Striker Lite ice suits ? New floating suit

[billybob851]

so did you guys get the regular or lite suit. I talked to striker today and they said the regular is more for extreme conditions and a little more stiff. I thought about getting the lite and if its really that cold you can always put another layer on. they also said the lite version is warmer than arctic armor. He also told me they had guys go out and sleep right on the ice in minnesota for 6 hours in the regular and never got cold.

[surflizard]

Went with the lite, I had the AA Plus and it was just too much ! With the right layers it will be fine !

[Rainbow1]

I was just checking out the bibs for the Striker Lite.  One of the features is a beverage holder.  Are these people mind readers?  More importantly, does it have a fly so I can relieve myself after some of these beverages?

[slabkiller]

I saw them at the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show last year and bought one, but it wasnt the floating one. I also found more good reviewws of the new floater online. IceFishingManiac.com has a pretty detailed review and also a video link showing it in a pool. It looks like just wearing the bibs will float you. As for a previous post on length, these are plenty long. They start at something like 34-36 inch inseam and you can make the 3 inches shorter or 6 inches shorter. Far better stuff than the arctic armor, in my opinion.

[tiptoe]

It has a double zipper on the front so you can unzip from the bottom up to take care of consumed beverages without stripping down.

[Derag2]

Anybody got their striker suits yet?  I am thinking bout buying a suit but just curious if anyone has anything else to add that recently bought one.

[tiptoe]

I received mine. Have not tried them on the ice yet. They are as advertised. The lite seems like it has a lot of insulation. As for sizing, the medium, fully extended, was a perfect fit for a 32" inseam.

[gotcrappie]

Living on the south edge of the ice belt, I've been looking for a coat that has the capability to float.  I've always worn a regular fishing life vest during early ice and it is so uncomfortable.  I found the Striker Ice Lite jacket for $145 with free shipping at www.redrockstore.com.  It is listed for $169.95, but I used an oline code "ice22" and brought it down to the $145 price.  I'm excited to try it out.  Thanks for all the reports, made my decision easier. 

[SalmoCowboy]

Can't go wrong with Arctic Armor!

[cousin eddie]

Got my Striker Ice Lite suit last week, wish I would have seen the discount code before I ordered from Red Rock!

So far I like this suit a lot.  I'm 5-10 185 and went with a large in the bibs and jacket.  Bibs are slightly on the long side (perfect girth-wise), but I'm not worried since they are adjustable.  I do wish the elastic shoulder straps were 3 or 4 inches shorter, I have them as tight as they go right now and they are a tad on the loose side.  I will likely just hem the straps up slightly to make the fit a little more snug.

Other first impressions, it seems like they thought of everything for this suit.  Zip to hip leg zips, pit zips, two way front zip on the bibs, adjustable bibs, flotation, list goes on.  Oh yeah, beverage holder!  Other little things that stood out that I like, magnetic flaps over the leg zips, the wire-lined hood, and the cuffs (I think they were well thought out and to me they are extremely comfortable, something I can't say for all my jackets that I own).

As far as the ventilation is concerned (in case guys were wondering), all the way around the bottom hem of the coat, they left a gap between the shell and insulation and covered it with mesh.  They did the same by the sleeve cuffs and pit zips.  I think it will be just enough to let some air movement in but not too much to make you feel cold.

I'll post an update near the end of the season once I get some good ice time in it.  Then I should be able to comment on the real warmth and durability of it.

[slabkiller]

The Striker Ice suits are the only ones that are vented, float and have adjustable length inseam. I read the reviews at korkys and compared them to the AA. They sell AA, Striker Ice, Vexilar and Ice Armor. I went to their store to check them out and make comparisons. I was told they sell the Striker Ice twenty to one over all the others combined. They said Striker has made snowmobile gear for years and incorporated many features from the snowmobile suits into the ice suits. I bought the Striker Lite suit. I went out on the ice yesterday in 16 degree temp and windy. I wore only jeans and a longsleeve shirt underneath. I was very impressed and would recommend it to anybody. I also felt a bit more safe going out on 3-4 inches of ice with a floater suit!

[Maizen]

Merry Christmas to me UPS just dropped off My Striker Lite suit from Red Rock  and as a bonus from them also included were a pair of ice armor gloves
this purchase make's all the overtime I've worked worth it since mother nature has seen fit to make southern Michigan more like Seattle so far guess i will have to keep fishing steelhead instead since lake Erie has became such a Great fishery for them
 So the   Striker Lite suit fits my 5'11, 235# frame great i got the bibs and jacket in XL/XL . and i love all the features of them  but time on the ice will tell how well there made
 

[Novak]

Thanks for all of the awesome posts guys!  It sounds like most of you have gotten the Lite bibs instead of the regular?  Any particular reason why?  Has anyone gotten a chance to try out their Lite bibs yet?    I'm contemplating whether or not to get the regular or Lite.  My mentality is that you would rather take clothing off then have to put clothing on.  I was fishing in 7F with 15mph winds yesterday so I'm wondering if the regular would be better for me.

Anyone try their Lite suit in conditions like that yet?

~Novak

[adkwiley]

I have the regular striker ice suit.  Very well made and very comfortable.  Fished yesterday in 30 + degrees wearing just my bibs and a fleece and was perfectly comfortable.

[tiptoe]

I've put 8 trips on mine so far, no issues yet.  At this point, I would buy them again. 

[TheDL]

I've wore my striker regular suit out a few times now, and I love it.  Functionally it's great!  The pockets and zips are all very conveniently placed.  The venting is a life saver!!  I walked 4km last weekend in it and zipped open the pits, and used the 3-way leg zip to vent at the knees...boy did that make a HUGE difference!  I also wore it this weekend, 8 hours on the ice both days in -15 to -20 weather, sitting on a bucket.  I was toasty warm with only a wicking polypropylene (not warm) base layer...and I normally run pretty cold.  I often forgot I had the vents open, it's that warm.  When I did break a sweat, it seemed to evaporate quickly and I was NEVER wet or cold.