Author Topic: Just Bought Ice Armor Extreme Weather Bibs... Base Layer Opinions Are Needed  (Read 2464 times)

Offline torchd

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Tonight I pulled the trigger and bought a pair of Ice Armor Extreme weather bibs along with Cabella's Inferno 2000 Pack boot.  Now I need a pair of base layer to go underneath, what do you think of these....


I was thinking of getting the BPS (their XPS version) base layers.  http://www.basspro.com/Base-Layers/_/S-12600001009?cm_sp=IceEPBLyrOct2014_ENRCAT

I am just not sure which one to get? I live in IL, will fish in WI or MN; it does get cold.  I am looking at the 2.0 or 3.0 Expedition shirt/pants.  Any thoughts or ideas?

Online hardwater diehard

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  I go with ..for my top layers... tech/silk/1.0 weight ...then add from there 3.0 or 4.0 weight depending on the weather temperatures forecast for that day ...atop that a good hoodie ...the best investment I have made for warmth is a good fleece vest ..if your core is warm your extremities will be too ... my outer layer is SI Predator Parka/Bibs ...most days don't need the Parka

My legs tend not to get as cold ...so tech weight and some jogging/sweat pants .

Only thing to consider is size ..I don't like to be constricted with my shirt/base layer so I order XL as opposed to my normal size of Large . The base layer bottoms don't seem to be as constrictive so large fits fine.

I bought some Red Head Henley shirts from BPS about 5-6 yrs ago ...size large .....sleeves shrunk and neck stretched out after a washing or two ...did buy some BPS mid weight base layers too which seems to be holing up w/o issues .
Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline 9huskies

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I wear the lightweight Patagonia Capilene base layer. It's a treated polyester that's thinner that a t-shirt. There are less expensive brands with a similar fabric but the Patagonia fits me better. The purpose of the base layer is wicking and moisture managment more than insulation. For lower mid layers I wear polyester microfiber jogging pants. I have thin ones from Adidas and Reebok and heavier ones from Nike. For the upper mid layer I wear as many layers of various weight polartech fleece as I need. My outer shell is uninsulated Gore-tex bibs and jacket. I don't want the shell to be insulated. That's what the base and mid layers are for. I have not found any other waterproof breathable fabric that works as well as Gore-Tex. It's worth spending the money for the real thing.

Offline torchd

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I bought my bibs in Jan 2017.....  We got a warm spell and all of our ice melted.  Fast Forward 1 year later and it it New Years day 2018....  Hopefully this year I'll be able to get out and use my new boots.  lol


Little side note, when I bought these, I weighed in at 225 lbs.  As of today, I dropped 45 lbs and weigh 180 lbs.  I sure hope my XL bibs will still fit?  Other wise I may have to sell them.  These are brand new with tags still on!

Offline esox_xtm

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You'll have to try 'em to see where they take you. You shouldn't need much.

I bought into a SnoSuit years ago and I rarely wear anything other than just a pair of jeans or cargo pant underneath. It's just too warm if you can imagine that. If it get down around zero or below I might throw on a lightweight pair of johns but that's it.
To fish or not to fish? That's a stupid question!



“Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality.”― Lewis Carroll

Offline tswoboda

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I think military surplus Gen 3, Level 2 base layers are the best combo of price, comfort, warmth, weight, breathability, and bulk.  They are made of the same Polartec fabric that Patagonia uses in their R1 series which goes for around $100.

Personally I like to wear Smartwool or other brand merino wool simply for the no-stank factor.  But the surplus stuff is better in almost every other category.

 



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