IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Ice Fishing Safety => Topic started by: fishinnut on Jan 15, 2012, 04:36 PM
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Does anyone know if the CO2 powered live vests/sospenders can be used icefishing? Does the cold weather effect the CO2??
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I have a mustang. The cold does not bother it according to them. I, fortunately, have not tested it.
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although i haven't pulled the trigger on mine, i don't think the cold would effect it. hope i never have to test that theory ;)
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Here is a great idea that I use. I swim with it in Florida every year. Go to http://howtomakeyourownfishinggear.com/fishing
The information is Free on how to build one...
Look under Ice Fishing Life Saver....
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Never had a life Jacket on on the ice. I hardly ever wear one when on a boat either.
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don't use one or need one.
i use artic armor float ice fishing suit. all black version for solar heat.
holds 900 pounds. can save your self and two others in a disaster.
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Arctic Armor...
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Welcome to IceShanty Buck! I don't wear one on the ice either, never have not that it isnt a good idea. I wear the Lake Effect floatation suit by Striker. Very pleased with it so far.
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Article armor.........wow looks like everyone is doing it. My buddy uses it too. After I told him I bought it because it floats, his wife bought him one.
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I don't wear one either but I live in a place where the ice gets thicker than I am tall!!! ;D
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My new Striker climate suit just arrived today.(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v156/mrama/IMG_20131105_200515455_zps35605353.jpg)
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I don't wear one either but I live in a place where the ice gets thicker than I am tall!!! ;D
I'd say your good when they have ice road truckers in the area. Lol
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Just got an atric armor jacket for this season for my birthday
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A Striker Ice suit user here, floats and I love it! Best purchase of last year, wish I had gotten it sooner.
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last two seasons I used the Striker Hardwater suit and this year I will be using the Clam Ice Amour Lift Suit. before having a floating suit I just used my life jacket from the summer over my jacket when going out on early ice. once the ice was thick enough to drive on then I didn't wear the life jacket.
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I wear a neoprene one made for water skiing and put it on under my jacket. And it fits great and is like a big pice of insulation to help keep me warm.
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Arctic Armor.
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striker lite suit and also have the striker hardwater jacket for when its real cold.
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are all of those floating suits bulky? I bought a pr of ice armor bibs end of last season and I felt like I was wearing a life jacket
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I used to wear mustang survival suit all the time for early and late ice. Trouble with it was it was too bloody warm most days. Now its neat to see some manufacturers like Clam making the lift suit and a throw rope as well as a life jacket for those conditions that warrant it. I also like the look of that nebulus device that keeps your 4wheeler or sled from sinking as well as you!!! For guys that push early and late ice these should be must have items.
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Here is a great idea that I use. I swim with it in Florida every year. Go to http://howtomakeyourownfishinggear.com/fishing
The information is Free on how to build one...
Look under Ice Fishing Life Saver....
welcome to the shanty, but while you were trying to post a second post (guessing), you over wrote your original post about life jackets.
the new post is about a home made noodle life jacket. if it saves a life it is worth it, but i think a float suit will work much better and i bet my life on it every time i walk on water.
sounds like you are still looking for some extra safety on water. should buy a float suit hands down, no fooling with your life. look for the one that holds the most weight afloat. you can layer if not warm enough.
for what its worth to you.
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Most of the time I wear a CG approved fanny pack, if I need it it is there and I use the belt for pliers and what not. Best of all I use it all year round, on a boat, wading rivers...
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Just my Bearnie Bear Jacket, Looks a lot like the Carhartt Active jacket. Just better in my opinion,since I have owned both.
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just got a striker climate suit this year. $260 for jacket and bottoms. and yes it is bulky
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x2 on A A suit
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Northern Minnesota I usually only bring the jacket with early ice and then late ice when things start to deteriorate. For both times it's usually too dang warm out for a big suit, typically only wear a sweatshirt at most. For this reason I have always just grabbed a summer life jacket, but this season I am excited for that new IceArmour life jacket. I was playing with it at the Ice Expo last weekend and that puppy is sweet! It's got giant openings for your arms so it doesn't feel like you're in a straight jacket and some pockets similar to their suits. Looks perfect for what I need up here.
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I wear Arctic Armor as well, but my 9 year old wears a life jacket. I found one that is made for kayaking/canoeing and has size adjustable sides and the floatation foam is built in a series of vertical tubes instead of large panels. This way the jacket isn't nearly so restrictive. I have him wear it while we are traveling and then take it off while we are set up.
I can't imagine falling in with floatation and without it, well let's just say I might take calculated risks with my life , but not the kids - they are my responsibility.
Tight Lines and Hard Water
Let's keep it topside.
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I wear Striker and for the kids I bought 2 Ice Armor vest.
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I say this every year, but here's goes again BECAUSE it's IMPORTANT to REALIZE
For those who wear only a lifejacket or floating jacket, but not floating bibs
It's better than NO flotation at all, BUT think of this
when an ice angler breaks through the ice, they usually hang at the edge of the hole with their elbows up on the ice
now think of hanging with your elbows on the deck of a swimming pool and trying to get out
you can get your head, arms, and much of your chest on the deck
but getting your hips, knees and feet up is a challenge
The flotation from the bottom of your ribcage to your shoulders doesn't help much in this effort
you need the flotation to be from your bellybutton to your knees so your hips will float and you can roll onto the ice
I tell any customer who wants to buy just one piece to buy the bibs first
Sure a lifejacket will keep ya from drowning; but if you can't get your hips out, hypothermia will get ya before too long
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On early ice, less than 4-5" I will wear the one i keep in my kayak, its just a cheapy foam one, but it does the job, and the added safety is more than worth dealing with its bulkiness.
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Normally only wear the one piece cheapo Bouy-O-Boy suit on early or late ice, just because it is brutally uncomfortable and heavy.
Today though I bought a Mustang Integrity coat that is in excellent condition off of Kijiji...... I will wear this all the other times now as it is comfortable and wears like a normal jacket.
Burt :)
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used to wear one, a bulky boat vest - now i have a Striker float suit. comfortable, warm, and it floats well (i've tested it).
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Arctic Armor
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are all of those floating suits bulky? I bought a pr of ice armor bibs end of last season and I felt like I was wearing a life jacket
Arctic Armor is really light and not at all bulky. The areas if fails in are quality, the suits are total junk, buttons break, zippers break, seams come un wound and the company is just terrible, they will not stand behind their products at all. AVOID. Also they don't breath in the least bit, work up a sweat and you are going to be damp awhile.
Do yourself a favor and get a quality suit like a Stiker if you want to purchase a high dollar ice suit.
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This is my 4th year with Arctic Armor and I haven't had any problem with it. I fish almost every day for pan fish all winter. Lite weight, warm, wind proof and has plenty of pockets. It does get rather warm on the last few days of ice in the spring when the temps get up. During those times I just wear a t-shirt and underwear rather than any layers. It is very smilar in appearance and weight to all the other ice suits except for the fact that it floats. Makes sense to me to own a floating suit. The chance of falling in for an experienced fisherman is slim but having that suit gives me some insurance. I always wear the ice pics too and have a throw rope on the sled in addition to carrying a cell phone.
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(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/pjprod/WIN_20150120_223104-1.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/pjprod/media/WIN_20150120_223104-1.jpg.html)
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I say this every year, but here's goes again BECAUSE it's IMPORTANT to REALIZE
For those who wear only a lifejacket or floating jacket, but not floating bibs
It's better than NO flotation at all, BUT think of this
when an ice angler breaks through the ice, they usually hang at the edge of the hole with their elbows up on the ice
now think of hanging with your elbows on the deck of a swimming pool and trying to get out
you can get your head, arms, and much of your chest on the deck
but getting your hips, knees and feet up is a challenge
The flotation from the bottom of your ribcage to your shoulders doesn't help much in this effort
you need the flotation to be from your bellybutton to your knees so your hips will float and you can roll onto the ice
I tell any customer who wants to buy just one piece to buy the bibs first
Sure a lifejacket will keep ya from drowning; but if you can't get your hips out, hypothermia will get ya before too long
as someone trying ice fishing for the first time I thought i'd get a life jacket I can use in the kayak I hope to buy and wear my ski bibs .... after reading this I think i'll bite the bullet and buy the float bibs to go with the life jacket
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When I teach my next Ice Rescue class I will take a Mustang Co2 powered PFD out , keep it on the ice all day as we teach the class . At the end of the day , when the Co2 has been in the same conditions as a all day fishing trip . I will attempt to inflate . We have our GoPro cameras running all the time so I will post it on YouTube for everyone to see the outcome . I do know the outcome , but I will post . FYI I wear a Guide Gear Ice suit , Ice picks , and early and late ice , I walk with an ice staff .
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I don't normally wear one, But this year we had early ice and the one lake I was planning to fish didn't have any good ice reports on here, But I was hoping to find good ice. I chose to wear my open water life vest as a precaution. Under my jacket I found it wasn't all that bulky, hardly noticed it. I also had my spud bar and picks. Not the best, But I figured it could help if needed and it's what I had.
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(http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb395/pjprod/WIN_20150120_223104-1.jpg) (http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/pjprod/media/WIN_20150120_223104-1.jpg.html)
AND THE WINNER IS THIS