him out or watch him die. Having the AA suit allowed me to at least have the confidence to crawl out over the thin ice and extend a sled to the guy and pull him out. To be honest I would have tried to save him regardless of what I had on but that experience taught me that you just never know when and how a near drowning incident will happen. For those that say common sense, ice picks and everything else is all you need I say I disagree. I have all that and have for many years but it really isn’t enough. All I can say is it doesn’t matter who makes a floatation suit but if you are going to be out there why not have all you can have going for you. I view the AA equipment much like wearing seat belts. It is a personal decision but many people will opt to be as safe as they can. I for one am thankful that this type of technology has become available. I can’t wait to try it out in the water this summer when it is warm. I’ll report back on just how buoyant it really is.

[ddubs3]

I have the Ice Armor Extreme Grey suit and have not been cold yet.

[captain54]

I love you Trooper Bri and I don't even know you,well said that guy makes me puke every time I read his know it all posts. Thanks again.