Floating ice jacket preferences

[hardwater diehard]

I tested mine


With just my SI Climate bibs on ...I walked off a floating raft in 8-9 fow...popped up EZPZ ..I did touch bottom briefly..they floated me on my back..it was difficult to turn over to simulate an ice escape ..once flipped over it floated my legs w/o effort . Note with both parka and bibs on I did not touch bottom at all ...the raft was appox 2 ft above the water ...so my walk off added extra forces not typically found during a ice break through. Note the liners were removed on the bibs and parka.

[IceholeHEN]

Just a question I have. I ordered the striker climate jacket but was going to go with the guardian bibs. Besides the extra warmth of the entire suit, will it make any difference? Thanks in advance.

[3300]

i noticed no one mentioned artic armor. mine has been retired soon after striker came out. aa suits are so cold and don't breath. claimed to be water proof so i used it while plowing snow on my riding mower in the rain once and i got soaked.

i have both hardewater and climate bibs. the coat isn't used much at all. mainly for the walk on/off, so i didn't see a need to also buy the climate parka when i have the hardwater parka.

My buddy did try his striker suit in summer , dock a foot off the water, had bibs and coat on and walked off dock, and didn’t even get hair wet. He said only way to get head wet was dive in !!

that's why theses are so important, so you don't involuntarily gasp air and fill your lungs with water. if your head were to go under this can happen. your body does things you wouldn't expect during a crisis, like dropping 6 feet at the speed of gravity.

the other thing to mention is these do keep your face up. if you get knocked out hitting your head on ice falling in, this is a must.

also, self rescue is much easier on your back. just elbow walk and kick your feet until your off the ice enough to roll away. don't fight it by trying to get back on your stomach. if you can catch the edge of the hole with a knee this will speed it up and no kicking is needed at that point. with both elbows on ice while on your back, catch a knee and then roll away.

[ejdelvo28]

Ice suits are not comparable to motor vehicles in terms of brand.  Nowadays, all the vehicle manufacturers put out a high quality product.   In ice suits, on the other hand, Striker stands head and shoulders above the rest in quality materials, features, customer service and durability.  The attention to detail is really quite amazing.  I still to this day and discovering little nooks and crannies in my Predator jacket and bibs that I did not know existed, but are extremely well thought-out and convenient.  Bite the bullet, spend the extra money and go Striker.  You will never look back.  Living in MT, you definitely will want at least the Predator bibs.  The Guardians would be good for warmer climates, but will likely be insufficient in those bone chilling January and February days.

[MT_mulies]

Well I went with the Striker Predator Jacket in a size large. It is a little bit bigger than I would have liked it to be on me, but I'm in my 30s and I'm presuming at some point I will fill out a little more and then it would fit perfect. I'm not gonna complain though. I got it for $102 on ebay bidding. Can't beat that! The last few weeks have had a lot of people getting rid of their stuff on ebay. Worth checking out.

[hardwater diehard]

Well I went with the Striker Predator Jacket in a size large. It is a little bit bigger than I would have liked it to be on me, but I'm in my 30s and I'm presuming at some point I will fill out a little more and then it would fit perfect. I'm not gonna complain though. I got it for $102 on ebay bidding. Can't beat that! The last few weeks have had a lot of people getting rid of their stuff on ebay. Worth checking out.

Bigger is better ..loft=warmth...besides most days you wont wear the jacket but when need to you wont have to dress down from your base layer(s) and hoodie ...elbow room is nice .

[PazzoCorso]

I bought the hardwater jacket and the climate bibs. I wish I got a large instead of xl because it's so warm I haven't had to layer underneath.
Also I think I read somewhere the bibs and jacket had to he worn together for the floatation system to work as "advertised"

[filetandrelease]

I bought the hardwater jacket and the climate bibs. I wish I got a large instead of xl because it's so warm I haven't had to layer underneath.
Also I think I read somewhere the bibs and jacket had to he worn together for the floatation system to work as "advertised"

there are videos of using each piece and as a suit , but there are only 2 that are coast guard approved the I float and the mustang , striker is good for about 2 hrs , I also own a striker made outfit , and it is super warm , the rep talked me into it and I’m glad he did but my spud is the real tell all , JMO

[Gills-only]

2 hrs, that’s kind of funny, u better be out long before that !!

[filetandrelease]

2 hrs, that’s kind of funny, u better be out long before that !!

Absolutely true and nothing funny about being in water that cold for only a few mins  , now figure in age and shape of the person in question , I was only stating how long the suit would hold you up

[Gills-only]

Common sense is 90% of the battle, is don’t think safe after a long warm spell, don’t go, or buddy up with someone and use common sense !!

[Chuck Enwinde]

Well someone has to be the contrarian soooo..   My Striker bibs are at the end of their usable life, literally falling apart at the seems.  I'll be replacing them with another set of Striker bibs.  Not because they're so much more rugged or better built than other brands but mainly because there fitting system is the best. 

The Jacket however is still in good shape because more times than not I find myself reaching for the Arctic Armor jacket.  It doesn't breath as well and it doesn't have as many pockets, but I find it much more comfortable.   If you happen upon a good deal, I think you'd be happy with it. 

For the record, I think the Arctic Armor bibs are terrible (gave mine away). 

[JohnJ1981]

I bought an Anorakk sikre ice suit in late 2016. I did a lot of research and read many reviews, found it online for 250 free shipping and pulled the trigger on it (glad I did). It is by far the best one I’ve owned out of several others over the years. I’m not super hard on my stuff but it gets used and this is season two with it and it still looks new. It’s super warm. Been in -20 with wind chills below that and I never was cold. Though I will admit I do layer polypro underwear (old military issue) and always have my bunny boots on when it’s super cold. There plenty of pockets and has a zipper on detachable hood.  As an aside, I’ve never tested the buoyancy of it and I pray I never have to. Anyways I’m very satisfied with it and highly recommend the suit.

[Royalwapiti]

OK, maybe we need to clarify this.    If you have only ever had one brand of floating garment, you are not qualified to answer.   How can you compare what you have with only that.  You need to have owned multiple brands for comparison and to give a fair opinion to the OP.

I am happy with my Guardian bibs and Predator jacket but won't tell someone who wants opinions on Clam or Frabill vs the Striker.   

[JohnJ1981]

OK, maybe we need to clarify this.    If you have only ever had one brand of floating garment, you are not qualified to answer.   How can you compare what you have with only that.  You need to have owned multiple brands for comparison and to give a fair opinion to the OP.

I am happy with my Guardian bibs and Predator jacket but won't tell someone who wants opinions on Clam or Frabill vs the Striker.

So let me get this straight. The title of the topic says floating ice jacket preferences. If you only have owned one brand that somehow disqualifies you from giving an assessment or an opinion regarding a particular brand that you own? Ive never owned a BMW, but it doesn’t follow that I can’t give you an honest and well thought out assessment of my GMC truck. Pride cometh before the fall. I’d rather have as many opinions on a subject as possible then use my intellect to discern good and bad irrespective of how many different brands one owns. My two cents anyways, I’m sure I’ll get change back.....

[wirenut45]

o.k. , gonna give opinion since i,ve owned BOTH striker and arctic armor, ,n, tested both by    going in to satisfy me they,re what they say they are: floating suits. a.a. first; floats fine for 140-150 lb. guy. a.a. does feel clammy due to no venting, so DO NOT break sweat in them. strikers are like  a BMW vs chevy, ford, dodge argument. very, very well thought out suit . features up the wazoo. had them 2 yrs. ,n, someone on here sez about a drink holder, ,n, i go "WTH " why dont mine have that? guess what, they do! will easily float a 180-190 lb. guy ( thats why i got striker, got FAT. i have the hardwater coat ,n, predator bibs. don,t really need them for Pa. but we go to mn., n.d. to ice fish ,n, they keep me warm in the coldest, windiest conditions. imo, you cant go wrong with Strikerice products. wire

[VTMatt]

I'll add info about Arctic Armor that was horrible for me......I even made a few threads about the company and owner

Materials are cheap. They literally just stitch bulky foam inside a crappy suit. The velcro ripped the inside of my jacket apart just from walking. Also NOT breathable at all.  Waterproof?  Hahaha...I knelt down in wet slush and both knees got soaked  instantly.  Best part is when I called and talked to the owner. He insulted and yelled at me over the phone and said I was lying about my issues. When I said I would make sure people knew what was wrong with the suits he threatened to sick a lawyer on me and hung up - lol. Went to Striker immediately after and its like night and day.

[Bucket Rump]

I'll add info about Arctic Armor that was horrible for me......I even made a few threads about the company and owner

Materials are cheap. They literally just stitch bulky foam inside a crappy suit. The velcro ripped the inside of my jacket apart just from walking. Also NOT breathable at all.  Waterproof?  Hahaha...I knelt down in wet slush and both knees got soaked  instantly.  Best part is when I called and talked to the owner. He insulted and yelled at me over the phone and said I was lying about my issues. When I said I would make sure people knew what was wrong with the suits he threatened to sick a lawyer on me and hung up - lol. Went to Striker immediately after and its like night and day.

It sounds like my situation is more the exception than the norm, but I have had great luck with the Arctic Armor Pro suit I wear in regards to holding up and comfort - only have three full seasons on them, though, along with a few cold weather boat excursions.  The bibs and jacket are not bulky at all, fit me really well and, at least with the AA Pro's, there is a zippered vent under each arm of the jacket - I haven't overheated in them yet, nor have I gotten cold in weather down to -10° F or so with some pretty stiff wind at times.  Most trips I fish in a flip shack and usually take the jacket off when I'm inside or it gets too warm.  Kneeling on the ice, be it snow, slush, or bare ice hasn't gotten me a wet knee yet.  All that said, if I had the customer service experience that VTMatt described I would certainly look elsewhere for suit when the need to do so came up.

[hardwater diehard]

It sounds like my situation is more the exception than the norm, but I have had great luck with the Arctic Armor Pro suit I wear in regards to holding up and comfort - only have three full seasons on them, though, along with a few cold weather boat excursions.  The bibs and jacket are not bulky at all, fit me really well and, at least with the AA Pro's, there is a zippered vent under each arm of the jacket - I haven't overheated in them yet, nor have I gotten cold in weather down to -10° F or so with some pretty stiff wind at times.  Most trips I fish in a flip shack and usually take the jacket off when I'm inside or it gets too warm.  Kneeling on the ice, be it snow, slush, or bare ice hasn't gotten me a wet knee yet.  All that said, if I had the customer service experience that VTMatt described I would certainly look elsewhere for suit when the need to do so came up.

https://www.idigear.com/arctic-armor-pro-suit

I believe the Pro suit is breathable ...and they may have addressed other issues/concerns ...when I first started looking at float suits several seasons ago I came across Artic Armor IDI...at that time some IS members were having issues with breathability..so my search continued I located SI website some research and a good May sale I had a Climate set up ...only after buying a Predator set up from the same retailer ..only to be told my size wasn't available ...so I went all in on the Climate..not knowing what to expect as it was an internet purchase I was quite pleased ..but after my first season with the Climate set up it was way too warm for my area...so after finding another deal on a Predator set up I am now a proud owner of two SI set ups. I must say the hardest part of the SI  gear is what to wear or not to wear underneath the suit as you go from early through midseason ....plenty warm ...plenty of pockets ...plenty dry one of my best investments for my passion .

[Tye]

Do yourself a favour and check out the FXR Excursion jacket.  I have the whole suit and love it! Super comfortable and extremely warm yet still comfortable on warmer days don't over heat. Very durable high quality material. Give them a look.